❓🤷

How to Say ‘What happens?’ in French

Qu'est-ce qui se passe ?

k eh suh kee suh pass

[k eh suh kee suh pass]

💬 Usage Tip: It's best to learn qu'est-ce qui as a single block that asks "what" when the "what" is doing the action. The qu' only exists joined to est-ce and never stands alone.

Phrase Breakdown

Qu'est-ce qui

k eh suh kee

What (subject)

Used to ask 'what' when 'what' is the subject. Say it as one block: 'kès-ki'.

Example

Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ?

What's wrong?

Words in this phrase

Qu'

[k]

what

Shortened form of 'que', the question word 'what', used at the start of 'qu'est-ce qui/que'.

Example

Qu'est-ce que vous voulez ?

What do you want?

est

[eh]

Third person singular present of be.

Example

C'est important.

It is important.

-ce

[suh]

Used instead of previously mentioned or understood subjects.

Example

C'est ce que je veux dire.

That's what I mean.

qui

[kee]

that

Used to introduce a defining or restrictive clause.

Example

C'est une étoile qui brille.

It's a star that shines.

se passe ?

suh pass

happens / is happening?

'Se passer' means to happen. Rising intonation for the question.

Example

Tout se passe bien.

Everything is going well.

Words in this phrase

[suh]

itself (reflexive)

Reflexive pronoun forming the verb 'se passer' (to happen).

Example

Ça se passe bien.

It's going well.

passe

[pass]

goes; happens

Indicates the way a process is unfolding.

Example

L'intégration se passe bien ? permet de vérifier si tout va bien pour un nouvel employé.

"Is the onboarding going well?" makes it possible to check whether everything is going well for a new employee.

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.

Get the Full Learning Experience

This lesson is just a preview. Download PrettyFluent to practice pronunciation, roleplay conversations, and master vocabulary with spaced repetition.

Pronunciation Feedback

AI-powered feedback on what you say out loud

Spaced Repetition

Retain vocabulary long-term with smart practice

Immersive Roleplaying

Practice real conversations with AI partners

Lessons for Your Situation

Request lessons tailored to your specific needs

Get Full Lesson

What Learners Are Saying

“Moved to Lyon for a culinary apprenticeship. The food and restaurant lessons were exactly what I needed — my French colleagues were genuinely impressed.”

Tom H., 38, Chef

“Studying in Paris and the academic French I learned in school was useless for daily life. This app filled the gap in weeks, not months.”

Nina W., 29, Graduate Student

“Learning a language has never been as immediately impactful. Now I can charm the locals and navigate the food scene like a boss.”

Alex M., 42, Software Engineer