Learn French: Ce que je prépare est fade.

Ce que je prépare est fade.

What I prepare is bland.

Breakdown of Ce que je prépare est fade.

Questions & Answers about Ce que je prépare est fade.

Why is it ce que and not ce qui in this sentence?

You use ce que because it acts as the direct object of the verb prépare. You are preparing something, so that 'something' receives the action. If 'what' were the subject actually doing an action, you would use ce qui.

Why can't I just say Que je prépare est fade?

In English, 'what' works as a standalone word, but in a French statement, you literally have to say 'that which'. Ce means 'that' and que means 'which'. Using just que alone at the start of a statement would be grammatically incomplete.

Since ce que doesn't refer to a specific noun, what gender does the adjective fade take?

When referring to an abstract idea with ce or ce que, adjectives always default to the masculine singular. However, because the base form of fade (bland) already ends in an -e, its spelling is exactly the same for both masculine and feminine!

Can je prépare also mean 'I am preparing' right now?

Yes! French doesn't have a separate tense for ongoing actions like English does. Ce que je prépare translates perfectly to both 'What I prepare' and 'What I am preparing', depending on what makes the most sense in context.