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It is, This is, He is
The French expressions c’est and il est can be tricky because they are synonymous but not interchangeable.* Which one to use depends less on meaning than it does on grammar.
Par exemple…
J’aime ce tableau. Il est joli. | I like this picture, it’s pretty. | |
C’est un joli tableau. | It’s a pretty picture. |
Before diving into usage, take a look at the different forms:
- C’est is neuter singular; its plural form is ce sont. However, c’est is used informally for both.
- Il est is masculine singular; its other forms are elle est (feminine singular), ils sont (masculine plural), and elles sont (feminine plural).
1. Describing people with c’est and il est
When describing a person, the choice of c’est vs il est depends on whether the person is indicated by a noun or an adjective.
C’est + determiner + noun (with or without an adjective)
C’est le docteur. | That’s the doctor. | |
C’est ma jeune sĹ“ur. | She’s my younger sister. | |
Ce sont nos voisins. | Those are our neighbors. | |
Ce sont des amis intimes. | They’re close friends. |
Il est + adjective
Il est sympa. | He’s nice. | |
Elle est intelligente. | She’s smart. | |
Ils sont sages. | They are wise. | |
Elles sont belles. | They are beautiful. |
Exception: with nouns that describe people (professions, nationalities, religions…), you can use c’est or il est, but there’s a structural difference:
- c’est un/e + noun (with or without an adjective)
- il / elle est (+ no article) + noun (which essentially acts like an adjective)
C’est un boulanger. Il est boulanger. | He’s a baker. | |
C’est une bonne Ă©tudiante. Elle est Ă©tudiante. | She’s a good student. | |
Ce sont des Français. Ils sont français. | They are French. |
There is a tiny difference in meaning that you don’t really need to worry about, but if you’re curious …
Il est describes the person’s profession, one characteristic of the person among many:
– Quelle est sa profession ? – Il est boulanger. | – What is his job? – He’s a baker. | |
– Qu’est-ce qu’elle fait dans la vie ? – Elle est Ă©tudiante. | – What does she do? – She’s a student. |
C’est describes who the person is, a definining quality.
– Qui est-ce ? – C’est un boulanger. | – Who is it? – He’s a baker. | |
– Connaissez-vous cette fille ? – Oui, c’est une Ă©tudiante. | – Do you know that girl? – Yes, she’s a student. |
2. C’est and il est with inanimate nouns
Describing other nouns is similar, with one key difference.
- Like for people, c’est is followed by a noun that may or may not be modified by an adjective.
- Il est can again only be used with an adjective that describes the specific noun.
Par exemple…
C’est une jolie maison. Elle est jolie. | It’s a pretty house. It’s pretty. | |
Ce sont des vĂŞtements chers. Ils sont chers. | They are expensive clothes. They are expensive. |
But c’est has an additional use: it can be followed by an adjective that describes the general sense of an inanimate noun, something unspecific, an abstraction (situation, opinion, feeling). This adjective is always masculine.
C’est intĂ©ressant, la philosophie. | Philosophy is interesting. (generally speaking, philosophy is interesting) | |
La musique, c’est bon. | Music is good. (music in general is a good thing) | |
C’est beau ! | It’s beautiful! (the room we just walked into) |
Compare with il est:
Elle est intĂ©ressante, ta philosophie. | Your philosophy is interesting. (the one we’re discussing) | |
La musique, elle est bonne. | The music is good. (what we’re listening to right now) | |
Il est beau ! | It’s beautiful! (the room you asked me about) | |
J’entends un bruit. > C’est bizarre. > Il est bizarre. | I hear a noise. > It’s weird that I hear a noise. > The noise I hear is weird. | |
Il a achetĂ© une maison, > c’est magnifique ! > elle est magnifique ! | He bought a house, > it’s great that he bought a house! > the house he bought is great! |
* Except in impersonal expressions.
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