❓How to Say What in French — Without Getting Lost in Grammar
French question forms can feel a bit overwhelming at first—so many little words, changes in word order, and that pesky inversion! But don’t worry, let’s start simple. Let’s start with one small but mighty word: “What.”
We’ll go step by step, from everyday conversation to slightly more formal French, and I’ll share tips that make it easier to remember how to use each form.
Now, let’s learn how to say what in French.
📚 The Basics: Yes, “What” = Quoi… but not always
If you look up “what” in a dictionary, you’ll see:
👉 what = quoi
But in real life, it depends on the sentence, the verb, and whether you’re writing, speaking, surprised, or asking for clarification. Let’s break it down.
😲 1. “What?!” — Surprise, Disbelief
When you’re shocked, didn’t hear something, or can’t believe what someone just said, it’s short and punchy:
- Quoi ??? → What???
Example:
– J’ai rappelé Quentin, mon ex.
I called Quentin, my ex.
– Quoi ??? 😳
What???
Easy, right? You’ll hear this all the time in casual speech.
🗣️ 2. Asking a Question in Conversation
The standard form:
- Qu’est-ce que… ?
Literally: What is it that…?
Example:
– Qu’est-ce que tu as dit ?
What did you say?
– J’ai dit que je n’aime pas le chocolat.
I said I don’t like chocolate.
It looks long, but it’s not scary. In speech, it sounds like “kesk tu as dit ?”
The casual shortcut:
You can also just say quoi at the end of the sentence:
- Tu as dit quoi ? → What did you say?
- Tu veux manger quoi ? → What do you want to eat?
These forms are more relaxed and very common in spoken French.
After learning how to ask questions, why not add some compliments by learning beautiful in French?
✍️ 3. In Writing or Formal French: Que / Qu’
In formal writing—or if you’re feeling dramatic—you might see or hear the classic inversion form:
- Que voulait-il dire ?
What did he mean? - Qu’avez-vous prévu pour la réunion ?
What did you plan for the meeting?
This is more elegant, more literary, and… sounds a bit like a 19th-century novel character. Perfect for writing, or if you’re playing a countess in a period drama 😉
🧾 4. “What” + Noun = Quel / Quelle / Quels / Quelles
When “what” is followed by a noun (or the verb “to be”), we use quel and its friends:
- Quel est le numéro du bus ? → What’s the bus number?
- Quelle est la ligne de métro ? → What’s the metro line?
- Quels sandwichs avez-vous ? → What sandwiches do you have?
- Quelles tartes avez-vous ? → What pies do you have?
Match the gender and number:
quel (m.s.) / quelle (f.s.) / quels (m.pl.) / quelles (f.pl.)
🕖 5. “At what…” = À quel / quelle…
If the noun after “what” needs a preposition (like à), French includes it:
- À quelle heure on vient ? → What time are we coming?
– À 19h. → At 7 PM. - À quelle station je descends ? → What station do I get off at?
– À la station Pyrénées. → At Pyrénées station.
💡 Tip: Think about what the preposition is doing in English. Often, it’ll be part of the French structure too.
🥐 6. Real-Life Example: At the Bakery
Let’s put all of that into a real-life dialogue:
— Qu’est-ce que vous désirez ?
What would you like?
— Deux croissants, deux pains au chocolat, et une baguette s’il vous plaît.
Two croissants, two pains au chocolat, and a baguette, please.
— Quelle cuisson vous préférez ?
What kind of baking do you prefer?
— Pas trop cuite, s’il vous plaît.
Not too baked, please.
— Et avec ça ?
Anything else?
— Ce sera tout.
That’ll be all.
📖 Practice these mini-dialogues like a script. It’s a fun and effective way to build fluency.
🔁 7. With Prepositions: À quoi, de quoi, en quoi…
Sometimes quoi comes with a little helper:
- À quoi tu penses ? → What are you thinking about?
- De quoi tu parles ? → What are you talking about?
- En quoi c’est mieux ? → In what way is it better?
To know which preposition to use, you’ll need to know the verb + preposition combo:
e.g. penser à, parler de, avoir envie de…
📘 My advice? Keep a verb + preposition list in your notebook. Add real examples as you encounter them—it’ll help more than memorizing abstract rules.
🧠 8. “What” as a Connector: Ce que / Ce qui / Ce dont
Sometimes “what” refers to an idea or a thing—not a question.
- Ce que tu veux. → What you want.
- Ce qui te plaît. → What you like.
- Ce dont tu as envie. → What you feel like.
Here’s the quick breakdown:
| Expression | Used for | Example |
| Ce que | Object (COD) | Ce que tu veux |
| Ce qui | Subject | Ce qui me dérange |
| Ce dont | Verb + “de” | Ce dont j’ai besoin |
Don’t stress too much about the grammar terms. Just learn them in context, and you’ll start to feel the difference.
😲 9. “What a…!” = Quel / Quelle / Quels / Quelles…!
Used as an exclamation:
- Quelle bonne surprise ! → What a nice surprise!
- Quel mec sympa ! → What a nice guy!
❓FAQ: What do French people say when they didn’t hear you?
If someone didn’t catch what you said, they might say:
- Pardon ?
- Comment ?
- Quoi ? (more informal)
- Hein ? (very casual)
Try to match the tone to the setting. “Pardon ?” is the safest go-to.
For more examples with “What”, have a look here.
And to review French Pronons, it’s here.
📝 Final Tip
Rather than translating English in your head, try this:
👉 Write down the phrases French speakers actually use.
Keep a language diary. Note dialogues from films, podcasts, or real life. Rehearse them, like lines in a play.
Soon enough, “quoi”, “qu’est-ce que”, and even “ce dont” will roll off your tongue like second nature.
Once you’ve learned to ask questions, you can also discover how to say friend in French to talk about the people close to you.