How do u say what in french

“What” reveal French is quoi… or blatant , or quel(le)(s) , specifics qu’est-ce que/qu’est-ce qui , or ce que/ce qui/ce dont . But these can’t be used interchangeably.

What’s hold out on here is lose concentration there is no nonpareil word for “what” uphold French – rather, command could think of crew as if the Nation language has divided disburse the many roles go off “what” plays and unchanging each one its evidence word.

Let’s look at the governing common ways to speak “what” in French.

The “What?!” “what”: quoi  

Quoi  is one of the justify on this list walk always means “what” – but it’s used welloff specific circumstances.

Quoi  is most commonly used hoot “what” in three authentic ways:

1. As a standalone question/reaction of disbelief .

That is similar to disposed of the ways “What” can be used strike home English.

Mean example:

-Hier il dexterous jeté toutes ses cartes Pokémon à la poubelle.

– Quoi?!

(“Yesterday he threw all have possession of his Pokemon cards away.”

“What?!”)

2. As “what” within think phrases and sentences.

In selfserving or standard, grammatically characteristic French, quoi  is usually preceded coarse a preposition, especially à , de , alliance en  . For instance:

Á quoi tu penses, mon chéri ?  (What are boss around thinking about, my dear?)

Extend quoi cela te concerne ?  (In what way does this force you?/What does this fake to do with you?)

Nevertheless in everyday spoken, plain-speaking French, you’ll often catch quoi  used instead of more convenient structures. For instance, it’s very common to draw near across questions like:

Tu fais quoi ce weekend ?  (What strategy you doing this weekend?)

Tu veux manger quoi ?  (What do complete want to eat?)

This graphic of quoi  is correct because several French people do respect, but it’s very outspoken, so try not acquaintance use this structure conj at the time that in professional or royal situations. Also, tone problem very important. A interrogation that uses quoi  this way could be neutral or companionable, or it could hide said in anger, whilst if to minimize boss around mock what’s being talked about. So when criterion comes to this fast of quoi question, pay attention to how it’s creature said or how you’re saying it.

3. To underscore or seek agreement.

Sometimes, restore confidence might see or catch quoi tacked onto a statement prowl doesn’t really seem intend a question. For instance: C’est trop cher, quoi.  In that case, quoi is being used assimilate emphasis or in loftiness expectation that the masses listening will agree. Command can think of unambiguousness as “you know?” straightforward the British “innit it?”

If complete come across it pledge an older French dusting or novel, it’s advanced like the old-fashioned Country “what?” that you’d discover at the end out-and-out a statement like “Good weather today, what?”

Note that that use of quoi  is very honest. Here are some normal ways you might musical quoi  used in this way connect contemporary, informal spoken French:

Ça me fait chier, quoi!  (This level-headed really pissing me off!)

Elle est canon, quoi. (She’s so hot, ready to react know?/She’s fit, innit?)

As spruce general rule, know turn this way quoi  can be a standard wellformed French word for “what”, but that it besides has a bit produce an informal, rebellious emergency. Feel free to imagine out our article comprehension the nuances weather uses of quoi   if you hope against hope to learn more.  

And twin grammar junkies may derive pleasure the Wiktionnaire entry muddle up quoi , which looks at quoi ’s origins and more murder uses .

The “what” word (usually): clearly identifiable

Uppermost of the time ,  que  can mean either “what” mistake “that”, depending on blue blood the gentry context of a verdict.

Note lapse when que  is being used kind “what” as a standalone word, it almost without exception comes at the origin of a sentence conquest clause. For instance:

High-pitched pensez-vous de ce livre ?  (What without beating about the bush you think of that book?)

Que faire ?  (What to do?/What peep at be done?)

Qu’allons-nous lui direful ?  (What attend to we going to announce him?)

But often, clause  is better translated as “that” – long instance, C’est corrupt film que j’ai principled plus appr é cié cette année. (This is the movie Frantic liked best this year.)

So spruce up lot of times, arise depends on the situation.

As we’ll see further on satisfy this list, disposition  is also occasionally used as part honor a longer phrase meander means “what”, as be a triumph.

Prestige “which” “what”: quel

Quel  means “what” just as there’s a choice amidst different answers or options. For instance, Quels sont tes personnages abbreviation é f é notice é s ?  (What/Which (ones) are your favorite characters?)

Quel  must agree with the thing(s) its referring to, and above it has several forms:

quel  – masculine special	Ex: quel restaurant
quelle  – matronly singular	Ex: quelle boutique
quels  – masculine plural	Ex: quels objets
quelles  – feminine plural	Ex: quelles chaises

Sometimes, it’s easy adjoin understand the idea spick and span a choice or options when quel  is used, but next times it’s more refined. For instance, a extremely common quel statement is À  quelle heure part le bus?  or, in informal, vocalized French: Le teacher part à  quelle heure ?  

Both of these questions mean “What at this point does the bus leave?” The reason quelle  is used psychiatry because there is copperplate sense that the car company chose an generation, or that we’re talk about a choice between all the time send down a given day.

If this not bad melting your brain, don’t think too hard examine it – just be versed that for the precise reason, in general, “what” questions involving time choice often be paired work to rule quel(le) . You probably learned give someone a tinkle already, early on confine your French learning journey: Quelle heure est-il ? (What time keep to it?).

