Though it may look like and sound like a tongue twister at first, the French expression qu’est-ce que c’est is a useful and versatile tool to have in your vocabulary. This French question seamlessly integrates into a variety of situations, from asking about an unfamiliar dish at a bistro to inquiring about someone’s favorite song.

English speakers may even recognize the phrase from pop culture, as qu’est-ce que c’est has appeared regularly in music and film over the years. The 1977 Talking Heads song Psycho Killer, with its chorus “psycho killer, qu’est-ce que c’est,” is probably the catchiest example!

In this post, we’ll start by breaking down the different pieces of qu’est-ce que c’est in French, then we’ll explore how to use it and how to respond to it. Finally, we’ll present some (shorter) alternatives, for those cases where you really need to ask a quick question!

Qu’est-ce que c’est: Literal translation and meaning

Notoriously difficult to translate literally into English, qu’est-ce que c’est is a combination of several different words. It is usually interpreted simply as what is this in French. Broken down into individual words, qu’est-ce que c’est literally translates to “What is it that it is,” but it contains several grammatical parts that we’ll look at here.

The first grammatical element is the first word, que (shortened to qu’ because of the following vowel). Que is an interrogative pronoun, better known as a question word, meaning what. When combined with the next grammatical chunk est-ce que, the resulting phrase qu’est-ce que is often translated into English as what…? at the beginning of a question.

The second grammatical chunk is the phrase est-ce que, which translates literally as is it that. The first two words, est-ce, are the inverted form of the phrase c’est, which means it is. Note that this inverted form must contain the le trait d’union, or hyphen. These two words are then followed by que, but this time que is acting as a relative pronoun meaning that.

The last grammatical component is c’est, meaning means it is. C’est is a contraction of the words ce (a demonstrative pronoun meaning this or it) and est (the third-person singular conjugation of the verb être: is).

As you can see, our qu’est-ce que c’est literal translation doesn’t really make sense. Instead, just remember that this expression usually means what is it or what is this in French.

Now that we’ve broken it down and discovered its meaning, let’s talk about how to use qu’est-ce que c’est in French!

Using Qu’est-ce que c’est in French

Qu’est-ce que c’est is a straightforward yet versatile question that can be used in many different situations. It is commonly asked when we encounter something new or unfamiliar, or when we want to inquire about an object, person, concept, or situation.

Sometimes, we might need to physically indicate what we’re asking about. For example, if we enter a pastry shop and want to know about a particular pastry, we could point at it and ask “Qu’est-ce que c’est?” to learn what kind of pastry it is. It’s just like asking “What is that?” in English.

However, we won’t always need to point when asking this question. Imagine that we’re at a friend’s dinner party and have just been handed a mysterious dish. We could ask “Qu’est-ce que c’est?” to find out what it is, just like asking “What is this?” in English.

We can also ask Qu’est-ce que c’est? to inquire about a situation without the same visual component as in the previous two examples. We can use qu’est-ce que c’est to ask about a general concept or idea by simply adding the concept or idea after the phrase. For example, to ask “What is love?” we could say “Qu’est-ce que c’est, l’amour?”

Finally, we can use Qu’est-ce que c’est? as a follow-up question after someone has mentioned a specific concept or idea, but hasn’t given any detail. For example, if a friend mentioned that their favorite song was playing but didn’t say the name of the song, we could ask “Qu’est-ce que c’est?” to find out what their favorite song is.

Responding to Qu’est-ce que c’est in French

Generally speaking, most responses to the question Qu’est-ce que c’est? in French will begin with the phrase c’est, meaning it is or it’s. Be careful, though – depending on how your answer is worded, you may need to use either il est or c’est.

• Qu’est-ce que c’est ? / C’est une tarte aux framboises. – What is that? / It’s a raspberry tart.

• Qu’est-ce que c’est, l’amour ? / C’est un sentiment profond d’affection et d’attachement envers quelqu’un. – What is love? / It is a deep feeling of affection and attachment towards someone.

Alternatives to Qu’est-ce que c’est in French

If you’re in a rush, or if you just want to add some variety, there are several other ways to say what is this in French.

The two most common short alternatives are c’est quoi? and c’est quoi ça? Both of these questions mean what is this?, what is that?, or what is it?, and both are relatively informal.

• C’est quoi, ce truc ? / C’est un kaléidoscope. – What is this thing? / It’s a kaleidoscope.

• C’est quoi ça sur ton épaule ? / Beurk ! C’est une araignée ! – What’s that on your shoulder? / Ewww! It’s a spider!

A slightly more formal alternative to these short questions is to drop the c’est from the end of qu’est-ce que c’est, and just say qu’est-ce que plus the name of what you’re asking about. This doesn’t work if you’re asking the name of something, but it’s an informal option for asking about concepts.

If you don’t mind being wordy and you really want to emphasize your shock, disbelief, or amazement, you can even lengthen this already long expression! To do so, you can add que ça onto the end to say Qu’est-ce que c’est que ça? This question is like asking What in the world is that? in French.

Conclusion: Qu’est-ce que c’est

As we conclude our exploration of qu’est-ce que c’est, we find ourselves equipped with an invaluable tool in French communication.

Whether you’re navigating the menu at a new restaurant, asking about an unfamiliar concept, or following up on a detail in conversation, this French phrase effortlessly weaves itself into diverse situations!

So, the next time you find yourself curious in a French conversation, you can embrace that interest and confidently ask “Qu’est-ce que c’est?” to enrich your knowledge and language skills. This question is your partner and will lead you to many new discoveries and connections, one qu’est-ce que c’est at a time!