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How to Say ‘What is it?’ in French

C'est quoi ?

suh eh kwah

[suh eh kwah]

💬 Usage Tip: C'est quoi ? is the everyday spoken way to ask 'what is it?'. The textbook version is Qu'est-ce que c'est ?.

Phrase Breakdown

[suh]

Used to refer to a thing previously mentioned.

Example

C'est incroyable.

It is incredible.

est

[eh]

Third person singular present of be.

Example

C'est important.

It is important.

quoi

[kwah]

what

An informal question word meaning what.

Example

Quoi comme cocktail te plaît ?

What kind of cocktail do you like?

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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