Question 1

Why do we use qui here instead of que?

Accepted Answer

We use qui because mon équipe is the subject of the action—they are the ones doing the winning! The pattern c'est ... qui emphasizes the subject of the sentence. If we wanted to emphasize the object instead, we would use c'est ... que (for example: C'est le championnat que mon équipe a gagné - It is the championship that my team won).

Question 2

Wait, I thought équipe was feminine. Why do we use mon instead of ma?

Accepted Answer

You are right that équipe is feminine. However, because it starts with a vowel, saying ma équipe would create a harsh break in sound. French uses the masculine possessive adjective (mon, ton, son) before feminine nouns that start with a vowel or a silent 'h' to make the pronunciation flow smoothly.

Question 3

How do we know how to conjugate the verb after qui?

Accepted Answer

The verb agrees with the word that qui replaces! Since qui refers back to mon équipe (a singular noun, grammatically treated like 'it' or 'she'), the verb takes the third-person singular form a gagné. If the sentence were about a plural subject, the verb would change (e.g., Ce sont mes amis qui ont gagné).

Question 4

Can I just say Mon équipe a gagné le championnat without the C'est ... qui part?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! That basic sentence is completely correct. Wrapping it in C'est ... qui simply adds emphasis. It is the difference between stating a simple fact ('My team won...') and proudly pointing out exactly who did it ('It is my team that won...').

C'est mon équipe qui a gagné le championnat.

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