Question 1

Why do we use ce que here instead of just que for 'what'?

Accepted Answer

In indirect questions or statements, you cannot use que or qu'est-ce que to mean 'what' in the middle of a sentence. When 'what' is the direct object of the second verb, it must be translated as ce que.

Question 2

Why does the French sentence put the verb before the subject (transforme la molécule) when the English translation says 'the molecule transforms'?

Accepted Answer

In French, when a clause starts with que or ce que and the subject is a full noun like la molécule (rather than a pronoun like elle), it is very common to swap the subject and the verb. You could also say ce que la molécule transforme, but the inverted word order flows better in French.

Question 3

If the sentence meant 'The professor says what transforms the molecule,' how would the French change?

Accepted Answer

It would become Le professeur dit ce qui transforme la molécule. You must use ce qui when 'what' is the subject performing the action. Because our original sentence uses ce que (the object), we know the molecule is the one doing the transforming, despite the word order!

Question 4

The lesson is about indirect questions, but dire (to say) isn't an asking verb. Why does this rule still apply?

Accepted Answer

The grammatical structure for 'what' remains the same whether someone is asking about it, knowing it, or stating it. Verbs of stating or knowing like dire (to say), savoir (to know), and expliquer (to explain) use the exact same ce que and ce qui rules as demander (to ask).

Le professeur dit ce que transforme la molécule.

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