The main uses of c’est in French
Read more about how to use The main uses of c'est in French.
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The main uses of c'est
C'est means 'it is' or 'that is'.
• c'est + (masculine singular) adjective:
C’est génial ! / C'est chaud / C'est cher. That's great! / It's hot / It's expensive.
• c'est + adverb:
C’est ici / C’est en haut. - It's here / It's up there.
• c'est + question word:
C’est qui ? C’est combien ? C’est quand ? C'est où ? Who's that? How much is it? When is it? Where is it?
• c’est + noun(s) or pronoun (like moi or toi):
- Qui est-ce ? C’est Victor. / C’est moi. -Who's that? -It's Victor / It's me.
- Qu’est-ce que c’est ? - C’est un gâteau. -What is that? -That's a cake.
Ce sont is used for plural objects and people.
- Qui est-ce ? Ce sont mes parents. Who is that? Those are my parents.
- Qu'est-ce que c'est ? Ce sont mes nouvelles chaussures. What is that? Those are my new shoes.
- Qu'est-ce que c'est ? Ce sont mes nouvelles chaussures. What is that? Those are my new shoes.
Note that in spoken French, we usually stick to c'est even for plural nouns. Example: - C'est qui ? - C'est mes parents. Who's that? That's my parents.
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