moritzstiefel

[full aurora]

Please be patient

Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.

Pro tip: you can rename the thread title with `.tr <thread name>`

Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.

[calm trout]

You could think of it like "of such x quality", it's required to link the two ideas together

[blazing condor]

The “de” is there because “rien” needs to be followed by “de” when it’s modified by an adjective. Same thing with other indefinite pronouns like “quelque chose”, “quelqu’un”.

Example: il n’y a rien de bon - there is nothing good.

In your sentence, “aussi mortel que ces tirs au hasard” is the adjectival phrase that modifies “rien”.

[lean swan]

ohhhh okay, thank you! i think the 'vu' between 'rien' and 'de' confused me because i think i would have known to say 'rien de (adjective)'. even after so long learning french sometimes the sentence stricture still really trips me up.

so if the sentence was instead 'there is nothing as deadly as (etc)', would it be 'il n'y a rien de mortel que ces tirs au hasard'?

[blazing condor]

Your attempt is missing “as” (as deadly as)

Il n’y a rien d’aussi mortel que ces tirs au hasard