B1 · Fine points and style
c'est and il est: the borderline cases
Where the basic rule stops helping: verdicts, the time, written style.
At a glance
- Remember
- The thing in general takes c'est and stays masculine; the particular thing takes il or elle.
- Form
- la musique, c’est importantmusic is important (in general)
- Signal words
- c’est
- il est
- elle est
- de
- à
- Trap
- Wrong:La cuisine française, c’est bonne.Right:La cuisine française, c’est bon.
Your turn
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The form
The patterns at a glance
Each row first says when or what the pattern is used for, then gives an example in French.
| music is important (in general) | la musique, c’est important |
| this music is beautiful | cette musique, elle est belle |
| it is hard to find a flat (written) | il est difficile de trouver un logement |
| that is hard to find | c’est difficile à trouver |
| it is late | il est tard |
| it is time to go | il est temps de partir |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
A subject put first is judged with c'est and the masculine singular.
Les vacances, c’est cher.Holidays are expensive.
For one particular thing it is il or elle, and the adjective agrees.
Cette robe, elle est belle.This dress is beautiful.
Adjective + de + infinitive with an object: il est in writing, mostly c'est in speech.
Il est important de réserver une table.It is important to book a table.
The time of day always takes il est.
Il est déjà tard, je rentre.It is already late, I am going home.
Example sentences
Le sport, c’est bon pour la santé.Sport is good for your health.
Ta voiture ? Elle est très rapide.Your car? It is very fast.
Il est interdit de fumer dans le train.Smoking is forbidden on the train.
Cette phrase ? C’est difficile à traduire.This sentence? It is hard to translate.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
In a general verdict nothing agrees, even when the subject is feminine or plural: La cuisine française, c'est bon, not c'est bonne. The adjective follows ce, and ce is masculine singular. Only with elle does it agree: Cette tarte, elle est bonne. English «French food is good» has no ending to get wrong, so nothing warns you.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
The basic rule is in the topic on c'est or il est: an article or a name takes c'est, a job without an article or a quality of a person takes il est. This topic deals with the cases where that rule gives no answer.
When a subject is put first and then judged, c'est follows with the adjective in the masculine singular, whatever the gender and number of the subject: La musique, c'est important. Les vacances, c'est cher. What is judged is the thing in general, not one particular item. For one particular thing the personal pronoun comes back and the adjective agrees: Cette robe, elle est belle.
With an adjective followed by an infinitive there are two patterns. If the infinitive has its object with it, writing uses il est … de: Il est difficile de trouver un logement. Speech mostly says c'est … de. If what is being judged has already been mentioned, it is c'est … à with nothing after the verb: Un logement ? C'est difficile à trouver.
The time of day always takes il est, never c'est: Il est midi, il est tard, il est temps de partir.
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The verbs on this page, in every form: être · interdire · rentrer · réserver · traduire