Qu'est-ce qu'on fait ?
The English phrase 'what are we doing?' is translated into French as Qu'est-ce qu'on fait ?
This phrase is used as a question to ask about the current plan or the next activity for a group.
Which one should you use?
Qu'est-ce qu'on fait ? is the common, informal way to ask the question. In contrast, Que faisons-nous ? or Qu'est-ce que nous faisons ? are formal versions. On fait quoi ? is a very common, even more casual way to say the same thing in spoken French.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, you may often hear the variation Qu'est-ce qu'on fait là ?, which means 'What are we doing at this moment?'
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase Qu'est-ce qu'on fait ?, the word on is used as an informal substitute for nous to mean 'we'.
Did you know?
- The word fait in this phrase shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'fact'. Both come from the Latin 'factum', which means 'a thing done'.
- If you add the word là to the end of the phrase, it does not mean 'there' in a physical sense. Instead, it acts as a filler to add emphasis or even a touch of frustration to the question.
- If a French speaker says On fait quoi ? with a specific tone, it can be a rhetorical expression of disbelief or frustration, similar to 'What on earth are we doing?'
Examples in context
- Qu'est-ce que nous faisons ce soir ?What are we doing tonight?
- Qu'est-ce qu'on fait demain ?What are we doing tomorrow?
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are bored at home on a Saturday.
- ManonJe m'ennuie. Qu'est-ce qu'on fait ?I'm bored. What are we doing?
- HugoOn pourrait aller au cinéma, Manon.We could go to the cinema, Manon.
- ManonC'est une super idée !That's a great idea!
- HugoJe regarde les horaires alors.I'll check the showtimes then.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fait, CC BY-SA 4.0.
