C cedilla: ç Ç

Type ç: Alt + 0231 on Windows, Option+C on a Mac, or hold C on your phone.

Copy the letters

Click a letter to copy it, then paste it with Ctrl + V (Cmd + V on a Mac).

The cedilla is the small hook under the c. It turns a hard “k” sound into a soft “s” sound.

Keyboard shortcuts on a U.S. QWERTY keyboard

Mac: standard U.S. or ABC layout. Windows: the free United States-International layout, or an Alt code with any layout.

  • çMacOption+CWindows'thenCAlt codeAlt + 0231
  • ÇMacOption+Shift+CWindows'thenShift+CAlt codeAlt + 0199

Mac

Or press and hold C: a menu of accented versions appears.

Windows

Alt codes need a numeric keypad. Set up US-International.

Phone

Touch and hold C on the keyboard, then slide to the letter you want.

When to use ç in French

In French, c sounds like “k” before a, o and u (café, corps, cube). The cedilla makes it sound like “s” in those positions: ça (that), garçon (boy), reçu (received).

You never need a cedilla before e or i: c already sounds like “s” there (ceci, cinéma). That is why it is “commencer” but “nous commençons”.

The capital Ç is correct and expected: Ça va ? at the start of a sentence, FRANÇAIS in all caps.

  • ç · français, garçon, ça
  • Ç · Ça va ?

Typing French every day?

The free Chrome extension opens every French accent with Ctrl + Shift + E on any website: no codes to remember.

See the Chrome extension

Frequently asked questions

Hold Alt and type 0231 on the numeric keypad (Num Lock on), then release Alt: ç appears. The number row above the letters does not work, so most laptops need another method.

On a U.S. or ABC keyboard, press Option + C. You can also press and hold the C key and pick ç from the menu that appears.

Touch and hold the C key on the on-screen keyboard: its accented versions appear above it. Slide to ç and release.

Yes. The Académie française recommends keeping accents on capitals (Ç as in Ça va ?), because they can change the meaning and the pronunciation.