How to Say ‘What is...?’ in French
Quel est... ?
kehl ay
[kehl ay]
💬 Usage Tip: Basic question starter. Literally "which is…?" but translates as "what is…?" in many contexts.
🇫🇷 In France: French often builds questions with set starters like this, especially in more careful or structured speech.
Phrase Breakdown
Quel
[kehl]
what / which
Question word used before a masculine singular noun.
Dans « Quel est... ? », Quel sert à poser une question.
In "What is... ?", Quel is used to ask a question.
est
[ay]
is
Form of « être » meaning « is ».
Dans « Quel est... ? », est relie la question au sujet.
In "What is... ?", est links the question to the subject.
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