qui, quoi, quand, où, pourquoi
The English phrase 'who, what, when, where, why' is translated into French as qui, quoi, quand, où, pourquoi.
This set of words consists of basic question words used to inquire about the essential facts of a situation.
Which one should you use?
In French, the word qui is used specifically when asking about people, while quoi is used for objects or concepts.
How does it change in a sentence?
When asking 'what' in a context where it serves as the subject of the sentence (for example, 'What is happening?'), use qu'est-ce qui instead of quoi. Additionally, pourquoi is a single word and does not require the addition of a separate preposition like 'for' to function in a sentence.
Did you know?
- While quoi is the standard word for 'what', French speakers often use the phrase quoi as a filler word at the end of sentences, similar to how some English speakers use 'you know'.
- While English uses 'why' as a single unit, the French pourquoi is literally a combination of two words meaning 'for' and 'what'.
- The French word for 'where', où, is written with an accent to prevent it from being confused with 'ou', which means 'or'.
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are planning a surprise party.
- LucasOn doit organiser la fête, mais qui, quoi, quand, où, pourquoi ?We need to organize the party, but who, what, when, where, why?
- LéaC'est pour l'anniversaire de Marc, samedi prochain.It's for Marc's birthday, next Saturday.
- LucasD'accord, et où est-ce qu'on le fait ?Okay, and where are we doing it?
- LéaJe pense que chez moi serait parfait.I think my place would be perfect.
