French Phrase
Tu as quels symptômes ?
Meaning
Literally ‘You have which symptoms?’, this informal question asks someone to list the health problems they are experiencing. It is the everyday way to inquire about a patient’s condition when you already have a friendly relationship.
When to use
Use this phrase in informal settings – with a friend who feels ill, a family member, or a patient you know well. In a formal medical interview you would switch to the polite ‘vous’ and a more structured form such as ‘Quels sont vos symptômes ?’
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tuasquelssymptômes?
Subject pronoun (Tu)
‘Tu’ is the informal second‑person singular pronoun, used with friends, family, or patients you know well.
Present of ‘avoir’ (as)
‘as’ is the 2nd‑person singular present of the verb ‘avoir’ (to have). It agrees with ‘tu’.
Interrogative adjective (quels)
‘quels’ means ‘which’ or ‘what’ and must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies; here it is masculine plural to match ‘symptômes’.
Plural noun (symptômes)
‘symptômes’ is a masculine plural noun meaning ‘symptoms’. The final –s is silent in speech.
Question without inversion
In spoken French, a yes‑no or information question can be formed by keeping the normal word order and adding a rising intonation, as in ‘Tu as quels symptômes ?’
🗨In Conversation
Tu as quels symptômes ?
What symptoms do you have?
J’ai de la fièvre, une toux sèche et des maux de tête.
I have a fever, a dry cough and headaches.
✕Common Mistakes
Tu as quel symptômes ?
‘Quel’ is singular; the noun ‘symptômes’ is plural, so you need the plural form ‘quels’.
Vous as quels symptômes ?
If you use the polite ‘vous’, the verb must be conjugated as ‘avez’. ‘as’ only matches ‘tu’.
Tu as quels symptôme ?
When asking about more than one symptom, use the plural ‘symptômes’. The singular would change the meaning.
Tu as quels symptomes ?
The accent on the ‘e’ (é) is required; without it the word is misspelled and the pronunciation changes.
↔Alternatives
Quels sont tes symptômes ?
What are your symptoms?
Tu présentes quels symptômes ?
What symptoms are you presenting?
Vous avez quels symptômes ?
What symptoms do you have? (formal/polite)
Cultural Tip
In French medical contexts the default is the polite ‘vous’ form, especially with strangers or in a clinic. Switching to ‘tu’ signals familiarity and can make the patient feel more at ease, but be sure the relationship permits it. Also, remember that ‘symptôme’ is masculine; the plural ‘symptômes’ never takes an extra –s in pronunciation.