“What” is the most common word for asking questions in English. And for your French learning, you should know the way to say “What” in French.
The word “what” might seem harmless and easy but is deceptively complicated when translated into French.
There is no simple one-to-one translation for ‘what’ in the French language, as it is used in various expressions differently.
“Quoi” is the closest French equivalent of “what,” in French. However, you need to understand the different roles the French language has for the term “What”.
In this learning guide, you will find seven ways to say “what” in French without losing or ruining its meaning.
“What” In French
The word “what” holds multiple functions in the English language. It is used as an interrogative pronoun, relative pronoun, exclamatory objective, and adverb.
With the word “what” serving so many uses in English, it is difficult to learn it in French.
In French, too, ‘what’ has more than one usage form, which can take time to get a hold of, especially for beginners.
To help you with your understanding of the word “what” in the French language, we will help you explore the seven ways you can say it in French:
- Qu’est-ce que/qu’est-ce qui
- Que + inversion
- Quel + noun
- Ce que, ce qui, ce dont, ce à quoi
- Quoi
- Comment
- Et si…?
Essential Things Every Learner Should Know
But before diving into all the in-depth details of “what” is in French, there are a few things that you must know.
Firstly, there is no exact translation of the English “what” to the French “what.”
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“What” is a grammatical multitasker. You can use it to interrogate, narrate, or as per your desire in a sentence.
Knowing this changes how you interpret it in another language. The word “what” also serves multiple purposes in French, with several phrases for each of your requirements.
The only thing to remember here is that you can use it differently than in English.
Explore The Top 7 Easy Ways To Say “What” In French:
Now that you are familiar with the word “what” and how using it is different in French than in English, here we have seven effortless ways you can say “what” in French.
Here we have seven effortless ways to ask a question, state your emotion, show surprise, make a statement, and do more, all by saying “what.”
Apart from knowing the French equivalent of the word “what,” you should also focus on learning where & how to use it and its different meanings in different sentence formations.
1. Quoi
“Quoi” is the French word that always means “what.” But it is still used in particular circumstances.
There are three most common ways to use the French word “quoi.”
- To emphasize or seek an argument
One of the most common ways you will see “quoi” used in a sentence is like a regular one with no question intent.
To make it easier to comprehend, you can think of it as an old-fashioned British “what” that you will use to put your point forward.
Also, in general terms, “quoi” can be a standard grammatical French word for the English “what.”
For Example:
- She is short tempered, what? : Elle est colérique, quoi?
- What? Did you forget your keys? : Quoi? Tu as oublié tes clés ?
Standalone Question/Reaction Of Disbelief
Quoi can also be used as a standalone question and a reaction of disbelief.
So whether you want to ask a one-on-one question or are shocked by a conversation, you can use this word.
For Example:
- What, that is not true : Quoi? Ce n’est pas vrai.
- What? You don’t have class today? : Quoi? Tu n’as pas cours aujourd’hui?
With certain phrases & sentences
The word “quoi” can also be used in formal or standard grammatically correct French, usually preceded by a preposition, mainly à, de, or en.
For Example:
- What are you thinking about, my dear? : À quoi penses-tu, ma chérie ?
In everyday spoken French, you will find that “quoi” is used often instead of a more formal approach.
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In layman’s terms, you will use it often in informal conversations like the one with your friends & family.
For Example:
- What are you doing this weekend?: Tu fais quoi ce weekend?
- What are you doing with that knife? : Tu fais quoi avec ce couteau?
Furthermore, it should not be used in formal or professional situations.
2. Que
Another word that can be an answer to your question
How to say what in French is “Que.”
When used in a sentence, que mostly means either “what” or “that, depending on the context of the sentence.
When “que” is used as “what” in a sentence, it is a standalone word and always comes at the beginning of the sentence.
For Example:
- What do you want to eat? : Que veux-tu manger?
- What do you mean? : Que veux-tu dire?
Also, “que” gets abbreviated through liaison if it is followed by a vowel.
For Example:
- What do you think about it? : Qu’en pensez-vous?
- You bought a new novel, what do you think about it? : Vous avez acheté un nouveau roman, qu’en pensez-vous ?
3. Quel
The French word “quel” often used as “quelle, quels, or quelles,” translates to both “what and “which” in English.
In French, “quel” is an interrogative adjective and must precede a noun it is talking or asking about.
“Quel” will give the meaning of what in a sentence when there is a choice.
Related: 10 Common Ways to Say “I Don’t Know” in The French Language With Examples.
Generally, you will find yourself using “quel” and any of its variants when it addresses a specific object that exists.
