12 French question words you should know

Mastering the basic French question words can feel like a tedious task, but it’s also one that opens the door to authentic interactions. After all, it’s easier to learn a new language when you know how to ask questions in it.

In this guide, we’ll teach you the key interrogative words you’ll need to interact with French natives. We’ll focus on the meaning and construction of French questions, and explain how to ask who, what, where, when and other common questions en français.

• Qui (Who)
• Que/Quoi (What)
• Où (Where)
• Quand (When)
• Pourquoi (Why)
• Combien (How much/how many)
• Comment (How)
• Lequel/Laquelle (Which one)
• A qui/A quoi (To whom/of what)

Qui (Who)

In French, “qui” is the interrogative pronoun that signifies  “who” or “whom.” It’s used to learn about a person or to identify the subject or recipient of an action. Here’s how to use “qui” in different contexts:

• Identity questions: "Qui est cette personne ?" ("Who is this person?")
• Question about an action: "La personne qui parle est mon frère." ("The person who speaks is my brother.")
• Composite questions: “Qui est-ce qui vient à la fête ?" ("Who comes to the party?") 

Que/Quoi (What)

"Que" is an interrogative pronoun similar to “qui,” though it signifies an object rather than a person. It translates to "what" in English. While the other interrogative words are often used in their entirety, "que" is often contracted into "qu’." You can pronounce “que” phonetically by making the sound in English for the made-up word  “keu.” Use it in:

• Questions that ask about an activity: "Que fais-tu ce week-end ?" ("What are you doing this weekend?")
• Questions that require contractions: "Qu’est-ce que tu aimes faire pendant ton temps libre ?" ( "What do you like to do in your free time?")

Où (Where)

“Où” in French indicates a location and corresponds to “where” in English. It can show up at the very beginning of a question or at the very end. You can pronounce “où”  like this: “Ooh.” Here are some examples:

• "Où habites-tu ?” (“Where do you live?")
• “La librairie dont tu m’as parlé se trouve où ?” (“Where is the bookstore you told me about?” – informal)

Quand (When)

To say “when” in French, use the pronoun “quand”. “Quand” can be used on its own, as a subject or as the object of a sentence. 

Pourquoi (Why)

To ascertain a cause or reason, we use "pourquoi,” which means "why." 

You can pronounce "pourquoi" like this: "poor-kwah."

• "Pourquoi a-t-il fait cela ?" ("Why did he do that?")
• "Pourquoi portes-tu ces chaussures ?" ("Why are you wearing these shoes?")

Combien (How much/how many)

To request information about a quantity or a volume, you can use the French word “combien” followed by the noun in question or a verb. This corresponds to “how much” or “how many.” You can pronounce “combien” like this: "com-bee-en."

• "Combien de baguettes as-tu acheté ?" ("How many chopsticks did you buy?")
• “Combien de personnes étaient à la réunion ?” (“How many people were at the meeting?”)

When "combien" is followed by a name, the preposition "de" should be added after it, like so:

• "Combien de voyages as-tu fait ?" ("How many trips did you make?")

Comment (How)

To request the status of a thing, or to ascertain the means or method by which a thing has come about, we use “comment,” which means "how."
You can pronounce “comment” like this: "com-en." 

• Status: "Comment va-t-elle ?" ("How is she?")
• Means: "Comment ce chat est-il arrivé ici ?" ("How did this cat get here?")
• Method: "Comment as-tu préparé ce plat ?" ("How did you prepare this dish?")

Lequel/Laquelle (Which one)

When you want to ask "which one," use “lequel” in the masculine and “laquelle” in the feminine. In the plural, to ask "which" or "which ones," you can use “lesquels” or “lesquelles.”

• "Voici nos tartes. Laquelle voulez-vous goûter ?" ("Here are our pies. Which one do you want to try?") 
• "Lequel as-tu acheté ?" ("Which one did you buy?")
• "Parmi toutes les options, lesquelles as-tu choisies ?" ("Which of the options did you choose?")

A qui/A quoi (To whom/of what)

To ask "to whom" or "whose," use "a qui.” To ask "to what," you could say "a quoi." You can pronounce "a qui/a quoi" like this: "ah-key/ah-kwah." 

• "A qui est cette casquette ?" ("Whose cap is that?")
• "A qui téléphones-tu ?" ("Who are you calling?")
• "A quoi penses-tu ?" ("What are you thinking?")

Learn to ask a question in French correctly

Hopefully, these details on the meaning, use and pronunciation of the 12 main French interrogation words will give you a good starting point to ask questions. Before using other, more complex words, try to master these essential French question words. Practice now, be curious and have fun! Any question can lead to another question, which can help you learn French quickly!