Ce qui or ce que? Find the subject before you choose

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Choose ce qui for what acts and ce que for what someone does something to. Worked contrasts, a short exchange and five questions on roles and elision.

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In short

Use ce qui when “what” is the subject: Je sais ce qui manque — I know what is missing. Use ce que when another subject does something to it: Je sais ce que tu cherches — I know what you are looking for. Both leave the thing unnamed.

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Two colleagues talking about a changed meeting plan.
Nora asks about ce qui se passe before telling the others. Illustration: Atelier

When do you use ce qui or ce que?

ce qui manquewhat is missing

Focus: Something is missing: that thing is the subject.

Quelque chose manque. → ce qui manque

Je note ce qui manque.
I am noting what is missing.

Explique-moi ce qui se passe.
Explain to me what is happening.

ce que tu chercheswhat you are looking for

Focus: You look for something: that thing is the direct object.

Tu cherches quelque chose. → ce que tu cherches

Montre-moi ce que tu cherches.
Show me what you are looking for.

Je comprends ce que vous dites.
I understand what you are saying.

A named noun takes an ordinary relative: le message que tu lis. Leave the noun unnamed and use ce que tu lis, “what you are reading”. The same change works for a subject: le problème qui reste → ce qui reste. Here ce stays unchanged for gender and number.

Something happens; someone explains it

Un changement de programme
  1. Nora

    Je ne comprends pas ce qui se passe.

    I don’t understand what is happening.

  2. Sami

    La réunion commence plus tard.

    The meeting starts later.

  3. Nora

    D’accord. Je vais répéter ce que tu viens de dire aux autres.

    All right. I’ll repeat what you just said to the others.

  4. Sami

    Merci. Ce qui me rassure, c’est que tu peux les prévenir.

    Thanks. What reassures me is that you can let them know.

In ce qui me rassure, me is the person reassured, so it is an object. The thing that reassures Sami is still the subject, ce qui. An object pronoun between qui and the verb leaves that subject role intact.

Elision: que changes, qui stays
Before a consonantBefore a vowel
ce que tu proposesce qu’elle propose
ce que nous voyonsce qu’il voit
ce qui restece qui arrive

Can ce qui refer to a whole event?

La réunion est reportée, ce qui nous laisse le temps de réfléchir.

The meeting has been postponed, which gives us time to think.

Ce qui refers to the postponement as a whole. That situation is the subject of laisse.

For expressions with de, move to ce dont: ce dont tu as besoin. For a direct question, use a question pattern: Qu’est-ce qui manque ? In Je sais ce qui manque, the “what” phrase sits inside a statement.

Question 1No account needed
You say something.Je comprends ___ tu dis.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

ce que. Tu is the subject of dis. The thing said is its direct object, giving ce que.

Question 2No account needed
Something worries me.Je sais ___ m’inquiète.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

ce qui. Me receives the action. The thing causing the worry is the subject: ce qui.

Question 3No account needed
She proposes something.Voici ___ elle propose.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

ce qu’. The object form que elides before elle: ce qu’elle propose.

Question 4No account needed
Something happens.Explique-moi ___ arrive.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

ce qui. Here “what” is the subject of arrive. Subject qui stays qui before a vowel.

Question 5No account needed
What does ce qui refer to here?Il a accepté, ce qui me surprend.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

The fact that he accepted.. The whole preceding event — his accepting — is what surprises the speaker.

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