How to Say "What" in French: Quoi, Que and the Sneaky Comment
"What" in French splits three ways: quoi standalone, que mid-sentence, and comment when asking someone to repeat. Here's exactly when to use each.
“What” in French depends on position: quoi stands alone or ends a sentence (tu fais quoi ?), que goes mid-sentence in questions (que fais-tu ?), and comment politely means “what did you say?” when asking someone to repeat.
Quick answer
”What” in French depends on position: quoi stands alone or ends a sentence (tu fais quoi ?), que goes mid-sentence in questions (que fais-tu ?), and comment politely means “what did you say?” when asking someone to repeat.
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Quoi: the standalone “what”
Used alone as a surprised reaction (Quoi ?!), at the end of a casual sentence (tu fais quoi ? - what are you doing?), and after prepositions (de quoi tu parles ? - what are you talking about?).
Que: the formal mid-sentence “what”
Que sits mid-sentence in more careful questions: que fais-tu ? The everyday, always-safe version wraps it with est-ce que: qu’est-ce que tu fais ? (note the elision, qu’ before the vowel). For the fuller “how do you say/what does it mean” toolkit this belongs to, see qu’est-ce que ça veut dire.
Comment: the sneaky “what” (asking to repeat)
Comment ? as a standalone reaction politely asks “what did you say?” - noticeably gentler than a bare Quoi ?!, which can land as blunt or surprised depending on tone.
Decision table
| Situation | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone/end of sentence, casual | quoi | tu fais quoi ? |
| Mid-sentence, careful | que | que fais-tu ? |
| Safe, everyday, mid-sentence | qu’est-ce que | qu’est-ce que tu fais ? |
| Asking someone to repeat | comment | Comment ? |
Bonus: “what is it?”
Qu’est-ce que c’est ? is the everyday all-purpose way to ask what something is. For the broader question-formation system these words plug into, see French grammar guide.
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Questions about this note
What's the difference between quoi and que?
Position - quoi stands alone or ends a sentence, que appears mid-question.
Why does comment mean what?
As a standalone reaction, comment politely asks someone to repeat - gentler than a bare quoi ?!
What does qu'est-ce que mean?
The everyday safe way to ask "what" mid-sentence: qu'est-ce que tu fais ?
Is "quoi ?!" rude?
It can sound blunt or surprised alone; comment ? is the gentler alternative.
How do you say "what is it"?
Qu'est-ce que c'est ?