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Asking Other Kinds of Questions by Bruce Sallee and David Hebert

When you're not asking specifically about a person, use one of the following interrogative pronouns to ask about actions, ideas, situations, and things.

Qu'est-ce qui as the Subject of the Sentence

Qu'est-ce qui is used to begin a question with “what,” when the “what” being discussed is the subject of the sentence.

<tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Qu'est-ce qui se passe dans le livre?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What happens in the book?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Qu'est-ce qui t'a plu dans le film?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What did you like in the film?</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <p>Because it is used as the subject of the sentence, the verb must be used in the third person singular. Any pronouns you see between this phrase and the verb will be object or reflexive pronouns, not subject pronouns; don't let them confuse you into thinking that they are the actual subject. (See Chapters 9 and 13.)</p> <h2>Que as the Object of the Sentence</h2> <p>Many times in English, the “what” that begins the section is actually the direct object. Consider the following English examples:</p> <p><emphasis>What did you do last night?</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>What are you doing at the hospital?</emphasis></p> <p><emphasis>What did you take to the game?</emphasis></p> <p>In all of these sentences, “what” is the direct object. “You” is the subject. Be careful not to get them confused, because the direct object interrogative pronoun takes a different form in French. <emphasis>Que</emphasis> is used as the interrogative pronoun, which translates in this case as “what.” It must be used with either the <emphasis>est-ce que</emphasis> or inversion form.</p> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire demain?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What are you going to do tomorrow?</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <p>The word <emphasis>que</emphasis> doesn't always mean “what”; you will also encounter <emphasis>que</emphasis> in different contexts where it has other meanings. You will learn more about this in Chapter 9.</p> <h2>Quoi as the Object of a Preposition</h2> <p>When you are creating sentences with prepositions, <emphasis>quoi</emphasis> is used as the object of the preposition to say “what.” Its form follows the same pattern as <emphasis>qui</emphasis>, with the preposition appearing at the beginning of the sentence, immediately followed by the interrogative pronoun. The rest of the sentence is constructed normally, using either <emphasis>est-ce que</emphasis> or inversion to complete the question.</p> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>À quoi penses-tu?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What are you thinking about?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>De quoi est-ce que Phillipe a parlé?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What did Philippe talk about?</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <p>The majority of these uses will be idiomatic, as English verbs are often handled differently than when it comes to using prepositions. refer to Chapter 6 for more information on verbs that use prepositions with their objects.</p> <div class="npsb"> <h2></h2> <p><emphasis>Qu'est-ce que c'est?</emphasis> is a very common French phrase; when pronounced, it is completely run together. It's pronounced a lot shorter than it looks, and if you try to pronounce it like it reads, you may not be understood.</p> </div> <h2>Other Uses of Qu'est-ce que</h2> <p><emphasis>Qu'est-ce que</emphasis> can also be used to ask other kinds of questions, such as “What is that?” In French, this is done using variations of the French phrase <emphasis>Qu'est-ce que c'est?</emphasis> which means “What is it?” This construction can be used to ask for more information about something when followed with a noun, or can ask for a general definition when used with a pronoun.</p> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What is that?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Qu'est-ce que c'est qu'une réponse vraie à la question?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What is a correct response to the question?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Qu'est-ce que c'est que le titre?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What is the title?</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <h2>Using the Interrogative Adjective Quel</h2> <p>In Chapters 9 and 10, you can learn a number of pronouns and adjectives. There is another adjective, <emphasis>quel</emphasis>, meaning “what” or “which,” that you can also use to ask questions in French. As an adjective, it must agree in gender and number with the noun it is modifying. Table 7-1 includes the available forms.</p> <p><B>Table 7-1</B></p> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <h2>Forms of Quel</h2> <tgroup cols="3"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="40%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="30%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colname="col3" colnum="3" colwidth="30%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><B>Gender</B></p></td> <td><p><B>Singular</B></p></td> <td><p><B>Plural</B></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Masculine</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>quel</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>quels</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Feminine</p></td> <td><p><emphasis>quelle</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>quelles</emphasis></p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <sect3> <h2>Simple Questions</h2> <p><emphasis>Quel</emphasis> can be used to begin the sentence and ask the question “what” or “which.” The verb <emphasis>être</emphasis> is used, and the noun that <emphasis>quel</emphasis> modifies is placed immediately following the verb.</p> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Quel est ton nom?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What is your name?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Quelle est ta couleur préférée?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What is your favorite color?</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> </sect3> <sect3> <h2>Quel Modifying the Subject</h2> <p><emphasis>Quel</emphasis> can also be used to modify the subject of a sentence. When this happens, <emphasis>quel</emphasis> begins the sentence. It is placed immediately before the noun that's acting as the subject of the sentence. <emphasis>Quel</emphasis> forms the question for you; you do not need to add <emphasis>est-ce que</emphasis> or use inversion in this construction.</p> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Quelle tarte veux-tu?