The Ultimate Guide to Using French Interrogatives - Starting with 'What'

In this ultimate guide, we'll be starting with one of the most common interrogative words - "what." From basic phrases like "What's your name?" to more complex sentences such as "What are your plans for the weekend?", we've got you covered. Get ready to take your French conversation skills to the next level!

Introduction to French Interrogatives

When it comes to learning French, interrogatives are some of the first words you should focus on. Interrogatives are words that we use to ask questions, and they’re essential for carrying on a conversation in any language.

In English, we have four main interrogative words: who, what, when, and where. These same four words exist in French, but they’re used a bit differently. In this guide, we’ll show you how to use French interrogatives so that you can start asking questions in French like a pro!

What is the Meaning of 'What' in French?

In French, the word "what" can be used in a few different ways. Most often, it is used as an interrogative pronoun to ask a question. For example, you might say "What is your name?" or "What are you doing?".

The word "what" can also be used as a relative pronoun in certain situations. For example, you might say what in french language or "Do you see what I mean?".

The word "what" can be used as an exclamation, usually to express surprise. For example, you might say "What a beautiful day!" or "What a mess!".

Rules for Using 'What' in French

When using the French interrogative "What," there are a few things to keep in mind. First, "What" can be used as either a subject or an object pronoun, depending on the context. For example, you would use "What" as a subject pronoun when asking a question like "What is your name?" However, you would use "What" as an object pronoun when asking a question like "What did you eat for lunch?"

Second, keep in mind that the French word for "what" (quoi) is not always interchangeable with the English word "what." In many cases, you will need to use a different word altogether. For instance, the French word for "what time is it?" is "quelle heure est-il?" And the French word for "what's new?" is "quoi de neuf?"

Remember that when using the French interrogative "What," you will need to conjugate the verb accordingly. For example, if you want to ask "What are you doing?" in French, you would say "Que fais-tu?"

Examples of 'What' Used in a Sentence

"What" is a very versatile word in French, and can be used in a number of different ways. Here are some examples of how "what" can be used in a sentence:

• -Qu'est-ce que c'est? - What is that?
• -Que veux-tu? - What do you want?
• -Qui est là? - Who's there?
• -À quoi ça sert? - What's the point of that?
• -D'où viens-tu? - Where are you from?
• -Pourquoi tu pleures? - Why are you crying?

Commonly Used Interrogatives besides “What” in French

In addition to "What" in French, there are a few other commonly used interrogatives that can be helpful in starting a conversation or asking for clarification. These include:

-Comment (How): How are you? Comment ça va?

-Combien (How much/many): How much does this cost? Combien coûte ceci?

-Où (Where): Where are you from? D'où venez-vous?

-Quand (When): When will this be finished? Quand est-ce que ceci sera fini?

- qui (Who): Who is that? Qui est cela?

How to Make Negative Statements with “What”

It's easy to make negative statements with "what" in French. Just put "ne" before the verb and add "pas" after it. For example, to say "I don't have any money," you would say "Je n'ai pas d'argent."

Here are some more examples:

- Qu'est-ce que tu ne comprends pas? (What don't you understand?)

- Que ne veux-tu pas faire? (What don't you want to do?)

- Qu'est-ce que tu n'as pas? (What don't you have?)

- Qui ne sais-tu pas? (Who don't you know?)

Conclusion

Learning to use French interrogatives properly can help you communicate more effectively in the language. With this guide, you now have a better understanding of how to use 'what' and other French interrogatives correctly. So don't be afraid to practice your new skills! By putting them into action, you'll soon find yourself speaking French with confidence and ease!