# FR: it - le, la, l' / ça, cela



## sunsail

Hello,
I can say
I want it, "je le veux" but

I cannot say 'I want that'
"je ca veux" instead of it I say "je veux ca"

Thanks
Kind Regards

*Moderator note:* Multiple threads have been merged to create this one.


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## jann

You are correct.  _Le_ acts as a direct object pronoun in your sentence, and so it is placed before the conjugated verb.  This article presents the rules about direct object pronouns and their placement are here.

The word _ça_, however, is the short form of the indefinite demonstrative pronoun _cela_, and so there are different rules governing its placement.  The demonstrative position has the exact same position in the sentence as the noun that it replaces.  More information here.

je le veux  (I want it)
je veux *ç*a  (I want that)
je *ç*a veux 

I hope it helps! 

PS.  Accents are required in French.  If you have trouble typing them on your keyboard, you'll find some helpful information in our sticky.  Several methods are listed, so if the first one isn't convenient for you, just scroll down. 

Jann
Member and Moderator


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## theshambler

Je sais la difference entre les deux sens, mais est-ce que je devrais utilser le mot 'ça' comme nom et 'le' et 'la' comme pronom?

'Je le ferra', mais 'je ferra ça'? 'Je l'ai cassé' mais 'j'ai cassé ça'?

Merci d'avance pour votre assistance!


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## SwissPete

The way I see it:

Je *le* ferai - I will do *it*.
Je ferai *ça* - I will do *this*.

Je *l'*ai cassé - I broke *it*.
J'ai cassé *ça* - I broke *this*.


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## eggbeater

Bonsoir tous, 

J'ai déj à cherché sans succès...

J'ai toujours cette question :

When do I use "J'aime ça" / "J'aimerais ça" / "je fait ça"

...and when do I use "Je l'aime" / "Je l'aimerais" / "je le fait" ?

exemple 1...

-"Tu veux aller au cinéma ce soir?"
-"Oui, je l'aimerais" ou "Oui, j'aimerais ça"

exemple 2...

"Je sais pourquoi il le fait" ou "Je sais pourquoi il fait ça" 


Merci d'avance.


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## JillEliza

I've always thought the distinction was the same as it would be in English.  Where "J'aime  ça" would mean "I like that" and "Je l'aime" would be "I like it."  

I would think you couldn't say "Oui, je l'aimerais" in your example because "le" would refer to the noun, not the verb.  You'd be saying "Yes, I would like the cinema" not "Yes, I would like to go."  

However, I'm not entirely sure.  I'm curious to see what others say.


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## Fred_C

You are perfectly right.
"ça" corresponds exactly to "that", it is a demonstrative pronoun
"il", "elle", "le", "la" correspond exactly to "it", they are mere pronouns.


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## Moon Palace

In your example: 
_Would you like to go to the cinema?
Yes, I'd like that. 
_I would say in French: _J'aimerais bien. _(and the ellipsis would obviously hint at "going to the cinema").


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## melie1981

*"ça" pronom complément* 
 			 			 		  		 		 			 			Bonjour,

je voulais expliquer à quelqu'un la différence entre les pronoms compléments "le, la, les" et "ça". 
Par exemple, si je dis: je déteste la salade. Et que je veux utiliser un pronom, je dois dire: je déteste ça. Ça ferait bizarre de dire: je la déteste. 

Autres exemples: Aimes-tu les films russes? Oui j'aime ça.
MAIS. Aimes-tu le film "le diner de cons"? Oui je l'aime

Y a t il une règle qui explique cette notion grammaticale. Je fouille partout et je ne trouve rien.

Merci d'avance 

Amélie


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## quinoa

En fait, à y réfléchir et en cherchant d'autres exemples :

Tu la trouve comment, la salade? Je ne l'aime pas du tout.
Tu aimes la salade? Non, je n'aime pas ça.

Lorsque "la salade" peut être remplacée par un pronom, il faut que la salade en question ait été bien définie au préalable. Il y a "une salade" dans la situation présente et on s'y réfère une seconde fois.
En revanche lorsqu'il s'agit de quelque chose pris dans son sens le plus générique, non plus la salade spécifique présente devant nos yeux, mais en général, le pronom peronnel est inopérant.
Tu as vu les films russes au festival? Oui, mais je ne les ai pas aimés.


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## KraftDinner

hello,

what is the difference between dire ça and le dire ? in what situations do you use le dire instead of dire ça ?

Thanks !


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## Mlle Juju

"Dire ça" is more informal, spoken language...  If you use "le dire"  it refers directly to what you just said before...