For Example:
- What’s your name, sir? – Quel est votre nom, Monsieur?
- What time is it? – Quelle heure est-il?
- What’s the date today? – Quelle est la date d’aujourd’hui?
- What book do you like?- Quelle livre est-ce que vous aimez?
In addition, the word “quel” can precede a noun with an exclamation mark to express “what a..!” expression or feeling.
For Example:
- What a day!: Quelle journée!
- What a beautiful surprise!: Quelle belle surprise!
- What a wonderful idea! : Quelle merveilleuse idée!
4. Qu’est-ce que/Qu’est-ce qui
The longer variants of asking the question “what” in French are “Qu’est-ce que” and “Qu’est-ce qui”.
Both phrases are a bit long but are widely used to express the “what is” feeling in English.
You will use “Qu’est-ce que” when you are talking about an “object” but will use “Qu’est-ce qui” when talking about a “subject.”
For Example:
- What are you doing? : Qu’est-ce que tu fais?
Here, “tu” is the subject or the person performing the action. It is known, so we use “que”.
- What is happening? : Qu’est-ce qui se passe?
- What’s wrong? : Qu’est-ce qui ne va pas?
In these examples, we use qu’est-ce qui in order to find out about the subject.
Pay attention that Qu’est-ce que is often followed by “c’est” which means “what it is it” or “what is this”.
For Example:
- What is this? : Qu’est-ce que c’est?
5. Ce que/ce qui/ce dont
If you are familiar with the English language, you may be aware of the fact that using “what” in a sentence does not necessarily mean a question.
Sometimes, “what” will give the feature of “that.” It will be like you are telling about what you like or want to do.
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You are not asking a question when saying, “This is what I want to do” in English. You are stating something. The word “what” is used as an object.
The same goes in French, but there is a specific kind of ‘what” for that. And thus, you will use ce que, ce qui, or ce dont, depending on the structure of the sentence.
For Example:
- Here’s what we’re going to do: Voici ce que nous allons faire.
- That’s what happened to you : C’est ce qui t’est arrivé.
- Here is what i need : Voici ce dont j’ai besoin
6. Et si
The French equivalent to saying “What if” is “Et si”.
There are most of the time during our conversations when we find ourselves starting a sentence saying, “what if ? or “And if?”.
And the word “Et si” gives the same meaning in French.
For Example:
- What if they find us?- Et s’ils nous trouvent?
- What if we go eat together?- Et si on allait manger ensemble?
7. Comment
Like English, French also has polite and rude//impolite words. Sometimes you do not get what the other person is saying and want them to repeat it.
While saying a blunt “what?” is considered rude or informal, saying words like “excuse me?” or “beg pardon” is considered more polite.
The same rule applies in French too. When talking in French, if you do not understand someone, you can say “quoi?” but it is considered informal and sometimes even rude.
Instead, you can say “comment?” or “pardon?”, the polite French way to say “what did you say?”.
Generally, “Comment” translates into “how” but can also be used as an exclamation.
For Example:
- What? I didn’t understand : Comment? Je n’ai pas compris.
- What! It’s already noon? : Comment! Il est déjà midi?
Top FAQs About Different Ways to Ask “What” in French Language
How do you ask what is your name in French?
If you want to ask the name of someone in English, you generally say, “What is your name?”.
To say the same in French, you will say, “Quel est ton nom?”.
If you want to be more polite & considerate, you can say, “What is your name, sir?”. Its French equivalent is “Quel est votre nom, monsieur?”.
Is there only one meaning of “what” in French?
The French language holds various similarities to the English language.
In English, we use “what” to ask a question, state an argument, show surprise, and other emotions.
And the same thing is true of the French. You can use the seven forms of “what” to showcase your emotions.
What is the difference between quoi & que?
Both quoi and que state the word “what.” But using both is quite different.
Que is always used at the beginning of a sentence and gives a formal expression. At the same time, quoi is used after a preposition and after a verb to provide a less formal tone.
is it rude to say comment in French language
“Comment” is a French word for saying “what?” It is generally used in sentences when you do not hear or understand the other person.
Saying only “comment?” is considered rude among native French speakers only if you use it with a stranger or in formal settings.
“Excuse me?”, “Sorry?”, “Beg Pardon?” are the best phrases for a formal setting. Using “comment?” is best with people you are familiar with and are on close terms with.
Conclusion
Going for the basics is the best way to make your way into learning a new language. This article covers the seven basic yet impressive ways to say what in French.
We hope you strengthen your vocabulary related to the “what” word in French.
