Latest / Learn French with Fexingo / French Asking Questions with Quoi
Transcript
- Lucas: Hey, welcome back to Learn French with Fexingo. I'm Lucas, and today we're going to talk about a super useful word in French: quoi. Luna: Quoi? That sounds pretty short. Is it like 'what'? Lucas: Exactly! Quoi means 'what' in French, but it's used in a really casual way. We use it in everyday questions, like texting or chatting with friends. Luna: Oh, so it's not formal? Like, I wouldn't use it with a boss? Lucas: Right, it's very casual. You'd use it with friends or people you know well. So let's start with a simple one: C'est quoi? Luna: C'est quoi? Lucas: Perfect. It means 'What is it?' or 'What's that?' You can use it when you see something and you're curious. Luna: So if I see a weird fruit at the market, I'd say C'est quoi? Lucas: Exactly. C'est quoi? And the person might answer, C'est un fruit. But let's stick to the question. Let's say it again slowly: C'est quoi? Luna: C'est quoi? Lucas: There you go. Now, another common one: Tu fais quoi? Luna: Tu fais quoi? Lucas: That means 'What are you doing?' It's like when you call a friend and ask what they're up to. Luna: Oh, so I could text my friend, Tu fais quoi? Lucas: Yes, exactly. It's very natural. Let's try a mini conversation. Imagine I'm your friend. I say, Salut! Tu fais quoi? Luna: Uhh, Je regarde un film. Lucas: Yeah, nice. You used a phrase from our weekend episode. Je regarde un film. So you're watching a film. And then I say, Ah, cool. Et toi? Luna: Wait, I'm the one who was watching the film. So I ask, Et toi? And you say...? Lucas: I say, Je fais une promenade. I'm going for a walk. See how natural that is. Luna: Yeah, I like it. Tu fais quoi is super handy. Lucas: Now, let's add another one: Quoi de neuf? Luna: Quoi de neuf? Lucas: It means 'What's new?' or 'What's up?' You use it when you haven't seen someone in a while. Luna: Oh, like when I bump into a friend and I want to know what's been happening. Lucas: Exactly. So you'd say, Salut! Quoi de neuf? Luna: Salut! Quoi de neuf? Lucas: Perfect. It's a great conversation starter. Now, let's try another one: Tu veux quoi? Luna: Tu veux quoi? Lucas: That means 'What do you want?' It's really casual. Like at a café, your friend asks, Tu veux quoi? Luna: So I'd say, Je voudrais un café. But wait, is that too formal? Lucas: No, it's fine. Tu veux quoi? is the question, and you can answer with Je voudrais un café. It works. Luna: Got it. Tu veux quoi? Lucas: Now let's do one more: On fait quoi? Luna: On fait quoi? Lucas: It means 'What are we doing?' It's great when you're with friends and trying to decide on plans. Luna: So if I'm with my friend on a Saturday, I'd say, On fait quoi? Lucas: Yes, and your friend could say, On va au parc. Remember that from our park episode? Luna: Oh yeah, On va au parc. I love that. Lucas: So let's recap all five phrases. We have C'est quoi?, Tu fais quoi?, Quoi de neuf?, Tu veux quoi?, and On fait quoi? Luna: Oh, that's a lot. But they all use quoi, so it's like a family of questions. Lucas: Exactly. And you already know the family. Let's say them together slowly. C'est quoi? Luna: C'est quoi? Lucas: Tu fais quoi? Luna: Tu fais quoi? Lucas: Quoi de neuf? Luna: Quoi de neuf? Lucas: Tu veux quoi? Luna: Tu veux quoi? Lucas: On fait quoi? Luna: On fait quoi? Lucas: Perfect. Now let's put them in a tiny scene. Imagine you're meeting your friend at the park. Luna: Okay. Lucas: You say, Salut! Quoi de neuf? Luna: Salut! Quoi de neuf? Lucas: And your friend says, Pas grand-chose. Et toi? Luna: Pas grand-chose. Et toi? Lucas: Then you say, On fait quoi? Luna: On fait quoi? Lucas: And your friend says, On va au parc. Perfect. That's a real conversation. Luna: Yeah, I can see that happening. These are super everyday. Lucas: Now, speaking of everyday, I want to be honest about something. Fexingo doesn't run ads, and we want to keep it that way. A small group of listeners already chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what funds making these episodes. Luna: Yeah, it's like supporting a friend's project. If you've been learning with us, even a small contribution helps keep the show going. Lucas: Exactly. No pressure, just if you can. Now, back to quoi. There's one more thing I want to mention. Luna: Oh, what's that? Lucas: Sometimes you'll hear quoi at the end of a sentence, like a tag. For example, Tu viens, quoi? It's like 'You're coming, right?' Luna: Oh, so it's like a filler? Lucas: Yeah, sort of. It adds a bit of emphasis. But for today, stick with the five questions we learned. They're the core. Luna: Got it. I'll practice them with my friends. Or at least with myself. Lucas: That works. Try saying them out loud a few times. And if you want to support the show, you know where to go. Luna: Right, buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. But mainly, keep practicing your French. Lucas: Yes. See you next time, and keep speaking French. Luna: À bientôt!