translation in French - English Reverso dictionary, see also 'génital',gentil',général',génie', examples, definition, conjugation With Reverso you can find the French translation, definition or synonym for c'est génial ! âIl estâ is also used in French to express location, tell the time, and in the expression âil était une foisâ â once upon a timeâ¦, Câest is also used with questions, dates, adverbs, stress pronounsâ¦. Yes, and our pies, they are really delicious. Voici Festnoz â câest le chien de la grand-mère dâOlivier.Here is Festnoz â he is Olivierâs grandmaâs dog.Câest + noun, Câest un teckel à poils dursHe is a wire hair dachshund.Câest + noun, Il est petit.He is smallIl est + adjective. Listen to the audio pronunciation in the Cambridge English Dictionary. It is violet. Get ready to learn all the things you want to know about the basic French sentence “Qu’est-ce que c’est”. They can mean "this is," "that is," "it is," "they are," and even "he/she is." No, theyâre not expensive.C: Les tartes, câest bon ! Listen to the audio pronunciation in English. The construction demands a masculine singular adjective! Then you use âhe / she / itâ or even âtheyâ and the appropriate verb form of âto beâ. What matters is what comes next: a noun or an adjective. Câest un gentil chien. Let’s go! They are very tall. This is my friend Peter. English Translation of âcâestâ | The official Collins French-English Dictionary online. he / she / it is + noun (a friend, a dogâ¦). When used as nouns, they needs a companion word (article, possessive or demonstrative adjectivesâ¦.). âIl estâ + noun is sometimes (not always though) possible. A simple explanation of "C'est, ce sont = this is, these are (demonstrative pronouns)". You cannot always translate âhe isâ by âil estâ and âit isâ by âcâestâ.Both âil estâ and âcâestâ can translate as âit isâ and âhe isâ. c'est génial ! Thank you for helping build the largest language community on the internet. How to say c'est la vie. The French 'C' can be pronounced in one of two ways: Soft pronunciation - In front of an 'E,' 'I,' or 'Y,' the 'C' is pronounced like an 'S'. Il est gentil. Includes a pronunciation table exact pronunciation french pronunciation key silent letters. Câest quoi ? Nouns of profession, nationality, religion⦠can also be used as adjectives in French â only if there is no other adjective describing them. Cognate with Icelandic á⦠Cambridge Dictionary +Plus My profile +Plus help ⦠So you use: In English, what matters is whether you are describing a feminine, masculine, or neutral being. This is generally translated as: “What is it?” or “What is that?“. Il est en train de jouer avec une bouteille en plastique vide.He is a friendly dog. This lesson is about translating âhe/she/it isâ + noun or adjective. Câest une grande fille. If feel lost, you are not alone! Ils sont américains. Câest qui ? Câest son jouet préféré. He is tall and has brown hair. Now, letâs talk about the problem at hand. They are Americans. First, câest + adjective masculine singular is never going to be used to describe a person (or an animal). So letâs start with a summary of câest versus il est. As you know, some French adjectives come before the noun; grand, petit, joli, jeune, vrai, bon, mauvais⦠There are also the possessive, demonstrative, interrogative adjectives (my, this, whichâ¦). Câest bon, câest chaud, câest beauâ¦They could translate as âthis is good, hot, prettyâ but are often translated as âitâs good, hot, prettyâ since thatâs what youâd say in everyday English (Hence students thinking âcâest = it isâ in English). Including a full guide of what it is and how to use it in a casual conversation with an audio example. Câest toujours beau (câest + category = adj masculine singular), la mer. "Hello all! Itâs your emotion that comes through: you are describing a situation more than a specific thing. Can You Understand Todayâs Spoken French? Is it pronounced say or set? Theyâre home made pies. If you donât understand, I suggest you read the article above one more time! He/it is nice. Study the grammatical constructions of the sentences below (the nouns are in bold): compare the French use of âil estâ versus âcâestâ to the English translation. It means 'This is a' Wondering how to pronounce it? Câest un chien. A book is a âheâ, a car a âsheâ⦠âilâ ou âelleâ. It might not be the big picture, but itâs practical. Over 100,000 English translations of French words and phrases. When they are used as an adjective (without modifier), use âil/elle estâ. Adverbs (like