Qu'est-ce que c'est... and Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça/cela ? = What is... / What's that? in French

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE

Last updated: 2024-05-09

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There are several ways to ask something to be explained with What is it/this/that? in French.

Learn how to ask What is it/this/that? in French

1. What is it ?

C'est quoi ?What is it?

Qu'est-ce que c'est ?What is it?

Literally "what is it that it is?", it is pronounced [kess kuh say].

Note that est-ce is simply c'est inverted.

2. What is this/that ?

Qu'est-ce que c'est que cela ?What is that? / What is this?

Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça ?What is that? / What is this?

C'est quoi ça ?What is this? / What is that?

Literally what is it that it is that that? (quite a mouthful!), this is pronounced simply [kess kuh seksah] and [kess kuh sek sullah].

Note that ça is the shortened form of cela.
Cela is quite formal, so you'll hear ça used much more frequently.

Qu'est-ce que cela ?What is this ? / What is that ?

This shorter form of the question is actually more formal in French, and will therefore require the more elegant cela.
You wouldn't say Qu'est-ce que ça ?

ATTENTION:

When asking What is this/that? in the context of a choice, as in Which one is that?, you will then use Quel/quels/quelle/quelles ? = Which/what? (French Question Words).

3. What is [thing]?

C'est quoi [chose] ? or Qu'est-ce que c'est [chose] ?

C'est quoi le Sacré Cœur à Paris ?What is the Sacré Cœur in Paris?

Qu'est-ce que c'est un stylo ?What is a pen?

If you want to ask what something is by name, simply add the name of the thing after c'est quoi or qu'est-ce que c'est.
These are not the most elegant questions, but probably the most commonly used.

Qu'est-ce que c'est que + [something] :

Note: que appears three times in this construction!

Qu'est-ce que c'est que le Sacré Coeur à Paris ?What is the Sacré Coeur in Paris?

Qu'est-ce que c'est qu'un stylo ?What's a 'stylo' - pen?

If you want to ask what something is by name, simply replace ça/cela with the name of the thing.
Remember to contract que into qu' if followed with a vowel or silent h.

Qu'est-ce que + [chose] :

Qu'est-ce que le Sacré Coeur à Paris ?What is the Sacré Coeur in Paris?

Qu'est-ce qu'un stylo ?What's a 'stylo' - pen?

Once again, if you want to ask what something is by name, simply replace cela with the name of the thing.
Remember to contract que into qu' if followed with a vowel or silent h.

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