c'est
To say it is in French, use c'est.
c'est is used to identify or describe something, a situation or a general idea, as in C'est trop cher !, it is too expensive.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a contraction of ce, meaning it or this and est, meaning is.
Which one should you use?
Use c'est for a current state and ce sera to say it will be.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In casual spoken French the first part of the negation is often dropped, giving c'est pas instead of the formal form.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In northern France, specifically Picardy and Normandy, ch'est is used instead of c'est.
How does it change in a sentence?
When what follows is plural, c'est is often replaced by ce sont in formal writing, though c'est is frequently used in speech.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use il est to mean it is when they identify or describe a situation or a general idea. c'est is the correct choice for these uses.
Did you know?
- In casual spoken French, the word ne is almost always dropped in negative sentences, turning ce n'est pas into c'est pas.
- In the regions of Picardy and Normandy, you may hear ch'est instead of c'est.
- While ce sont is the grammatically correct way to say 'they are' when identifying multiple people or things, most French speakers use c'est even for plurals in conversation.
Examples in context
- C'est trop cher !It is too expensive!C'est trop cher describes a price.Tatoeba #3539 by zmoo, translation #13424722 by Adelpa
- C'est pas drôle !It is not funny!C'est pas drôle drops part of the negation, as people do in casual speech.Tatoeba #651740 by Snout, translation #1743503 by belgavox
- C'est du bon vin.It is good wine.C'est du bon vin identifies what something is.Tatoeba #5043057 by sicerabibax, translation #8953637 by Nylez
- C'est une belle journée.It is a beautiful day.
- C'est un médecin.He is a doctor.
- C'est délicieux.It is delicious.
- 746 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are looking at a beautiful painting in a museum.
- GabrielC'est magnifique !It is magnificent!
- ChloéOui, c'est vrai.Yes, it is true.
- GabrielC'est une œuvre très célèbre.It is a very famous work.
- ChloéC'est impressionnant.It is impressive.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
