Qu'est-ce que c'est

[sillylucy]

A friend of mine has this on his Facebook cover photo and I can't find a translation for it. Well, I have found that it means "what is it that it is" but that doesn't really make any sense to me. Can someone please explain it? Thank you!

[linguaholic]

It just simply means "what is this?". :grin:

You can use this phrase in all kind of situations? For instance, if your friend has something in his hand and you don't really know what it is you can just say: Qu'est-ce que c'est?

[BWL]

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" is just a typical French way to say "What is this?" The French like complex sentences like this (just kidding) that would make no sense in related languages like Italian and Spanish.

This type of sentence structure is very common even in spoken French, Est-ce que tu as faim? Is a slightly more polite but still colloquial way to say "Are you hungry?" (literally, "Is it that you have hunger?"). You could also say "Tu as faim?" or even "T'as faim?" but it would be brusque and can even be impolite when spoken in the wrong intonation and to the wrong people.

[Twisted Fairytale]

Well, I have found that it means "what is it that it is" but that doesn't really make any sense to me.

As the two above me have cleared up the air, this is a good time to say that a lot of french phrases, when translated directly into English, are very repetitive and make no sense what so ever. Most of them can be idioms, that are directly respective to the French language.

I know, it's super confusing. I'm still trying to grasp questions like this. 

[JetLiposting]

If you translate French in English word for word ( or mot a mot  ) it doesn't really makes any sense, you're right "Qu'est-ce que c'est" translates to "what is it that it is" but, in Romanian ( which is more similar to French ) it translates to "what it is, it is", or as people sometimes say: "It is what it is", and it means that you just have to accept the reality ( it is also used when something bad has just happened and you can't do anything to change the situation  :wacky: ). Hope it helps  .

[BWL]

You have to treat "Qu'est-ce que c'est" as an idiomatic expression. It can even be used in certain expressions other than in question form, for example "Qu'est-ce qu'elle est belle!" meaning "She's so beautiful" or "Wow, she's beautiful".

[sillylucy]

Thanks everyone! Now I feel like a fool!  How could I not realize it was an idiom.  :shy: Thanks for clearing up the air.

[czarina84]

On ‎10‎/‎14‎/‎2013‎ ‎5‎:‎25‎:‎38‎, BWL said:

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" is just a typical French way to say "What is this?" The French like complex sentences like this (just kidding) that would make no sense in related languages like Italian and Spanish.

 

This type of sentence structure is very common even in spoken French, Est-ce que tu as faim? Is a slightly more polite but still colloquial way to say "Are you hungry?" (literally, "Is it that you have hunger?"). You could also say "Tu as faim?" or even "T'as faim?" but it would be brusque and can even be impolite when spoken in the wrong intonation and to the wrong people.

 

 

That is very interesting.  I had no idea that shortening certain phrases could be construed as impolite.  To be fair, though, it's kind of similar in English.  Not that it's impolite to shorten words and phrases but some people think you uncouth if you use certain abbreviated versions of things.  For example, slang and nicknames.  Though we use them often in the English languages, some people think that only those of low or average IQ use them, without realizing there are many celebrities who have very high IQs and still speak as though they "have low or average IQ".