il est + Adjective + de + Infinitive

Impersonal Judgment with Il Est...de

Level 3

Use il est + [adjective] + de + [infinitive] to make objective, formal statements like 'It is important to...' or 'It is forbidden to...'

How It Works

The construction il est + adjective + de + infinitive is a cornerstone of formal French. It allows you to describe an action (the infinitive) with a specific quality (the adjective).

1. The Dummy Subject:
The il here is 'impersonal.' It does not mean 'he'; it functions like the English 'it' in 'It is raining.' It never changes to elle or ils.

2. The Adjective:
Because the subject is impersonal, the adjective always stays in the masculine singular form. Even if the rest of the sentence mentions feminine things, the adjective remains neutral (e.g., Il est bon de...).

3. The Preposition 'de':
This is the mandatory 'linker.' Without de, the sentence is grammatically incomplete. Note that if the following verb starts with a vowel, de becomes d' due to elision.

4. Register (Formal vs. Casual):
This pattern is very common in literature, news, and signs. However, in everyday spoken French, natives almost always replace il est with c'est (e.g., C'est important de manger). Using il est in a casual conversation can sound quite stiff.

Examples (4)

  1. Il est important de boire de l'eau.

    It is important to drink water.

    Word by Word: It is important of to drink of the water.

    A standard formal statement. Note the use of 'de' before the infinitive 'boire'.

  2. Il est interdit de fumer ici.

    It is forbidden to smoke here.

    Word by Word: It is forbidden of to smoke here.

    This is the standard phrasing found on official signs and legal notices.

  3. Il est difficile d'apprendre le français.

    It is difficult to learn French.

    Word by Word: It is difficult of to learn the French.

    Here, 'de' becomes 'd' before the vowel in 'apprendre'.

  4. Il est essentiel de finir ce travail.

    It is essential to finish this work.

    Word by Word: It is essential of to finish this work.

    Used in a professional or academic context to express necessity.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'à' instead of 'de' in an impersonal 'il est' construction.

    Different MeaningIl est facile à comprendre ce livre.
    Il est facile de comprendre ce livre.

    With an impersonal 'il', use 'de'. 'Il est facile à comprendre, ce livre' is also possible, but there 'il' stands for the book, not an impersonal subject. The preposition 'à' goes with a specific object as the subject (e.g., 'Ce livre est facile à comprendre').

  • Making the adjective feminine to match a later noun.

    Il est bonne de manger de la soupe.
    Il est bon de manger de la soupe.

    In impersonal constructions, the adjective must always be masculine singular, regardless of the gender of other nouns in the sentence.

  • Using 'il est' in a very casual spoken context.

    Il est super de te voir !
    C'est super de te voir !

    While 'il est' is grammatically correct, it sounds overly formal for a casual greeting. 'C'est' is the natural choice for spoken French.

How It Connects

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il est + Adjective + de + InfinitiveLevel 3Impersonal Judgment with Il Est...de

Learn This First

To learn this pattern, you need to be comfortable with the present tense of 'être' and understand how 'il est' functions in impersonal expressions. Additionally, you should be familiar with how the preposition 'de' is used to introduce an infinitive action.

Words in This Pattern