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>Which pie would you like?</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> </sect3> <sect3> <h2>Quel Modifying the Object</h2> <p><emphasis>Quel</emphasis> can also modify the object of a sentence. Simply place <emphasis>quel</emphasis> at the beginning of the sentence and place the noun it modifies immediately after it. Either <emphasis>est-ce que</emphasis> or inversion can then be used to complete the question.</p> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Quel homme est-ce que vous avez vu?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>Which man did you see?</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> </sect3> <sect3> <h2>Quel Modifying the Object of a Preposition</h2> <p>When <emphasis>quel</emphasis> is used to modify a noun that's being used as the object of a preposition, the preposition is placed at the beginning of the sentence, with the proper form of <emphasis>quel</emphasis> immediately following it. The noun being modified is then placed directly after <emphasis>quel</emphasis>, with inversion or <emphasis>est-ce que</emphasis> being used to complete the question.</p> </sect3> <h2>Other Interrogative Expressions</h2> <p>Here are a few additional interrogative expressions that can be used in French to ask questions about location, time, manner, number, or cause. Normally, they are placed at the beginning of a sentence and used with <emphasis>est-ce que</emphasis>, inversion, or intonation to complete the question.</p> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>À quelle heure?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>At what time?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Combien?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>How much?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Combien est-ce que tu as payé ce chemisier?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>How much did you pay for this blouse?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Combien de</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>How many</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Combien de romans as-tu achetés?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>How many books did you buy?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Comment</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>How</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Comment allez-vous aujourd'hui?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>How are you doing today?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Où</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>Where</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Où est la salle de bain?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>Where is the bathroom?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Pourquoi</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>Why</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Pourquoi n'allons-nous pas à Paris?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>Why are we not going to Paris?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Quand</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>When</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Quand est-ce qu'il arrivera?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>When will he arrive?</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <h2>Pronunciation of Questions</h2> <p>In this section, you learned how to ask various kinds of questions using interrogative pronouns. Listen to the CD for the pronunciation of some of the expressions you learned.</p> <div class="npmo"> <img src="http://0.tqn.com/d/np/french/track.jpg"> <div class="npcp"><p>TRACK 39</p></div> </div> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Qu'est-ce qui se passe dans le livre?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What happens in the book?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire demain?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What are you going to do tomorrow?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Qu'est-ce qu'il a fait hier soir?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What did he do last night?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>À quoi penses-tu?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What are you thinking about?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>De quoi est-ce que Phillipe a parlé?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What did Philippe talk about?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Qu'est-ce que c'est?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What is it?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What is that?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Quel est ton nom?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What is your name?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Quelle est ta couleur préférée?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>What is your favorite color?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Combien est-ce que tu as payé ce chemisier?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>How much did you pay for this blouse?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Combien de romans as-tu achetés?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>How many books did you buy?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Comment allez-vous aujourd'hui?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>How are you doing today?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Où est la salle de bain?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>Where is the bathroom?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Pourquoi n'allons nous pas à Paris?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>Why are we not going to Paris?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>Quand est-ce qu'il arrivera?</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>When will he arrive?</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <!--/gc--> <div id="pagination"><ul><li class="prev"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/french/asking-questions-and-giving-orders/asking-questions-about-people.htm" title="Asking Questions about People">Asking Questions about People</a></li><li class="next"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/french/asking-questions-and-giving-orders/giving-orders-the-imperative-verb-form.htm" title="Giving Orders: The Imperative Verb Form">Giving Orders: The Imperative Verb Form</a> </li></ul></div></div> <div id="coda"> <div id="rel"><div class="n5">Related Articles</div><ul> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/french/asking-questions-and-giving-orders/asking-other-kinds-of-questions.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> 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