qu'est-ce que tu aimes ?
The English phrase "what do you like?" is translated into French as qu'est-ce que tu aimes ?
This question is used to inquire about a person's general interests or preferences.
What does it mean word for word?
The component qu'est-ce que literally translates to "what is it that".
Which one should you use?
While qu'est-ce que tu aimes ? is the standard informal way to ask the question, the colloquial and shortened version T'aimes quoi? is also used in casual speech.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a group of people or practicing formal politeness, use Qu'est-ce que vous aimez ?
Did you know?
- Adding the adverb bien to the phrase je t'aime bien actually weakens the meaning from 'I love you' to 'I like you'.
- When asking about preferences, a French speaker might use the verb plaire instead of aimer, changing the logic from 'I like it' to 'it pleases me'.
- The pronoun tu is part of a linguistic family that includes the German 'du' and the Russian 'ты', sharing a common Proto-Indo-European ancestor.
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are getting to know each other.
- NathanQu'est-ce que tu aimes ?What do you like?
- ChloéJ'aime beaucoup lire et voyager.I really like reading and traveling.
- NathanC'est super, moi aussi !That's great, me too!
- ChloéEt toi, Nathan, qu'est-ce que tu préfères ?And you, Nathan, what do you prefer?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries que, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
