How would you say "Which shoes are yours?"
You already know that Que or Qu'est-ce que at the start of a question is used to ask what something is (See Qu'est-ce que c'est... and Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça/cela ? = What is... / What's that?, C'est quoi, Qu'est-ce que c'est ? = What's that?).
Now look at these questions:
Quel est ton film préféré?
Which / What is your favourite movie?
Quels bonbons tu as choisis?
Which/What sweets did you choose?
Quelle jupe tu veux?
Which/What skirt do you want?
Quelles chaussures te plaisent?
Which shoes do you like?
Quelle est la plus belle princesse du royaume ?
Who is the prettiest princess in the kingdom?
Quel garçon a jeté cette balle ?
Which boy threw that ball?
Note that the question adjective quel also means "What/Who?" (and "Which?") in French.
So when to use quel instead of que/quoi/qui ?
Whereas que/quoi/qui will be used to define something, to ask what they are, quel is used in the context of a choice, an alternative: what is that, relative to other elements?
Note also that Quel is an adjective, so it always relates to a noun (thing/person). Therefore, it will be used when the question "What/Who" is really "What/Which <thing/person>...?" or "What is <thing>" or "Who is <person>?":
Quelle est votre adresse ?
What is your address?
Quel acteur voudrais-tu rencontrer ?
Which actor would you like to meet?
Quel parfum de glace tu préfères ?
Which ice cream flavour do you prefer?
Quelle est la personne que tu admires le plus ?
Who is the person you admire the most?
ATTENTION:
Quel is an adjective, so it agrees in number and gender with the thing/person it is used with ("quel", "quels", "quelle", or "quelles").
Case of lequel, laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles
These are pronouns, which means they're replacing pre-mentioned nouns (i.e. "Which one(s) ...?).
Therefore, they'll be used when the thing they refer to has already been mentioned, to emphasise the question:
Mets tes chaussures !
- Lesquelles ?
Put your shoes on!
- Which ones?
J'adore les bonbons !
- Oui, mais lesquels sont tes préférés ?
I love sweets!
- Yes, but which ones are your favourite?
Note that the noun is not mentioned in the question, as lequel, laquelle... already expresses it: it would be redundant!
See also Quel, quelle, quels, quelles + noun = What a ...
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Quelles chaussures te plaisent?
Which shoes do you like?
J'adore les bonbons !
- Oui, mais lesquels sont tes préférés ?
I love sweets!
- Yes, but which ones are your favourite?
Quelle est la plus belle princesse du royaume ?
Who is the prettiest princess in the kingdom?
Quelle jupe tu veux?
Which/What skirt do you want?
Mets tes chaussures !
- Lesquelles ?
Put your shoes on!
- Which ones?
Quel parfum de glace tu préfères ?
Which ice cream flavour do you prefer?
Quels bonbons tu as choisis?
Which/What sweets did you choose?
Quelle est la personne que tu admires le plus ?
Who is the person you admire the most?
Quelle est votre adresse ?
What is your address?
Quel acteur voudrais-tu rencontrer ?
Which actor would you like to meet?
Quel est ton film préféré?
Which / What is your favourite movie?
Quel garçon a jeté cette balle ?
Which boy threw that ball?
Q&A Forum 20 questions, 38 answers
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AndreaKwiziq community member
Quel acteur voudrais-tu rencontrer ?
I pressed the report button, and it only opened up another identical page! I only wanted to report to technical staff that i hear an "s" between the end of voudrais and the following tu. This is NOT a question.
Asked 6 months ago
Andrea asked:View original
Quel acteur voudrais-tu rencontrer ?
I pressed the report button, and it only opened up another identical page! I only wanted to report to technical staff that i hear an "s" between the end of voudrais and the following tu. This is NOT a question.
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Father ofKwiziq community member
Qu'est-ce que c'est dans la boite?
What is that into the box?
Asked 9 months ago
Hi Father of ,
What you are actually saying is -
What is it in the box?
which doesn’t sound quite right in English or French in my opinion...
