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How to Say ‘What brings you in?’ in French

Qu'est-ce qui vous amène ?

k eh suh kee voo ah-MEN

[k eh suh kee voo ah-MEN]

🇫🇷 In France: This is the standard way a French doctor opens the consultation once you sit down. Answer straight away with your main symptom.

Phrase Breakdown

Qu'est-ce qui

k eh suh kee

What (is it that)

A question opener for 'what' as the subject. Say it as one sound: 'kess-kee'.

Example

Qu'est-ce qui se passe ?

What's happening?

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 / which

Relative pronoun used as subject; in 'qu'est-ce qui' it asks 'what' as the subject.

Example

Qu'est-ce qui se passe ?

What is happening?

vous amène ?

voo ah-MEN

brings you?

Link the 's' of 'vous' to 'amène' with a 'z' sound: 'voo-za-men'. Doctors often use the whole phrase to ask why you came.

Example

Quel bon vent vous amène ?

What good wind brings you here?

Words in this phrase

vous

[voo]

you

Used to refer to the person or people being addressed.

Example

Vous aimez le film?

Do you like the movie?

amène

[ah-MEN]

brings

Form of 'amener' (to bring); used to ask why someone came.

Example

Il amène son fils à l'école.

He brings his son to school.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.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.

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