qui est-ce ?
To ask who is this? In French, say qui est-ce ?
What does it mean word for word?
qui means who and est-ce means is it or is this.
Which one should you use?
Qui est-ce ? asks about a person. To ask what a thing is, French uses a different question built on what is it. For a very polite request, Pourriez-vous me dire qui vous êtes, s'il vous plaît ? asks someone to tell you who they are.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In casual spoken French people often say C'est qui ? instead of the more formal Qui est-ce ?
Did you know?
- The word qui may be an ancient onomatopoeic sound, originally mimicking a human vocalization used to grab someone's attention or pose a question.
- In very high-society or extremely formal contexts, a French speaker might avoid qui est-ce ? entirely and use the more indirect Qui est cette personne ?
Examples in context
- Qui est-ce, s'il vous plaît ?Who is this, please?
- C'est qui ?Who is this?
- Je ne sais pas, qui est-ce ?I don't know, who is this?
- Dites-moi, qui est-ce ?Tell me, who is this?
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are looking at an old family album.
- NathanRegarde cet homme, qui est-ce ?Look at this man, who is this?
- ChloéC'est mon grand-père, Nathan.It is my grandfather, Nathan.
- NathanIl a l'air très jeune.He looks very young.
- ChloéOui, c'était en mille neuf cent cinquante.Yes, that was in nineteen fifty.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries qui, CC BY-SA 4.0.
