French Phrase
Ça marche.
Meaning
Literally ‘that walks’, but idiomatically it means ‘It works’, ‘That’s fine’, or ‘Okay, got it’. It’s a quick way to confirm that something is acceptable or functioning.
When to use
Use *ça marche* in informal conversations when you want to say that a plan, suggestion, or device is acceptable or works as intended. It’s common among friends, classmates, or colleagues in a relaxed setting.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Çamarche
Ça (pronoun)
Informal demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' or 'that', used in everyday speech instead of 'cela'.
marche (verb)
Third‑person singular present indicative of the verb *marcher* ‘to walk’, here used idiomatically to mean ‘to work, to function’.
Idiomatic use
When combined, *ça marche* functions like ‘it works’ or ‘okay’, not a literal ‘this walks’.
🗨In Conversation
Tu peux me prêter ton chargeur ? Mon téléphone ne charge plus.
Can you lend me your charger? My phone isn’t charging.
Oui, pas de problème. Ça marche !
Sure, no problem. It works!
✕Common Mistakes
Ce marche.
‘Ce’ is a demonstrative adjective, not a pronoun; the correct informal pronoun is *ça*.
Ça marche pas.
In informal speech the negative is usually *ça ne marche pas* or simply *ça marche pas* with the *ne* dropped, but the full form is more standard.
Ça marche demain.
The idiom refers to the present; to talk about the future use *ça fonctionnera* or *ça ira*.
↔Alternatives
Ça fonctionne.
It works.
D'accord.
Alright.
C'est bon.
All good.
Pas de problème.
No problem.
Cultural Tip
The phrase is informal; avoid it in very formal business emails or when speaking to someone you don’t know well. In formal contexts you’d use *c’est d’accord* or *cela convient*. Also note that *marche* can be a noun meaning ‘market’, so context determines meaning.