In a previous lesson, we learned that it is common to start a question with qu'est-ce qui to find out “what is going on" or "what’s happening.” You can use handy phrases such as Qu’est-ce qui se passe ? (What's going on?) or Qu’est-ce qu’il y a ? (What's wrong?) to inquire about general situations, or phrases like Qu’est-ce qu’il t’arrive ? (What’s happening to you?) to ask about one person in particular. Let’s explore the various ways these questions can be used.
When asking about a situation that does not involve a specific person, you can use the phrase Qu'est-ce qui se passe ? In this video about rainy weather in Paris, Alexandre asks what happens when someone forgets their umbrella:
Et qu'est-ce qui se passe ?
And what happens?
Caption 85, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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In a different context, though, when asking about a specific situation that's happening right now, qu’est-ce qui se passe translates as “what’s going on” or "what's happening." Note how the English uses the present progressive tense here, a tense that does not exist in French:
Qu'est-ce qui se passe ?
What's going on?
Caption 18, Extr@ Ep. 6 - Le jour du loto - Part 4
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If the same question is loaded with concern, as when asking about a friend's health, qu’est-ce qui se passe is better translated as “what’s wrong":
Qu'est-ce qu'il se passe ? Tu n'as pas l'air bien. Explique-moi.
What's wrong? You don't look good. Explain it to me.
Captions 34-35, Français avec Nelly 25 Phrases for Mastering Everyday Conversation - Part 1
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Note that Nelly uses the slightly more formal qu'est-ce qu'il se passe (Qu'est-ce que + il se passe) here. This is also correct, since il se passe is an impersonal expression.
Instead of saying qu’est-ce qui se passe or qu'est-ce qu'il se passe, you can use the equivalent phrase qu’est-ce qu’il y a ("what’s the matter," literally "what is there"):
Qu'est-ce qu'il y a, Annie ?
What's the matter, Annie?
Caption 24, Extr@ Ep. 7 - La jumelle - Part 7
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Just as with qu’est-ce qui se passe, qu’est-ce qu’il y a can also mean “what’s wrong” when expressing worry or concern:
Mais qu'est-ce qu'il y a ?
But what's wrong?
Caption 15, Le Jour où tout a basculé Mes grands-parents sont infidèles - Part 7
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The speaker in the above video immediately follows up her question with another one:
Qu'est-ce qu'il t'arrive ?
What's happening to you?
Caption 16, Le Jour où tout a basculé Mes grands-parents sont infidèles - Part 7
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This question, with the verb arriver (to happen), can only be used to ask after a specific person. Its structure is: qu’est-ce qui (or qu'est-ce qu'il) + indirect object pronoun + arriver.
Qu'est-ce qui t'arrive ?
What's the matter with you?
Caption 2, Sara et Lionel J'ai mal aux dents
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Qu'est-ce qui t'arrive ?
What's wrong?
Caption 67, Le Jour où tout a basculé Rivalité cachée - Part 5
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There is another question with a similar structure to qu’est-ce qui t’arrive, which is qu’est-ce qui te prend (what’s gotten into you). It works in the same way, requiring the indirect personal pronoun before the verb, but the meaning is slightly different. It’s the question you ask when you are surprised by someone’s behavior:
Mais enfin, qu'est-ce qui te prend?
But what's gotten into you?
Caption 72, Le Jour où tout a basculé À la recherche de mon passé - Part 5
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In conclusion, there are various ways of asking what’s happening in French. However, the same expressions in French can mean different things in English, so the translations can vary greatly. Pay attention to context, tone of voice, and background information when watching our Yabla videos. This will help you understand the different meanings behind the same questions. Thank you for reading!
France has had its fair share of rain lately. After an exceptionally wet winter and spring combined with an unseasonably cool start to summer, French people cannot wait for the sun to return. In a recent Yabla video, Sophie and Alexandre join the chorus of complaints about the rainy weather, which has been causing them all kinds of problems! Let’s listen to what they have to say and explore some rain-related vocabulary in the process.
This isn't the first time Sophie has complained about the rain. In one of her earlier videos with Patrice, Sophie finds la pluie (the rain) a bit bloquante (off-putting), as she has to go to the market in the rain:
C'est un peu bloquant pour faire le marché là sous la pluie.
It's a bit off-putting to go to the market here in the rain.
Captions 2-3, Sophie et Patrice La pluie
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On the other hand, Patrice does not mind when il pleut (it rains):
Oh, il pleut à peine.
