French Phrase
Quels sont tes symptômes ?
Meaning
This question asks someone to list the physical signs they are experiencing, such as fever, cough, or fatigue. It is the informal way to inquire about a person's health condition, typically used between friends, family members, or a doctor and a patient who are on familiar terms.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need a quick health check‑in with someone you know well, or when a medical professional is taking a brief anamnesis in a casual setting. It is not appropriate in formal written correspondence; switch to the formal ‘vos’ in those cases.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quelssonttessymptômes?
Quel(s) (interrogative adjective)
‘Quel’ agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies; here ‘symptômes’ is masculine plural, so we use ‘Quels’.
être (present tense)
‘sont’ is the third‑person plural present of ‘être’, used because the subject ‘symptômes’ is plural.
possessive adjective ‘ton/ta/tes’
‘tes’ is the informal second‑person singular possessive adjective, matching the plural noun ‘symptômes’.
question mark
In French, the question mark is preceded by a space, as shown.
🗨In Conversation
Quels sont tes symptômes ?
What are your symptoms?
J’ai de la fièvre, un mal de gorge et des courbatures.
I have a fever, a sore throat, and body aches.
✕Common Mistakes
Quel sont tes symptômes ?
‘Quel’ must agree in number with ‘symptômes’; use the plural ‘Quels’.
Quels est tes symptômes ?
The verb must agree with the plural subject; use ‘sont’, not ‘est’.
Quels sont votre symptômes ?
When using the formal possessive, the adjective must match the noun’s number: ‘vos symptômes’. ‘Votre’ is singular.
↔Alternatives
Quels sont vos symptômes ?
What are your symptoms? (formal)
Qu’est‑ce qui te fait mal ?
What hurts you?
Tu as quels symptômes ?
What symptoms do you have?
Cultural Tip
In French medical contexts, the level of formality matters. Use ‘tes’ with friends, family, or children, but switch to ‘vos’ when speaking to strangers, elders, or in a professional setting. Also, French speakers often add a brief description of the duration (e.g., ‘Depuis deux jours’) after listing symptoms.