# FR: <nom féminin ou pluriel>, c'est + accord de l'adjectif attribut



## RyanE

Quand je utilise "c'est" ou "ce sont" pour decrire un objet, est-ce que je fais l'accord entre l'adjectif et le sujet?

Par example:

La rivière, c'est beau ou c'est belle?
les exercises, c'est fatigant ou c'est fatigants?

Merci!

*Note des modérateurs :* Plusieurs fils ont été fusionnés pour créer celui-ci.


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## Jean-Michel Carrère

The agreement is with ce (c'), hence singular.


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## Adrielle

with c'est, it's always masculine singular.


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## Cath.S.

I agree with what has been said so far.
But be careful, you* cannot* write _ce sont_ instead of _c'est_ in your second example.


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## Maharg

This phrase was found as part of 'Un rap scolaire' to teach English children about adjectives for describing school subjects in French.

The reference grammars I have read say that adjectives always agree with the noun, but I have seen some exceptions.

_E.g. La biologie, c'est amusant?_

Does the adjective only agree when it follows the noun directly, e.g:

_Une femme amusante._

Many thanks

Maharg


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## Fred_C

Hi.
Non, il n'y a jamais d'exceptions.
dans "et la biologie, c'est amusant", amusant est attribut du sujet, il s'accorde donc avec le sujet, et le sujet, c'est : ... «c'» !
«c'» ou «ce» est un pronom neutre. Il est toujours au masculin.


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## Maharg

Ah oui, je comprends.  Donc, on écrirait 'la biologie est amusante' parce que le sujet ici est 'la biologie', et peut être, dans le 'rap', le suject est indiqué - par exemple 'bon comme la biologie' signifique '_c'est _bon comme la biologie'.

Merci beaucoup,

Maharg


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## Fred_C

C'est tout-à-fait juste.


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## petitprince

I have a quick question about adjective agreement with c'est. If there is a feminine antecedent, does the adjective agree? For example: La cathédrale, c'est belle. I feel as if I've heard and seen things like: C'est beau, la cathédrale.

I'm curious about both the spoken and the written if there is a difference.


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## melu85

La cathédrale, c'est belle. (no agreement with c'est)
La cathédrale, c'est beau  I'd say this is wrong too because you're talking about a specific cathedral. I'd rather say: La cathédrale, elle est belle.

However, in a generic way, to talk about cathedrals/things in general, you can say: Les cathédrales, c'est beau.
             Les fleurs en bouquet, c'est beau.
La vie, c'est beau.
etc,


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## Lezert

Bonsoir, petitprince,
with "c'est" the adjective doesn't agree (la cathédrale , c'est beau), and for there is no difference between spoken and written.


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## Fred_C

Actually, it is not recommended at all to use "c'est" if your predicate is an adjective.
You should use "il est" or "elle est" instead.
I have noticed one exception : When the thing you are talking about is a place.
(La France, c'est grand)

When your predicate is a noun or a nominal group, it is better to use "c'est" than "il est" or "elle est".
Example : "Regardez cet homme, il est mon mari" : Very awkward.
"Regardez cet homme, c'est mon mari" : Much better.


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## Lezert

Fred_C said:


> Actually, it is not recommended at all to use "c'est" if your predicate is an adjective


C'est ce que je me suis dit au premier abord, mais je n'ai pas su trouver de règle, et avec un peu de contexte, ça passe : "la cathédrale de Strasbourg c'est beau" 

Il y a aussi d'autres cas ( où il ne s'agit pas de lieux) où on emploie parfois "c'est" avec un adjectif:
L'allemand, c'est difficile
Tu as vu le feu? c'est vert!


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## snarkhunter

I'd tend to disagree on one point.
I think there is indeed one case where "La cathédrale, c'est beau" would be considered correct - though actually seldom found.

It's when comparing a general category of "things" (either implicitly or explicitly).

... An example?

"Par rapport à la maison préfabriquée, la cathédrale, c'est beau"

Here, the sentence is not about any existing cathedral, it's about cathedrals as a general category of "buildings".

