Which one should you use?
While qu'est-ce qui se passe ? asks about a general situation or event, the phrase qu'est-ce que tu fais ? is used to ask specifically about a person's actions.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
qu'est-ce qui se passe ? is the standard, neutral way to ask this question and is appropriate in most social situations. For a formal way to ask the same thing, use Que se passe-t-il ? In casual spoken French, you can also use the informal version Il se passe quoi ? by inverting the sentence and placing quoi at the end.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec (Canada), you may hear the expression Qu'est-ce qui arrive?
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase qu'est-ce qui se passe ?, the word for "what" is the subject of the verb. Because of this, the phrase uses qui instead of que (which would be used if "what" were the object).
When do people say it?
A common natural response to this question when nothing significant is occurring is Rien de spécial (Nothing special).
Did you know?
- While qu'est-ce qui se passe ? is neutral, the formal Que se passe-t-il ? uses a 't' inserted between the verb and the pronoun solely for sound, as it is easier to pronounce.
- In French, the word passe comes from the verb passer, meaning 'to pass' or 'to happen'. This creates a mental image of events passing in front of the speaker.
- In French, the reflexive se in se passe indicates that the situation is unfolding on its own, without a specific person causing the action.
Examples in context
- Sir, qu'est-ce qui se passe ici ?Sir, what is happening here?
- Salut, quoi de neuf aujourd'hui ?Hi, what's happening today?
- Dis-moi, qu'est-ce qui se passe ?Tell me, what is happening?
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon hear a loud noise in the hallway.
- HugoManon, qu'est-ce qui se passe ?Manon, what is happening?
- ManonJe ne sais pas, Hugo.I don't know, Hugo.
- HugoIl y a beaucoup de bruit.There is a lot of noise.
- ManonRegardons par la fenêtre.Let's look through the window.
