Breakdown of Cet adversaire est plus imposant et redoutable que nous ne le croyions.
être
to be
et
and
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
ce
this (before a noun)
le
him, it (masculine direct object pronoun)
plus
more
croire
to believe
que
than (in comparisons)
l'adversaire
the opponent
ne
expletive 'ne' (no negative meaning)
imposant
imposing
redoutable
formidable
Questions & Answers about Cet adversaire est plus imposant et redoutable que nous ne le croyions.
Why is there a ne before le croyions if the sentence isn't negative?
This is the ne explétif. In formal or written French, it is often used in the second half of a comparison of inequality (after plus... que or moins... que) when the first half is affirmative. It doesn't make the verb negative; it just emphasizes the disparity between the reality and our expectation.
Is the ne explétif mandatory in this sentence, or could I just say que nous le croyions?
What exactly does the le stand for in nous ne le croyions?
It is a neuter object pronoun acting as a placeholder for the adjectives imposant et redoutable. In English, we just say 'than we believed' and leave the object implied. In French, you must include the pronoun le to represent the idea ('that he was that imposing and formidable'). Because it refers to an idea and not a specific noun, it is invariable and always stays le.
Why use the imperfect tense for croyions instead of the passé composé?
The imperfect is used here to describe an ongoing state of mind in the past. We held the belief that the adversary was less formidable over an extended period of time, right up until the moment we actually faced him. The passé composé would imply a single, completed action, which doesn't fit this context of holding an ongoing belief.
Is croyions in the indicative or the subjunctive mood here?
It is in the indicative (specifically, the imperfect tense). While the nous form of the imperfect looks exactly the same as the present subjunctive for the verb croire, comparisons using plus... que state a fact rather than expressing doubt, emotion, or necessity. Therefore, they take the indicative mood.
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