How do you say "What" in French?

"What" in French is "Qu'est-ce que". This phrase is commonly used in France.

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How to Say ‘What’ in French

Q: What does "Qu'est-ce que" mean in English?

"Qu'est-ce que" means "What" in English. Usage tip: This chunk starts many questions. Before a vowel, que becomes qu': qu'est-ce qu'elle… French loves these little sound-smoothing tricks.

Qu'est-ce que

k ay suh kuh

[k ay suh kuh]

💬 Usage Tip: This chunk starts many questions. Before a vowel, que becomes qu': qu'est-ce qu'elle… French loves these little sound-smoothing tricks.

🇫🇷 In France: French often uses full question structures in clinics rather than just single-word questions, so this pattern is handy to recognize.

Phrase Breakdown

Qu'

[k]

what

Shortened question word beginning the expression asking what something is or what is wrong.

Example

Qu'est-ce que vous observez chez votre poule ?

What do you notice in your hen?

est-ce

ay suh

is it

Part of the common question structure « qu'est-ce que » meaning “what is it that…”.

Example

Qu'est-ce que tu fais ?

What are you doing?

Words in this phrase

est

[ay]

Verb from être used inside the question expression qu'est-ce que.

Example

Qu'est-ce que le vétérinaire pense ?

What does the vet think?

-ce

[suh]

this

Part of the fixed question structure qu'est-ce que; not translated separately in natural English.

Example

Qu'est-ce que cela veut dire ?

What does that mean?

que

[kuh]

that

Part of the expression qu'est-ce que used to form a what-question before a clause.

Example

Qu'est-ce que votre poule a aujourd'hui ?

What does your hen have today?

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