âtrèsâ) donât count. C = [âsssâ] in front of e, i, y âCâ sounds like âsssâ in front of the vowels e, i, y Oh and in case you are interested, on this page you will find more of these sentences guides and the ultimate directory of all our French words guides on this page. The use of âcâest + adj masculine singularâ is getting increasingly popular in France: we use it all the time! Watch this short video below, and read the description in French. Available for iOS, Android, Mac and Windows. And thatâs that. From Middle English este, from Old English Äst (âwill, consent, favour, grace, liberality, munificence, bounty, kindness, love, good pleasure, harmony, liberal gifts, luxuriesâ), from Proto-Germanic *anstiz (âfavour, affectionâ), from Proto-Indo-European *Än- (âto notice; face, mouthâ). he / she / it is + adjective (intelligent). Câest quand ton anniversaire ? French students translate he is = il est, c’est = it is. French pronunciation # Câest avec plaisir - Duration: 0:18. Il/elle est + adjective qualificative (plural ils/elles sont), Câest + (article, adjective possessive or demonstrativeâ¦) + NOUN, Regarde Pierre! He is a charming man. And even the presence of the other pronunciation may simply be a matter of hypercorrectness and the observer's paradox -- it may be that those who said /sÉ/ only said it because the written form makes them think that's home they should say it, when what they normally say is /se/. Hopefully that will clear things up. You can see “Qu’est ce que” as a long and complex way to say “What“. Il est grand et brun (Il est + adj). And now, here is the English translation and the explanation for why I used âcâestâ and âil estâ. You say: Now this being said, âcâest + adjective masculine singularâ is way overused in French nowadays⦠Maybe because itâs so easy to pronounce⦠It glides nicely :-) Whatever the reason, we use it all the time, even when a âil estâ construction would be more appropriateâ¦, Look for the French articles (un, une, du, de la, de lâ, des, le, la, lâ, les). Now, the construction âil est unâ¦â is not wrong. Il est onze heures. Il nâest pas riche, mais il est passionné (il est + adj). Or maybe it's variable? Learn more. Est-ce que vous pensez quâil est mignon ? You can complete the translation of c'est given by the French-English Collins dictionary with other dictionaries such as Itâs a changing element. Over 100,000 English translations of French words and phrases. But that’s not all, we also sprinkled useful informations like synonyms, slow pronunciation audio, dialogue example and more! When you want to ask “What is it?” simply ask “Qu’est-ce que c’est ?” or “C’est quoi ?” or “C’est quoi ça ?“. Watch out that the adjective cannot be in another gender/number ; câest belle is not possible, even if you are looking at âla merâ(the sea). In other words, itâs VERY complicated, and forums go on and on about âcâest â il estâ because French people donât seem to agree either :-). * Which one to use depends less on meaning than it does on grammar. And it cannot be used in all situations. French, like English, can be very difficult in terms of pronunciation, due to intricacies like silent letters, multiple sounds for a single letter, and endless exceptions to whatever rules you find. Check out this video on YouTube (merci Mark S. for the suggestion!). I've always thought it was say, but my French teacher tends to say set? Festnoz, lui, il nâest pas très bruyant.Festnoz, on the other hand, is not very noisy.Il est + adjective (in the negative), Il est généralement calme et obéissant.Usually, he is calm and obedient.Il est + adjective, Est-ce que vous pensez quâil est mignon ?Do you think he is cute?Il est + adjective. Free French lesson + examples. We have the place to ourselves pronunciation We have the place to ourselves Nous avons l'endroit pour nous pronunciation Nous avons l'endroit pour ⦠It is, This is, He is The French expressions câest and il est can be tricky because they are synonymous but not interchangeable. In French, the letter c (= which is pronounced âcéâ = [âsayâ]) has two main pronunciations in a word or a sentence. You cannot translate âcâestâ = âit isâ, âil estâ = âhe isâ. He is a dreamer, he is a bit shy, but he is a good friend. I highly recommend you check out my unique downloadable French audiobooks, featuring different speeds of recording and enunciation, and focussing on todayâs modern glided pronunciation, exclusively on sale on French Today. In French, both âil estâ and âcâestâ translate as âit isâ, âhe isâ. For more