This page covers the most important French question words and example phrases specifically for asking about math problems.
Common Question Words
These are the basic question words you’ll need to ask about anything in math.
| French | English | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| qui | who | Qui a résolu ce problème ? | Who solved this problem? |
| quoi | what | Quoi est égal à 5 ? | What is equal to 5? |
| que | what | Que signifie ce symbole ? | What does this symbol mean? |
| quel / quelle / quels / quelles | which / what | Quelle est la réponse ? | What is the answer? |
| combien | how many / how much | Combien font 7 + 8 ? | How much is 7 + 8? |
| où | where | Où est la solution ? | Where is the solution? |
| quand | when | Quand est-ce que l’examen commence ? | When does the exam start? |
| comment | how | Comment résoudre cette équation ? | How to solve this equation? |
| pourquoi | why | Pourquoi ce résultat est-il correct ? | Why is this result correct? |
What is equal to 5? in French
Quoi est égal à 5 ?
'Quoi' is used as a question word meaning 'what' in certain contexts. The sentence 'Quoi est égal à 5 ?' translates to 'What is equal to 5?'.
Example Questions
Here are some example questions you can use to ask about math problems in French.
| French | English | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qu’est-ce que ... ? | What is ... ? | Qu’est-ce que le théorème de Pythagore ? | What is the Pythagorean theorem? |
| Comment ... ? | How ... ? | Comment calcule-t-on l’aire d’un cercle ? | How do you calculate the area of a circle? |
| Pourquoi ... ? | Why ... ? | Pourquoi 0 divisé par un nombre est 0 ? | Why is 0 divided by a number equal to 0? |
| Combien ... ? | How much ... ? | Combien vaut 15 × 3 ? | How much is 15 × 3? |
| Quel est ... ? | What is ... ? | Quel est le résultat de 9 - 4 ? | What is the result of 9 minus 4? |
Key Prepositions
These prepositions are often used when formulating math questions in French.
| French | English | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| de | of | La somme de 2 et 3 est 5. | The sum of 2 and 3 is 5. |
| à | at / to | Ajoutez 5 à 10. | Add 5 to 10. |
| dans | in | Trouvez x dans l’équation. | Find x in the equation. |
| par | by | Multipliez 4 par 6. | Multiply 4 by 6. |
| sur | on / over | La division sur 2 donne 5. | The division by 2 gives 5. |
| avec | with | Résolvez l’équation avec y. | Solve the equation with y. |
by — Multipliez 4 ___ 6.
par
The preposition 'par' means 'by' in the context of multiplication. 'Multipliez 4 par 6' means 'Multiply 4 by 6.'
Structural Phrases
These phrases will help you build complete, grammatically correct math questions in French.
| French | English | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Est-ce que ... ? | Is it that ... ? | Est-ce que 7 est un nombre premier ? | Is 7 a prime number? |
| ... est-il correct ? | ... is it correct? | Le résultat est-il correct ? | Is the result correct? |
| Peux-tu ... ? | Can you ... ? | Peux-tu résoudre ce problème ? | Can you solve this problem? |
| Sais-tu ... ? | Do you know ... ? | Sais-tu comment factoriser ce polynôme ? | Do you know how to factor this polynomial? |
| Où est ... ? | Where is ... ? | Où est la solution de l’équation ? | Where is the solution to the equation? |
Pronouns and Variables
These pronouns and variable names are commonly used in math questions to refer to unknowns or quantities.
| French | English | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| il / elle | it | Il faut trouver x. | We need to find x. |
| on | one / we | Comment on calcule l’aire ? | How does one calculate the area? |
| y | y | Trouve la valeur de y. | Find the value of y. |
| x | x | Résous pour x. | Solve for x. |
| n | n | Calcule n!. | Calculate n factorial. |
Summary
- qui = who
- quoi / que = what
- quel / quelle = which / what
- combien = how many / how much
- où = where
- quand = when
- comment = how
- pourquoi = why
- Sample question formats: Qu’est-ce que ..., Comment ..., Pourquoi ..., Combien ..., Quel est ...
- Key prepositions: de, à, dans, par, sur, avec
- Useful phrases: Est-ce que ..., ... est-il correct ?, Peux-tu ..., Sais-tu ..., Où est ...
- Common pronouns and variables: il, elle, on, x, y, n
You’re now ready to ask and understand math questions in French!
What is the structure of Combien ... ?
How much ... ? / How many ... ?
'Combien ... ?' asks about quantity or amount.
What does combien mean in French questions?
how many / how much
'Combien' asks about quantity or amount.
In math questions, what does n often represent?
an integer / a number
'n' is often used to represent an integer or a natural number, especially in sequences and factorials.
What does il / elle refer to in math questions?
it
'Il' and 'elle' can be used impersonally to mean 'it' in French, especially in fixed expressions.
Flashcards (1 of 30)
- English: who
- English Example: Who solved this problem?
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
