pas si [adjective] que ça

Bonjour.

When I first saw the sentence …

Oui, et on va voir que ce n'est pas si terrible que ça et que quelquefois, c'est même amusant !

… I wondered what the que ça was for. Then I learned that que ça can mean as that, so that the sentence makes more sense as, …  not so terrible as that  … or … not as terrible as that … , which would not be uncommon in English, especially if the sentence ended there. Then I found that pas si [adjective] que ça  is an expression meaning, not so [adjective]. So, the question is, is pas si [adjective] que ça a fixed phrase expression that shouldn't be broken up, or is the que ça  optional, as in English.

Merci.

Robert

Bonjour Robert,

This expression can be broken up. While both versions are interchangeable, the minute difference might be that the addition of ‘que ça’ or ‘que cela’ is done so to reference an aforementioned situation/phenomenon/thing. Without que ça’ or ‘que cela’ could be taken as more abstract, but that is me really splitting hairs here.

I hope this helps,

   -    Mitchell

Ok, so just like in English.

Merci, Mitchell.

Robert