French · Greetings & Essentials
"Who?" in French: qui ?
qui ?
Who in French is qui. Qui est là ? means who is there? À qui… ? means whose/to whom… ? Qui est-ce qui… ? is a spoken subject pattern; qui est-ce que… ? for objects.
Door knock
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How to pronounce qui ?
Say it
kee
/ki/
Qui is kee. Before a vowel it can link: qui est sounds like kee-eh. Keep it short and clear.
"Who?" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| qui ? | who? Direct question. | Direct question. |
| qui est-ce ? | who is it? At the door / on the phone. | At the door / on the phone. |
| à qui… ? | whose / to whom… ? Possession and recipients. | Possession and recipients. |
| qui est-ce qui / que… ? | who… ? Spoken full forms. | Spoken full forms. |
How to use qui ? in real life
- 1Door knock
Qui est là ?
Who's there?
Short qui.
- 2Group photo
Qui veut se mettre devant ?
Who wants to stand in front?
Qui as subject.
- 3Lost scarf
À qui est cette écharpe ?
Whose scarf is this?
À qui for possession.
Mistakes English speakers make with qui ?
Incorrect: Who est à la porte ?
Correct: Qui est à la porte ?
Use qui.
Incorrect: Qui que tu appelles ?
Correct: Qui est-ce que tu appelles ? / Tu appelles qui ?
Use a natural question pattern with qui.
Good to know
French often ends casual questions with qui: Tu viens avec qui ? Formal writing prefers qui est-ce que… structures, but short qui is everywhere in speech.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Sorting party guests
ChatPal
Qui amène le gâteau ?
Who's bringing the cake?
You
Léa. Et qui s'occupe des boissons ?
Léa. And who is handling drinks?
ChatPal
Moi. Toi, les chips.
Me. You, the chips.
You
Deal.
Deal.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Who?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Who?" in French
How do you say who in French?
Qui ?
How do I say who is it?
Qui est-ce ?
How do I say whose… ?
À qui… ?
How do you pronounce qui?
Kee.
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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