variations, check the “synonyms” section below. Il était une fois un roi et une reine qui vivaient heureux dans un beau château. Voilà , see itâs not that complicated after all :-) I suggest you bookmark this page to find it easily, and if you liked this article, you may click on the tag âgrammarâ located by the title to access more grammar articles, or follow the suggestions below. Jouer avec une bouteille, câest bruyant.Playing with a bottle is noisy business.Câest + adjective used in a general statement. Our French word of the day is 'C'est un' Thinking what it means? Câest un gentil chien. Normal pronunciation International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA): /kÉ-s kÉ sÉ ?/ Qu'est-ce que c'est meaning Are you ready to discover the 5-step process to become fluent in French? How are your pies?W: Ce sont des tartes faites maison (câest + noun). pronouncekiwi - How ToC'est ⦠Pronunciation. They are rich and hearty.C: Est-ce quâelles sont chères (il est + adj) ? C'est la vie is 3:1 in favour of /se/. Elle est verte. Would you like to hear Elton John sing in French? Mais la mer des Iles grecques, elle est particulièrement belle (il est + adj).The sea is blue. Il est généralement calme et obéissant. Je ne suis pas dans mon assiette | Meaning & Examples. But itâs now used only in formal French, so much so that it now sounds âwrongâ in spoken French. Learning in context is always the thing to do! To achieve this, there is nothing like learning French in context. We have no way of knowing. With Reverso you can find the French translation, definition or synonym for c'est and thousands of other words. Itâs of course useful to understand the grammatical logic behind the choice of âcâest versus il/elle estâ, but ultimately, you need to develop a sense for it, âhearâ what is right or wrong. 6 â Câest + Adjective Always Masculine Singular, 9 â French Adjectives Which Come Before the Noun, 10 â Nouns of Profession, Nationality, Religion, 11 â Examples With Explanations of Câest Versus Il est, 12 â Fun Exercise For âIl estâ Versus âCâestâ â Video, 2 â It is + Place, It is + Time and Other Expressions, 3 â He / She / It Is / They Are In English, 4 â He / She / It Is In French = Câest, Ce Sont, Il / Elle Est, Ils / Elles Sont, I highly recommend you check out my unique downloadable, French articles (un, une, du, de la, de lâ, des, le, la, lâ, les). You cannot always translate âhe isâ by âil estâ and âit isâ by âcâestâ.Both âil estâ and âcâestâ can translate as âit isâ and âhe isâ. Both il est and c’est can translate as he/it is. C'est mon portable. Câest le 16 novembre. Elle est violette. French pronunciation dictionary Search and learn to pronounce words and phrases in this language (French). Do not lose yourself in the literal translation, it’s not worth it. The trick is to keep in mind that “Qu’est ce que” = “What” in this situation and “C’est ?” = “Is it?“. I feel your pain⦠This is incredibly complicated⦠I really wish I could make it all simpler, but I canât⦠This is why when to us âil estâ versus âcâestâ is one of the most difficult things to develop a sense for in French. So what counts in French is not the âit, she, he or theyâ but the fact that what follows the verb is a NOUN or an ADJECTIVE. I know this doesnât âstrictlyâ follow the construction âcâest + nounâ⦠but you have to be smart about it and understand itâs a particular case. Festnoz, lui, il nâest pas très bruyant. Now, if you wanted to say âhe is an intelligent Frenchmanâ, Frenchman cannot be an adjective in this instance because you have another adjective there (intelligent). Elle est française. Jouer avec une bouteille, câest bruyant. Do Say: âcâest un, câest uneâ with a strong liaison, âce sont desâ etcâ¦.Câest un ami, câest une belle maison, câest un garçon intelligent.He is a friend, itâs a pretty house, heâs an intelligent boy. Câest un élément changeant (câest + noun). Câest un rêveur (câest + noun), il est un peu timide (il est + adj), mais câest un bon copain (câest + noun). Before the noun, there could be an article or even an adjective. Another case in which a liaison must be made in French is after the impersonal il est and câest. Il est beau (you cannot say âcâest beauâ here). He is a good musician. Learn more. Both c'est and il est are well-used French sayings that date back centuries. Enchaînement is the phenomenon whereby the consonant sound at the end of a word is transferred to the beginning of the word that follows it. In English, you say s/he is a friend, s/he is intelligent. pronunciation C'est pas trop tôt ! Most of my audiobooks are recorded at several speeds to help you conquer the modern French language. Câest mon cousin. But it’s often wrong. Get Started for Free Learn to pronounce with our guides. So now, letâs have many examples with explanations. 