que veux-tu que je te dise ?
In French, 'what do you want me to say?' is expressed as que veux-tu que je te dise ?
This phrase is used when a speaker is unsure how to respond to a situation or is uncertain which words will satisfy the listener.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, que veux-tu que je te dise ? translates to 'what want you that I to you say?' This is because French uses a 'that I say' construction rather than an infinitive 'to say' construction.
Which one should you use?
The phrase qu'est-ce que tu veux que je te dise ? is a very common, slightly more conversational version of the default form that uses qu'est-ce que instead of inversion. For a more polite or indirect tone, you can use Qu'aimeriez-vous que je dise ?, which means 'What would you like me to say?'
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the subjunctive mood in the subordinate clause 'que je te dise' because it follows a verb of desire, vouloir (to want).
Did you know?
- While the phrase is a question, it is frequently paired with the gallic shrug, a physical gesture involving a raised shoulder and a pout to signal helplessness.
- The word que is a linguistic hybrid, having absorbed the roles of several different Latin words including quid, quod, quam, and quem.
- In highly informal spoken French, the phrase qu'est-ce que tu veux que je te dise ? is often shortened to tu veux que je te dise quoi ?, moving the word for 'what' to the end for emphasis.
Examples in context
- Que voulez-vous que je dise dans mon discours ?What do you want me to say in my speech?
- Qu'aimeriez-vous que je dise, s'il vous plaît ?What would you like me to say, please?
- Je ne sais pas, que veux-tu que je te dise ?I don't know, what do you want me to say?
Example conversation
Léa is upset and Lucas is trying to comfort her.
- LucasJe suis vraiment désolé pour toi, Léa.I am really sorry for you, Léa.
- LéaTes mots ne changent rien.Your words don't change anything.
- LucasQue veux-tu que je te dise ?What do you want me to say?
- LéaRien du tout, laisse-moi tranquille.Nothing at all, leave me alone.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, que, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
