Emphasis with c'est ... qui and c'est ... que

Kurz erklärt

French cleft sentences highlight one part of a statement by placing it between c’est and qui or que. This often corresponds to English “it is … who/that,” but it is also common in everyday French when correcting, contrasting, or identifying information.

Bildung

C’est + emphasized element + qui + verb …; c’est + emphasized element + que + subject + verb … . Use qu’ before a vowel sound.

Verwendung

• Use qui when the emphasized element performs the action and is the subject of the following verb.
• Use que when emphasizing an object or another element such as a time or place; a separate subject then follows.
• Use the construction to correct an assumption or create a clear contrast.

Beispiele

• C’est Léa qui a préparé le dîner. — It was Léa who made dinner.
• C’est ce livre que je cherchais. — This is the book I was looking for.
• C’est demain qu’ils arrivent, pas aujourd’hui. — It’s tomorrow that they’re arriving, not today.
• C’est à Lyon que nous nous sommes rencontrés. — It was in Lyon that we met.

Typischer Fehler

❌ C’est Marie que travaille ici.

✅ C’est Marie qui travaille ici.

Marie is the subject of travaille, so the cleft requires qui, not que.

Merke

If the highlighted element is the subject of the next verb, choose qui. Otherwise, choose que or qu’.