French Phrase
Désigne qui appelle qui.
Meaning
A command that asks the listener to point out or indicate who is calling whom. It is often used in games, role‑plays, or situations where the chain of communication needs to be clarified.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to clarify the direction of a call or a message, such as in a telephone‑relay game, a classroom activity about dialogue, or a detective scenario where you’re tracking who contacts whom.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Désignequiappellequi
Imperative of désigner
‘Désigne’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb ‘désigner’, used to give a direct command without a subject pronoun.
Interrogative pronoun qui
‘qui’ means ‘who’ and can be used both as the subject and the object of a verb; here it appears twice to form a ‘who‑calls‑who’ structure.
Present tense of appeler
‘appelle’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘appeler’; the subject is understood from the surrounding ‘qui’.
🗨In Conversation
Désigne qui appelle qui, s’il te plaît.
Please point out who calls who.
C’est Marie qui appelle Paul, et Paul qui appelle Luc.
It’s Marie who calls Paul, and Paul who calls Luc.
✕Common Mistakes
Désigner qui appelle qui.
‘Désigner’ is the infinitive; you need the imperative ‘Désigne’ to give a command.
qui appel qui.
The verb must be conjugated to match the third‑person singular subject: ‘appelle’. Also, the second ‘qui’ needs the same spelling.
Qui appelle qui ?
When you intend a command, use the imperative ‘Désigne…’; the question form changes the meaning.
↔Alternatives
Indique qui appelle qui.
Indicate who calls who.
Montre qui appelle qui.
Show who calls who.
Qui appelle qui ?
Who calls who?
Cultural Tip
In French the imperative often drops the subject pronoun, giving a concise command. The tone can be informal among friends or more formal in a classroom; adjust your intonation accordingly. Also, French speakers may prefer ‘qui appelle qui ?’ as a question rather than a command in casual conversation.