Ça (en. That)

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

noun

A term used to informally refer to something.

That seems interesting to me.

Ça me semble intéressant.

Used to express a vague idea or concept.

I don't know what it is, but it intrigues me.

Je ne sais pas ce que c'est, mais ça m'intrigue.

Can also be used to refer to an ongoing action.

That's called courage.

Ça s'appelle du courage.

Originating from Old French, a contraction of 'cela'.

What does that mean?

Asks for the meaning of something.

qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ?

I don't like that.

Expresses dissatisfaction or disapproval.

ça ne me plaît pas

How's it going?

A greeting asking if everything is okay.

ça va ?

that

Formal term referring to something.

cela

this

Used to refer to something close.

ceci

it's been a long time

Expression indicating that a certain amount of time has passed.

ça fait longtemps

A casual way to refer to something.

That's a bit of life.

C'est un peu ça la vie.

Used to express approval or consent.

Oh yeah, that’s a good idea!

Ah ouais, ça, c'est une bonne idée !