The above sentence is roughly equivalent to : "Compared with prefab houses, cathedrals are beautiful."

Please consider the following example as well :

"Par rapport à l'essai philosophique, le roman, c'est facile à lire."

It doesn't matter which philosophical essay, and it doesn't matter which novel either. Generally speaking, novels are a much easier reading than philosophical essays. And this doesn't include "Finnegan's Wake", though!


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## SophieLaFontaine

"La bonté, c'est précieux"

This phrase is on a rubber stamp.
Is this really correct?  It isn't supposed to be "précieuse"?


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## Lacuzon

Hi,

"La bonté, c'est précieux" is correct. It stands for "La bonté, cela est précieux" cela is neutral.

But indeed "La bonté est précieuse"


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## La nuit

Your reply is very good but I think that "cela" is formal.


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## Lacuzon

Hi,

You are right, but be it cela or ça, that is the same explanation.


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## Whizzer

Hey all,

I was watching a video about beaches in France compared to ones in USA. It has French captions to it, and it is subtitled as the following:
_
la plage en france, c'est un peu diffèrent.._

I was wondering why it isn't "diffèrente" to agree with la plage? Is it because "un peu" is used, so "diffèrente" agrees with that?

Apologies if it's a bit of a stupid quesiton, but I'm just trying to get to grips with it all!!

Thanks in advance for any help at all


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## izarraot

No, it is because "c´est  +  adjec au masculin"

"C´est beau"
"c´est joli"
"c´est différent"


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## Mederic

Hi,

I am french and in my opinion "la bonté, cela est précieux" is not correct.

You must use the contraction "c'est".

French language doesn't like to have 2 vowels in a row. (by the way 'in a row' is correct here?)

Cheers


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## CapnPrep

I am not French and in my opinion you can find two vowels in a row in almost every sentence…
_
La bonté, la générosité, la tolérance, tout cela est précieux._

Do the two vowels still bother you? Must we still use the contraction _c'est_?


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## Mederic

I didn't say that it was impossible, i said we don't like it and use contractions when it's possible.
And I sorry but i insist, it's not correct in my example to put "cela" or anyway very clumsy and should not be used.

"Tout cela" is different because it's a specific expression/locution that indeed you can't contract as "Tout c' ". But it doesn't contradict the other case.


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## jann

I don't think that Lacuzon wanted to encourage usage of _cela_ when he mentioned it in post #17.  I think he mentioned the word to point out that it is a masculine (or neutral) antecedent... because he was trying to answer Sophie's original question about why _précieux_ doesn't agree with _bonté_.


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## CapnPrep

The basic form of the sentence is _La bonté, *ce est *précieux_, and I agree that the contraction must be used here.

I agree that _La bonté, cela est précieux_ should not be used in ordinary conversational contexts, but it is perfectly correct.



			
				Le bon usage (§698 said:
			
		

> On prend comme sujet _cela_ (ou _ceci_) au lieu de _ce_, si l’on veut accentuer ou souligner l’expression :Cela est admirable […] cela est vrai
> Cela aussi est nécessaire.
> Cela est beau, la franchise​


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## Mederic

Your basic form "Ce est" is not correct because "ce" is a demonstrative article and so can't be subject of the verb "est". So "c'est" is the contraction of "cela est" or "ceci est" (or "ça est" ...) where "cela" is *pronoun* and so can be subject.

But i am ok that into a classical novel or a very formal style you can say "cela est" in our example and i also agree that "cela" in some contexts can be used to emphasize the object of the pronoun.

But i understand that they are difficult nuances..


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## CapnPrep

Mederic said:


> Your basic form "Ce est" is not correct because "ce" is a demonstrative article and so can't be subject of the verb "est". So "c'est" is the contraction of "cela est" or "ceci est" (or "ça est" ...) where "cela" is *pronoun* and so can be subject.


