quelque chose
/kɛl.k(ə) ʃoz/
The French phrase for something is quelque chose.
quelque chose is used to refer to an unspecified object.
Meaning: unspecified object (pron)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of quelque (some) and chose (thing).
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use quelque chose followed by an adjective to describe it, you must insert the preposition de before the adjective, such as in quelque chose de nouveau (something new). If you want to use quelque chose as the subject of a relative clause, use quelque chose qui followed by a verb. To use it as the direct object of a relative clause, use quelque chose que followed by a subject and a verb.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɛl.k(ə) ʃoz/
Did you know?
- In casual spoken French, people often replace quelque chose with the word un truc, which literally means 'a trick'.
- In French, chose is used in the idiomatic expression ma chose, which can be used to refer to a physical body part when the speaker is too embarrassed to name it.
- The word chose comes from the Latin word causa, which originally meant 'a legal case' or 'a matter'.
Examples in context
- Dis quelque chose !Say something!This example shows how to use quelque chose in an imperative command to speak.Tatoeba #1658129 by sacredceltic, translation #1658103 by Spamster
- Je vis quelque chose.I saw something.This example shows how to use quelque chose to describe seeing an unspecified object.Tatoeba #2527543 by sacredceltic, translation #2247399 by CK
- Mange quelque chose !Eat something.This example shows how to use quelque chose in an imperative command to eat.Tatoeba #5049990 by sacredceltic, translation #2052041 by Dejo
- Excusez-moi, comment dit-on "butterfly" en français?Excuse me, how do you say "butterfly" in French?
- Pourriez-vous me dire où se trouve la bibliothèque?Could you tell me where the library is?
- Salut, comment on dit "awesome" en français?Hi, how do we say "awesome" in French?
- Tu peux me dire où se trouve la boulangerie?Can you tell me where the bakery is?
- 2870 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are at a cafe.
- ChloéTu veux quelque chose à boire ?Do you want something to drink?
- HugoOui, je veux quelque chose de frais.Yes, I want something refreshing.
- ChloéJe vais commander quelque chose pour nous.I am going to order something for us.
- HugoMerci, Chloé.Thanks, Chloé.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “something” translations and entries quelque chose, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chose, quelque, quelque chose, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
