Qui est-ce qui or qui est-ce que?
- « Back to Q&A Forum
- « Previous questionNext question »
Renate A.Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Qui est-ce qui or qui est-ce que?
I'm confused on when to use 'qui est-ce qui or qui est-ce que at the beginning of a sentence'. In each case the translation was 'who did such and such'.One or the other have been given as a correct answer but I haven't worked out which one for which circumstance. What is the rule please.
Asked 7 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Renate !
Have a look at our two related lessons, and let me know if it makes things clearer :)
Qui/Qui est-ce que ... ? = Whom ... ? (French Questions)
Qui/Qui est-ce qui [conjugated verb] ? = Who ... ? (French Questions)
À bientôt !
Renate A.Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
So, I can use either one of these when the person is not the one doing the action? I can't remember the examples that set this off but I remember that in each case I was marked wrong so perhaps I used the que when the person was the one doing the action. I will continue to work on it.
Nicholas D.Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
qui is the subject ie the one doing the action que is the object of the action, so:
Qui est-ce qui aime Renate?
Qui est-ce que Renate aime?
Chris W. Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Qui est-ce qui aime Renate? -- Who loves Renate? (Who is it that loves Renate?)
Qui est-ce que Renate aime? -- Renate loves whom? (Who is it that Renate loves?)
Qui = the one doing the loving in the first example.
Que = the one being loved in the second example.
-- Chris.
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Ask a question
Find your French level for FREE
Test your French to the CEFR standard
Find your French level