What does que mean in French?

It depends on the structure around it. Que links clauses and means that (je crois que oui), stands in for a direct object and means which or whom (le film que j'ai vu), closes a comparison and means than (plus vite que toi), and pairs with ne to mean only (je ne bois que du thé).

When do I use qui and when do I use que?

In a question, qui asks about a person and que asks about a thing: qui as-tu vu ? versus qu'as-tu vu ? In a relative clause, qui replaces the subject and que replaces the object, so qui is followed by a verb and que by a subject.

Why is it qu'il and not que il?

Que always elides before a vowel or a mute h, in every one of its uses: qu'il, qu'elle, qu'on, qu'une heure. Qui never elides, which is a handy way of telling the two apart when you're listening rather than reading.

How does ne… que mean only?

The ne opens a restriction and the que marks the single thing left standing. Il ne reste qu'une part means only one slice is left. Unlike ne… pas, it isn't a negation, so du, de la and un survive after it: je n'ai qu'une question.

Is Que fais-tu ? too formal?

It's correct but noticeably literary. In conversation you'd hear qu'est-ce que tu fais ? or, very casually, tu fais quoi ? Bare que with inversion turns up in writing, in fixed phrases and in questions like que faire ?

French grammar · Intermediate

Que and Qui in French: Every Job These Two Words Do

Written by Camille Laurent, Lead French Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Que and qui are two of the busiest words in French. Between them they cover who, whom, what, that, than and only: qui asks and answers who, while que introduces subordinate clauses, comparisons, exclamations and the restrictive ne… que. Sorting out which job a given que or qui is doing is mostly a matter of looking at the words around it.

Je sais qui a téléphoné, mais je ne sais pas ce qu'il voulait.

I know who called, but I don't know what he wanted.

What it is

French recycles a small number of function words very hard, and que and qui are the clearest example. Qui is narrow: it is about who, or about a subject. Que is broad: it links clauses, builds comparisons, opens exclamations and helps form questions. Recognising the pattern around each one tells you which que you're looking at.

Qui a dit que c'était plus facile que ça ? — Who said it was easier than that?

How to spot it

Ask what sits on either side. Que between two clauses is a conjunction; que after a noun is a relative pronoun; que after plus, moins or aussi is a comparison; ne before the verb with que after it means only.

Je crois qu'il a raison. — I think he's right. (conjunction)
le film que j'ai vu — the film I saw (relative pronoun)
plus grand que moi — taller than me (comparison)
Je n'ai que dix euros. — I only have ten euros. (restriction)

Qui has far fewer jobs: it either asks who, or it stands in for a subject in a relative clause. It never means what and never means that in the sense of the conjunction.

Que and Qui Quick Reference

The main jobs of que and qui

Word	Job	English	Example
que	conjunction linking two clauses	that	Je pense que oui — I think so
que	relative object pronoun	that, which, whom	le livre que je lis — the book I'm reading
que	second half of a comparison	than, as	plus vite que lui — faster than him
ne… que	restriction	only	Il ne mange que du poisson — he only eats fish
que / qu'est-ce que	question word for things	what	Que fais-tu ? — What are you doing?
qui	question word for people	who, whom	Qui vient ce soir ? — Who's coming tonight?
qui	relative subject pronoun	who, which, that	la porte qui grince — the door that squeaks
à qui	possession or recipient in a question	whose, to whom	À qui est ce manteau ? — Whose coat is this?

Common Que and Qui Examples in French

Each use in context, so you can hear the difference:

Que Linking Two Clauses

Je pense que tu as raison.: I think you're right.
Elle dit qu'elle arrive dans dix minutes.: She says she's arriving in ten minutes.
Il faut que tu viennes.: You have to come.
J'espère qu'il fera beau.: I hope the weather will be good.

English drops this that constantly (I think you're right). French keeps que in every case, and after certain expressions like il faut que it also forces the subjunctive.

Qui and Que as Question Words

Qui a cassé la fenêtre ?: Who broke the window?
Qu'est-ce que tu veux manger ?: What do you want to eat?
Que penses-tu de ce livre ?: What do you think of this book?
Avec qui es-tu venu ?: Who did you come with?

Qui asks about people, que about things. Bare que with inversion sounds formal; everyday speech prefers qu'est-ce que.

Que in Comparisons

Il est plus âgé que moi.: He's older than me.
Elle travaille moins que son frère.: She works less than her brother.
C'est aussi cher qu'avant.: It's as expensive as before.
Il y a plus de monde que d'habitude.: There are more people than usual.

After a comparison, a pronoun goes into its stressed form: que moi, que toi, que lui, never que je.

Ne… que for Only

Je ne bois que de l'eau.: I only drink water.
Il n'y a qu'une place libre.: There's only one seat free.
Nous ne restons que deux jours.: We're only staying two days.
Elle ne pense qu'à ses vacances.: She only thinks about her holidays.

Unlike pas, que goes directly in front of whatever is being restricted, which is why moving it changes the meaning of the sentence.

How to Tell One Que From Another

Four structural signals separate the uses, and none of them requires you to know the sentence in advance.

