Qu'est-ce que tu…
The English phrase "what do you…" is translated in French as Qu'est-ce que tu…
For example, you can use the phrases Pouvez-vous me dire comment dire or Tu peux me dire comment dire to mean "Can you tell me how to say".
What does it mean word for word?
The part Qu'est-ce que literally translates to "What is it that" and is used to form a question.
Which one should you use?
While Qu'est-ce que tu… is common in spoken French, the single word Que can also start a question, though it often requires inversion, such as Que fais-tu ?, to sound natural.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Qu'est-ce que tu… is the standard way to ask "what do you…" in an informal or neutral setting.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are addressing a group of people or using the formal "you", you must replace tu with vous, resulting in Qu'est-ce que vous…
Did you know?
- In very informal spoken French, the phrase Qu'est-ce que tu… is often shortened to Qu'est-ce tu… or even Tu… quoi ? with the question word moved to the end.
- While Qu'est-ce que is standard, using Que at the start of a question is often seen as a sign of high literary style or extreme formality in modern France.
- The word tu shares the same root and usage as the German word du and the Russian word ты.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries que, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
