French grammar - The demonstrative pronoun ça |
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The word ça means 'it', 'this' or 'that'. It is actually a contraction of cela, which means 'that' or 'that there'. It is familiar but very commonly used colloquially, especially in idiomatic expressions. And it can be used both as a subject and object. |
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Comment ça va ?
How is it going? *OR* How are you? |
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Ça va ? Oui, ça va bien.
Is it going (OK)? Yes, it is going fine. |
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Ça dépend.
It depends. dépendre (verb) means 'to depend' |
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C'est ça.
That's it. |
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Ça alors !
Wow! *OR* So that is how it is! alors means 'so' (Used widely and has in fact many different and subtle meanings) |
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Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça ?
What is that? |
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Ça marche !
That works! marcher (verb) means 'to work' or 'to walk' |
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Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ?
What does it mean? literally 'What does it want to say?' vouloir dire means (literally) 'to want to say' but also 'to mean' |
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Ça m'aide beaucoup.
It helps me a lot. aider (verb) means 'to help' |
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Est-ce que vous pouvez me donner un peu de ça ?
Can you (formal) give me some of that? |
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La grammaire française ? Je trouve ça trop difficile !
French grammar? I find it too difficult! trouver (verb) means 'to find' |
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Les escargots ? J'adore ça !
Snails? I love that! Can even be used as a plural pronoun escargot (m) means 'snail' |
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Ça ne m'intéresse pas.
It does not interest me. intéresser (verb) means 'to interest' |
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Ça se passe comment ?
How does it happen? se passer (reflexive verb) means 'to happen' or 'to take place' |
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Bravo, ça commence bien.
Well done, it's off to a good start. |
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On peut dire ça.
You could say that. dire (verb) means 'to say' |
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Comme ça !
Like that! comme means 'like' or 'in (that/this) way' |
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C'est comme ça.
It's like that. *OR* That is the way it is. |
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La vie, c'est comme ça.
Life - it is like that. vie (f) means 'life' |
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Voyez-vous ce monsieur ? – Qui ça ?
Do you (formal) see this gentleman? - Who is that? |
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