prawdziwypolak

[carmine crow]

Please be patient

Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.

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Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.

[obsidian heron]

she is not referring to any specific object in that case but rather something that was said (a phrase)?
Nothing prevents you from referring to 'what was said before' with 'le'.

• Ma femme m'a trompé.
• Comment tu le sais ?
• C'est mon meilleur ami qui me l'a dit.

This is fully grammatical and natural

[jade solstice]

So does it mean that "le" can be used in all cases where "cela" can be used (they are interchangeable)? Or is it exclusive to some situations only?
And also - I assume that "cela" is also a correct version in those sentences that you have shown above?

[obsidian heron]

"cela/ça" as an object would be correct and it would sort of "package" what was said before into a new entity: "cela". In subsequent sentences, that "cela" would have to be referred to by the pronoun "le" once again, otherwise it would sound like you're referring to something new.

Ma femme m'a trompé
Comment tu le sais ?
C'est mon meilleur ami qui me l'a dit.
^ natural 👍

Ma femme m'a trompé
Comment tu sais tu ça ?
C'est mon meilleur ami qui me l'a dit.
^ natural 👍

Ma femme m'a trompé
Comment tu sais ça ?
C'est mon meilleur ami qui m'a dit ça
^ doesn't work 🚫 it sounds like the second "ça" is referring to something different, otherwise a direct object pronoun (le) would be used instead.

"le" means "it" and "cela/ça" means "that".
You woudn't keep referring to the same thing as "that" in a whole conversation

[jade solstice]

Hmm....so it basically means that if I refer to some X thing or situation for the first time, I can choose between ça or le (provided that I am not talking about a specific object - then I suppose only "le" would be correct?) but if I keep referring to it for the 2nd/3rd time and so on - only "le" is correct. Do I understand it right?

[obsidian heron]

Specifically when it's an object, yes I'd say that's a pretty safe rule to follow.

As a subject however, "Ça" or "ce" is the default way to refer to somethign that was previously said.

Ma femme m'a trompé. Ça me fait vraiment chier. C'est ce que je redoutais le plus.