What does it mean word for word?
The phrase qu'est-ce que tu as fait literally translates to "what is it that you have done".
Which one should you use?
While qu'est-ce que tu as fait is the standard way to ask the question, you may encounter qu'as-tu fait, which uses inversion and is more common in written or highly structured French. If you want to ask specifically about an achievement, qu'as-tu réalisé? or Qu'avez-vous accompli? can be used to mean "What did you accomplish?" depending on the level of formality.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase qu'est-ce que tu as fait is considered informal. In casual spoken French, people often move the question word to the end of the sentence, saying tu as fait quoi ? For formal situations, you should use qu'as-tu fait or Qu'avez-vous accompli?
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing more than one person or using the formal vous, you should use qu'est-ce que vous avez fait instead of the singular form.
Did you know?
- Depending on the tone, qu'est-ce que tu as fait ? can be used as a rhetorical expression of shock or horror, similar to saying 'What on earth have you done!'
- In extremely casual spoken French, the phrase qu'est-ce que tu as fait is often compressed into a sound that resembles qu'est-ce t'as fait, dropping the 'u' sound entirely.
- The pronoun tu is a cognate of the German 'du' and the Russian 'ты', sharing the same meaning and ancient origin.
Examples in context
- Qu'est-ce que tu as fait ?What did you do?This example shows the standard question.Tatoeba #2172793 by Sisyphe, translation #1495903 by CK
- Qu'est-ce que tu as fait avec ça ?What did you do with that?This example shows how to ask what someone did with a specific object.Tatoeba #4983473 by franlexcois, translation #2644228 by CK
- Qu'est-ce que tu as fait après dîner ?What did you do after dinner?This example shows how to ask about an activity following a specific event.Tatoeba #7981802 by Aiji, translation #6351989 by CK
- Qu'avez-vous accompli ce mois-ci?What did you accomplish this month?
- Qu'est-ce que tu as fait hier soir?What did you do last night?
- Qu'est-ce que tu as fait pendant tes vacances?What did you do during your holidays?
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are talking on the phone in the evening.
- LucasQu'est-ce que tu as fait aujourd'hui ?What did you do today?
- LéaJe suis allée au cinéma avec une amie.I went to the cinema with a friend.
- LucasC'était bien ?Was it good?
- LéaOui, le film était génial !Yes, the movie was great!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries as, que, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
