"

Interrogative Constructions

interrogative pronouns: qui, qui est-ce que, qu’est-ce qui, qu’est-ce que

questions about people

Qui is used to ask questions about people. It may be the subject or the direct object in a sentence and thus, can mean either ‘who?’ or ‘whom?’ You may also choose to use the longer forms: qui est-ce qui to ask ‘who?’, qui est-ce que to ask ‘whom?’

As the subject: quiqui est-ce qui
As the direct object: quiqui est-ce que


Bette: Qui est à la porte? Oh, c’est toi, Tammy. Bette: Who is at the door? Oh, it’s you Tammy.
Qui cherches-tu? Whom are you looking for?
Tammy: Je cherche Tex. Tammy: I’m looking for Tex.
Bette: Il n’est pas là. Bette: He’s not here.
Cinq minutes plus tard … Five minutes later …
Bette: Encore! Qui est-ce qui est à la porte? Oh! C’est toi, Tex! Bette: Again! Who is at the door? Oh! It’s you Tex!
Qui est-ce que tu cherches? Moi peut-être? Whom are you looking for? Me perhaps?
Tex: Non, je cherche Tammy. Tex: No, I’m looking for Tammy.
Bette: Elle n’est pas là. Bette: She’s not here.

As the object of a preposition: qui

Tex: Ouvre! Ouvre! Tex: Open! Open!
Bette: Oui?! Bette: Yes?!
Tex: Tu as vu Tammy? Tex: Have you seen Tammy?
Bette: Oui. Bette: Yes.
Tex: Avec qui est-ce qu’elle est partie? Tex: Whom did she leave with?
Bette: Pour qui me prends-tu? Je ne la surveille pas! Bette: Who do you think I am (whom do you take me for)? I don’t watch her!
Tex: Oh, la, la, calme-toi, ma petite. Tex: Oh, la, la, calm down, my little one.

questions about things

Qu’est-ce quique and its longer form qu’est-ce que are used to ask questions about things. They are used to ask ‘what?’. Que and its longer form qu’est-ce que are direct objects in a sentence, whereas qu’est-ce qui may be used only as the subject. (There is no short form of qu’est-ce qui.)

As the subject: qu’est-ce qui
As the direct object: quequ’est-ce que
As the object of a preposition: quoi

Tammy arrive chez Bette. Elle voit Tex et Bette ensemble. Tammy arrives at Bette’s house. She sees Tex and Bette together.
Tammy: Qu’est-ce qui se passe, Tex? Tammy: What’s going on, Tex?
Tex: Rien, mon chou, je te cherchais. Tex: Nothing, my dear. I was looking for you.
Tammy: Oui, d’accord, mais qu’est-ce que tu fais avec … elle! Tammy: Yes, ok, but what are you doing with … her!
Tex: Oh, de quoi tu parles? Tex: Oh, what are you talking about?
Tammy: Tex, ne fais pas l’innocent avec moi! Tammy: Don’t act innocent with me!

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Tex’s French Grammar Copyright © by Carl Blyth is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.