tani_boy

[sour anchor]

Please be patient

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[spark bloom]

Very loosely
Quel/Quelle - Which
Qu'est-ce que - What

Yes, quel âge as-tu is quel, because technically is "Which age are you"

[sacred mural]

Ah, because on all the translators it showed quelle as both which and what

that is why I was getting confused when to use what

[spark bloom]

in technicality quel is what but in very certain contexts

like "Quelle voiture!" - What a car!

but otherwise it is which

Quel film regardes-tu? - Which film are you watching (Loosely: What film...)

[sacred mural]

So only in exclam sentences it will translate to what?

[spark bloom]

Qu'est que tu regardes? - What are you watching

[spark bloom]

yes

with english which/what is lowkey interchangable

Which/What film are you watching

so in places where you can use which, you would use quel

[sacred mural]

Can it be possible that both can be used4

and it is correct?

[spark bloom]

no

quel primarily is in place of which

you know what thing you are talking about

like i ask

Qu'est-ce que tu regardes? - What are you watching?

You can be wtching films or videos or whatever

or even tiktoks

but if i said

Tu regardes quel film? - What(which) film are you watching

[sacred mural]

Oh, so simply put Quel will be used if I dont have an object and qu'est-ce que will be used if I have an object?

[sacred mural]

I meant the other way around

like quel when i have an object

[spark bloom]

yes other way around took me a while to clock it

[sacred mural]

Ok merci beaucoup!

[tight echo]

Quel is an interrogative adjective. Like any other adjective, it qualifies a noun.
Quel film ?
Quel can also be in predicative position:
Quel est le film que tu as vu ?
Qu'est-ce que is just an interrogative pronoun which basically replaces a noun.
Qu'est-ce que tu as mangé ? - J'ai mangé du poisson.

[ebon acorn]

before être it generally means "what" since English often uses "what" even in cases where there are presumably a limited number of options

[sacred mural]

Got it thanks

[sacred mural]

Oh

[ebon acorn]

Quel est ton film préféré => What is your favourite movie?

there's a very large selection of possibilities, but it is still limited

[sacred mural]

Like if I have a sentence -
Pierre mange du gateau.
And I have to replace du gateau
So will the question be
Qu'est-ce que Pierre mange? or
Quel Pierre mange?

[ebon acorn]

Quel Pierre mange => Which Pierre is eating

[tight echo]

The first one. Because you replaced a noun.

[sacred mural]

Can you give me an example in which I can use quel/quelle after replacing something?

[ebon acorn]

Qu'est-ce que Pierre mange = What is Pierre eating (lit. "what is it that Pierre is eating")

[spark bloom]

Qu'est-ce que Pierre mange? - We don't know what he is eating but its something
Quel gateau Pierre mange? - Which cake is he eating

[ebon acorn]

uh

[tight echo]

Quel doesn't replace anything other than an article, because it needs to qualify a noun, not replace it.

[sacred mural]

So If I get like trouvez la question in my exam and there is a sentence, I cannot use quel?

[spark bloom]

context

So "Pierre mange du gateau" is the answer

the question cannot be which cake is he eating

it is what is he eating, so cake

Other things lets say the answer is

[sacred mural]

Like can any of these sentences' question be framed with quel/quelle?

[spark bloom]

i would argue iii can be quel

Quelle voiture M. VIncent a acheté? - What car did M VIncent buyy
Une voiture blance - A white car

but with the fact its all underlined it might want you to ask what did M Vincent buy (let alone that he boutht a car)

[sacred mural]

That is why they underline

yea its fine I have understood