French · Greetings & Essentials
"What's up?" in French: quoi de neuf ?
quoi de neuf ?
What's up in French is quoi de neuf ? Literally what's new. Use it as a casual greeting check-in. Pas grand-chose is a classic reply.
Texting a friend
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How to pronounce quoi de neuf ?
Say it
kwah duh nuhf
/kwa də nœf/
Quoi: kwah. De: duh. Neuf: nuhf. Together: kwah duh nuhf. Light, friendly tone.
"What's up?" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| quoi de neuf ? | what's up? / what's new? Default casual ask. | Default casual ask. |
| alors, quoi de neuf ? | so, what's up? Warmer opener. | Warmer opener. |
| pas grand-chose | not much Common answer. | Common answer. |
| quoi de beau ? | what's good? Close cousin. | Close cousin. |
How to use quoi de neuf ? in real life
- 1Texting a friend
Salut — quoi de neuf ?
Hi—what's up?
Short greeting.
- 2After a trip
Alors, quoi de neuf depuis ton retour ?
So, what's up since you got back?
Time frame added.
- 3Coffee meetup
Quoi de neuf de ton côté ?
What's up on your side?
De ton côté.
Mistakes English speakers make with quoi de neuf ?
Incorrect: Quoi de new ?
Correct: Quoi de neuf ?
Use neuf.
Incorrect: What's up français ?
Correct: Quoi de neuf ?
Use the French phrase.
Good to know
Quoi de neuf ? sits between formal comment ça va and slang. Replies can be long stories or a shrug-like pas grand-chose. Tone matters more than vocabulary.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Running into a neighbor
ChatPal
Hé ! Quoi de neuf ?
Hey! What's up?
You
Pas grand-chose. Et toi, quoi de neuf ?
Not much. And you, what's up?
ChatPal
J'ai changé de boulot.
I changed jobs.
You
Sérieux ? Raconte.
Really? Tell me.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"What's up?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "What's up?" in French
How do you say what's up in French?
Quoi de neuf ?
How do you answer?
Pas grand-chose, or share news.
Is ça va the same?
Ça va asks how you are; quoi de neuf asks what's new.
How do you pronounce neuf?
nuhf.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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