quoi d'autre
The English phrase "what else" is translated into French as quoi d'autre.
quoi d'autre is used to ask for additional information or more items in a list. It can be used to genuinely seek more details, or it can be used sarcastically to express that a bad situation is continuing, similar to the English expression "What else is new?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a combination of quoi (what) and d'autre (of other/else).
Which one should you use?
quoi d'autre is a concise way to say "what else", whereas Qu'est-ce qu'il y a d'autre? is a more complete, slightly more formal way to ask "what else is there?"
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a standalone question to ask for more items, quoi d'autre is used without a verb.
Did you know?
- In casual spoken French, quoi is often used as a filler word at the end of sentences, similar to 'you know' or 'like'. In this context, it does not mean 'what' and is not asking for more information.
- While quoi d'autre asks for more items, using quoi encore expresses the same meaning but often carries a tone of impatience or annoyance, as if the speaker is exhausted by the list.
- The word quoi is a linguistic cousin of the English word 'what'. Both descend from the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root, though they diverged as English underwent changes known as Grimm's law.
Examples in context
- Quoi d'autre est nouveau ?What else is new?This sentence shows how to ask what else is new using quoi d'autre.Tatoeba #1847525 by sacredceltic, translation #1839615 by CK
- Quoi d'autre peut-il foirer ?What else can go wrong?This sentence shows how to express sarcasm regarding a bad situation using quoi d'autre.Tatoeba #1844466 by sacredceltic, translation #1841542 by CK
- De quoi d'autre as-tu besoin ?What else do you need?This sentence shows how to ask what else is needed using quoi d'autre.Tatoeba #2071590 by sacredceltic, translation #1886749 by CK
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are making a shopping list for a party.
- ChloéOn a du pain et du fromage.We have bread and cheese.
- HugoD'accord, et quoi d'autre ?Okay, and what else?
- ChloéIl nous faut aussi des boissons.We also need some drinks.
- HugoC'est tout pour aujourd'hui alors.That is all for today then.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries d'autre, quoi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