_Ce_ is not only a determiner ("article") but also a pronoun, as in _ce qui_, _ce à quoi_, _sur ce_, _et ce_, etc., but more specifically as *the subject of the verb être*:
_Ce n'est pas précieux, ce fut précieux, ce sera précieux_, _est-ce précieux ?, ce sont des choses précieuses._


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## Lacuzon

Good evening,

C' in _c'est_ is the contraction either of _ce_ or of _ça_ which already is a contraction of _cela_.

_Cela est_, albeit less common, is indeed correct and is used to emphase as already said.

Of course, Jann is right and catched what I meant.


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## Maître Capello

Mederic said:


> So "c'est" is the contraction of "cela est" or "ceci est" (or "ça est" ...)


I'm afraid you're wrong and CapnPrep is entirely correct: _c'est_ is indeed the contraction of “_ce est_” (and not _ça/cela est_). By the way, in the plural, we do say _*ce* sont_ (and not _ça/cela sont_)… 

Anyway, let's not get sidetracked and let's focus back on the original question. The agreement of the adjective (_précieux_ in this case) must be made with _ce_, which is genderless, i.e., masculine as pointed out by Lacuzon and Jann above. Therefore:

_la bonté, *c'*est précieux 
la bonté, *c'*est précieuse _

_la bonté, *cela* est précieux 
la bonté, *cela* est précieuse _

_*la bonté* est précieux _
_*la bonté* est précieuse _

Note: In the above sentences, the agreement of the adjective should be made with the words in bold.

Me Capello,
as member and moderator


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## aRoomWithaView

Est-ce qu-on peut dire, par example: j'aime l'histoire parce que c'est intéressant ? Sans accord. J'essaie de formuler des phrases simples pour apprendre à des enfants, mais je veux utiliser 'parce que' au lieu de dire tout simplement : J'aime l'histoire; c'est intéressant.


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## Maître Capello

Oui, cela ne change rien au problème de l'accord. 

_L'histoire, *c'*est intéressan*t*_.
_J'aime l'histoire; *c'*est intéressan*t*_.
_J'aime l'histoire parce que *c'*est intéressan*t*._

P.S.: Bienvenue sur les forums!


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## nodrog102

Quelle est la correcte grammaire? Faut-il utiliser l'adjectif féminin pour satisfaire l'accord sustantif [Paris]-adjectif? Ou est-ce qu'une phrase qui commence avec "c'est," reste toujours invariable et utilise toujours la forme masculine de l'adjectif?

Le pain! C'est si bon!
La pomme! C'est si bon ... ou bonne ?


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## SwissPete

« C'est » est masculin.


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## Kleuna

My French book say that there is no agreement of "meilleur" if the sentence begins with "C'est" even if it refers to a  feminine noun.   Ex:   Ma ville?  C'est meilleur que la tienne.  BUT  "Ma voiture est meilleure que la tienne".  Can someone explain why you do not make "meilleur" agree with "ville" ?

Merci


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## Maître Capello

Your textbook is correct because _ce_ in _c'est_ is neuter, hence masculine. You must therefore say, _c'est meilleur_, regardless of what _ce_ actually refers to.

_La tarte aux pommes, *c'*est meilleu*r* sans gelée._

That being said, I'm afraid your first example is not natural at all. We would rather say, _Ma ville est mieux que la tienne_…


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## mtoutlemonde

Bonjour! 

Just checking where the agreement should be in this sentence - Le chose que j’aime le plus – c’est la nourriture – c’est délicieuse! Should the agreement go with 'le chose' or 'la nourriture' - Microsoft Word is telling me it should be délicieux. ..

Merci en avance.


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## Yendred

After "_c'est_" there is no agreement, whatever you speak of.
And also note it is "_*la* chose_".

Compare:
_La chose que je trouve délici*euse*, c'est le poulet. _(agreement with _"la chose"_)
_Je trouve le poulet délici*eux*, c'est la chose que j'aime le plus. _(agreement with _"le poulet"_)
_La chose que j'aime le plus, c'est la viande, c'est délici*eux*. _(no agreement after _"c'est_")
_La chose que j'aime le plus, c'est le poulet, c'est une chose délici*euse*. _(agreement with _"une chose"_)


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## mtoutlemonde

Merci mille fois!!


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