Qu'est-ce que tu aimes manger ?
The English phrase "what do you like to eat?" is translated into French as Qu'est-ce que tu aimes manger ?
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about their general food preferences.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression Qu'est-ce que literally translates to "what is it that" and is the standard way to begin a question that starts with "what".
Which one should you use?
You can also use Qu'est-ce que tu aimes ? if the context of eating is already established. For a more formal tone, Qu'aimez-vous manger? or Qu'est-ce que vous aimez manger ? are used instead of the version using tu.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this construction, the verb aimer (to like) is conjugated for the subject, while the second verb manger (to eat) remains in its infinitive form.
Did you know?
- The verb aimer is used for 'to like' in this phrase, but when followed by bien, as in j'aime bien, it actually weakens the feeling to a casual preference.
- The verb manger is a distant relative of the English word 'devour', both tracing back to the Latin 'manducare', which originally meant 'to chew'.
- In French, the verb aimer can mean both 'to like' and 'to love', which can sometimes make a question about food preferences sound more intense than intended.
Examples in context
- Qu'est-ce que tu aimes manger ?What do you like to eat?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries manger, que, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
