French Phrase
Dis ce que tu as essayé pour résoudre ça.
Meaning
The speaker is asking the listener to explain the actions they have taken in order to fix a problem. It is a direct, informal request for a step‑by‑step description.
When to use
Use this sentence in casual conversations when you need to know what someone has already tried to fix an issue—e.g., troubleshooting tech problems, helping with a DIY repair, or discussing a study difficulty.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Discequetuasessayépourrésoudreça
Imperative (Dis)
Use the second‑person singular imperative of "dire" (Dis) for informal commands; the formal version is "Dites".
Relative pronoun (ce que)
"Ce que" introduces a clause meaning "what/that which" and is required after verbs like "dire".
Passé composé (as essayé)
The auxiliary "avoir" + past participle "essayé" forms the past tense; note the agreement is none because the auxiliary is "avoir".
Purpose infinitive (pour résoudre)
"Pour" + infinitive expresses purpose: "to solve".
Demonstrative pronoun (ça)
"Ça" is the informal spoken form of "cela" and refers to a previously mentioned problem.
🗨In Conversation
Dis ce que tu as essayé pour résoudre ça.
Tell me what you tried to solve that.
J'ai redémarré l'ordinateur, désinstallé puis réinstallé le logiciel, mais ça ne fonctionne toujours pas.
I rebooted the computer, uninstalled and then reinstalled the software, but it still doesn't work.
✕Common Mistakes
Dit ce que tu as essayé pour résoudre ça.
"Dit" is the third‑person singular present of "dire"; the correct imperative for "tu" is "Dis".
Dis ce que tu as essayé pour résoudre ça.
The past participle must have an acute accent: "essayé".
Dis ce que tu as essayé pour résoudre ça.
In formal contexts replace the informal "ça" with "cela".
Dis ce que tu as essayé pour résoudre le problème.
The object is already implied; adding "le" makes the phrase redundant.
↔Alternatives
Explique ce que tu as fait pour régler ce problème.
Explain what you did to fix this problem.
Quelles solutions as‑tu déjà testées ?
What solutions have you already tested?
Peux‑tu me dire les étapes que tu as suivies pour résoudre ça ?
Can you tell me the steps you followed to solve that?
Cultural Tip
In French the informal imperative "Dis" is used with friends, family, or peers. In a professional or formal setting you would switch to "Dites" and possibly replace "ça" with "cela" for a more polished tone. Also, avoid adding a subject pronoun after the imperative (e.g., *"Dis‑tu"* is incorrect).