French · Greetings & Essentials
"That" in French: ça / cela
ça / cela
Note: before a noun: ce/cette … -là
That as a standalone pronoun is often ça or more formal cela: je veux ça, cela me dérange. Before a noun: ce / cette …-là — cette table-là. Ça covers this/that in speech.
Pointing at a dish
Je ne veux pas ça, trop épicé.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce ça / cela
Say it
sah / suh-LAH
/sa/ /sə.la/
Ça: sah. Cela: suh-LAH. Stress on -la for cela.
"That" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ça | that / this / it Everyday speech. | Everyday speech. |
| cela | that More formal or written. | More formal or written. |
| cela dit | that said Transition phrase. | Transition phrase. |
| ce / cette …-là | that … Before a noun. | Before a noun. |
How to use ça / cela in real life
- 1Pointing at a dish
Je ne veux pas ça, trop épicé.
I don't want that — too spicy.
Ça pointing.
- 2Formal email tone
Cela me semble une bonne idée.
That seems like a good idea to me.
Cela more formal.
- 3Confirming
C'est ça que tu voulais ?
Is that what you wanted?
C'est ça.
Mistakes English speakers make with ça / cela
Incorrect: Je veux that.
Correct: Je veux ça.
Use ça / cela, not English that.
Incorrect: Ça voiture est chère.
Correct: Cette voiture-là est chère.
Before a noun use ce/cette …-là, not ça.
Good to know
Speech prefers ça; cela survives in cela dit, pour cela, and careful writing. Don't force cela in casual chat.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Choosing a souvenir
ChatPal
Tu préfères ça ou l'autre mug ?
Do you prefer that or the other mug?
You
Ça, le bleu.
That — the blue one.
ChatPal
Cela ira parfaitement en cadeau.
That will make a perfect gift.
You
Je paie à la caisse.
I'll pay at the register.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"That" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "That" in French
How do you say that in French?
Ça (spoken) or cela (more formal); ce/cette …-là before nouns.
Ça or cela?
Ça in speech; cela in writing or set phrases.
How do you say that book?
Ce livre-là.
How do you pronounce cela?
suh-LAH.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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