Breakdown of Ce projet est moins coûteux qu'il n'imaginait.
être
to be
il
he
ce
this (before a noun)
le projet
the project
moins
less / to (time)
que
than (in comparisons)
imaginer
to imagine
ne
expletive 'ne' (no negative meaning)
coûteux
costly
Questions & Answers about Ce projet est moins coûteux qu'il n'imaginait.
Why is there a n' before imaginait? Is the sentence negative?
This is the ne explétif, a special word used in formal or careful French after comparisons of inequality (like moins... que or plus... que). It doesn't make the sentence negative at all! It simply emphasizes the gap between reality and what he thought. In casual spoken French, it is usually dropped: qu'il imaginait.
Would we still use the ne explétif if the first part of the sentence was negative?
No. The ne explétif in comparisons is only triggered when the main clause is affirmative. If the sentence were negative (meaning the project isn't less costly), you wouldn't use it: Ce projet n'est pas moins coûteux qu'il imaginait.
Why is imaginait in the imparfait tense rather than the passé composé?
Could I just say moins cher instead of moins coûteux?
Absolutely. Moins cher (less expensive) is very common and perfectly correct. Coûteux (costly) just adds a slightly more formal or professional tone, which is very natural when discussing a projet.
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