Learn French: Que le noyau soit grand est surprenant. - That the nucleus is large is surprising.

Que le noyau soit grand est surprenant.

That the nucleus is large is surprising.

Breakdown of Que le noyau soit grand est surprenant.

that (introducing a clause)

surprenant

surprising

Questions & Answers about Que le noyau soit grand est surprenant.

Why is the subjunctive soit used here instead of the indicative est?

The clause Que le noyau soit grand is the subject of the sentence, and the main verb phrase (est surprenant) expresses an emotional reaction or judgment. In French, when a subject clause expresses something being judged or evaluated, it requires the subjunctive mood.

Is it common to start a sentence with Que like this in spoken French?

Starting with Que to mean 'That...' is grammatically correct but quite formal. In everyday French, you are much more likely to hear the impersonal structure: Il est surprenant que le noyau soit grand (It is surprising that...).

Could we say ... c'est surprenant at the end of the sentence?

No, because the clause Que le noyau soit grand is already the full subject of the verb est. If you added c' (ce), you would incorrectly have two subjects. You would only use c'est if you split the idea into two clauses, like: Le noyau est grand, c'est surprenant.

What else can noyau mean besides 'nucleus'?

While it translates to 'nucleus' in science, in everyday French un noyau is the pit or stone of a fruit (like a peach, cherry, or olive). It is also used metaphorically to mean the 'core' or 'hardcore' of something, such as a central group of people.