How to Say ‘What is’ in French
Quel est
kel ay
[kel ay]
💬 Usage Tip: Useful question starter. Literally 'Which is', but translated as 'What is' here.
🇫🇷 In France: Common in interviews and juries when asking about meaning, intention, or context.
Phrase Breakdown
Quel
[kel]
what; which
An interrogative word used to ask for identification or explanation.
Quel introduit une question sur le sens de l'œuvre.
'Quel' introduces a question about the meaning of the artwork.
est
[ay]
is
A form of the verb être meaning is.
Dans la question, est relie le sujet et l'idée principale.
In the question, 'est' links the subject and the main idea.
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