Je vais t'appeler vers 8:00, je viens de te le dire.
(I'll call around 8pm, I just told you so).


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## KraftDinner

Thanks ! If I wanted to say, "ok, I'll tell my friend that", would I say "d'accord, je le dirai à mon amie" or would I say "d'accord, je dirai ça à mon amie" ?


Je reviens tout de suite !
D'accord, je le dirai / dirai ça ?? à mon amie !


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## Mlle Juju

You would say "D'accord, je le dirai à mon amie".  In French, we don't use (well, if we speak the correct way...) articles (as "le") at the end of sentences.   If I look at your example, you said  "ok, I'll tell my friend *that*".  In French, it would be as if we would say : I'll tell *that* to my friend".


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## quinoa

Avec "ça", on se centre sur ce que "ça" represente.
Avec "it" on s'intéresse sur le fait de dire ce dont on a parlé.

Le démonstratif évoque le propos, et d'ailleurs il, le propos, se trouve "montré du doigt" justement parce qu'on souhaite l'isoler.

Le pronom "it" lui évoque ce qui a été dit avant, il est plus intimement lié à "dire".

The same happens with: Don't do *it*! and Don't do *that*!


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## crystalrose.

Bonjour,

I have just read a small note in my french grammar book, which says that with both the verbs aimer and connaitre you can use le/la/les as "les pronoms directs" ONLY if you are referring to a person, not a thing. If you are talking about a thing you have to say for example:

"Tu aimes le fromage? Oui, j'aime ça"

I would like to know if this is a rule that is strictly followed in France? I have never come across it before and I often say "oui, je l'aime" or "tu le connais? (le=un film)". Are these considered very incorrect?

Thank you!


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## dratuor

Yes it is followed it is understandable but not correct and could actually lead to misunderstandings


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## crystalrose.

Thank you for your help! So if for example, I am trying to explain a place or a building to a friend, and I then want to say "do you know it?"

Do I say... "c'est le grand bâtiment en face de la cathédrale.. *tu connais ça*?"     instead of "tu le connais"?


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## Nathalie1963

No, you would use "tu le connais". This rule seems a bit weird. What grammar book does it come from ?


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## crystalrose.

It comes from "Grammaire progressive du Français" Niveau intermédiare, CLE international.

However the book is entirely taught in french, so perhaps I have just slightly misunderstood this grammar point?

The wording of the book is:

"Avec _aimer_ et _connaitre_, _le, la, les_ renvoient de préférence à des personnes:
- Tu aimes Julie? - Oui, je *l*'aime.
- Tu connais son pére? - Oui, je *le* connais.

Pour les objets, répondez plutôt:
- Tu aimes le fromage? - Oui, *j'aime ça*.      Ne dites pas: Je l'aime.
- Tu connais le gorgonzola - Oui, *je connais*.      Ne dites pas: Je le connais"

Have I misunderstood the french and perhaps it only applies to responding to questions, as in the examples? But I can still ask, "Tu le connais?".

Thank you


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## Camille03

Hi,

"Oui, je connais" or "Oui, j'aime ça" applies to responding to questions as you said.
[…]


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## Welshie

crystalrose. said:


> "Avec _aimer_ et _connaitre_, _le, la, les_ renvoient* de préférence* à des personnes:



Very few things are black and white. The "de préférence" bit here is important. My advice would be to avoid using "le/la/les" etc for objects in this case, just leave them out: "Tu aimes le gruyère ? Oui, j'aime (bien)". But do not be surprised when the exceptions to the rule rear their ugly heads


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## Nathalie1963

In this case, you would say "tu aimes le gruyère ? Oui." or "Oui, j'aime bien." But you can always have something like that "As-tu été voir ce film ? Non je ne *l'*ai pas vu." or "oui mais je ne l'ai pas aimé." French is very well known for all its exceptions and really the best way is to listen to this language as much as you can, only then will you be able to catch its subtleties and be able to speak it as a real French !


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## Francobritannocolombien

Suppose someone asks you "tu aimes le canard?" If you answer "oui, *je l'aime *beaucoup," you have interpreted the question as referring to your pet duck, who doesn't have a name but whom you fondly refer to as "le canard." On the other hand, if you answer "oui, *j'aime ça*, mais je préfère la dinde," you are obviously not talking about your pet.

