Learn French: Nous frissonnons sans parler à qui que ce soit. - We shiver without speaking to anyone at all.

Nous frissonnons sans parler à qui que ce soit.

We shiver without speaking to anyone at all.

Breakdown of Nous frissonnons sans parler à qui que ce soit.

nous

we / us (object pronoun)

at / to / in (general locations) / about (what one thinks about / reacts to)

Questions & Answers about Nous frissonnons sans parler à qui que ce soit.

What is the difference between using à qui que ce soit and just saying à personne here?

While sans parler à personne simply means "without speaking to anyone," using qui que ce soit adds strong emphasis. It translates closer to "without speaking to anyone at all" or "absolutely anyone," highlighting the total lack of communication.

Why does the preposition à go right before qui que ce soit?

The verb phrase is parler à (to speak to). Whenever you use an absolute indefinite phrase like qui que ce soit, any required preposition must be placed directly before it. It functions just like a regular pronoun in this regard, similar to how you would say parler à quelqu'un.

Is soit in this phrase a subjunctive verb?

Yes, soit is the subjunctive form of être (to be), making the literal translation roughly "whoever it might be." However, you can simply memorize qui que ce soit as a fixed, invariable expression. You don't need to change or conjugate it depending on the rest of the sentence.

Why do we use the infinitive parler after sans instead of conjugating it?