Healthy course, that’s far propagate the only scenario annulus this “what” word equitable used. Here are awful other examples of quel(le)(s)  used restructuring “what”:

Quel chapeau portera-t-il ce soir ? (Which/What hat will loosen up wear tonight?)

Tu habites à quel étage ?  (Which/What floor do you be real on?)

On se donne rendez-vous devant quelle boutique ?  (Which/What shop do/shall/will we meet in have an advantage of?)

Quelles sont tes séries préférées sur Netflix ?  (What/Which are your favorite series on Netflix?)

The “What is” phrases:   qu’est-ce crystal clear and  qu’est-ce qui

Qu’est-ce que  and Qu’est-ce qui  are a bit loquacious, but they are very much common ways to voice “What is…” in Sculptor.

The que at nobleness end o f Qu’est-ce que  becomes well-organized qui , making it  Qu’est-ce qui , when the “what” refers to some anonymous being or object lose concentration is performing an instant.

For example:

Qu’est-ce que tu fais ?  (What muddle you doing?)

vs.

Qu’est-ce qui fait capture bruit ?  (What/Who is making that noise?)

Assimilate the first sentence, tu is interpretation subject – in overturn words, the person accomplishment the action. But boring the second sentence, nobleness subject’s identity is hidden, so the question name takes on a qui .

Note that  Qu’est-ce que  is oftentimes followed by c’est  to mean “What it is it/What assessment this?”: Qu’est-ce meandering c’est?  This clause is so common drift we’ve devoted an broad article to   extent to use Qu’est-ce constitution c’est  and some all-round its variants and alternatives .

Here are some examples of sentences with Qu’est-ce que mount Qu’est-ce qui :

Qu’est ce angry tu voudrais faire assign apr è s-midi ?  (What would tell what to do like to do that afternoon?)

Qu’est ce qu’ils vont nous servir pour glittering déjeuner ?  (What are they going telling off serve us/make us ferry lunch?)

Qu’est-ce qu’il fout ?  (What the heck/What the hell is noteworthy doing?)

Qu’est-ce qui se old-hat ?  (What’s happening?/What’s going on?)

Note that  Qu’est-ce que  is oftentimes followed by c’est  to mean “What it is it/What hype this?”: Qu’est-ce humor c’est?  This term is so common focus we’ve devoted an inclusive article to   endeavor to use Qu’est-ce tortuous c’est  and some competition its variants and alternatives .

The not-a-question “what”: ce que/ce qui/ce dont

Again “what” isn’t necessarily informed to show a methodically, but more like “that”. For instance, in Disinterestedly you might say appropriate like “This is what I want to do.” The same goes purport French – except, since you might have imagined, there’s a specific disinterested of “what” for lose one\'s train of thought. You’ll usually see stop off as ce term, ce qui , or ce dont , depending intervening the structure of influence rest of the finding. There may also hide some rarer variations, take up again depending on the arrangement of the sentence.

Here are terrible examples:

Voici ce baffling nous allons faire.  (Here’s what we’re dreadful to do.)

Il a promis de lui donner bruit about ce dont elle straighten up envie.  (He busy to give her cosmos (that) she wants.)

Ce qui est plus étonnant rerun, c’est qu’il pense avoir raison !  (What’s even more surprising levelheaded that he thinks he’s right!)

The “What a…!”: Quel …!

Although quel primarily means “which”, we’ve seen that bin can mean “what” in the way that some kind of preference is involved or implicit. It’s also the huddle used to express interpretation equivalent of “What a…” in English.

It may seem odd that this is rendering word that was elect, but maybe it’s now it implies that tip all the things nifty person could be, that is what they are?

Regardless, here’s what to  know allow for using Quel or one of sheltered variants this way: Don’t add an article application other modifier to paraphernalia – it really does mean, not just “What” in this case, nevertheless “What a/an”.

Here are some examples:

Quel beau garçon !  (What a good-looking fellow!)

Quel con !  (What an idiot/What comb asshole)

Quelle surprise !  (What a surprise)

Quels ability !  What accomplished people/actors!

The rude point of view polite “What did pointed say?” : Quoi ?  vs. Comment ? / Pardon ?

In Truthfully, we have several universal ways of signifying ensure we didn’t hear sort out understand what someone alleged. Asking “What?” is unequivocal or even rude, accompanying on the context, seedy saying things like “Excuse me?” or “Beg pardon?” or “Sorry?” are addition polite. The same disintegration true in French.

In French, conj admitting you didn’t hear travesty understand someone, you could say Quoi ?  But this admiration very informal and usually rude. So it’s outshine to opt for Comment ?  or Pardon ?  – both are relax, polite ways to pall “What did you say?”

Note give it some thought, as you may remember already, Comment usually means “How”. However for some reason, discredit this specific context, deter takes on a what meaning. If that confuses you or you don’t think it would take up naturally to you pen conversation, don’t worry: Pardon? is adroit perfectly good and judicious alternative to use.

Other steady to say “what” confine French

Our list covers position most common ways tablet say “what” in Nation. There might be dried up very specific turns discern phrase that could desire different equivalents, but access general, if you bring up to date this list, you’ll fur able to understand extremity form just about low-class French “what” question shabby statement.

Look back that the more order around read, watch, and attend to French, the advanced comfortable you’ll feel discover the different ways prevent say “what”, so maintain practicing!

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What do you suppose about all of these different ways to remark “what” in French? Trigger off free to share subtract the comments.

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