Oh, it's barely raining.
Caption 4, Sophie et Patrice La pluie
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Note that phrases describing the weather often start with the impersonal pronoun il (it). For more on that, see our lesson Don't Take It Personally.
Patrice even enjoys le mauvais temps (bad weather):
J'ai toujours aimé le mauvais temps, moi
I've always liked bad weather
Caption 66, Sophie et Patrice La pluie
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In her new video with Alexandre, Sophie still feels the same way about la pluie. She hates le temps pourri (the rotten weather):
Waouh, t'as vu le temps pourri ?
Wow, have you seen the rotten weather?
Caption 1, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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She has good reason to complain, as it has been going on for weeks!
Ça fait des semaines que ça dure...
It's been going on for weeks...
Caption 3, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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Worse still, every time Sophie goes outside, she ends up with des chaussures trempées (soaking-wet shoes):
Non, mais mes chaussures, elles sont tout le temps trempées.
No, but my shoes are soaking wet all the time.
Caption 16, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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Fortunately, Alexandre, who has a practical mind, offers a simple solution: des bottes (boots).
Tu sors avec tes bottes.
You go out with your boots on.
Caption 27, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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To complete the look, Alexandre might have suggested she wear un ciré (a rain slicker), like the one the fisherman wears in this video:
...le papi, en fait, qui est assis sur sa petite chaise pliante avec son ciré, ses bottes et sa bouteille de rouge
...the grandpa, in fact, who is sitting on his little folding chair with his slicker, his boots, and his bottle of red [wine]
Captions 18-20, TV Tours Un moment de pêche sur le Cher
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Instead of the ungainly plastic ciré, Sophie might prefer the more fashionable look of un imperméable avec une capuche (a hooded raincoat), which is made of waterproof fabric:
Elle préfèrerait sans doute porter un imperméable avec une capuche.
She probably would prefer a hooded raincoat.
In any event, une capuche (a hood) would have solved Sophie’s problem with her hair, which frisent (gets frizzy) with l’humidité (the humidity):
Et l'humidité, c'est terrible pour mes cheveux.
And the humidity is terrible for my hair.
Caption 91, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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Je frise.
I get frizzy.
Caption 37, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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Anyway, instead of une capuche, Alexandre suggests wearing un bonnet (a hat), which Sophie flatly turns down, as it would make her hair plats (flat):
Tu mets un bonnet. -Ah non ! Non non. Non, c'est pas possible parce qu'après j'ai les cheveux plats.
You put on a hat. -Oh no ! No no. No, it's not possible because afterwards I have flat hair.
Captions 46-48, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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Sophie has a better solution: un parapluie (an umbrella).
Le parapluie, ça marche aussi.
The umbrella works too.
Caption 79, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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Still, this is a lost cause, as she is bound to forget her parapluie and end up with les cheveux mouillés (wet hair) anyway!
Ben, tu te retrouves avec les cheveux mouillés.
Well, you end up with wet hair.
Caption 86, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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Sophie may have wished she had checked la météo (the weather forecast) before venturing out, but that might have also been pointless because, as Alexandre points out, it is not very reliable:
Ben pourtant, à la météo ils le disent pas.
Well, and yet, in the weather forecast they don't say that.
Caption 6, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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The forecasters tend to be overly optimistic, only showing des petits nuages (little clouds):
Il fait juste des petits nuages.
It's just little clouds.
Caption 7, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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La météo might even fail to mention averses (showers):
À Paris et en France, le temps a été exécrable, euh... il y a eu des averses et des pluies
In Paris and in France, the weather has been execrable, uh... there have been showers and rain
Captions 24-25, Lionel L La Seine sort de son lit
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Whether you enjoy rainy weather or not, it pays to be prepared. So, here is a summary of the vocabulary from this lesson that might come in handy:
la météo: the weather forecast
un nuage: a cloud
la pluie: the rain
une averse: a shower
un temps pourri: rotten weather
le mauvais temps: bad weather
un imperméable: a waterproof raincoat
un ciré: a slicker
des bottes: boots
un bonnet: a hat
une capuche: a hood
un parapluie: an umbrella
être mouillé: to be wet
être trempé: to be soaking wet
il pleut: it rains/it’s raining
il fait des nuages: it’s cloudy
Armed with this new vocabulary, you'll be able to parler de la pluie et du beau temps (to make small talk; literally, "to talk about the rain and nice weather"). We wish you a sunny and happy summer. Thank you for reading!
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