ça s'appelle
The English phrase "it is called" is translated into French as ça s'appelle.
It is frequently used in the question form Comment ça s'appelle ? to ask for the name of an object.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "that calls itself" because it uses the reflexive pronoun se.
Which one should you use?
While ça s'appelle is the most common way to name an object, on l'appelle is used when referring to a name given to something by people in general.
Did you know?
- The word ça is a calque of the German word Es, which refers to the psychological concept of the 'id'.
- While ça s'appelle describes what an object is called, French uses a different verb nommer for the act of officially naming a child or a new discovery.
- In very informal spoken French, the s' in ça s'appelle is often barely audible, making the phrase sound like ça appelle.
Examples in context
- Ça s'appelle comment, ce plat ?What is this dish called?
- C'est un chien, ça s'appelle Médor.It's a dog, it is called Médor.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
