What Does Cest-à-dire Mean in French

Cest-à  -dire  is a common expression in French and you can use it when you want to say I mean or that is. Its a way to clarify what youre trying to explain and you will find it very useful in conversations. The Meaning of  Cest-à  -dire Cest-à  -dire is pronounced  say ta deer. It literally translates to mean that is to say and uses the French verb dire  (to say). However, we most often translate it to that is or I mean. You can even use it to vocalize the written example of i.e. The expression  is used to explain or expand upon something that was just said. You might also use it to ask for clarification. In informal writing,  cest-à  -dire  may be abbreviated to  c-à  -d,  cà  d, or even  cad. The phrase is within the normal register, meaning that it is part of everyday language. In French, its acceptable to say it in both formal and informal settings. Examples of  Cest-à  -dire  in Context There are many situations in which you might use the phrase. Essentially, any time you need to clarify, you can rely on  cest-à  -dire. Il faut à ©crire ton nom là  , cest-à  -dire, ici. -  You need to write your name there, I mean, here.Un traducteur, cest-à  -dire quelquun qui rà ©crit les documents dans une autre langue... -  A translator, that is, someone who rewrites documents in another language...Je dois travailler ce soir, cest-à  -dire que je ne peux pas aller au cinà © avec toi. -  I have to work tonight, which means I cant go to the movies with you. As another example, you might use the phrase in a conversation such as this: Il faut que tu commences à   y mettre du tien ici.  - You need to start pulling your weight around here.Cest-à  -dire ?  - Meaning? / What does that mean?Cest-à  -dire que tu vas nous aider à   faire le mà ©nage.  - It means youre going to help us out with the housework.