How to Say “What Are You Talking About?” in French

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de quoi tu parles ?
The English phrase "what are you talking about?" is translated into French as de quoi tu parles ?
This question is used to ask for clarification when someone does not understand or disagrees with what another person is saying.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is built from de (about/of), quoi (what), tu (you) and parles (speak/talk).

Which one should you use?

There are several ways to phrase this depending on the setting. De quoi est-ce que tu parles ? is a standard, grammatically complete way to ask the question using est-ce que. Tu parles de quoi ? is a common, informal way to ask the same question by placing the interrogative at the end.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

For more formal situations, you can use Qu'est-ce que vous dites? to mean "What are you saying?" or Pourriez-vous préciser de quoi vous parlez? as a polite way to request clarification, meaning "Could you specify what you're talking about?" In informal settings, you may also use Tu parles de quoi?

What mistakes should you avoid?

English speakers often mistakenly omit the preposition de (about), but in French, you must say de quoi because the verb parler requires the preposition de when referring to a subject.

Did you know?

  • In very casual spoken French, the phrase tu parles ! is used as an idiom to mean 'you're kidding' or 'yeah, right'. In this context, it is used to express irony or disbelief rather than a question.
  • The word quoi is used in the phrase Quoi ? to mean 'what', but using it alone to respond to someone can be considered very rude or aggressive in France. A more polite person would use Pardon ?
  • When French speakers are truly baffled by a statement, they might respond with N'importe quoi !, which literally means 'whatever'. This implies that what the other person is talking about is complete nonsense.

Examples in context

  • Pardon, pourriez-vous préciser de quoi vous parlez? Je suis un peu perdu(e).
    Sorry, could you specify what you''re talking about? I'm a bit lost.
  • Hé, tu parles de quoi? Je n'ai pas suivi.
    Hey, what are you talking about? I haven't been following.
  • Mais de quoi tu parles ?
    But what are you talking about?
  • Attends, de quoi tu parles ?
    Wait, what are you talking about?

Example conversation

Gabriel makes a confusing comment about the weather during lunch.

  1. Léa

    Il va faire chaud demain, non ?
    It's going to be hot tomorrow, right?
  2. Gabriel

    Non, la météo prévoit de la neige.
    No, the weather forecast predicts snow.
  3. Léa

    De quoi tu parles ?
    What are you talking about?
  4. Gabriel

    Regarde les informations sur ton téléphone.
    Look at the news on your phone.
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Clarence Elliot
Clarence ElliotHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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