French Phrase
Faut que tu regardes ça.
Meaning
Literally, ‘It’s necessary that you look at this.’ In everyday conversation it’s used to tell someone to pay attention to something, often a video, a document, or a piece of information.
When to use
Use this phrase in informal spoken French when you want to draw someone’s attention to something right now. It’s common among friends, classmates, or coworkers in a relaxed setting, but avoid it in formal writing or very polite contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Fautqueturegardesça
Faut que = il faut que
In spoken French the impersonal expression *il faut que* is often shortened to *faut que*. It still means ‘it is necessary that’ and introduces a clause that requires the subjunctive.
Subjunctive after *faut que*
Because *faut que* is an impersonal expression, the verb that follows must be in the present subjunctive. For *regarder* the subjunctive form for *tu* is *regardes*.
Demonstrative *ça*
*Ça* is the informal spoken form of *cela* and works as a neutral demonstrative pronoun meaning ‘this/that’.
🗨In Conversation
Faut que tu regardes ça.
You have to look at this.
D’accord, je regarde tout de suite.
Okay, I’ll watch it right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Faut que tu regarde ça.
After *faut que* the verb must be in the subjunctive; the correct form for *tu* is *regardes*.
Faut que tu regardes cela.
In very formal contexts *cela* is preferred; *ça* is informal.
↔Alternatives
Il faut que tu regardes ça.
You have to look at this.
Tu dois regarder ça.
You must watch this.
Regarde ça.
Look at this.
Cultural Tip
The contraction *faut que* is strictly colloquial; native speakers use it in casual speech but never in formal letters or presentations. If you need a more polite tone, replace it with *Il faut que vous regardiez cela* (using the formal *vous* and the subjunctive *regardiez*).