Exclamations

The key structures for exclamations use que, comme, qu’est-ce que, and sometimes quel or quelle to emphasize a noun, adjective, or an action. They often appear at the start of the sentence.

Use que before an adjective, noun, or clause to intensify praise or shock, and use comme to highlight the way something happens, typically before an adjective or noun. The choice changes the nuance of the emphasis.

Use qu’est-ce que before a noun or clause to underline the magnitude of something, and use quel or quelle before a noun to add force to the praise or surprise. They agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

Exclamatory sentences sometimes invert the subject and verb or place the object before the verb to increase dramatic effect. This is more common in literary or very emphatic spoken French.

Short interjections like ah, oh, zut, mince, and set phrases like ça alors or bien sûr pack quick emotional punches and are used spontaneously in speech. They can be followed by a short phrase for added effect.

Exclamations rely on particles like que, comme, qu’est-ce que, and quel to amplify meaning, and word order can shift for drama. Short interjections do quick work to signal feeling in everyday speech.