ça dépend
The French phrase for "it depends" is ça dépend.
If you want to specify what the situation depends on, you use the phrase ça dépend de followed by a noun. For example, when specifying a masculine noun with a definite article, the combination of de and le contracts to du, as seen in the phrase ça dépend du/des.
Meaning: it depends (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of ça, which means "it" or "that" and dépend, which is the third-person singular conjugation of the verb dépendre.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In everyday, informal conversations, you should use ça dépend. If you are in a more formal situation, the phrase cela dépend is the preferred version.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "it depends on" something in French, you must follow ça dépend with the preposition de. When this is used with a masculine noun that has a definite article, de + le contracts to du.
Did you know?
- The phrase ça dépend is often paired with a 'gallic shrug' and a lift of the eyebrows to express skepticism or hesitation.
- The word ça is a shortened version of cela, which is itself a combination of ce meaning 'this' and là meaning 'there'.
- Using cela dépend instead of ça dépend can signal a deliberate distance or a more intellectual tone, even in the same conversation.
Examples in context
- Ça dépend de toi.It depends on you.This sentence shows how to say "it depends on you" using ça dépend.Tatoeba #501128 by sacredceltic, translation #1433086 by Eldad
- Ça dépend du temps.It depends on the weather.This sentence shows how to say "it depends on the weather" using ça dépend.Tatoeba #1051174 by sacredceltic, translation #456087 by lukaszpp
- Ça dépend de la situation.It depends on the situation.This sentence shows how to say "it depends on the situation" using ça dépend.Tatoeba #6556239 by Aiji, translation #3521885 by CK
- Ça dépend du tempsIt depends on the weather
- Cela dépend de la marque et de la qualitéIt depends on the brand and the quality
- Ça dépend du temps, s'il fait beau, je veux bienIt depends on the weather, if it's nice, I'd love to
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are deciding whether to go to the beach.
- HugoOn va à la plage demain ?Are we going to the beach tomorrow?
- LéaÇa dépend de la météo.It depends on the weather.
- HugoEst-ce qu'il va faire beau ?Is it going to be nice out?
- LéaJe ne sais pas, ça dépend.I don't know, it depends.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “it depends” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
