Breakdown of Un groupe social, tel qu'une minorité, n'a peur de rien.
un
a / an (masculine)
une
a / an (feminine)
ne
not (used before the verb)
de
of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)
le groupe
the group
avoir peur
to be afraid
rien
nothing (ne ... rien)
social
social
tel que
such as (tel que, telle que, tels que, telles que)
la minorité
the minority
Questions & Answers about Un groupe social, tel qu'une minorité, n'a peur de rien.
Why is it tel qu' (masculine) when the noun that follows it, une minorité, is feminine?
The phrase tel que (such as) must agree in gender and number with the noun it is giving an example of—meaning the noun that precedes it. Here, it is giving an example of un groupe social, which is masculine singular. Therefore, we use the masculine singular tel, regardless of the gender of the example that follows.
Could I just use comme instead of tel que here?
Yes, you could say Un groupe social, comme une minorité... and it would mean the exact same thing. Comme is invariable, so you wouldn't have to worry about agreement. However, tel que is very common in written and formal spoken French to introduce examples, so mastering its agreement rules is a great B2 skill.
Why is there a de before rien?
The core verb phrase is avoir peur de (to be afraid of). The preposition de is a built-in part of this expression. When you say you are afraid of nothing, the de stays in place right before the object of your fear, giving us a peur de rien.
Where did the pas go in this negative sentence?
Learn Un groupe social, tel qu'une minorité, n'a peur de rien 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