Getting to grips with French grammar shouldn’t be straightforward – which is why this sequence provides suggestions and tips for French learners. This week we’re taking a look at translate ‘it’s’ in French. Confusingly, you need to select between two choices.
Have you ever checked out your watch, turned to your French pal and stated C’est quatorze heures? If you might have, you wouldn’t be alone.
Your French pal most likely seemed confused and corrected you. They may need stated “It’s il est quatorze heures, not c’est quatorze heures.”
In French, time is at all times launched with il est, not c’est.
To the native English speaker, the idea of two totally different variations of ‘it’s’ might be complicated, significantly when the identical two phrases may also imply ‘that is’, ‘that’s’ and ‘it’s’ and ‘he/she is’.
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If you are feeling misplaced, listed here are some hacks for differentiating between c’est and il est in French.
Remember the article
While it isn’t an ideal rule, more often than not c’est is adopted by a noun and il/elle est is adopted by an adjective. That stated, it would assist to assume via the phrases within the sentence.
In French, every noun has a déterminant that comes earlier than it – assume une pomme, le chocolat, or de la confiture.
Déterminants do fall into their very own class, however for these functions, it’s simpler to think about articles. In English, we’re most aware of ‘the’ and ‘a/an’. French has fairly a number of.
The easy reply is that the overwhelming majority of the time, c’est is adopted by an article, whereas il/ elle est shouldn’t be.
For instance, you’ll be able to say c’est un homme sympa (he’s a pleasant man), or c’est le journaliste. You wouldn’t say il est un homme sympa or il est le journaliste.
However, if you happen to needed to say ‘he’s good’, you’d say il est sympa. Note that there isn’t any want for an article, and ‘it’s’ is adopted by an adjective, not a noun.
This does get a little bit trickier when you begin speaking about professions, since on the whole speaking about your career doesn’t require an article – so that you say je suis journaliste, not je suis une journaliste.
But the overall rule of remembering whether or not so as to add an article nonetheless applies. If you wish to say ‘she is an creator’, you’d say elle est autrice. Equally, you may say c’est une autrice.
English audio system additionally may battle with the idea that issues have genders in French. If you might be in the course of a dialogue about your automobile, and also you wish to point out ‘it’s previous’, then you might have two choices.
You may both say c’est une vieille voiture or you may simply say elle est vieille (assuming the opposite particular person already is aware of you might be speaking concerning the automobile).
Forget concerning the article
But after all, for each French rule there may be an exception, and there are a number of cases when c’est shouldn’t be adopted by an article.
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Introductions – If you wish to introduce your self or another person, then you’ll be able to say C’est (First identify). If somebody calls me and asks C’est qui? Then I reply C’est Gen.
Comment on a scenario or categorical emotion – If you wish to categorical that the overall concept of one thing is sweet, you may say c’est bon! (it is good).
If your pal complains concerning the state of world politics, you may reply oui, c’est triste (sure, it is unhappy).
And if you happen to miss the Metro throughout a strike, you may throw your palms within the air and sigh…c’est la vie (that is life).
READ MORE: French phrase of the Day: C’est bon v C’est bien
In these conditions, you might be commenting on a scenario or expressing an emotion, however you might be talking broadly and within the summary. As such, you retain utilizing c’est, regardless that it’s not adopted by an article.
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However, the sneaky il/ elle est will come if you wish to get particular. Let’s say you simply tasted a few of your pal’s chocolate – on this scenario, you’d say il est bon.
It is likely to be simpler to think about this because the distinction between ‘it’ versus ‘that’ in English. For instance, in case your daughter graduates from college, your pal may say C’est formidable (That’s good, extra of a broad sentiment).
However, if she says elle est formidable, then it is a extra slender assertion about your daughter being a superb particular person.
Grammar suggestions
From agreeing adjectives to the subjunctive, French grammar might be fiendishly – some declare intentionally – sophisticated, and virtually all French learners have at one level despaired over ever getting it proper.
People be taught languages in several methods – some folks choose to only throw themselves into chatting, others wish to have a textbook and a few workouts. But the formal and structured nature of the French language implies that if you wish to grow to be fluent – and if you happen to want written French – then you’re going to should be taught some grammar.
That’s the aim of our weekly sequence of French grammar suggestions and tips – and you can even signal as much as obtain them as a publication.
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The suggestions are usually not supposed as an alternative to formal courses or sweating over these verb tables (sadly, these are needed for most individuals), however could also be of some assist to language learners.
They come from our personal experiences of dwelling and dealing in France, and as with our widespread French Word of the Day function, we have tried to deal with examples that shall be helpful in on a regular basis life.
Read extra French grammar suggestions;
Which French grammar guidelines do you discover most complicated? Share your ideas within the feedback under.