In other words, when the direct object of a verb like "aimer" is a singular noun introduced by a definite article, (as in "le canard") it looks like the choice of the object pronoun is determined by the value of the definite article, or rather it looks like the value of the definite article and the choice of object pronoun are both determined by what the noun really means: in one case it refers to one specific, countable thing or individual (Daffy, for instance) and there would be a definite article in English too ("*the *duck ate my homework"), in the other it  refers to an uncountable concept (duck meat) or activity (eating said duck meat) and there would be no article in English ("I like duck but I prefer turkey"). In the first case, the equivalent object pronoun would be "le/la", in the second it would be "ça." The same conceptual difference exists in the mind of English speakers, since they can use an article in one case but not in the other.
Other examples:
Le cinéma ? - j'aime ça
Le dernier Woody Allen ? - je l'ai bien aimé.
la musique ? - j'aime beaucoup ça
la musique baroque? - j'adore ça
le canon de Pachelbel ? - je l'ai trop entendu, je ne l'aime plus du tout.

I hope this helps.


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## unpeu

On my book it says
_'la-le-les'_ can take the place of nouns
*example:* - Tu lis le journal? - Non, je ne le lis pas

and_ '__ça'_ can also take the place of the nouns*
example: * Le chocalat? Oui, j'aime ça

So in that case, I've been wondering if it would be correct to answer the first example like that
Tu lis le journal? Non, je ne lis pas ça
or
Tu achètes le livre? Oui, j'achète ça

and another lil' question in passé composé where are the le-la-les and ça put? (especially in negative sentences)

Thanks


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## janpol

Tu lis le journal? Non, je ne lis pas ça
or
Tu achètes le livre? Oui, j'achète ça
on peut le dire mais on emploie plutôt "le"
"ça" ne peut pas remplacer une personne = connais-tu cette fille ? oui, je la connais
passé composé : je ne l'ai pas lu - je n'ai pas lu ça


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## Equistar

Grammatically, it's correct, but the meaning sounds quite different depending on how you say it.

If you say : "Tu lis le journal ? Non, je ne le lis pas.", it means "Do you read the newspaper ? No, I don't." 
It's neutral.
But if you say "Je ne lis pas ça.", it sounds like "No, I don't read that, I don't read this kind of stuff..."
So it sounds less neutral than the first one.

As Janpol stated, people usually use "le" and "la".


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## Micia93

However, regarding the example with chocolate, I wouldn't use "le" or "l"
=> tu aimes le chocolat ? - oui, j'aime ça

saying "oui je l'aime" sounds a bit weird, because of the word "aimer" meaning both "love" and "like", and the answer would sound somewhat emphatic. This doesn't only apply to chocolate, it can be cinema, books ....
"t'aimes le cinéma? - oui, j'aime ça"


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## sudest

I have a problem with the "le" and "ça" and I need to know where I use them properly. I write a simple sentence to describe the situation.

As-tu vu ce film?
Oui, J'aime bien, j'aime ça/cela, je l'aime

Which is correct? And Why?
Merci d'avance.


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## Seeda

_Tu as vu ce film ? - Oui, et je *l'*ai bien aimé._

_L'_ refers directly to _ce film_. I think you have to use _le/la_ instead of _ça _when the object is regarded as a tangible thing as opposed to a concept.

Furthermore, in real life it's very common to just say: _j'aime bien_. It's however considered incorrect in that there's no reason to omit the object.


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## sudest

Merci beaucoup Seeda. So why do I hear so often "j'aime ça"? Where is it used commonly?


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## Seeda

Well, what I think is that _J'aime ça_ is rather used when you're referring to something such as a concept or a sensation, a feeling. Ex:

_Tu aimes le vin (en général) ? - Oui, j'aime (bien) *ça*._ (wine in general)
_Tu aimes le/ce vin (que je t'ai servi) ? - Oui, je *l'*aime bien._ (a particular wine, the one I served to you)

This issue is all the more complicated nowadays with people's habit to omit the object in such sentences.


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## polstar3

i want to say: (my school is too strict and) if i had know this beforehand, i never would have come 

is this right mon école est trop sévère et) *si je l’avais su auparavant, je ne serais jamais venue* 

should i use le or should it be ce/ca? 

thank you


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## AmaryllisBunny

"le" is correct. It is a direct object pronoun (complement d'object direct) and as such is "le" because "ce" is not a COD.


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## Maître Capello

Well, _le_ is possible, but it would be the translation of "if I had known *it*".

A more accurate translation of the original would therefore be _si j'avais su *ça*_.


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## person321

*J'ai trouvé ça vs Je l'ai trouvé*

If you want to say 'I found it,' which of these is more natural?  I've been told that French people would only use the second to say 'I found him/her' when in ordinary speech.


