In this French grammar lesson, you will learn about c’est versus ce sont.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- how to form c’est and ce sont
- when to use c’est: the singular form
- when to use ce sont: the plural form
- which exceptions exist
- how c’est versus ce sont are used in sentences
- how you can quiz yourself on c’est versus ce sont
- how to practice with flashcards on c’est versus ce sont Anki files can be downloaded.
Please refer to the French A1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about this fits in French A1.
By the end of the lesson, you will know all about how to use “this is” and “these are” in French!
Table of Contents
How to Form C’est and Ce Sont
C’est is a contraction of ce (this) and the verb être (to be).
As it is singular, you will use the il/elle/on form of être which is est.
Put everything together and you get c’est (this is)
Ce sont is a contraction of ce (this) and the verb être (to be).
As it is plural you will use the ils/elles form of être which is sont.
Put everything together and you get ce sont (these are).
When to Use C’est (the Singular Form)
When you want to refer to a singular person or thing, you will use c’est.
Please look at the following sentences to see how c’est is used in French.
C’est mon sac.
This is my bag.
C’est ma bière.
This is my beer.
C’est le drapeau du Japon.
This is the flag of Japan.
Est-ce votre montre ? Oui, c’est la mienne.
Is this your watch? Yes this is mine.
As you can see, everything we refer to is singular, so c’est is used.
When to Use Ce Sont (the Plural Form)
When you want to refer to a plural person or thing, you will use ce sont.
Please look at the following sentences to see how ce sont is used in French.
Ce sont mes sacs.
These are my bags.
Ce sont mes bières.
These are my beers.
Ce sont les drapeaux des pays européens.
These are the flags of the European countries.
Est-ce que ce sont vos montres ? Oui, ce sont les miennes.
Are these your watches? Yes these are mine.
As you can see, everything we refer to is plural, so ce sont is used.
The Exceptions
The previous chapters have shown you how c’est and ce sont are generally used in French.
However, there are also some exceptions.
In this chapter, two of those exceptions will be handled.
Luckily, you don’t see them that often, but it is important that you know them.
- You will use c’est, if it is followed by a sole adjective or adverb, even it’s refering to something plural.
I bet you are a bit confused after reading that.
Don’t worry. Read it again and then look at the following examples.
Et leurs fêtes ? – C’est bientôt !
What about their parties? – They’re soon!
C’est cher, les chevaux.
They’re expensive, horses.
After c’est there a sole adjective or adverb.
This means only one word.
This one word refers to something plural, so you may think that you should use ce sont.
But, because there’s only one word (the adjective/adverb) you will use c’est.
- If c’est is followed by an adverb and a noun, then it’s the noun that determines which form you should choose.
C’est bientôt mon diplôme !
It’s almost my graduation!
Ce sont bientôt les vacances !
It’s almost the holidays!
In the first sentence the graduation is singular, so you choose c’est.
In the second sentence the holidays are plural, so you choose ce sont.
Example Sentences on C’est versus Ce Sont
The final section of this lesson on c’est versus ce sont is about seeing them in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on c’est versus ce sont through examples.
This section contains all of the previous sentences, neatly organised in one place.
C’est mon sac.
This is my bag.
C’est ma bière.
This is my beer.
C’est le drapeau du Japon.
This is the flag of Japan.
Est-ce votre montre ? Oui, c’est la mienne.
Is this your watch? Yes this is mine.
Ce sont mes sacs.
These are my bags.
Ce sont mes bières.
These are my beers.
Ce sont les drapeaux des pays européens.
These are the flags of the European countries.
Est-ce que ce sont vos montres ? Oui, ce sont les miennes.
Are these your watches? Yes these are mine.
Et leurs fêtes ? – C’est bientôt !
What about their parties? – They’re soon!
C’est cher, les chevaux.
They’re expensive, horses.
C’est bientôt mon diplôme !
It’s almost my graduation!
Ce sont bientôt les vacances !
It’s almost the holidays!
Quiz Yourself on C’est versus Ce Sont
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want.
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our French A1 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,764 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A1.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
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