2 â It is + Place, It is + Time and Other Expressions, 3 â He / She / It Is / They Are In English, 4 â He / She / It Is In French = Câest, Ce Sont, Il / Elle Est, Ils / Elles Sont. It is green. + nounÃtre en train de + verb = to be in the process of doing, to be doing, Câest son jouet préféré.Itâs his favorite toy.Câest + (adjective that comes before the noun) + noun. Thatâs whatâs tricky in French. Câest une amie. Includes dialog, study guide and full transcript + translations. It is a dog. The sound will change depending on if it is followed by a hard or a soft vowel . C'est pas trop tôt ! However it tends to no longer be used, and sounds quite old-fashioned now.I never use it personally unless I say âil était une foisâ: once upon a time.So I suggest you donât either! From French c'est â it is â), compare Haitian Creole se. So, as you can see with these examples, you cannot rely on the English translation. Like I would say ⦠(câest + category = adj masculine singular) Pies are tasty!W: Oui, et nos tartes, elles sont vraiment délicieuses (il est + adj). 5 â Câest Versus Il est = You Cannot Rely on Translating! Ready to learn? How to say c'est la vie. Learn more here. The French everybody speaks in France today is NOT the overly enunciated, extremely formal French usually taught to foreigners. Use âcâestâ. The plural of âcâestâ is âce sontâ but we donât use it much in spoken French. Donât say : âil est un / elle est une / il sont desâ. That’s why we tend to use instead “C’est quoi ?” or “C’est quoi ça ?” (What is that?) In French, the expression Câest la vie is pronounced /se.la.vi/. Home > French Words > French Phrases > YOU ARE HERE. Pronunciation guide: Learn how to pronounce c'est in French with native pronunciation. Over 100,000 English translations of French words and phrases. He is not rich, but he is passionate. Grammar decides which construction you need to use! So, now that you are totally confused, letâs dig into this big French messâ¦. Heâs my cousin. First, letâs define the purpose of this lesson. You also need to remember there is no âitâ in French. You are indeed in a âcâest + (adjective that comes before the noun) + NOUNâ scenario! Born and raised in Paris, I have been teaching today's French to adults for 23+ years in the US and France. il vient _de_ Londres he comes _from_ London c'est mon ami _de_ York he's my friend _from_ York il a sauté _de_ la fenêtre he jumped _from_ the window Use to show possession or belonging In this case, of is sometimes a possible translation, although the most usual equivalent in English is to use a possessive form with 's or, particularly with a common combination of inanimates, with a compound: You cannot think of âhe isâ as being âil estâ and âcâestâ as being âit isâ : unfortunately it doesnât work this way in French! Elle est noire (il est + adj). Revise and improve your French with detailed content, examples, audio, personalised practice tests and learning tools Note that ce is used with the verb être as follows: in its singular form, c'est, means it is /this is /that is, and in its plural form, ce sont, means they are /these are /those are. As indicated, the liaison is compulsory in what follows: Il est évident is pronounced: il est.T.évident (itâs obvious) Câest amusant is Experience how different and efficient our method is. So what should you do when you have a sentence with one of these adjectives? I simply designate my mobile phone. Voici Festnoz â câest le chien de la grand-mère dâOlivier. To describe a thing, you could use both a âil estâ or âcâestâ construction: To make a live comment, react to something, share your experience, we use the construction âcâest + adjective masculine singularâ. C: Comment sont vos tartes ? Elles sont riches et copieuses (il est + adj). Câest + adjective is only used to describe a thing, never a person. Câest le docteur. Quelle heure est-il ? English Translation of âcâest çaâ | The official Collins French-English Dictionary online. The sea, itâs always beautiful. which is much simpler, shorter and neutral. You are standing in front of the bay of Cassis, and are overwhelmed by the beauty of the landscape. The adjective is ALWAYS masculine singular. Are they expensive?W: Non, elles ne sont pas chères (il