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Video Dictionary for Language Learners

How to say "what" in French

1
quoi
(int. pron.) what The interrogative pronoun "quoi" is most often preceded by a preposition such as "à" or "de." In English, this preposition often comes at the end of the question, as in the examples below.
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Charlotte

Charlotte

Content Editor
Charlotte is a FR-EN translator and live subtitler based in the U.K. She holds a BA in French and Japanese and an MA in audiovisual translation. She has worked as an English tutor in the past and considers herself a life-long language student.
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Clickable Example Sentences

These examples and translations are created specifically for language learners, and are manually reviewed. Click on words to look them up.
De quoi parle-t-il ?
What is he talking about?
À quoi penses -tu ?
What are you thinking of?
Quiz Yourself on " quoi"

Video Examples

Video examples are manually reviewed for accuracy.
What's Love Good For?
À quoi ça sert l' amour ?
What's love good for?
Behind the Scenes with the French Voice Actors for Despicable Me 2
Tu sais à quoi on voit que t' es un garçon ?
You know by what (means) we can tell that you're a boy?
Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake
Et moi j' aimerais bien savoir à quoi il ressemble .
And me, I'd really like to know what it looks like.
Quiz Yourself on " quoi"
2
ce que
(rel. pron.) what; that which The word pair "ce que" turns a noun that was previously mentioned into the direct object of the following verb.
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Charlotte

Charlotte

Content Editor
Charlotte is a FR-EN translator and live subtitler based in the U.K. She holds a BA in French and Japanese and an MA in audiovisual translation. She has worked as an English tutor in the past and considers herself a life-long language student.
View Bio

Clickable Example Sentences

These examples and translations are created specifically for language learners, and are manually reviewed. Click on words to look them up.
Ce que je veux ne compte pas .
What I want doesn't matter.
Il sait ce que sa mère a acheté .
He knows what his mother bought.
Quiz Yourself on " ce que"

Video Examples

Video examples are manually reviewed for accuracy.
Doxa: Free Will and Free Thought
et divertissant , qui essaiera de vous armer le plus possible contre ce que
and entertaining, which will try to equip you as much as possible against that which
Doxa: Free Will and Free Thought
Je suis et fais ce que je veux . Je suis maître de moi-même et
I am and do what I want. I am the master of myself and
Doxa: Free Will and Free Thought
Ah , je sais ce que vous allez me dire : " En même temps c' est déprimant
Ah, I know what you are going to say to me: "At the same time it's depressing
Quiz Yourself on " ce que"
3
ce qui
(rel. pron.) what; [that] which This word pair expresses an indefinite subject for the following verb. This often means that it replaces something that was already mentioned.
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Charlotte

Charlotte

Content Editor
Charlotte is a FR-EN translator and live subtitler based in the U.K. She holds a BA in French and Japanese and an MA in audiovisual translation. She has worked as an English tutor in the past and considers herself a life-long language student.
View Bio

Clickable Example Sentences

These examples and translations are created specifically for language learners, and are manually reviewed. Click on words to look them up.
Tu ne comprends pas ce qui se passe .
You don't understand what is happening.
Ce qui m' embête le plus , c' est le manque de respect .
What bothers me the most is the lack of respect.
Quiz Yourself on " ce qui"

Video Examples

Video examples are manually reviewed for accuracy.
What's Love Good For?
Tout ce qui maintenant te semble déchirant ,
All that now seems harrowing to you,
Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Part 2 of 2
Voilà ce qui arrive quand on rentre chez les gens sans y être invité .
That's what happens when you go into people's houses without being invited.
Louis XIV: A 72-Year Reign
sur plusieurs vidéos , ce qui lui a valu cette célébrité .
in several videos, what gave him this celebrity.
Quiz Yourself on " ce qui"
4
ce qu'
(rel. pron.) (+ vowel) what; that which The relative pronoun "ce que" becomes "ce qu'" before vowels.
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Charlotte

Charlotte

Content Editor
Charlotte is a FR-EN translator and live subtitler based in the U.K. She holds a BA in French and Japanese and an MA in audiovisual translation. She has worked as an English tutor in the past and considers herself a life-long language student.
View Bio

Clickable Example Sentences

These examples and translations are created specifically for language learners, and are manually reviewed. Click on words to look them up.
C' est ce qu' elle m' a dit !
That's what she told me!
Ce n' est pas ce qu' il pense .
That is not what he thinks.
Quiz Yourself on " ce qu'"

Video Examples

Video examples are manually reviewed for accuracy.
The Story and Science of Chocolate - Part 5 of 6
C' est ce qu' on appelle le tempérage .
That's what we call tempering.
Keeping Everyone Happy - Trailer
Et malgré ce qu' il nous en coûte
And despite what it costs us.
TEDx: Giving the Data back to the Consumers - Part 1 of 2
qui sont ou non pendables mais je ne sais pas ce qu' elles en font ».
that are or are not punishable but I don't know what they are doing with it."
Quiz Yourself on " ce qu'"
5
qu'est-ce que
(int. pron.) what [is/are/do] This phrase indicates that the sentence is a question. Although it is very frequently followed by a subject+verb, it can also be followed by an article+noun, in which case the "est" (is) becomes the main verb in the question.
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Charlotte

Charlotte

Content Editor
Charlotte is a FR-EN translator and live subtitler based in the U.K. She holds a BA in French and Japanese and an MA in audiovisual translation. She has worked as an English tutor in the past and considers herself a life-long language student.
View Bio

Clickable Example Sentences

These examples and translations are created specifically for language learners, and are manually reviewed. Click on words to look them up.
Qu'est-ce que tu fais comme métier ?
What do you do as a job?
Qu'est-ce que Jimmy mange ?
What is Jimmy eating?
Quiz Yourself on " qu'est-ce que"

Video Examples

Video examples are manually reviewed for accuracy.
Getting Ready to Take the Train
Qu'est-ce que tu fabriques , Jamy , avec ta valise ?
What are you up to, Jamy, with your suitcase?
Owning a Cat
qu'est-ce que je fais du corps ? Où je le mets ?
what do I do with the body? Where do I put it?
An Economic Sketch - The Fiscal Cliff
Qu'est-ce que le mur budgétaire ?
What is the budgetary wall?
Quiz Yourself on " qu'est-ce que"

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