Using Quel, Quelle, Quels, and Quelles in French

Vocalyra teaching team · Last updated: October 5, 2026

The words quel, quelle, quels, and quelles are essential for asking questions and making exclamations in French. They all translate to 'which' or 'what', but choosing the right one depends on the noun you are describing. This guide will walk you through the rules of agreement, their different uses, and common mistakes to avoid.

The Four Forms of Quel: Agreement

In French, 'quel' is an adjective, which means it must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun it modifies. This gives us four possible forms.

The four forms of the adjective 'quel'.
Form	Gender	Number	Example
quel	Masculine	Singular	Quel livre ? (Which book?)
quelle	Feminine	Singular	Quelle heure ? (What time?)
quels	Masculine	Plural	Quels jours ? (Which days?)
quelles	Feminine	Plural	Quelles fleurs ? (Which flowers?)

How to Pronounce Quel, Quelle, Quels, and Quelles

Despite their different spellings, all four forms of 'quel' are pronounced identically: /kɛl/. It sounds just like the letter 'L' in English, but with a 'k' sound at the beginning.

The only time you will hear a difference is when the plural forms, 'quels' and 'quelles', are followed by a word starting with a vowel or a silent 'h'. In this case, the 's' is pronounced as a 'z' sound. This is called a liaison.

quels amis (which friends) is pronounced /kɛl.za.mi/
quelles heures (what hours/times) is pronounced /kɛl.zœʁ/

Asking Direct Questions

The most common use of 'quel' is to ask a question about a specific noun ('which one?' or 'what kind?'). The structure is straightforward: 'quel' (in its correct form) + noun. You can also place prepositions like 'à' (at, to), 'dans' (in), or 'pour' (for) before it.

Quel livre lis-tu ? (What/Which book are you reading?)
Dans quel quartier habitez-vous ? (In which neighbourhood do you live?)
À quelle heure commence le film ? (At what time does the film start?)
Pour quelles raisons est-il parti ? (For what reasons did he leave?)

Questions with Quel and Être (to be)

A very frequent pattern is 'quel' + the verb 'être' + noun. In this structure, 'quel' still agrees with the noun that follows the verb, because that noun is the subject of the sentence.

Quelle est ton adresse ? (What is your address?)
Quel est ton numéro de téléphone ? (What is your phone number?)
Quels sont vos projets pour le weekend ? (What are your plans for the weekend?)
Quelles sont les meilleures solutions ? (What are the best solutions?)

Learners sometimes ask why they cannot say 'Qu'est-ce que c'est votre adresse ?'. While grammatically understandable, it sounds unnatural. 'Qu'est-ce que c'est ?' asks for a definition ('What is an address?'), while 'Quelle est... ?' asks for specific information ('Tell me the specific address that is yours.').

Quel vs. Que (What?)

The difference is simple: 'quel' is an adjective and must be followed by a noun, while 'que' (or 'qu'est-ce que') is a pronoun that stands on its own and replaces a noun.

Quel film regardes-tu ? (Which film are you watching?) Here, 'quel' modifies the noun 'film'.
Que regardes-tu ? (What are you watching?) Here, 'que' is the object of the verb, asking 'what thing?' in general.

Making Exclamations

You can use 'quel' and its forms to make exclamations. It translates to 'What a...!' or 'Such a...!'. In this case, you do not use an article (like 'un' or 'la') after 'quel'. Agreement rules still apply.

Quelle surprise ! (What a surprise!)
Quel beau temps ! (What beautiful weather!)
Quels paysages magnifiques ! (What magnificent landscapes!)
Quelle chance ! (What luck!)

Using Quel in Indirect Questions

When you report a question or express uncertainty inside a larger sentence, you use 'quel' to introduce the clause. This is known as an indirect question.

Je ne sais pas quel train prendre. (I don't know which train to take.)
Dis-moi quelle heure il est. (Tell me what time it is.)
Il se demande quelles chaussures choisir. (He's wondering which shoes to choose.)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Pay attention to these common errors to use 'quel' correctly every time.

Forgetting agreement: Saying 'Quelle est ton nom ?' is incorrect. Because 'nom' is a masculine noun, you must say 'Quel est ton nom ?'.
Using 'quel' as a pronoun: You cannot use 'quel' by itself to mean 'which one'. Incorrect: 'J'ai deux stylos. Quel tu veux ?'. You must use the pronoun 'lequel'. Correct: 'J'ai deux stylos. Lequel tu veux ?'.
Confusing 'quel' and 'que': 'Que' needs a verb, while 'quel' needs a noun. Incorrect: 'Que couleur tu aimes ?'. Correct: 'Quelle couleur tu aimes ?'.

A Quick Look at Lequel

When the noun is already understood from context, 'quel' + noun is replaced by a pronoun: 'lequel', 'laquelle', 'lesquels', or 'lesquelles'. These all mean 'which one' or 'which ones'.

J'hésite entre ces deux films. Lequel devrions-nous regarder ? (I'm hesitating between these two films. Which one should we watch?) Here, 'lequel' replaces 'quel film'.
Regarde toutes ces voitures ! Laquelle est la tienne ? (Look at all these cars! Which one is yours?) Here, 'laquelle' replaces 'quelle voiture'.

Like 'quel', 'lequel' must agree with the noun it replaces. It also combines with the prepositions 'à' and 'de' to form contractions like 'auquel' (à + lequel) and 'duquel' (de + lequel).

Quick self-check

How do you ask someone 'What are your hobbies?' The French word is 'les loisirs' (masculine, plural).
Show answer
You would say: 'Quels sont tes loisirs ?'. We use 'quels' to agree with the masculine plural noun 'loisirs'.
How do you exclaim 'What a great idea!'? The French word is 'une idée' (feminine, singular).
Show answer
You would say: 'Quelle bonne idée !'. We use 'quelle' for exclamations with a feminine singular noun, and we drop the article 'une'.
What is the difference between 'Quelle est ta saison préférée ?' and 'Laquelle préfères-tu ?'
Show answer
In the first sentence, 'quelle' is an adjective that modifies the noun 'saison'. In the second, 'laquelle' is a pronoun that stands alone, replacing 'quelle saison' because we already know we are talking about seasons.

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