A Verb of Opinion Before Que Means a Conjunction

Penser, croire, dire, savoir, espérer and their relatives all take a que clause. Here que carries no meaning of its own; it simply signals that a second full sentence is coming.

Je savais qu'elle viendrait.

I knew she would come.

verb + que + full clause.

A Noun Before Que Means a Relative Pronoun

When que follows a noun and a subject follows que, it's the relative object pronoun and it points back at that noun. Swap it for qui and the sentence breaks, because qui would need a verb next.

Le vélo que j'ai réparé roule très bien.

The bike I repaired rides very well.

noun + que + subject + verb.

Ne Before the Verb Turns Que Into Only

The pair ne… que restricts rather than negates. The ne sits in the usual pre-verb slot and que attaches to the element being narrowed down, so its position matters.

Je ne travaille que le matin.

I only work in the mornings.

ne + verb + que + the one thing left.

Qui Is Always About a Subject or a Person

Every use of qui reduces to one of two things: asking who, or standing in for a subject. If a sentence needs a word meaning what, qui is never the answer.

Qui est-ce qui a laissé la lumière allumée ?

Who left the light on?

qui = who, or a missing subject.

Que Elides and Qui Does Not

In every one of its jobs, que becomes qu' before a vowel or mute h: qu'il, qu'elle, qu'on, qu'une. Qui keeps its spelling everywhere, so qui il and qui elle are never contracted.

Je sais qu'elle sait qui a gagné.

I know that she knows who won.

qu' + vowel, but qui stays qui.

Common Mistakes with Que and Qui

Incorrect: Je pense il a raison. — I think he's right.

Correct: Je pense qu'il a raison. — I think he's right.

English lets you drop that after verbs of opinion; French never lets you drop que. Every subordinate clause of this kind has to be introduced.

Incorrect: Qui est-ce que tu fais ? — What are you doing?

Correct: Qu'est-ce que tu fais ? — What are you doing?

The first element of these question frames tells you whether you're asking about a person or a thing. Qui est-ce que asks whom; for what, the frame has to start with qu'est-ce.

Incorrect: Il est plus grand que je. — He's taller than me.

Correct: Il est plus grand que moi. — He's taller than me.

After que in a comparison, a pronoun has no verb to attach to, so it takes the stressed form: moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles.

Incorrect: Je n'ai pas que deux euros. — I only have two euros.

Correct: Je n'ai que deux euros. — I only have two euros.

Ne… que already forms a complete restriction, so adding pas gives you the opposite meaning: je n'ai pas que deux euros means I have more than just two euros.

Que in Places English Wouldn't Expect It

Three constructions where que does something English handles with a completely different word.

Exclamations: que meaning how

Que in front of a full clause turns it into an exclamation, where English uses how. Qu'est-ce que does the same job in a more colloquial register.

Que c'est beau !: How beautiful that is!
Qu'il fait froid ce matin !: How cold it is this morning!
Qu'est-ce que tu es drôle !: You're so funny!

Comme works identically: comme c'est beau. Both are more natural in speech than the textbook combien.

Que introducing a wish or a third-person order

French has no third-person imperative, so it borrows que plus the subjunctive to give an instruction about someone who isn't being addressed.

Qu'il entre.: Let him come in.
Que personne ne bouge.: Nobody move.
Qu'ils fassent ce qu'ils veulent.: Let them do what they want.

Vive le roi and ainsi soit-il are frozen survivors of the same construction with the que worn away.

Ne… que, and where to put the que

Que attaches to the element you are restricting, so shifting it moves the meaning. Compare the three sentences below: the verb never changes, but the point does.

Je ne prête mes livres qu'à mes amis.: I only lend my books to my friends.
Je ne prête que mes livres à mes amis.: I only lend my friends my books (nothing else).
Il n'y a que ça qui compte.: That's the only thing that matters.

Because ne… que isn't a negation, an indefinite article after it stays intact: je n'ai qu'un frère, not qu'de frère.

Que and Qui FAQs

What does que mean in French?: It depends on the structure around it. Que links clauses and means that (je crois que oui), stands in for a direct object and means which or whom (le film que j'ai vu), closes a comparison and means than (plus vite que toi), and pairs with ne to mean only (je ne bois que du thé).
When do I use qui and when do I use que?: In a question, qui asks about a person and que asks about a thing: qui as-tu vu ? versus qu'as-tu vu ? In a relative clause, qui replaces the subject and que replaces the object, so qui is followed by a verb and que by a subject.
Why is it qu'il and not que il?: Que always elides before a vowel or a mute h, in every one of its uses: qu'il, qu'elle, qu'on, qu'une heure. Qui never elides, which is a handy way of telling the two apart when you're listening rather than reading.
How does ne… que mean only?: The ne opens a restriction and the que marks the single thing left standing. Il ne reste qu'une part means only one slice is left. Unlike ne… pas, it isn't a negation, so du, de la and un survive after it: je n'ai qu'une question.
Is Que fais-tu ? too formal?: It's correct but noticeably literary. In conversation you'd hear qu'est-ce que tu fais ? or, very casually, tu fais quoi ? Bare que with inversion turns up in writing, in fixed phrases and in questions like que faire ?