Log inSign up

Ce bouclier est tellement puissant qu'il va bloquer le pirate.

Ce bouclier est tellement puissant qu'il va bloquer le pirate.
This shield is so powerful that it will block the hacker.
From Lesson 339:Expletive ne after conjunctions (avant que ne…)·French

Questions & Answers about Ce bouclier est tellement puissant qu'il va bloquer le pirate.

Why doesn't "que" trigger the subjunctive or a "ne explétif" in this sentence?
The "que" here is part of tellement ... que (so ... that). This structure introduces a factual result or consequence, so it takes the indicative mood (il va). The subjunctive and ne explétif are used after conjunctions expressing fear, anticipation, or negative conditions (like de peur que or à moins que).
Can I use "tant" instead of "tellement" here?
No, because puissant is an adjective. To say "so [adjective]", you must use tellement or si. Tant is reserved for verbs (e.g., il a tant travaillé) or, with "de", for nouns (tant de puissance).
Does "bouclier" just mean a physical shield?
While bouclier traditionally means a physical shield or piece of armor, it is very commonly used in modern French to mean a digital shield, such as a firewall, antivirus, or cyber defense system.
Is "pirate" the everyday French word for a computer hacker?
Yes! Just like "pirate" in English, it can refer to a literal sea pirate, but in a technological context, it is the standard word for a hacker. You will also often see the longer phrase pirate informatique.

Learn Ce bouclier est tellement puissant qu'il va bloquer le pirate and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →