qu'est-ce que tu veux faire ?
The English phrase "what do you want to do?" can be translated into French as qu'est-ce que tu veux faire ?
This phrase is used to ask someone about their preferences or plans for an activity.
What does it mean word for word?
The form qu'est-ce que tu veux faire ? literally translates to "what is it that you want to do?"
Which one should you use?
The default form qu'est-ce que tu veux faire ? is more standard and grammatically complete than the colloquial tu veux faire quoi ?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
qu'est-ce que tu veux faire ? is a common way to ask what someone wants to do among friends. For a more respectful way to ask what someone desires to do, you can use Que désirez-vous faire? In casual spoken French, the phrase is often shortened to tu veux faire quoi ?
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a group of people or a single person in a formal context, use the form qu'est-ce que vous voulez faire ?
Did you know?
- Using tu in this phrase can be a social risk. In France, using tu with a stranger or a superior can be perceived as an aggressive or overly familiar gesture.
- While faire means 'to do' or 'to make', French uses this verb for things English does not, such as faire du ski for 'to ski' or faire une promenade for 'to take a walk'.
- In very informal spoken French, the phrase tu veux faire quoi ? often sounds like t'veux faire quoi ? because the vowel in tu is dropped.
Examples in context
- Que désirez-vous faire pendant la pause?What do you desire to do during the break?
- Qu'est-ce que vous voulez faire aujourd'hui?What do you want to do today?
