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questions about people
Qui is used to ask questions about people.
It may be the subject or the direct object in a sentence and thus, can mean either 'who?' or 'whom?'
You may also choose to use the longer forms: qui est-ce qui to ask 'who?', qui est-ce que to ask 'whom?'
As the subject: qui, qui est-ce qui
As the direct object: qui, qui est-ce que
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| Bette: Qui est à la porte? Oh, c'est toi, Tammy. |
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Bette: Who is at the door? Oh, it's you Tammy. |
| Qui cherches-tu? |
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Whom are you looking for? |
| Tammy: Je cherche Tex. |
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Tammy: I'm looking for Tex. |
| Bette: Il n'est pas là. |
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Bette: He's not here. |
| Cinq minutes plus tard ... |
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Five minutes later ... |
| Bette: Encore! Qui est-ce qui est à la porte? Oh! C'est toi, Tex! |
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Bette: Again! Who is at the door? Oh! It's you Tex! |
| Qui est-ce que tu cherches? Moi peut-être? |
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Whom are you looking for? Me perhaps? |
| Tex: Non, je cherche Tammy. |
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Tex: No, I'm looking for Tammy. |
| Bette: Elle n'est pas là. |
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Bette: She's not here. |
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As the object of a preposition: qui
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| Tex: Ouvre! Ouvre! |
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Tex: Open! Open! |
| Bette: Oui?! |
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Bette: Yes?! |
| Tex: Tu as vu Tammy? |
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Tex: Have you seen Tammy? |
| Bette: Oui. |
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Bette: Yes. |
| Tex: Avec qui est-ce qu'elle est partie? |
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Tex: Whom did she leave with? |
| Bette: Pour qui me prends-tu? Je ne la surveille pas! |
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Bette: Who do you think I am (whom do you take me for)? I don't watch her! |
| Tex: Oh, la, la, calme-toi, ma petite. |
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Tex: Oh, la, la, calm down, my little one. |
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questions about things
 Qu'est-ce qui,
que and its longer form qu'est-ce que are used to ask questions about things.
They are used to ask 'what?'. Que and its longer form qu'est-ce que are direct objects
in a sentence, whereas qu'est-ce qui may be used only as the subject. (There is no short form of qu'est-ce qui.)
As the subject: qu'est-ce qui
As the direct object: que, qu'est-ce que
As the object of a preposition: quoi
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| Tammy arrive chez Bette. Elle voit Tex et Bette ensemble. |
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Tammy arrives at Bette's house. She sees Tex and Bette together. |
| Tammy: Qu'est-ce qui se passe, Tex? |
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Tammy: What's going on, Tex? |
| Tex: Rien, mon chou, je te cherchais. |
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Tex: Nothing, my dear. I was looking for you. |
| Tammy: Oui, d'accord, mais qu'est-ce que tu fais avec ... elle! |
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Tammy: Yes, ok, but what are you doing with ... her! |
| Tex: Oh, de quoi tu parles? |
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Tex: Oh, what are you talking about? |
| Tammy: Tex, ne fais pas l'innocent avec moi! |
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Tammy: Don't act innocent with me! |
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