Tu fais quoi ?
The English phrase 'wyd' can be translated into French as Tu fais quoi ?
Tu fais quoi ? is an informal way to ask someone what they are currently doing. You can also use Qu'est-ce que tu fais ? to ask the same question, or Quoi de neuf ? to mean 'what's up?'
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, Tu fais quoi ? translates to 'You do what?' because the interrogative pronoun quoi is placed at the end of the sentence in informal speech.
Which one should you use?
Tu fais quoi ? uses the informal pronoun tu, whereas Vous faites quoi ? uses the formal or plural pronoun vous. For more formal settings, you might use Que faites-vous ?, Pourriez-vous me dire ce que vous faites ? or Quelles sont vos occupations du moment ?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Tu fais quoi ? is the standard informal way to ask 'what are you doing?' in spoken French. In contrast, Qu'est-ce que tu fais ? is a more grammatically standard way to ask the same question.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, you may encounter the phrase Qu'est-ce tu fais?
Did you know?
- While Tu fais quoi ? asks what someone is doing now, if you ask Qu'est-ce que tu fais dans la vie ?, you are actually asking what their profession is.
- The word quoi shares the same ancient Indo-European root as the English word 'what', though they sound different due to historical sound shifts known as Grimm's law.
- In France, using tu with a stranger when asking Tu fais quoi ? can be seen as an aggressive or overly familiar gesture depending on the social setting.
Examples in context
- Tu fais quoi ?What are you doing?
Example conversation
Two friends are texting each other in the afternoon.
- GabrielSalut Chloé, tu fais quoi ?Hi Chloé, what are you doing?
- ChloéJe regarde un film, et toi ?I am watching a movie, and you?
- GabrielJe travaille un peu.I am working a little.
- ChloéBon courage, Gabriel !Good luck, Gabriel!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries quoi, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
