verb

s’agir

to be about · be about

Definition & meaning

The verb s’agir is an impersonal reflexive verb in French. It is almost exclusively used in the third-person singular form (il s’agit de). Its meaning depends on the context:

To be about / To concern: It is used to state the subject, topic, or matter at hand. For example, "De quoi s'agit-il ?" translates to "What is it about?" or "What is the matter?"
To be a question of: It can express that a specific action is required or that something is at stake. For example, "Il s'agit de finir ce travail avant ce soir" translates to "It is a question of finishing this work before tonight" or "We need to finish this work before tonight."
To be (identity): When identifying someone or something, it is often translated as "it is." For example, "Il s'agit de mon frère" means "It is my brother."

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar: S’agir is a defective, impersonal verb. This means it is only conjugated in the third-person singular (il) form and does not have a personal subject. It is always followed by the preposition de.
Word origin: It is derived from the French noun agir (to act), which comes from the Latin agere (to do, to act). The reflexive construction s'agir evolved to mean "the way something acts" or "the way something is situated/composed," eventually narrowing down to its current use of defining the nature or subject of a situation.