{"id":120021,"date":"2023-08-07T17:49:12","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T21:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/quest-ce-que-cest\/"},"modified":"2025-02-03T05:28:17","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T10:28:17","slug":"quest-ce-que-cest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/quest-ce-que-cest\/","title":{"rendered":"Qu\u2019est-ce que c\u2019est: What Does It Mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"

French expressions like qu\u2019est-ce que c\u2019est<\/em> are integral to understanding the language’s unique structure and cultural nuances. Whether you’re a beginner learning French or refining your skills, mastering this expression will enhance your conversational abilities and comprehension.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Below I will demystify the phrase for you by explaining its components, literal meaning and the emotions it can convey in different contexts.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What Does qu\u2019est-ce que c\u2019est <\/em>Mean?<\/h2>\n

To a non-native speaker, qu\u2019est-ce que c\u2019est<\/em> can be a source of frustration.<\/p>\n

We can translate it as, \u201cWhat is it\u201d\u2014and that captures the basic meaning.<\/p>\n

But what\u2019s with all the extra words?<\/p>\n

Anatomy of an idiomatic expression<\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s break this down a bit.<\/p>\n

First of all, the initial qu\u2019<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>of qu\u2019est-ce: <\/em>It\u2019s short for que<\/em><\/strong>, meaning \u201cthat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Que<\/em> ends in a silent e<\/strong>. When it\u2019s placed next to est-ce<\/em>, it loses its silent e<\/strong> in a process called elision<\/strong><\/a>. (Don\u2019t feel bad, though. Que<\/em> may lose its e<\/strong>, but it gets a snazzy new apostrophe to put in its place.)<\/p>\n

So, est-ce<\/em><\/strong>. Just what is this vowel-stealing component of qu\u2019est-ce que c\u2019est<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Est<\/em> simply means \u201cis.\u201d It\u2019s just the present-tense<\/a>, third person conjugation of \u00eatre<\/em> (to be)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And the little tag-on, -ce<\/strong>?<\/em> It merely means \u201cthis.\u201d Or \u201cthat.\u201d It\u2019s barely noticeable. It\u2019s barely even uttered. (Just add a very slight hissing sound after you say est, <\/em>before you pronounce que<\/em>.) Technically, ce<\/em><\/strong> is a demonstrative adjective<\/strong><\/a>. It usually goes in front of a noun<\/a>, to indicate \u201cthis<\/strong> (one)\u201d or \u201cthat<\/strong> (one).\u201d<\/p>\n

Put together, est-ce<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0literally means \u201cis this\u201d\u2014or \u201cis that.\u201d<\/p>\n

So far, we have qu\u2019est-ce<\/em>\u2014\u201cwhat is this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next up, another que<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(that). This que<\/em> doesn\u2019t lose its –e<\/strong> like the last one did. It\u2019s used as a conjunction<\/a> to introduce the next part of the phrase\u2014c\u2019est<\/em>\u00a0(it is).<\/p>\n

And here\u2019s where things get really weird, because we now have the full phrase: qu\u2019est-ce que c\u2019est<\/em>. A phrase that can be literally translated as, \u201cWhat is this that it is?\u201d<\/p>\n

Qu\u2019est-ce que c\u2019est <\/em>versus est-ce que<\/em><\/h3>\n

All this talk of qu\u2019est-ce que<\/strong> c\u2019est<\/em>\u00a0may bring to mind the heart of this expression: est-ce que<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Est-ce que <\/em>(is it that) gets a lot of mileage in French.<\/p>\n

You may have been taught est-ce que <\/em>as a way to ask questions<\/a>:<\/p>\n