Asking "What" Questions in French

Asking questions in French can be a little intimidating at first, but it's something that you will have to learn if you want to be able to effectively get around in a French speaking country! This page will help you disipher the correct form of word conjugation to use when asking questions to a native French speaker! So, Allons-y!

Let's travel to the Paris for the day! You and a friend are roaming down the street and would like to order a cup of coffee, find out where the Louvre is located, and if there are any good movies playing at the local theatre!

• Read Chapitre 3 in Bon Voyage Textbook.

  -Do corresponding activity 4 in workbook on page 39. 

  In your notebook, write down the translations (Que, Quoi. Quele(s)/Quelle(s), Comment, and Lequel) 

  - Write down when it is proper to use each form. (When asking about a person, when asking where an object is, when asking the price of an item, ect.)

  - Come up with your own question examples as practice!

  - After finishing your readings, write down a fake transcript of you speaking with a French barista at a cafe in Paris.  

  - Ask them for a cup of coffee, find out where the Louvre is located, and ask them if there are any good movies playing at the local theatre! Don't forget to include their responses.

  - Turn in your questions in class on Monday, October 11th. 

  I. Que (as what / which.)

  A. Que (alone) at beginning / Inversion of subject and verb.
  
  1. Que fais-tu ? --What are you doing?
  2. Que manges-tu ? --What are you eating?
  
  B. Que at the beginning with est-ce que ("what" as a direct object) (subject + verb).
  
  1. Qu'est-ce que tu fais ? --What are you doing?
  2. Qu'est-ce qu'elle mange ? --What is she eating?
  
  C. Que + est-ce qui ("what" as a subject) + verb.
  
  1. Qu'est-ce qui se passe ? --What is happening?
  2. Qu'est-ce qui est sur la table ? --What is on the table?
  
  

  II. Quoi

• Quoi is what Que becomes after prepositions and verbs.

  • A. After prepositions.
    The same rules apply regarding beginning a question (est-ce que or inversion) when used at the beginning.
    
    1. Avec quoi est-ce qu'il travaille ? --With what is he working?
    2. De quoi parles-tu ? --What are you talking about?
    3. Vous parlez de quoi ? --What are you talking about? (lit: You're talking about what?)

    
    
    B. After the verb.
    This is what many French speakers might do in everyday French conversation.
    
    1. Tu fais quoi cet après-midi ? --What are you doing this afternoon? (lit: You're doing what...?)
    2. Il a dit quoi ? --What did he say? (lit: He said what?)

    III. Quel(s), Quelle(s)

  • Quel and it's different forms are interrogative adjectives, so that's why they change forms. They'll match the gender and number of the nouns they modify. They do not need to be next to each other (see A). See section V for lequel...

    
    
    A. Quelle est la date ? --What is the date?
    B. Quel âge as-tu ? / Tu as quel âge ? --How old are you?
    C. Quelle heure est-il ? / Il est quelle heure ? --What time is it?
    D. Quels cours préfères-tu ? --What courses do you prefer?

    IV. Comment (what, how)

  • You may know "comment" from "Comment t'appelles-tu ?" or "Comment ça va ?" It's an interrogative adverb, as it works with verbs a lot, and is used in some French questions you learn right from the start. It can often go at the beginning or at the end.
    
    A. Comment est Marc ? Sympa ? --What's Mark like? Nice?
    B. Comment va Marc aujourd'hui ? --How is Mark doing today?
    C. Comment ? --What?

    

    V. Lequel ? Which One?

    When you don't need to reuse or mention the noun, you can use an interrogative pronoun (the definite articles with "Quel") to ask, "Which one(s)?" You can use them with prepositions, too.
    
    A. La voiture ? Laquelle ? --The car? Which one?
    B. Tu cherches des livres? Lesquels ? --You're looking for books? Which ones?
    C. Tu sors avec son frère ? Avec lequel ? --You're dating his brother? With which one?

    

Learning Advice:

Practice question asking with a partner. It's easier to remember things when you speak them out loud!

Memorize the words first before trying to put them into a sentence.

Write down several examples of each question conjugation that you come up with yourself.  

Resources:

Chapitre 3-Bon Voyage Textbook

http://www.french-linguistics.co.uk/grammar/questions.shtml

https://www.talkinfrench.com/ask-questions-french/

You've done a great job! Ask to meet with me after class if you are still having trouble.

Papers will be turned in the week after they are due. 

Merci, beaucoup mes etudients !