THE CONJUNCTION QUE

141. The conjunction que may be found in such sentences as: qu'est-ce que c'est que cet édifice; it has no équivalent whatsoever in English, i.e., it cannot be translated in words; it is used in French as a link between a clause complète in itself and some additional word, or clause; sometimes between two clauses, e.g.:

qu'est-ce que c'est, (what is it), is a complète clause; cet édifice, (that building), is a noun qualifying really ce

(it), in c'est; the French construction, thus, is as

follows: what is it que that building?