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French vocabulary · 11 words

French question words: où, quoi, quand, qui, pourquoi

The question phrases from the French course, in the shape people actually say them. Spoken French often leaves the question word at the end (Tu vas où ?) or starts with c'est (C'est quoi ?), with the voice rising to mark the question. Je ne sais pas is the answer for when you have none.

Good to know

  • Spoken French puts the question word last and raises the voice: Tu vas où ? C'est quand ?
  • comment asks how, and also appears in Comment tu t'appelles ? (what's your name).
  • Je ne sais pas is the full form. In casual speech the ne drops: je sais pas.

What, when, who, how

FrenchMeaningAudio
c'est quoi ?Say it: say KWA — point and askwhat is that?
c'est quand ?Say it: say KAHN — quoi asks what, où asks where, quand asks whenwhen is it?
c'est qui ?Say it: say KEE — the same end-of-sentence question slot as «tu vas où ?» and «il est quelle heure ?»who is it? / who's that?
commentSay it: ko-MAHN — nasal, the t is silenthow / what

Where

FrenchMeaningAudio
où estSay it: oo-EH — the tourist's best two wordswhere is
tu vas où ?Say it: tu vah OO — the street version, question at the endwhere are you going?
d'oùSay it: doo — de + où squeezed into one wordfrom where

Why, and I don't know

FrenchMeaningAudio
pourquoi ?Say it: poor-KWAwhy?
je ne sais pasSay it: zhuh nuh say pa — the full WRITTEN form; canonical answer everywhereI don't know
je saisSay it: zhuh say — «savoir», chunked for nowI know
tu saisSay it: tu say — the -s is silent, as everyou know

Test yourself

Five of the 11 words on this page, meaning to word. Pick an answer to check it; nothing is saved.

  1. 1.Which French word means "what is that?"?

  2. 2.Which French word means "who is it? / who's that?"?

  3. 3.Which French word means "where is"?

  4. 4.Which French word means "from where"?

  5. 5.Which French word means "I don't know"?

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