The Whats of French
Which "What" To Use When
English “what” is not always the same pronoun, or even always a pronoun, in spite of its identically similar appearance. In French there are more distinctions of form.
Table of Contents
I. “What” as Subject or Object: the “Invariable” Interrogative Pronoun
Possibilities are: 1) qu’est-ce qui, 2) que / qu’est-ce que, and 3) quoi.
| Function | English | French |
| Subject: | “What is happening?” | Qu’est-ce qui se passe? |
| Direct Object: | “What are you doing?” | Que fais-tu? Qu’est-ce que tu fais? |
| Object of a Preposition: |
“What are you thinking of? | À quoi penses-tu? |
| Totally By Itself: | “What!?” | Quoi!? |
In indirect questions, the long forms qu’est-ce qui (what-subject) and qu’est-ce que (what-direct object) are cut down to ce qui, ce que. See Part IV below.
When a French Person Can’t Be Bothered
When a French person can’t be bothered to listen to your question the first time you ask it, shurree will affect not to have understood you and will produce an abrupt:
Comment?
—it is the equivalent, consequently, of English “What?” or “Huh?” said in similar circumstances. Do not fret about your pronunciation or word choice. Simply repeat your question in exactly the same way you originally put it, and this time the French person will get it.
Quoi: the Emphatic Form of Que
Just as moi is the strong form of me, toi of te, and soi of se, so quoi is the strong form of que, that is, the form you use when the pronoun is going to be stressed (for instance, after a preposition). Notice how que is replaced by quoi when a question is rephrased so as to put the que-form, normally occurring at the beginning, at the end of the sentence instead:
- Qu’est-ce qu’il a dit? ( = Qu’a-t-il dit?) > Il a dit quoi?
(What did he say?)
II. Definitions
In questions asking for definitions, French uses qu’est-ce que, which can be lengthened by the addition of c’est que.
| English | Short Form | Long Form |
| “What is that?” | Qu’est-ce que c’est? (literally: What is it that it is?) |
Qu’est-ce que c’est que cela? (literally: What is it that it is, that?) |
| “What is ornithology?” | Qu’est-ce que l’ornithologie? (literally: What is it, ornithology?) |
Qu’est-ce que c’est que l’ornithologie? (literally: What is it that it is, ornithology?) |
III. The Interrogative Adjective (When “What” = “Which”)
When “what” means “which one” of a number of items of the same kind, it is an adjective and corresponds to French quel(le)(s).
- “What is your major?” = Quelle est ta spécialisation?
Comment: There are a number of possible majors. Which one is yours? - “What cd did you buy?” = “Which cd did you buy?” = Quel cd as-tu acheté?
IV. The Indefinite Relative Pronoun (When “What” = “That Which”)
| English | French |
| “That’s what I want.” | C’est ce que je veux. |
| “That’s what happened.” | C’est ce qui est arrivé. |
| “That’s what’s troubling in the matter.” | C’est ce qu’il y a de troublant dans l’affaire. |
| “What bothers me is his lack of concern.” | Ce qui m’inquiète, c’est son insouciance. |
| “What I find interesting is pre-revolutionary France.” | Ce que je trouve intéressant, c’est la France pré-révolutionnaire. |
| “That’s what I need.” | C’est ce dont j’ai besoin. |
| “That’s what I’m thinking of.” | C’est ce à quoi je pense. |
For more on ce qui, ce que, see the French Language File “Relative Pronouns,” Part IC.
The subject and direct object forms of the question word “what” (qu’est-ce qui, qu’est-ce que) in an indirect question are whittled down to the last two syllables: ce qui, ce que.
| Direct Question, Long | Direct Question Short | Indirect Question |
| Qu’est-ce que tu penses? (What do you think?) |
Que penses-tu? | Il veut savoir ce que tu penses. (He wants to know what you think.) |
| Qu’est-ce qui t’inquiète? (What’s bothering you?) |
—– | Il veut savoir ce qui t’inquiète. (He wants to know what’s bothering you.) |
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