fatesock

[sinful flame]

Please be patient

Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.

Pro tip: you can rename the thread title with `.tr <thread name>`

Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.

[exotic otter]

formality
inversion and est-ce que are two ways to form questions in French, inversion being more formal.
you can also ask the same question using intonation only: "il s'est passé quoi ?" which is the least formal of the three

[wheat star]

K, but why is there standing “Qui” in the first option?

I kinda understood

Id like to see it anyway

[exotic otter]

"que" and "qui" are relative pronouns that allow you to give more information about a noun using a relative clause

• by using "que", that noun is object in the relative clause
  ex: la souris que le chat mange
  the mouse that the cat is eating
• by using "qui", that noun is subject in the relative clause
  ex: le chat qui mange la souris
  the cat that is eating the mouse

[wheat star]

Its because phrase where the noun is il like in il est possible right?

[exotic otter]

"qu'est-ce que" and "qu'est-ce qui" have a similar distinction

• using "qu'est-ce que", you're asking for an object in your following clause
  ex: qu'est-ce que la souris mange
  what is the mouse eating ?
• using "qu'est-ce qui", you're asking for an subject in your following clause
  ex: qu'est-ce qui mange la souris
  what is eating the mouse ?

[wheat star]

who is eating the mouse

Yeah i understand that

So the phrase is “quest qui cest passé” because its “il passé …”

Yeah?

[flat lily]

One other piece of the puzzle is that "se passer" has two possible syntaxes:

• quelque chose se passe
• il se passe quelque chose
  They both mean the same thing, but in the first one the subject is the thing that is happening, while in the second one the object is the thing that is happening.

Whats the difference between « Qu’est (Ce) qui c’est passé » and « Que s’est il passé »?
"qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ?" is a question form of the first syntax (quelque chose se passe)
"que s'est-il passé ?" is a question form of the second one (il se passe quelque chose)

[exotic otter]

in your question, the verb is "se passer", which describes an event taking place
"un événement se passe"
the event taking place is the subject of the action "se passer", you're thus asking for a subject, and have to use "qui"

because of what kitties said, "qu'est-ce qui se passe" and "qu'est-ce qu'il se passe" are both correct. In the second version, you're asking for the object of the construction "il se passe X" and thus are using "que"

[wheat star]

K

Ty guys

[exotic otter]

damn

we lost him

[wheat star]

Whom

[exotic otter]

you

[wheat star]

Its kinda late for me i was just figuring out what you said

[exotic otter]

I have a feeling this explanation was a bit much 🥲

[wheat star]

It was pretty simple tho

Yeah because its really late for me it took a while. Its ok

Ty

Good night