📖 What = Ce qui / Ce que / Ce dont\n\nIn A2, you learned qui (who/which) and que (that/which) to connect sentences about a specific noun (e.g., "Le livre que je lis"). \n\nIn B1, how do you say "what" when it's not a question, but a statement? \n- "I don't know what is happening."\n- "She understands what I am saying."\n\nBecause there is no specific noun being referred to (like "le livre" or "la femme"), you must use an indefinite relative pronoun: Ce qui, Ce que, or Ce dont. Think of the "Ce" as meaning "That". \n\n1. CE QUI (What = the subject doing the action)\nUse ce qui when "what" is the subject of the following verb. It is usually followed immediately by a verb or reflexive pronoun.\n🔤 "Je ne sais pas ce qui se passe." (I don't know what is happening.)\n🔤 "Dis-moi ce qui te rend heureux." (Tell me what makes you happy.)\n🔤 "Ce qui est important, c'est la santé." (What is important is health.)\n\n2. CE QUE (What = the object receiving the action)\nUse ce que (or ce qu') when "what" is the direct object. It is usually followed by a subject (je, tu, il, Marie, etc.).\n🔤 "Je comprends ce que tu dis." (I understand what you are saying.)\n🔤 "Fais ce que tu veux." (Do what you want.)\n🔤 "Ce qu'il a fait est incroyable." (What he did is incredible.)\n\n3. CE DONT (What = the object of "de")\nUse ce dont when the verb following it requires the preposition de (like avoir besoin de, avoir envie de, parler de, se souvenir de).\n🔤 "C'est exactement ce dont j'ai besoin." \n(That is exactly what I have need of.)\n🔤 "Je ne sais pas ce dont il parle." \n(I don't know what he is talking about.)\n🔤 "Ce dont j'ai peur, c'est l'échec."\n(What I am afraid of is failure.)\n\nHOW TO CHOOSE QUICKLY:\n- Is the next word a verb (is, happens, falls)? -> ce qui\n- Is the next word a subject (I, you, he, Mary)? -> Check the verb.\n - Does the verb take "de" (avoir besoin de, parler de)? -> ce dont\n - Is it a normal verb (faire, dire, manger)? -> ce que