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## moustic

Je l'ai trouvé = I('ve) found him/it   - if you want to say "I found her" = je l'ai trouvée

J'ai trouvé ça -> I can only think of one context where you could use this: holding up something you found "I found this."


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## NeJetezPasL'Ananas

Et si on parlait des noms au pluriel, comme "les pommes," qu'est-ce qu'on dirait? 

Tu aimes les pommes? _Oui, je les aime. _
Ou bien,_ Oui, j'aime ça. _(À moi, ça a l'air bizarre dans ce cas. Corrigez-moi s'il vous plaît si j'ai tort.)


Merci d'avance


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## Oddmania

Hi,

As strange as it may seem, I would actually go for _J'aime ça_! Truth be told, I would actually be more likely to say either _Oui, j'adore _or _Oui, j'aime bien, _or _Non, je n'aime pas_, without any actual pronouns.

Saying _Oui, je les aime_ really sounds off to me, because in the question, _les _has a general meaning, while the pronoun _les _used in the answer is a definite pronoun that really means "them". It sounds like _"Do you like apples? – Yes, I like them"  _(would that make sense in English?).

I would always tend to avoid using a definite article if the noun is "general" (whether it is plural or singular). For instance, _Tu aimes la neige ?_ _– Oui, j'aime bien / Non, je n'aime pas _(but not _Oui, je *l'*aime_. It sounds like you know the snow personally, which sounds a bit silly).


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## esuuvo

Par example:
J'adore ça vs Je l'adore – ils me semblent les mêmes
Mais quand est-ce que l'on ne pourrait pas utiliser 'ça' au même façon que 'le/la'?


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## OLN

_Cela _et _ça _sont des pronoms démonstratifs (this, that), mais _ça_ (abréviation familière de _cela_ = cette chose) traduit volontiers _it_.

Ta question qui porte sur un usage incorrect de _ça_ est un peu vague. Pourrais-tu préciser dans quel cas tu hésites ?


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## Swatters

"Ça" passe très mal lorsque ce à quoi il se réfère est spécifique :

Les pâtes, j'adore ça.  (= j'aime les pâtes en général. "Je les aime" serait ici acceptable, mais peu idiomatique)
Tes pâtes, j'adore ça. 
Ces pâtes-là, j'adore ça. 

À l'opposé, si l'élément co-indexé est une proposition infinitive, seul "ça" est utilisable (quoique laisser tomber le pronom marche très bien aussi) :

Faire du sport, j'aime beaucoup. 
Faire du sport, j'aime beaucoup ça. 
Faire du sport, ça, j'aime beaucoup. 
Faire du sport, je l'aime beaucoup.


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## Monkeyaround

What's différence between ça, cela, la, and 
When to use each correctly?

1. J'aime ça.
2. J'aime la.
3. Je l'aime.
4. J'aime cela.


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## Gemsh

[…]

If I understand correctly, you say je l'aime to speak about a specific person or thing; you say j'aime ça to talk about something in general, or a concept. For example, Do you like wine (any sort)? Oui, j'aime ça. Do you like the wine I bought? Oui, je l'aime. I've never heard of j'aime la. I'll wait for the experts to confirm though!


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## Terrae novae

_J'aime la _is not a thing. In affirmative French constructions involving a pronoun as the direct or indirect object, that object will go before the verb. _Je l'aime _is correct.


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## calame

1. J'aime ça : correct, for a thing or a concept
2. J'aime la : incorrect
3. Je l'aime : correct, but I think it is used for a person ; for a thing, like wine, we rather say "je l'aime bien". 
4. J'aime cela : correct, equivalent to 1., maybe a bit more elegant.


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## Gemsh

calame said:


> 3. Je l'aime : correct, but I think it is used for a person ; for a thing, like wine, we rather say "je l'aime bien".



So, could we say "Je l'aime" for a specific thing? Par exemple, "Es-ce que tu aimes cette mousse au chocolat (que j'ai faite et que tu as mangée) ?" "Oui, je l'aime."  As opposed to, "Aimes-tu la mousse au chocolat (en général) ?" "Oui, j'aime ça."


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## k@t

Gemsh said:


> So, could we say "Je l'aime" for a specific thing? Par exemple, "Es-ce que tu aimes cette mousse au chocolat (que j'ai faite et que tu as mangée) ?" "Oui, je l'aime."  As opposed to, "Aimes-tu la mousse au chocolat (en général) ?" "Oui, j'aime ça."


C'est exactement ça.


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