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Ce dont in French: follow the expression with de

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Choose ce dont from avoir besoin de, parler de and se souvenir de. A compact reference sheet, clear contrasts with ce que and four practice questions.

In short

Use ce dont for “what” when the French expression takes de: avoir besoin de → ce dont j’ai besoin. Compare ce que je veux: vouloir takes a direct object. Start from the French expression, because English uses “what” for both.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A person packing a small bag with a water bottle, a plain book and a warm scarf on a kitchen table.
Packing offers a concrete setting for ce dont j’ai besoin. Illustration: Atelier

Ce dont · retrouver le de

1 · Need something

Build from avoir besoin de quelque chose. Ce dont stands for the thing needed.

Voilà ce dont nous avons besoin.That is what we need.

Je sais ce dont tu as besoin pour réussir.I know what you need to succeed.

2 · Talk about something

Build from parler de quelque chose. Keep the person speaking as the subject of parler.

Je comprends ce dont tu parles.I understand what you are talking about.

Ce dont nous parlons reste confidentiel.What we are talking about remains confidential.

3 · Remember something

Build from se souvenir de quelque chose. Keep the reflexive pronoun with its verb.

Raconte-moi ce dont tu te souviens.Tell me what you remember.

Voici ce dont je me souviens.Here is what I remember.

4 · Feel proud of something

An adjective can also take de: être fier / fière de. Its agreement follows the person who feels proud.

Ce dont elle est fière, c’est sa patience.What she is proud of is her patience.

5 · Explain what something is about

The expression is il s’agit de. Keep il as the grammatical subject.

Explique-moi ce dont il s’agit.Explain to me what it is about.

6 · Replace the complement once

Dont already supplies the de relationship. Use ce dont je parle, with the same complement expressed once.

Je parle de cette idée.I am talking about this idea.
J’en parle.I am talking about it.
C’est ce dont je parle.That is what I am talking about.

When do you use ce que, ce qui or ce dont?

Rebuild the short sentence first
Starting relationshipRelative phraseRole
Quelque chose manque.ce qui manquesubject of manque
Tu cherches quelque chose.ce que tu cherchesdirect object of cherches
Tu as besoin de quelque chose.ce dont tu as besoinde complement of as besoin

With a named noun, say l’idée dont tu parles. With the thing unnamed, say ce dont tu parles. Ce stays the same: it has no masculine, feminine or plural ending in this construction. For an expression with à, use another pattern: penser à → ce à quoi je pense.

  • Voici ce que j’ai besoin.Voici ce dont j’ai besoin.

    Avoir besoin de supplies the preposition that calls for dont.

  • C’est ce dont j’en parle.C’est ce dont je parle.

    En and dont would replace the same de complement twice.

Question 1No account needed
Complete with the right relative.Dis-moi ___ tu as besoin.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

ce dont. The expression is avoir besoin de: de leads to ce dont.

Question 2No account needed
Use vouloir, with its direct object.Je sais ___ tu veux.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

ce que. You say vouloir quelque chose, directly, so use ce que tu veux.

Question 3No account needed
Complete the memory phrase.C’est ___ je me souviens.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

ce dont. The full expression is se souvenir de quelque chose, which gives ce dont.

Question 4No account needed
Choose the sentence with one replacement of de cette idée.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je comprends ce dont tu parles.. Dont already replaces the de complement. Keep the sentence free of an extra en or de.

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