How to Say ‘What colors did you use?’ in French
Quelles couleurs as-tu utilisées ?
kel koo-lur ah tew ew-tee-lee-zay
[kel koo-lur ah tew ew-tee-lee-zay]
💬 Usage Tip: This question uses the flipped order [as-tu] for a neat, formal-sounding question. That's common in presentations and interviews: [as-tu choisi], [avez-vous utilisé], [ont-ils vu].
🇫🇷 In France: In a jury or exam setting, this style of question sounds more polished than casual spoken French. You may hear it from the panel more than you would in everyday chat.
Phrase Breakdown
Quelles couleurs
kel koo-lur
Which colors
A question asking about the colors that were chosen or used.
Quelles couleurs as-tu choisies ?
Which colors did you choose?
Words in this phrase
Quelles
[kel]
which
Feminine plural question word matching "couleurs".
Dans « Quelles couleurs as-tu utilisées ? », « Quelles » introduit la question.
In "Which colors did you use?", "Quelles" introduces the question.
couleurs
[koo-lur]
colors
Plural noun referring to the colors chosen in the artwork.
Dans « Quelles couleurs as-tu utilisées ? », « couleurs » désigne les teintes employées.
In "Which colors did you use?", "couleurs" refers to the shades used.
As-tu utilisées
ah tew ew-tee-lee-zay
did you use
This is the question form of the passé composé with tu, asking if you used something; in full French it agrees with a feminine plural noun when necessary.
As-tu utilisé du rouge ?
Did you use red?
Words in this phrase
as
[ah]
have
Auxiliary verb used with inversion to form a question to "you".
Dans « Quelles couleurs as-tu utilisées ? », « as » aide à former la question.
In "Which colors did you use?", "as" helps form the question.
tu
[tew]
you
Singular informal subject pronoun used in inversion.
Dans « Quelles couleurs as-tu utilisées ? », « tu » s'adresse directement à l'artiste.
In "Which colors did you use?", "tu" addresses the artist directly.
utilisées
[ew-tee-lee-zay]
used
Past participle agreeing with the feminine plural noun "couleurs".
Dans « Quelles couleurs as-tu utilisées ? », « utilisées » s'accorde avec « couleurs ».
In "Which colors did you use?", "utilisées" agrees with "couleurs."
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