Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| quoi | /kwa/ | |
| que | /kə/ | |
| qu'est-ce que | /k‿ɛs kə/ | |
| qu'est-ce qui | /k‿ɛs ki/ | |
| quel | /kɛl/ | masculine |
French uses different words for "what" based on whether you are asking about a subject, an object or modifying a noun. It is also used in exclamations to express surprise, such as with quoi ! or comment !
Which one should you use?
The choice between forms depends on their grammatical role. Use quel (masculine) or quelle (feminine) when "what" acts as an adjective modifying a noun. Use qu'est-ce qui to inquire about the subject of a sentence and qu'est-ce que when "what" is the object of the following subject and verb. Quoi is a versatile and informal option often used at the end of a sentence or after a preposition.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using "what" as an adjective, you must match the gender of the noun: use quel for masculine nouns and quelle for feminine nouns. When asking a question, qu'est-ce qui is used when the "what" is the subject of the verb, while qu'est-ce que is used when the "what" is the object of the following subject and verb.
How do you pronounce it?
/kwa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using quoi as the direct object at the start of a sentence. Instead, you must use que or qu'est-ce que in that position.
When do people say it?
In addition to questions, you can use quoi ! or comment ! as interjections to express surprise.
Did you know?
- Using quoi by itself to ask 'what' when you didn't hear someone can sound aggressive or impolite. In these cases, French speakers prefer comment or pardon.
- In very casual spoken French, you might hear people end a sentence with quoi as a filler word, similar to how English speakers use 'like' or 'you know'.
- The phrase qu'est-ce que is actually a complex sentence meaning 'what is it that'. It transforms a simple question into a longer structure to avoid the formality of reversing the subject and verb.
Examples in context
- Tu lis quoi ?What are you reading?This sentence shows how to use quoi in an informal question.Tatoeba #4875115 by gillux, translation #24676 by CK
- Que lit Tom ?What does Tom read?This sentence demonstrates the use of que to start a question.Tatoeba #8690204 by Micsmithel, translation #5165593 by AlanF_US
- Que dit Jean ?What does Jack say?Tatoeba #9543066 by Julien_PDC, translation #11957819 by sundown
- Qu'est-ce que vous faites?What are you doing?
- Qu'est-ce qu'il veut?What does he want?
- Qu'est-ce qui vous intéresse?What interests you?
- Qu'est-ce qui se passe?What is happening?
- Qu'est-ce qui est délicieux?What is delicious?
- Tu veux quoi?What do you want?
- Quoi de neuf?What's new?
- Comment?What? / Could you repeat, please?
- 12132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are at a cafe.
- HugoTu fais quoi ce soir ?What are you doing tonight?
- ChloéJe vais au cinéma.I am going to the cinema.
- HugoTu regardes quoi ?What are you watching?
- ChloéUn nouveau film de science-fiction.A new science fiction movie.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “what” translations and entries quoi, que, qu'est-ce que, qu'est-ce qui, quel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries qu'est-ce que, qu'est-ce qui, que, qui, quoi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
