Difference Between Quel and Quelle in French

If you’re mastering French, you’ve possibly stumble upon the words “quel” and “quelle” and wondered what the Difference Between Quel and Quelle in French. While they will appearance and sound comparable, there are some key distinctions which can be critical to apprehend. In this weblog put up, we’ll smash down when to apply quel versus quelle, how they alternate based on gender, and offer lots of examples so you can master those words.

The Fundamentals: Quel as Masculine, Quelle as Feminine

The primary distinction between quel and quelle boils all the way down to gender. Quel is the masculine form, while quelle is the feminine form. In French lessons, maximum adjectives need to healthy the gender of the noun they describe. So in case you’re describing a masculine noun, you’d use quel. If you’re describing a feminine noun, you’d use quelle.

For example:

• Quel livre veux-tu? (Which book do you want?, where “livre” is masculine)
• Quelle chaise preferez-vous? (Which chair do you prefer?, where “chaise” is feminine)

So basically, if the noun is masculine, use quel. If it’s feminine, use quelle. Easy peasy!

How to Make Quel and Quelle Plural in French

Both quel and quelle can also be made plural with the aid of adding an “s.” For masculine plural, it’d be quels. For feminine plural, it’d be quelles.

Here are some examples:

• Quels amis viennent à la fête ? (Which friends are coming to the party?, where “amis” is masculine plural)
• Quelles idées avez-vous ? (What ideas do you have?, where “idées” is feminine plural)
• J’aime ces gâteaux. Quels sont les meilleurs ? (I like these cakes. Which ones are the best?, where “gâteaux” is masculine plural)

And the plural table:

Number	Masculine	Feminine
Singular	quel	quelle
Plural	quels	quelles

So in summary:

• Masculine singular: quel
• Feminine singular: quelle
• Masculine plural: quels
• Feminine plural: quelles

How Quel and Quelle Function as Interrogatives

Now that we’ve protected the basics, let’s observe how quel and quelle are simply utilized in sentences. One of the maximum common approaches is as interrogatives – in different words, when asking a query.

For example:

• Quel film regardez-vous ce soir ? (Which movie are you watching tonight?)
• Quelle robe vas-tu porter à la fête ? (Which dress are you going to wear to the party?)
• Quels légumes aimez-vous ? (Which vegetables do you like?)
• Quelles activités faites-vous pendant les vacances ? (What activities do you do during the holidays?)

As you may see, both quel and quelle can be used to invite “which” in a query. The gender of the noun being requested approximately determines if you use the masculine or feminine shape.

Using Quel and Quelle as Exclamatives as per French grammar

Quel and quelle also can be used as exclamatives to express wonder, emotion, or emphasis:

• Quel beau tableau ! (What a beautiful painting!)
• Quelle merveilleuse nouvelle ! (What wonderful news!)
• Quels idiots ! (What idiots!)
• Mesdames et messieurs, quel honneur d’être ici ce soir ! (Ladies and gentlemen, what an honor to be here tonight!)

So while you want to exclaim something with “what” or “how,” turn to quel/quelle. Just healthy the gender to the noun.

Quel vs. Quelle as Adjectives

In addition to questions and exclamations, quel and quelle often seem as adjectives describing a noun. For example:

• C’est un quartier quelconque. (It’s an ordinary neighborhood.)
• J’ai préparé une quiche quelleconque pour le dîner. (I prepared some ordinary quiche for dinner.)
• Elle portait une robe quelleconque. (She wore an ordinary dress.)
• Quel beau chapeau ! (What a beautiful hat!)
• C’est une quelle merveilleuse opportunité. (It’s such a wonderful opportunity.)

Here you may see that the adjective takes on the gender of the noun it describes. Quelconque becomes quelconque while describing a masculine noun, and quelleconque while describing a female noun.

Possessives

You also can use quel/quelle in terms involving possession, together with:

• À quel point est la pharmacie ? (How far is the pharmacy?)
• Chez quelle amie vas-tu ce soir? (Which friend’s house are you going to tonight?)
• Quelle est ta matière préférée ? (What is your favorite subject?)
• Quels sont vos projets pour le weekend ? (What are your plans for the weekend?)

The possessive words (mon, ma, mes, ton, ta, tes, son, sa, ses, and so on.) can provide context clues as to whether quel or quelle is suitable. Match the gender of quel/quelle to the possessive.

Using with Prepositions

In French, certain prepositions require using quel/quelle. Here are some examples:

• À quelle heure commence le film ? (At what time does the movie start?)
• Pour quelle raison êtes-vous en retard ? (For what reason are you late?)
• De quel instrument s’agit-il ? (Which musical instrument is it?)
• Dans quelle ville se trouve le musée ? (In which city is the museum located?)

So in case you’re the use of the prepositions à, pour, de, or dans, you’ll need to apply quel/quelle in your french classes question.

Examples of “Quel” in Context

To solidify your knowledge of “quel,” permit’s explore some more examples in exceptional contexts:

1. “Quel est ton niveau de français?” (What is your level of French?)
2. “Quelle est ta couleur préférée?” (What is your favorite color?)
3. “Quels sports pratiques-tu?” (Which sports do you play?)
4. “Quelles langues parles-tu?” (Which languages do you speak?)

Quel	Quelle
Masculine	Feminine
Singular	Singular
Plural: quels	Plural: quelles
Questions	Questions
Exclamations	Exclamations
Adjectives	Adjectives
Match possessive	Match possessive
Certain prepositions	Certain prepositions
Exceptions: titles, countries, colors	Exceptions: feminine titles, countries, colors

read more at https://www.gymglish.com/en/frantastique/french-grammar/quelle-or-quelle

Last Updated on February 11, 2024 by Shahid Maqsood