FR: Qu'est-ce qui se passe ?

[starla467]

My daughters' french teacher told her that "Qu'est-ce qui se passe" means "what's happening", but, the first part (Qu'est) I can't translate. Could someone please help?
thank you

Moderator note: multiple threads merged to create this one

 

[nanel]

That's the way French speakers start a question. "Qu'est-ce que..."

 

[xav]

= "What...?" ; we usually
- say "Qu'est-ce que vous dites ?", "Qu'est-ce qui se passe ?"
- and write "Que dites-vous ?", "Que se passe-t-il ?".

The first way may only be written in dialogs.
The second way isn't often used in conversation, except maybe between old ladies...

 

[bongbang]

Or to be very precise:

Qu'est-ce qu... = What is it that... ?

Qu'est-ce que vous dites ? = What is it that you're saying?
Qu'est-ce qui se passe ? = What is it that's happening?

Note, however, that as the most common form of "What" question in French, the construction doesn't carry the emphasis that it would in English.

 

[assistante87]

Hi I was wondering which of these is correct, or if they are both correct do they have different uses?:

ce qui se passe?
qu'est-ce que se passe?

Thanks!

 

[Keith Bradford]

I think there's one correct sentence in there: "qu'est-ce qui se passe ?" meaning "What's going on?"

 

[JonnyDr]

Right Keith. Although 'que se passe-t-il?' is said in the interrogative form.

'Ce qui se passe' is not a question but would make sense as part of another construction 'tout ce qui se passe...' for example.

 

[JB]

Since "qui" is for people, & "que" is for things, I don't understand why Qu'est QUI se passe? means What's happening? Is it just idiomatic?

 

[Hildy1]

In the long forms, the first pronoun indicates whether it is a person or a thing; the second one, which is part of a relative clause, indicates whether the relative pronoun is the subject or direct object of the verb (or the object of a preposition) in the relative clause.

Qu'est-ce qui se passe? (thing; subject of the verb) What is happening?
Qu'est-ce que tu veux faire? (thing; direct object of the verb) What do you want?
Qui est-ce qui dit cela? (person; subject of the relative clause) Who says that?
Qui est-ce que tu as vu? (person; direct object of the verb in the relative clause) Who(m) did you see?

 

[SaraPA]

Since "qui" is for people, & "que" is for things, I don't understand why Qu'est QUI se passe? means What's happening? Is it just idiomatic?

I have the same doubt! But it seems that it's idiomatic indeed.
Thanks, people, for the information

 

[atcheque]

Bonjour,

I have the same doubt! But it seems that it's idiomatic indeed.
Thanks, people, for the information

Qui is for the subject of the verb and que for its object (complement), as Hildy answered just previously.

 

[Oddmania]

What's so confusing is that, when qui and que are interrogative pronouns, qui is used for people and que for things (regardless of them being subjects or objects), just as Hildy explained very well.

 

[olivier68]

The answer by Hildi1 is brilliant. And I agree also with Oddmania.

[…]

 

[Maître Capello]

For more details, please read the following thread: FR: qu'est-ce qui / qu'est-ce que / qui est-ce qui / qui est-ce que.

 

[persona67]

Pour moi, la forme correcte est "Qu'est-ce qu'il se passe ?" ou "Que se passe-t-il ?"

 

[Maître Capello]

C'est l'une des formes correctes…

Voir aussi :
FR: ce qu'il/qui s'est vraiment passé
ce qu'il se passe / ce qui se passe

 

[Grete]

I just wanted to ask why can't be used Qu'est-ce que se passe or in passé composé Qu'est-ce que s'est passé? I can't understand the difference between the sentence Qu'est-ce que c'est? -there is ,,que" as the word ,,What is this?" so in the sentence Qu'est-ce que s'est passé is not? Thank you very much for any answer/Merci beaucoup pour toute reponse

 

[olivier68]

"qui" is subject; "que" is "object" ;-)

 

[Maître Capello]

As I already wrote above a few years ago, see the following thread for more details:

FR: qu'est-ce qui / qu'est-ce que / qui est-ce qui / qui est-ce que