Learn French: C'est ce match que nous devons gagner. - It is this match that we have to win.

C'est ce match que nous devons gagner.

It is this match that we have to win.

Breakdown of C'est ce match que nous devons gagner.

nous

we / us (object pronoun)

Questions & Answers about C'est ce match que nous devons gagner.

Why do we use que instead of qui after ce match?

In these emphasis structures, we use que when the emphasized noun is the object of the action. Here, ce match is the thing that we are winning. If the emphasized noun were doing the action (acting as the subject), we would use qui instead.

What is the difference between saying C'est ce match que nous devons gagner and just Nous devons gagner ce match?

The first version adds strong emphasis. While Nous devons gagner ce match simply states "We have to win this match," using the C'est... que structure highlights that this specific game is the crucial one, translating closer to "It is this match that we have to win."

I sometimes mix up ce, cet, and cette. Why is it ce match here?

Match is a masculine singular noun starting with a consonant, so it takes the standard masculine demonstrative adjective ce (this/that). You would only use cet if it were a masculine noun starting with a vowel sound (like cet arbre), while cette is strictly for feminine nouns.

Why is the verb gagner in its infinitive form instead of being conjugated?

Because it directly follows the conjugated verb devons (we must / have to). Just like in English where we say "we have to win," French keeps the second verb in the infinitive when two verbs are linked together like this.