What's the difference between tout ce qui and tout ce que?

Qui is used when a verb comes next, because the unnamed thing is doing the action: tout ce qui reste, everything that's left. Que is used when a subject comes next, because the thing is being acted on: tout ce que tu dis, everything you say.

Does tout change to toute or tous in this expression?

No. In front of ce, tout is invariable, because ce is a neuter pronoun with no gender or number to match. Tout only agrees when it modifies a real noun or the pronouns ceux and celles: tous ceux qui, toutes celles qui.

How do I say everything I need in French?

Tout ce dont j'ai besoin. Avoir besoin governs de, so the connector is dont rather than que. The same applies to tout ce dont je me souviens, everything I remember, from se souvenir de.

How do I say everyone who instead of everything that?

Switch from ce to ceux or celles, and make tout agree: tous ceux qui sont venus, everyone who came; toutes celles qui ont voté, all the women who voted. The verb goes plural too, unlike after tout ce qui.

Does the past participle agree after tout ce que?

No, it stays masculine singular. Tout ce que j'ai vu, tout ce que j'ai appris, tout ce qu'elle a dit. The preceding direct object is the neuter ce, which counts as masculine singular for agreement.

French grammar · Intermediate

Tout Ce Qui and Tout Ce Que: Saying Everything That in French

Written by Camille Laurent, Lead French Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Tout ce qui and tout ce que both mean everything that or all that. Qui is used when a verb follows immediately, because the thing is doing the action, and que when a subject and verb follow, because the thing is receiving it. Tout stays invariable in both, and the pair extends to tout ce dont and tout ce à quoi.

Tout ce que je sais, c'est qu'il est parti.

All I know is that he's left.

What it is

This is a three-part expression and each part has its own job. Tout means all, ce stands in for the unnamed thing you are talking about, and qui or que connects that thing to the clause. Because ce is a genuine pronoun, the choice between qui and que follows the ordinary relative pronoun rule with no adjustment at all.

Tout ce qui compte, c'est tout ce que tu as appris. — All that matters is everything you've learned.

How to spot it

Look at the word straight after the pronoun. A verb means qui; a subject means que.

tout ce qui reste — everything that's left (verb follows)
tout ce que je vois — everything I see (subject follows)
tout ce dont j'ai besoin — everything I need (the verb takes de)
tout ce à quoi je pense — everything I'm thinking about (the verb takes à)

Tout is invariable in this expression. Toute ce que and tous ce que do not exist.

Tout Ce Qui and Tout Ce Que Quick Reference

Which connector to use

Form	Used when	Example	English
tout ce qui	a verb follows directly	tout ce qui compte	everything that matters
tout ce que	a subject and verb follow	tout ce que je vois	everything I see
tout ce dont	the verb takes de	tout ce dont j'ai besoin	everything I need
tout ce à quoi	the verb takes à	tout ce à quoi je pense	everything I think about
tous ceux qui	people, masculine or mixed	tous ceux qui veulent venir	everyone who wants to come
toutes celles qui	people, all feminine	toutes celles qui ont voté	all the women who voted
tout	alone, as a bare pronoun	Il sait tout.	He knows everything.

Common Tout Ce Qui and Tout Ce Que Examples in French

The forms in use:

Tout Ce Qui: the Thing Acts

Tout ce qui compte, c'est ta santé.: All that matters is your health.
Prends tout ce qui reste.: Take everything that's left.
Tout ce qui brille n'est pas or.: All that glitters is not gold.
Tout ce qui s'est passé était prévisible.: Everything that happened was predictable.

The verb after tout ce qui is singular, because the whole expression counts as one thing.

Tout Ce Que: the Thing Is Acted On

Je n'ai pas compris tout ce qu'il a dit.: I didn't understand everything he said.
Prends tout ce que tu veux.: Take whatever you want.
C'est tout ce que j'ai.: That's all I have.
Elle a oublié tout ce que je lui avais expliqué.: She forgot everything I'd explained to her.

Que elides to qu' before a vowel, which is why tout ce qu'il and tout ce qu'elle are so common.

Tout Ce Dont and Tout Ce À Quoi

Voici tout ce dont j'ai besoin.: Here's everything I need.
tout ce dont elle se souvient: everything she remembers
tout ce à quoi je pense en ce moment: everything I'm thinking about at the moment
tout ce à quoi il s'attendait: everything he was expecting

The preposition the verb requires decides the form. Avoir besoin de gives dont; penser à gives à quoi.

People Instead of Things

tous ceux qui sont venus: everyone who came
toutes celles qui ont participé: all the women who took part
Tous ceux que j'ai invités sont là.: Everyone I invited is here.
ceux dont je t'ai parlé: the ones I told you about

Ce refers only to things and ideas. For people French switches to ceux or celles, and tout becomes tous or toutes.

How the Expression Is Built

Once you separate the three parts, the choices stop feeling arbitrary and become the ordinary relative pronoun rule.

Tout Is Invariable Here

Elsewhere tout agrees with its noun, giving toute la journée and tous les jours. In tout ce qui and tout ce que there is no noun to agree with, only the neuter ce, so tout stays as it is.