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JoanKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
What is inside the box?
Qu'est dans la boîte?
Quel est dans la boîte?
Asked 9 months ago
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Qu'est-ce qui est dans la boîte? (That sounds the most natural.)C'est quoi dans la boîte? (Familiar)
Quel est dans la boîte? is not really appropriate, because quel refers to something which would have been introduced or mentioned previously.
CécileKwiziq team member
Well Joan, it would have to be a pretty big box as 'qui' would refer to a person.....
CécileKwiziq team member
Pas de problème, Joan, you could also say -
Qu'est-ce qu'il y a dans la boîte ?
Bonne continuation!
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PatriziaKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Is it right the sentence Quel ami est ce que tu preferes? And quelle couleur est ce que tu veux?
Asked 11 months ago
Hi Patrizia,
Yes , both of these sentences are correct.
Quel ami est-ce que tu préfères?
Quelle couleur est-ce que tu veux?
Patrizia asked:View original
Is it right the sentence Quel ami est ce que tu preferes? And quelle couleur est ce que tu veux?
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Julianne Kwiziq community member
Quels bonbons tu as choisis
Quel est le temps pour le verbe choisir dans cette question ? Je pense qu'il faut passe composé, parce que on utilise avoir, mais le participe passé de choisir est choisi. Merci!
Asked 11 months ago
Julianne Kwiziq community member
Merci! Il y a un autre leçon au niveau A2 qui a dit le participe passé n'accord pas avec le verb avoir mais tu as raison parce que le objet (bonbons) est avant le verb (avoir). C'est vrai n'est-ce pas?
Julianne asked:View original
Quels bonbons tu as choisis
Quel est le temps pour le verbe choisir dans cette question ? Je pense qu'il faut passe composé, parce que on utilise avoir, mais le participe passé de choisir est choisi. Merci!
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Shrey Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Bonjour Madame Aurélie ! Quelle est la personne que tu admires le plus ? Should not it be “la”?
Asked 11 months ago
Hi Varsha,
In this case the superlative "le plus" is modifying the verb "admirer", and adverbs have no gender so they always use the masculine form:
Le plus and le moins = the most and the least (superlative of adverbs)
However, if it were modifying a noun then you would agree with the gender:
Le, la, les plus and le, la, les moins = the most and the least (superlatives of adjectives)
Hope that helps!
Shrey asked:View original
Bonjour Madame Aurélie ! Quelle est la personne que tu admires le plus ? Should not it be “la”?
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LizKwiziq community member
Quels or Quelles?
Bonjour Aurélie
"Quels/Quelles sont les danseuses engagées?"
I answered "Quels" as it was unclear if the dancers were male/female or both. I was marked incorrect. Was that because of an incorrect assumption on my part ( that all dancers are female) or was there another reason?
thanks for your guidance,
Elizabeth
Asked 1 year ago
Bonjour Elizabeth,
Quelles is the correct answer because both words, danseuses and engagées, are feminine. All male dancers or a mix of male and female would be written danseurs engagés.
I hope this helps, bonne continuation !
Liz asked:View original
Quels or Quelles?
Bonjour Aurélie
"Quels/Quelles sont les danseuses engagées?"
I answered "Quels" as it was unclear if the dancers were male/female or both. I was marked incorrect. Was that because of an incorrect assumption on my part ( that all dancers are female) or was there another reason?
thanks for your guidance,
Elizabeth
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Shrey Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Bonjour Aurélie
J'adore les bonbons ! - Oui, mais lesquels sont tes préférés ?
In this example can’t the answer be as-
‘Oui,mais lequel est ton préféré?’
How to judge whether the answer of lesquelles or lequel should be singular or plural ?
Pls confirm
Thnx a lot
Asked 1 year ago
Bonjour Varsha !
Here the issue is that "bonbons" is usually used in the plural, especially in this context.
You could also say "quel type de bonbons ?", but if you used the singular here, it would imply one specific piece of candy (or one sweet in the UK) and not a type of candy :)
I hope that's helpful!
