ça — the subject that is not a person

In one line

ça means "this · that · things" — and it is always a third-person singular subject. Whatever verb follows takes the same form it would take after il.

The forms on this page

The table

So there is only one decision here, and it was made for you: the verb is always third-person singular. Never ça vas, never ça vais.

The idea is already yours — the sorting is not.

English does the same thing: "It depends", "It's enough", "It's expensive". You never had to learn that a verb needs a subject even when nothing real is doing anything. That part transfers for free.

What does not transfer: your one word "it" becomes three different French words, and picking the wrong one is the mistake you will actually make.

English "it"	French	Where
it depends · it works	ça	the normal case — a thing, a situation
it's fine · it's difficult	c'	when être comes straight after
it's raining · it's three o'clock	il	weather and clock time only

"It's raining" is Il pleut, never Ça pleut. That one catches everybody.

The three jobs of ça

1. Pointing at a thing

2. Pointing at the whole situation

That is Ça va ? — and every expression in the table above.

3. Pointing at what was just said

Ça va ? versus Comment tu vas ?

Ça va ? can stand alone; Tu vas ? cannot. The moment you make a person the subject, you need Comment.

And one practical convenience: Ça va ? spares you the tu / vous decision entirely. Stranger or friend, same three letters — which is exactly why you hear it so much.

ça or c' — the one real trap

If être comes straight after, you write c', not ça:

But if something slips in between, ça stays put: Ça m'est égal. — because m' sits between ça and est.

Exceptions

Common expressions

Examples

Common mistakes

Why the verb "to go" carries your health