ça a du sens
The English phrase "makes sense" is translated into French as ça a du sens.
A very common and natural alternative to the direct translation is C'est logique, which means "It's logical".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ça a du sens literally translates to "that has some sense".
Which one should you use?
You may encounter Ça se tient in informal contexts, which can be translated as "That holds up" or "That makes sense".
How does it change in a sentence?
In formal writing or speech, cela is used instead of ça to form Cela a du sens.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the phrase faire sens. This is an anglicism common among English speakers.
Did you know?
- The term sens comes from both Latin sēnsus and the Frankish word *sinn, which specifically referred to a 'direction'.
- While faire sens is widely understood due to English influence, using it may mark a speaker as being from North America rather than Europe.
- In French, the word sens does not just refer to mental logic, but also to a physical direction or a way to go.
Examples in context
- Cela a du sens d'adopter cette nouvelle stratégie.It makes sense to adopt this new strategy.
- Ça me parle complètement, c'est exactement ce que je pensais!That completely makes sense to me, it's exactly what I was thinking!
- Enfin, ça a du sens pour moi.Finally, it makes sense to me.
Example conversation
Gabriel is explaining a plan to Chloé.
- GabrielOn devrait partir à six heures.We should leave at six o'clock.
- ChloéPourquoi si tôt, Gabriel ?Why so early, Gabriel?
- GabrielPour éviter les embouteillages.To avoid the traffic jams.
- ChloéD'accord, ça a du sens.Okay, that makes sense.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, du, sens, ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