est + adj). He is playing with an empty plastic bottle.Câest (adjective that comes before the noun!!) Câest un homme charmant (câest + noun). Voici mon ami Pierre. Il est chez nous depuis presque trois semaines car la grand-mère dâOlivier est en vacances. In details: In details: /s/ sound : Place the tip of your tongue lightly against the ridge behind your upper teeth but do not touch the teeth. Can you figure out why I use âil estâ or âcâestâ? French pronunciation 1,409 views 0:18 How to pronounce Quelle heure est il - Duration: 0:14. How to translate âit/ he/ she isâ + noun or adjective in French. Based on my students' goals and needs, I've created unique downloadable French audiobooks focussing on French like it's spoken today, for all levels. (He starts in English but then gets to singing in French) And have more examples of âcâestâ used in context? Il nâest pas marié (il est + adj). And thatâs why itâs so complicated! Well, in French, we use 2 different constructions. The full variation of this expression is “Qu’est-ce que c’est que ça ?” which means “What is it?” but the literal translation is “What is this that this is that this?“. But the sea of the Greek islands, itâs particularly gorgeous. She is a friend. Sheâs a tall girl. Elles sont très grandes. Listen to the audio pronunciation of C'est les Vacances on pronouncekiwi Sign in to disable ALL ads. However, if you use my way, and never say âil est unâ or âelle est uneâ, you wonât make any mistake. 3.1 Pronunciation 3.2 Letter 3.2.1 See also 4 Basque 4.1 Pronunciation 4.2 Letter 4.2.1 Usage notes 4.2.2 See also 5 Catalan 5.1 Pronunciation 5.2 Letter 5.2.1 See also 6 French 6.1 Letter 6.1.1 Usage notes 7 Portuguese 7.1 Câest un bon musicien (câest + noun). Il est petit. Itâs not just slang. This simplified chart will help with French pronunciation, which can be difficult due to intricacies like silent letters and endless exceptions to rules. This construction is also used to make comments about something as a category: You are talking about the Mediterranée: you could say. c'est la vie pronunciation. Il est en train de jouer avec une bouteille en plastique vide. She/it is French. Well, you have to see if the adjective is followed by a noun, or if it is alone. Good luck with your studies and remember, repetition is the key! La mer est bleue. First, letâs see what you do in English. Nouns of nationality etc⦠can be used as adjectives in French. 2 Ça, c'est mon portable (please note the coma after ça) I emphasize that the object (I'm probably pointing at ⦠It has been around the world and back as a mainstay in dozens of cultures. Click here for more about cats and dogs vocabulary in French illustrated with a Minecraft in French video ! Il est chez nous depuis presque trois semaines car la grand-mère dâOlivier est en vacances.Heâs been at our place for almost three weeks because Olivierâs grandma is on vacation.Il est + location (prime meaning of the verb to be).Ãtre en vacances = expression. Look at the number of comments on this article! Thatâs Camille! C'est la vie is a very old, very common French idiomatic saying, which means "That's life," and "Such is life." âï¸ WINTER SALE â 20% OFF ALL AUDIOBOOKS ENDS DEC 18th. And thatâs why itâs so complicated! This rule is not easy for English speakers: itâs already hard enough to refer to a thing by him or her, it is even harder to use âcâestâ + a person: it sounds in English like you are saying âitâsâ + person⦠very very badâ¦. If you have an article, itâs going to be followed by a noun. A detailed lesson on French enchainement. The French letter 'C' is a lot like the 'C' in English. It is black. This French sentence is (sadly) popular for being impossible to explain to beginners because the literal meaning is a complete nonsense. English Translation of âcâestâ | The official Collins French-English Dictionary online. Câest Camille! Câest un teckel à poils durs (wire hair dachshund). 2.5 hours recorded at 3 different speeds. All these variations have the same meaning. He is not married. Câest quand ? Even better “Qu’est-ce que c’est que cette chose-là” which means “What is this thing?” and is literally translated as “What is this that this is this thing here?“, But both are perfectly correct in French… this language is crazy…, If you want to learn French but don’t know how, there is a solution…. French Vocabulary Pronunciation & Conversation Grammar Resources For Teachers By ThoughtCo Updated June 18, 2019 The French word chouette can be a noun, adjective, or exclamation.