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 |
The word "what" is an interrogative pronoun used to ask questions. While quoi and que are common, other forms like qu'est-ce qui and qu'est-ce que are used to specify the role of "what" in a sentence. Additionally, quel and quelle are used as adjectives to modify a noun, such as when asking "What color?" Other related forms include quoi ! or comment ! to express surprise, and quel or quelle to begin an exclamation.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the grammatical role of "what" and the level of formality. Use quel or quelle instead of quoi or que when "what" functions as an adjective modifying a noun. In spoken French, quoi is used as the object of a question following a verb or a preposition. For more formal structures, use qu'est-ce que when "what" is the direct object and qu'est-ce qui when "what" is the subject of the question.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec French, quoi is more prevalent in informal settings than qu'est-ce que.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Use qu'est-ce que when "what" is the direct object of the question. Use qu'est-ce qui when "what" is the subject of the question.
How do you pronounce it?
/kwa/
When do people say it?
If you did not hear someone and want to ask "What?" politely, use comment ? instead of quoi ?
Did you know?
- The English word 'what' and the French word quoi are actually linguistic cousins. They both descend from the same Proto-Indo-European root, but 'what' changed its sound due to a historical linguistic shift known as Grimm's law.
- The long phrase qu'est-ce que is actually a linguistic 'Russian doll'. When translated literally, it does not just mean 'what', but actually means 'what is it that'.
- In casual spoken French, quoi is often used as a filler word at the end of sentences, similar to how English speakers might use 'you know' or 'and all'.
Examples in context
- Tu lis quoi ?What are you reading?This sentence uses quoi to ask what someone is reading.Tatoeba #4875115 by gillux, translation #24676 by CK
- Que lit Tom ?What does Tom read?This sentence uses que to ask what Tom reads.Tatoeba #8690204 by Micsmithel, translation #5165593 by AlanF_US
- Que dit Jean ?What does Jack say?This sentence uses que to ask what Jean says.Tatoeba #9543066 by Julien_PDC, translation #11957819 by sundown
- Qu'est-ce que tu veux?What do you want?
- Qu'est-ce que vous pensez de cette idée?What do you think of this idea?
- Que désirez-vous?What do you desire?
- Que pensez-vous de ce projet?What do you think of this project?
- Qu'est-ce qui t'intéresse?What interests you?
- Qu'est-ce qui se passe ici?What is happening here?
- Qu'est-ce que tu fais?What are you doing?
- Qu'est-ce que tu veux manger ce soir?What do you want to eat tonight?
- J'ai oublié, quoi?I forgot, what?
- 12132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are talking about a gift.
- EmmaTu as acheté quoi pour Nathan ?What did you buy for Nathan?
- NathanJ'ai acheté un livre.I bought a book.
- EmmaDe quoi parle le livre ?What is the book about?
- NathanC'est une histoire d'aventure.It is an adventure story.
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.
