In this grammar lesson you will learn how to ask what is this in French.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- the three methods for asking what is this in French
- the least formal method on how to ask what is this in French
- the medium formal method on how to ask what is this in French
- the most formal method on how to ask what is this in French
- sentences that show how to ask a question in French
- how you can quiz yourself on how to ask what is this in French
- how to practice with flashcards on what is this in French
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French
Please refer to the French A1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about this fits in French A1.
By the end of the lesson you will know all about how to ask what is this in French!
Table of Contents
Three Ways to ask What is This in French
In this lesson I will teach you three methods for how to ask “what is this” in French.
The three methods will range from a little formality to a lot.
I have put them in a table for you.
You can always come back to this if you’d like to have an overview.
| What is this? | What is + (article) + (thing)? | |
| Least Formal | C’est quoi? | C’est quoi + (article) + (chose)? |
| Medium Formal | Qu’est-ce que c’est? | Qu’est-ce que c’est + (article) + (chose)? |
| Most Formal | Qu’est-ce que cela? | Qu’est-ce que + (article) + (chose)? |
Least Formal Method for asking ” what is this?”
The most easy and the most informal method to ask what something is:
- C’est quoi? = What is it? / What is that? / What is this?
However, you’d rarely just say “what is it?”
In real situations, you’d be referring to something.
So imagine that you heard the words ” une maison“.
You don’t know what it is, so you ask about it:
C’est quoi une maison ?
What is a house?
You would thus use the construction:
c’est quoi + (article) + (chose) = what is it + (article) + (thing)
Let’s go over some more examples:
C’est quoi une poire ?
What is a pear?
C’est quoi un ananas ?
What is a pineapple?
C’est quoi le vrai problème ?
What’s the real issue here?
Generally this method is used amongst friends as it is quite informal
Medium Formal Method for asking ” what is this?”
A medium formal method to ask what something is the following:
- Qu’est-ce que c’est ? = What is it? / What is that? / What is this?
You may have noticed that I have highlighted ce in red.
This is because you don’t pronounce this in French, you only write it.
I have highlighted it in all of the examples here, so you don’t forget it.
Just as in the previous chapter, it is unlikely that you would just use this phrase.
Probably you will hear an unknown phrase, and then you will ask a question with that unknown phrase included.
So, imagine that you heard the phrase “un velo“, and you want to know what that is.
This is what you’d ask:
Qu’est-ce que c’est un vélo?
What is a bicycle?
You would thus use the construction:
- qu’est-ce que c’est + (article) + (chose) = what is + (article) + (thing)
Let’s go over some more examples:
Qu’est-ce que c’est le bonheur ?
What is happiness?
Qu’est-ce que c’est le savoir ?
What is knowledge?
Qu’est-ce que c’est une banane ?
What is a banana?
Generally this method can be used in any situation, both formal and informal.
Most Formal Method for asking ” what is this?”
The most formal method for asking what something is would be the following:
- Qu’est-ce que cela ? = What is this? / What is that?
Even though it is shorter it is more formal.
You may have noticed that I have highlighted ce in red.
This is because you don’t pronounce this in French, you only write it.
I have highlighted it in all of the examples here, so you don’t forget it.
In real situations, you’d be referring to something.
You’d rarely just say “what is it?”
Imagine that you want an update regarding something, this is what you’d ask:
Qu’est-ce que la situation maintenant ?
What’s the situation now?
You would thus use the construction:
- qu’est-ce que + (article) + (chose) = what is + (article) + (thing)
Let’s go over some more examples:
Qu’est-ce qu‘un vrai ami?
What is a real friend?
Qu’est-ce qu‘une calculatrice ?
What is a calculator?
Qu’est-ce que la vérité ?
What is the truth?
This method would often be used in formal environments.
Example Sentences with What is This in French
The final section of this lesson on how to ask what is this in French is about seeing the questions in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on asking what is this in French through examples.
C’est quoi?
What is it? / What is that? / What is this?
C’est quoi une maison ?
What is a house?
C’est quoi une poire ?
What is a pear?
C’est quoi un ananas ?
What is a pineapple?
C’est quoi le vrai problème ?
What’s the real issue here?
Qu’est-ce que c’est ?
What is it? / What is that? / What is this?
Qu’est-ce que c’est un vélo?
What is a bycicle?
Qu’est-ce que c’est le bonheur ?
What is happiness?
Qu’est-ce que c’est le savoir ?
What is knowledge?
Qu’est-ce que c’est une banane ?
What is a banana?
Qu’est-ce que cela ?
What is this? / What is that?
Qu’est-ce que la situation maintenant?
What’s the situation now?
Qu’est-ce qu‘un vrai ami?
What is a real friend?
Qu’est-ce qu‘une calculatrice ?
What is a calculator?
Qu’est-ce que la vérité ?
What is the truth?
Quiz Yourself on How to ask What Is This in French
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter. It is up to you to give the correct answer.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want.
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our French A1 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,764 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A1.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
Have you ever wondered what the best way is to learn a new language?
I have been learning languages for over 20+ years and I was always frustrated with books, courses, and classes that I had tried.
It never really seemed to work for me.
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So I thought, “why not make something myself?“.
Using my experience and by doing research I created Language Atlas, a platform where people can learn French and Spanish in the most effective and efficient way.
I created free lessons and quizzes so that there would always be a easy and accessible way for people to learn or brush up on their language skills.
However, I also created courses that are much more comprehensive and in-depth.
These courses are easy to follow, clear, and allow you to become fluent in the most effective and efficient way.
The courses of Language Atlas have:
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- A gamified way of learning a new language
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You can register for free and try the French A0/A1 and Spanish A0/A1 Courses for free!
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