Bonne journée !
Shrey asked:View original
Bonjour Aurélie
J'adore les bonbons ! - Oui, mais lesquels sont tes préférés ?
In this example can’t the answer be as-
‘Oui,mais lequel est ton préféré?’
How to judge whether the answer of lesquelles or lequel should be singular or plural ?
Pls confirm
Thnx a lot
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Shrey Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
J'adore les bonbons ! - Oui, mais lesquels sont tes préférés ?
In this example can’t the answer be as-
‘Oui,mais lequel est ton préféré?’
How to judge whether the answer of lesquelles or lequel should be singular or plural ?
Asked 1 year ago
Shrey asked:View original
J'adore les bonbons ! - Oui, mais lesquels sont tes préférés ?
In this example can’t the answer be as-
‘Oui,mais lequel est ton préféré?’
How to judge whether the answer of lesquelles or lequel should be singular or plural ?
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Quel/quelle = masculine/feminine singular
quels/quelles = masculine/feminine plural.
Quel auteur tu aimes le plus? -- Which author do you like the most?
Quelle fille t'a apporté ton manteau? -- Which girl brought you your coat?
Quels auteurs tu aimes le plus? -- Which authors do you like the most?
Quelles filles t'ont apporté ton manteau? -- Which girls brought you your coat?
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OlenaKwiziq community member
passe-temps/hobby/dada
Is there any difference in meanings?
Asked 1 year ago
Hi Olena,
For me, passe-temps is a 'pastime' . So it can be anything from 'regarder la télé' to 'philatélie' (stamp collecting), randonnées en vélo ( bike rides)..
I would have said that 'hobby' was also is its translation in English but it appears it has become to mean 'favourite pastime' in French.
'Dada' in this sense means an obsessive pastime.
Hope this helps!
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DraganaKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Quel/Qu'est-ce qu* - ?
In writing challenge "Problems at the hotel" - Quel est le problème?
I wrote "Qu'est-ce qui est le problème? - can this be correct as well?
Asked 1 year ago
Alan Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
That's not my understanding. "Qu'est-ce qui est" is generally followed by an adjective or preposition. I think you should use "Quel est" with a noun.
Dragana asked:View original
Quel/Qu'est-ce qu* - ?
In writing challenge "Problems at the hotel" - Quel est le problème?
I wrote "Qu'est-ce qui est le problème? - can this be correct as well?
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Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Did you have a specific question? Because what you're asking is in general answered in the lesson. Can you give an example where you experience difficulties?
-- Chris.
GarenKwiziq community member
I understand that we use quel(s) quelle(s) when there is a choice, to mean "which person/thing", but in case of 'quelle est votre addresse?' here there is no choice, this is more of a definition, and it doen't sound like an adjective as well.. so why "quelle" and not "quoi"
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Have a look at this site:
https://french.stackexchange.com/questions/5933/when-to-use-quel-or-quoi
-- Chris.
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GioKwiziq community member
So just for clarification, "Quel garçon à jeté cette balle?" and "Qui à jeté cette balle?"
both are valid correct? It's just that "quel" requires the noun, and qui doesn't.
Asked 1 year ago
Yes, Gio, that's correct. "Quel" would be translated as "which" and, just as in English, requires a noun to follow. "Qui" is "who" which can stand without a noun.
Quel garçon a jeté cette balle. -- Which boy threw this ball?
Qui a jeté cette balle. -- Who threw this ball?
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Quel garçon a jeté cette balle. -- Which boy threw this ball?
Qui a jeté cette balle. -- Who threw this ball?
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Gio asked:View original
So just for clarification, "Quel garçon à jeté cette balle?" and "Qui à jeté cette balle?"
both are valid correct? It's just that "quel" requires the noun, and qui doesn't.
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PeggyKwiziq community member
lesquels sont tes prefere -Which ones do you prefer? why "tes" when referring to "you" singular?