Tout ce que tu as écrit est juste.

Everything you've written is correct.

Always tout, never toute.

Ce Is the Noun That Was Never Named

Because the thing you are talking about has no name, ce stands in its place. It is a genuine antecedent, which is why qui and que then behave exactly as they do after any ordinary noun.

Je te raconterai tout ce qui est arrivé.

I'll tell you everything that happened.

ce = the unnamed thing.

Verb Next Means Qui, Subject Next Means Que

This is the same test that separates qui from que anywhere else. Tout ce qui manque has a verb immediately after, so it is qui. Tout ce que tu veux has tu after it, so it is que.

Dis-moi tout ce qui te dérange.

Tell me everything that's bothering you.

verb → qui, subject → que.

The Verb's Preposition Chooses Dont or À Quoi

If the verb in the clause governs de, the connector is dont. If it governs à, it is à quoi. Avoir besoin de gives tout ce dont j'ai besoin, and penser à gives tout ce à quoi je pense.

C'est tout ce dont je me souviens.

That's all I remember.

de → dont, à → à quoi.

Agreement Stays Masculine Singular

Because ce is neuter and counts as masculine singular, a past participle after tout ce que does not gain an e or an s: tout ce que j'ai vu, not vue or vus. Any adjective following also stays masculine singular.

Tout ce que j'ai vu était magnifique.

Everything I saw was magnificent.

Masculine singular throughout.

Common Mistakes with Tout Ce Qui and Tout Ce Que

Incorrect: Toute ce que je sais est là. — Everything I know is there.

Correct: Tout ce que je sais est là. — Everything I know is there.

There is no noun for tout to agree with, only the neuter ce. The feminine and plural forms of tout have no place in this expression.

Incorrect: tout ce que est important — everything that's important

Correct: tout ce qui est important — everything that's important

Est follows immediately with no subject in between, so the unnamed thing is the subject of the clause and the pronoun has to be qui.

Incorrect: tout ce que j'ai besoin — everything I need

Correct: tout ce dont j'ai besoin — everything I need

Avoir besoin governs de, and the connector that carries a de is dont. English need takes a direct object, which is why the de goes unnoticed.

Incorrect: tout ceux qui sont venus — everyone who came

Correct: tous ceux qui sont venus — everyone who came

Ceux is masculine plural, so tout has to become tous to match it. Tout stays invariable only in front of the neuter ce.

Tous Ceux Qui, and Framing With C'est

Two extensions of the same pattern account for most of the times you will need it in real sentences.

People take ceux and celles

Ce covers things and ideas only. For people the pronoun is ceux or celles, and tout becomes tous or toutes to match.

Tous ceux qui veulent participer doivent s'inscrire.: Everyone who wants to take part has to sign up.
Toutes celles qui sont arrivées en retard ont dû attendre.: All the women who arrived late had to wait.
Ceux que tu as vus hier sont mes cousins.: The ones you saw yesterday are my cousins.
Tous ceux dont je m'occupe sont des débutants.: Everyone I look after is a beginner.

The verb goes plural here, unlike after tout ce qui: tous ceux qui veulent, but tout ce qui compte.

Framing with c'est

Putting tout ce que in front and c'est afterwards is the standard French way of building emphasis, matching the English all I want is.

Tout ce que je veux, c'est dormir.: All I want is to sleep.
Tout ce qui m'intéresse, c'est la musique.: The only thing I care about is music.
C'est tout ce que j'ai à dire.: That's all I have to say.

The c'est is not optional in this pattern. Without it the sentence sounds unfinished.

Tout as a bare pronoun

On its own, tout means everything and needs no ce at all.

Il sait tout.: He knows everything.
Tout va bien.: Everything's fine.
Tout est prêt.: Everything's ready.
Merci pour tout.: Thanks for everything.

In a compound tense this tout slips between the auxiliary and the participle: j'ai tout compris.

Tout Ce Qui and Tout Ce Que FAQs

What's the difference between tout ce qui and tout ce que?: Qui is used when a verb comes next, because the unnamed thing is doing the action: tout ce qui reste, everything that's left. Que is used when a subject comes next, because the thing is being acted on: tout ce que tu dis, everything you say.
Does tout change to toute or tous in this expression?: No. In front of ce, tout is invariable, because ce is a neuter pronoun with no gender or number to match. Tout only agrees when it modifies a real noun or the pronouns ceux and celles: tous ceux qui, toutes celles qui.
How do I say everything I need in French?: Tout ce dont j'ai besoin. Avoir besoin governs de, so the connector is dont rather than que. The same applies to tout ce dont je me souviens, everything I remember, from se souvenir de.
How do I say everyone who instead of everything that?: Switch from ce to ceux or celles, and make tout agree: tous ceux qui sont venus, everyone who came; toutes celles qui ont voté, all the women who voted. The verb goes plural too, unlike after tout ce qui.
Does the past participle agree after tout ce que?: No, it stays masculine singular. Tout ce que j'ai vu, tout ce que j'ai appris, tout ce qu'elle a dit. The preceding direct object is the neuter ce, which counts as masculine singular for agreement.