voir ça
The English phrase 'see this' is translated into French as voir ça.
This phrase is used to direct someone's attention to a specific object or piece of information.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb voir (to see) and the demonstrative pronoun ça (that/this).
Which one should you use?
While voir ça is the standard way to say 'see this' in most contexts, voir ceci is a more formal alternative used in written or highly structured speech.
How does it change in a sentence?
In many situations where an English speaker would say 'see this' to grab attention, a French speaker is more likely to use the imperative regarde ça (look at that/this).
Did you know?
- The word voir shares a common ancestor with the English word 'wit' and 'wisdom' through the Proto-Indo-European root *weyd-.
- The Latin root vidēre found in voir is also the ancestor of English words like 'video' and 'evidence'.
- The word ça is a shortened version of cela, which is built from the word ce and the suffix -là.
Examples in context
- Tu dois voir ça.You've got to see this.This sentence shows how to express that someone must see something using voir ça.Tatoeba #11580395 by Aiji, translation #3096102 by CK
- Puis-je voir ça ?Can I see this?This sentence is useful for asking permission to see something using voir ça.Tatoeba #1996520 by sacredceltic, translation #3327409 by CK
- Tom doit voir ça.Tom needs to see this.This sentence demonstrates how to say someone needs to see something using voir ça.Tatoeba #10142742 by PatoChan30, translation #10142694 by CK
- Regardez ceci, s'il vous plaît.Please see this.
- Veuillez observer ceci attentivement.Please observe this carefully.
- Regarde ça, c'est incroyable !See this, it's amazing!
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are looking at a photo on a phone.
- ChloéRegarde, tu dois voir ça !Look, you have to see this!
- LucasC'est quoi ?What is it?
- ChloéC'est une photo de mon chat.It is a photo of my cat.
- LucasAh oui, je veux voir ça.Oh yes, I want to see this.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries voir, ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