Asked 2 years ago
"Lesquelles sont tes préferées" or
"Lesquels sont tes préferés" -- Both mean which are those which you prefer? But more literally and probably clearer to understant the French connection would be: Which ones are your preferred ones?" Hence the subject is "Which ones = lesquelles/lesquels".
"Tes" needs to be in plural because it needs to match the plural form of "preferred ones = préferées/préferés".
In the first sentence you are talking about feminine things (e.g., chaussures) and in the latter about masculine things (e.g., chemins). But in either case you are talking about things in plural. This is indicated by "lesquelles/lesquels" (the plural form), "sont" (third person plural), tes (also plural) and "préferées/préferés" again plural.
So, to make it all hang together, it all needs to indicate the plural form.
Hope that helps, -- Chris (not a native speaker)
"Lesquels sont tes préferés" -- Both mean which are those which you prefer? But more literally and probably clearer to understant the French connection would be: Which ones are your preferred ones?" Hence the subject is "Which ones = lesquelles/lesquels".
"Tes" needs to be in plural because it needs to match the plural form of "preferred ones = préferées/préferés".
In the first sentence you are talking about feminine things (e.g., chaussures) and in the latter about masculine things (e.g., chemins). But in either case you are talking about things in plural. This is indicated by "lesquelles/lesquels" (the plural form), "sont" (third person plural), tes (also plural) and "préferées/préferés" again plural.
So, to make it all hang together, it all needs to indicate the plural form.
Hope that helps, -- Chris (not a native speaker)
Peggy asked:View original
lesquels sont tes prefere -Which ones do you prefer? why "tes" when referring to "you" singular?
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Win Kwiziq community member
Why is it bonnes resolutions if resolutions is feminine (from my test sentence using quelle)
Asked 2 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Win !
I don't understand your confusion here.
As you said "résolutions" is a feminine and plural noun, therefore the adjective "bon" agree into "bonnes".
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Win asked:View original
Why is it bonnes resolutions if resolutions is feminine (from my test sentence using quelle)
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YellamarajuKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Verbs conjugate with auxillary avoir - past pariciples agreeing in number/gender.
Request: Need to know the situation (and also the lesson) when verbs conjugated with Verbs using "avoir" where past participle agrees with noun in gender and number as in" Quelles bonnes resolutions as-tu prises cette année ?
Thanks.
Asked 2 years ago
Hi Yellamara and Arash - yes, there are special cases where the past participle in French agrees even when avoir is the auxiliary verb: Special cases when the past participle agrees (in number & gender) when used with 'avoir' in Le Passé Composé">Special cases when the past participle agrees (in number & gender) when used with 'avoir' in Le Passé Composé">Special cases when the past participle agrees (in number & gender) when used with 'avoir' in Le Passé Composé">Special cases when the past participle agrees (in number & gender) when used with 'avoir' in Le Passé Composé
Hope that helps!
Hope that helps!
YellamarajuKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Hi Gruff, Thank you very much for prompt answer. I wanted to vote plus vote to express my appreciation but inadvertently pressed downward arrow. Sorry.
Yellamaraju asked:View original
Verbs conjugate with auxillary avoir - past pariciples agreeing in number/gender.
Request: Need to know the situation (and also the lesson) when verbs conjugated with Verbs using "avoir" where past participle agrees with noun in gender and number as in" Quelles bonnes resolutions as-tu prises cette année ?
Thanks.
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ArashKwiziq community member
Quelles bonnes résolutions as-tu prises cette année?
Quelles bonnes résolutions as-tu prises cette année? Does the verb "pries" agrees with bonnes résolution?
Asked 2 years ago
GruffKwiziq team member
Hi Arash, the verb is "prendre" (past participle "pris") and yes, it does agree with gender and number here because of the placement of the object. See my answer above. Best wishes.
Arash asked:View original
Quelles bonnes résolutions as-tu prises cette année?
Quelles bonnes résolutions as-tu prises cette année? Does the verb "pries" agrees with bonnes résolution?
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