attends, quoi ?
The English phrase "wait, what?" can be translated into French as attends, quoi ?
This expression is used to show surprise or confusion when you hear something unexpected. In a very casual or colloquial context, you might also hear the interjection Hein? to express surprise, confusion or to ask someone to repeat themselves.
Which one should you use?
The phrase attends, quoi ? uses the informal quoi ? to mean "what?" In more polite settings, a speaker would typically use Comment ? instead of using quoi ? by itself, which can be considered blunt.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
If you are speaking to a stranger, a superior or a group of people, you should use the formal/polite version attendez, quoi ? Additionally, using quoi ? on its own is considered blunt or informal.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a stranger, a superior or a group, the verb changes from the informal attends to the formal/polite attendez.
Did you know?
- In some parts of France, adding quoi ? to the end of a sentence doesn't always mean 'what?', but can instead act as a verbal tic similar to how some English speakers use 'like' or 'you know'.
- The word quoi shares the same ancient roots as the English word 'what', even though they sound completely different due to historical shifts in how consonants were pronounced.
- The verb attendre used in attends, quoi ? literally means 'to wait', but in this context, it functions as a mental signal to the listener to pause their current train of thought.
Examples in context
- Attends, quoi ? Tu as vraiment dit ça ?Wait, what? You really said that?
- Attends, quoi ?Wait, what?
- Attends, quoi ? Je ne comprends pas.Wait, what? I don't understand.
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are talking about their weekend plans.
- HugoJe ne peux pas venir samedi.I can't come on Saturday.
- ManonAttends, quoi ? On avait tout prévu !Wait, what? We had everything planned!
- HugoDésolé, j'ai un imprévu.Sorry, something unexpected came up.
- ManonC'est vraiment dommage, Hugo.That's really a shame, Hugo.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries quoi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
