es ... que

Cleft Sentences

Level 4

Put es before the word you want to stress and que after it: Es Joan que ven.

How It Works

Plain sentenceWith the focus
Joan ven.Es Joan que ven.
Partissèm deman.Es deman que partissèm.
Demòri a Albi.Es a Albi que demòri.
Maria a crompat lo pan.Es Maria qu'a crompat lo pan.

The link word is always que, whether the stressed part is the subject (Es Joan que ven) or the object (Es Joan que vesi, It is Joan that I see). The French qui is a mistake here.

For a correction, put pas after es: Es pas Joan que ven, es Pèire.

Before a vowel, que becomes qu': Es Maria qu'a crompat lo pan. This pattern is different from es que at the start of a question, which has its own entry.

Examples (5)

  1. Es Joan que ven.

    It is Joan who is coming.

    Es Joan puts the focus on the subject.

  2. Es deman que partissèm.

    It is tomorrow that we leave.

    Es deman stresses the time.

  3. Es a Albi que demòri.

    It is in Albi that I live.

    Es a Albi stresses the place.

  4. Es Maria qu'a crompat lo pan.

    It is Maria who bought the bread.

    Que becomes qu' before a.

  5. Es pas Joan que ven, es Pèire.

    It is not Joan who is coming, it is Pèire.

    Pas follows es.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the French word qui.

    Es Joan qui ven.
    Es Joan que ven.

    After the stressed part, Occitan always uses que.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

es ... queLevel 4Cleft Sentences

Learn This First

Es ... que puts the focus on one part of a sentence, so es que and que relatiu come first.

Words in This Pattern

èsserque