cela, ce qui, ce que

Great question! « Cela », « ce qui », and « ce que » are all commonly used in French to refer to things that are not specified, often in relative or explanatory clauses — but they have different roles and rules. Let’s break them down clearly and simply:

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🔹 1. Cela

➡️ Means "that" or "it" (neutral pronoun).

It refers to something already known or previously mentioned.

✅ Used as a subject or object

❌ Cannot introduce a relative clause.

📌 Examples:

Cela m’intéresse. → That interests me.

Je n’aime pas cela. → I don’t like that.

Cela va être difficile. → That will be difficult.

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🔹 2. Ce qui

➡️ Means "what" or "that which", used as the subject of a verb.

It introduces a relative clause where “what” is the subject.

📌 Examples:

Ce qui m’énerve, c’est le bruit.

→ What annoys me is the noise.

(“What” is doing the annoying → subject)

Ce qui compte, c’est d’essayer.

→ What matters is trying.

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🔹 3. Ce que

➡️ Also means "what", but used as the object of the verb.

It introduces a relative clause where “what” is the object.

📌 Examples:

Je ne comprends pas ce que tu dis.

→ I don’t understand what you’re saying.

(“You” is the subject of “say,” and “what” is the object)

Dis-moi ce que tu veux.

→ Tell me what you want.

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🧠 Quick summary table:

Expression Meaning Role in sentence Example

Cela That / it Subject or object Cela est vrai. / Je n’aime pas cela.

Ce qui What (that which) Subject Ce qui est drôle, c’est…

Ce que What Object Ce que j’aime, c’est…

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🛠 Want a trick?

If you're unsure whether to use ce qui or ce que, try this:

👉 Replace the clause with “what + verb.”

If "what" is doing the action, use ce qui.

If something is done to what, use ce que.

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Let me know if you’d like a mini quiz or more examples to practice!