Look at these sentences using ça:
The pronoun ça is a contraction of cela, but it is used much more frequently, particularly in speech or informal writing.
Depending on the context, ça can mean it, this or that.
See also the more advanced C'est vs il/elle est: Saying it is
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Q&A Forum 15 questions, 24 answers
Ça vs C'est vs Il est
Hi Chapel,
You could say -
C’est énervant! = It’s annoying!
But
Ça m’énerve! = It gets on my nerves !(It’s annoying!)
Or
C’est ennuyeux = It’s boring
Mais
Ça m’ennuie = It bores me ( it’s boring)
Hope this helps!
I do not understand why, and also see the disconnect between "Il est" not always being used in the specific situation.
Ça vs C'est vs Il est
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when to use ca/il
there's a question to fill the blank: mais ... m'a vraiment surpris. the answer is "ca", why can't it be "il"?
Il m'a surpris. -- He surprised me.
Ça m'a surpis. -- That surprised me.
when to use ca/il
there's a question to fill the blank: mais ... m'a vraiment surpris. the answer is "ca", why can't it be "il"?
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Ca - can't type an upper case Ç or ç (c-cedilla)
Kwiziq smartly points out that I "should" have used an upper case Ç (pasted in here) although there is no way to actually type that character in the exercise. When I try holding the C key, it shows an upper case cedilla c, but does not allow me to enter it.
Duh........
Are you saying that holding down the key for "C" makes the uppercase cedilla (Ç) appear? If so, there should be a number (likely "1") over the letter. Press this and that should make the Ç appear.
By the way: a method that works pretty much all the time is this:
Ç = Hold ALT-key down and type 0199 on the numeric keypad, then release the ALT-key.
ç = ALT + 0231
Ca - can't type an upper case Ç or ç (c-cedilla)
Kwiziq smartly points out that I "should" have used an upper case Ç (pasted in here) although there is no way to actually type that character in the exercise. When I try holding the C key, it shows an upper case cedilla c, but does not allow me to enter it.
Duh........
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Translation of Oh! J'ai regardé ça aussi hier.
Two of the three options for this were "Oh! I watched this one yesterday too" and "Oh! I watched it yesterday too." I selected the first option, because "ça" is a demonstrative pronoun, not a personal pronoun. But the microquiz said that "I watched IT" was the correct selection. I was happier when I went to an explanation, because there, the translation was "I watched THAT." Should "ça" ever be translated as "it"? I'm sure this is nitpicky, but I'm a linguist fluent in Spanish, and the details matter to me!
Thank you.
Ça is a demonstrative pronoun and, therefore, best translated as "that".
Translation of Oh! J'ai regardé ça aussi hier.
Two of the three options for this were "Oh! I watched this one yesterday too" and "Oh! I watched it yesterday too." I selected the first option, because "ça" is a demonstrative pronoun, not a personal pronoun. But the microquiz said that "I watched IT" was the correct selection. I was happier when I went to an explanation, because there, the translation was "I watched THAT." Should "ça" ever be translated as "it"? I'm sure this is nitpicky, but I'm a linguist fluent in Spanish, and the details matter to me!
Thank you.
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In the writing challenge "Reaing Lord of the Ring", and it was preventing him from sleeping was translated as et que ca l'empechait de dormir.Why que?
Hi John,
it is simply 'that' which in French has to appear (unlike English) and links the two sentences together -
'...because it was three in the morning and ( that) it prevented him from sleeping!'
Hope this helps!
In the writing challenge "Reaing Lord of the Ring", and it was preventing him from sleeping was translated as et que ca l'empechait de dormir.Why que?
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What is the difference between ce vs ça? Considering the fact, that they both mean that, this and it?
"Ce" means "this/that" as in "this boy " or "this/that month" . You would say "ce garçon" or "ce mois." This is a demonstrative pronoun, pointing out which one you're talking about -- that one.
The "this" or "that" represented by "ça" is more of a standalone "this/that."
I know that : "Je sais ça." I'm using that! "J'utilise ça!"
What is the difference between ce vs ça? Considering the fact, that they both mean that, this and it?
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J'adore ça vs. J'ladore. I still don't understand the difference.
Are there any more examples you could give us? I used the direct object le with the apostrophe and it was marked wrong. How can we tell what word should be accented? Is ça always correct as opposed to le, la? In other words, are there certain times when the direct object must be before the verb or certain times when it has to be after the verb? Thank you.
Without the context it is difficult to say for certain but normally 'le' and the verb 'adorer' will be used for a person rather than a thing...
You will use 'ça' with foodstuff -
Vous aimez les épinards? oui, j'adore ça
Vous aimez Georges Clooney? oui, je l'adore
Hope this helps!
Hi Joanne,
Your apostrophe is in the wrong place, could that be your error?
It should be -
Je l'adore
Hello, yes I realize that my apostrophe is in the wrong place here, but it wasn't in the wrong place when I answered the question. Can you please explain the difference between ça and le. Why would "Je l'adore" be marked wrong?
J'adore ça vs. J'ladore. I still don't understand the difference.
Are there any more examples you could give us? I used the direct object le with the apostrophe and it was marked wrong. How can we tell what word should be accented? Is ça always correct as opposed to le, la? In other words, are there certain times when the direct object must be before the verb or certain times when it has to be after the verb? Thank you.
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Can someone please explain me the difference between ça and çe?
Hi The,
If you look at the following lesson, it will explain when to use the demonstrative adjective 'ce' (note no cedilla).
Ça is the contraction of 'cela' and it is explained in the lesson you bookmarked.
Hope this helps!
That is a B2 lesson, so understandable, I think, that we A1 learners are struggling a bit.
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In the sentence".....quand on fume....". "On" is translated as "people", I thought that "on" was singular.
Hi Roy,
If you take a look at the following Kwiziq lesson, you will see the different uses of 'on' and their equivalence in English , one of which being 'people'-
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/on-can-mean-we-one-and-people
Hope this helps!
In the sentence".....quand on fume....". "On" is translated as "people", I thought that "on" was singular.
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Bonjour Malik !
Thanks to your feedback, I've now updated the lesson to make the note clearer :)
I hope that's helpful!
Bonne journée !
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ça vs celui/celle-là
Hi Nora,
Celui/Celle-là mean 'that one ' , when you are comparing two things and highlight one of them.
Ça is the contraction of Cela meaning simply (this or) that.
Just different pronouns for different situations...
Hope that helps! ( J'espère que ça vous aidera!)
ça vs celui/celle-là
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j'aime ça vs je l'aime
j'aime ça vs je l'aime
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Ça and ça
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Ça or il
Ça or il
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Ça vs il
Bonjour Joakim !
To know when to use ça versus il/elle, please have a look at the following lesson:
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/when-to-use-cest-or-il-est-elle-est-to-say-it-is
Thanks to your question, we've also added this link to the current lesson.
Merci et à bientôt !
Ça vs il
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