French Phrase
Et après, qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ?
Meaning
This phrase is a common way to ask for the continuation of a story or a sequence of events. It combines the temporal marker 'Et après' (And after/then) with the subject-interrogative 'qu'est-ce qui' and the past tense of the reflexive verb 'se passer' (to happen).
When to use
Use this phrase when someone is telling you a story and you want to know the next part. It is also useful for inquiring about the outcome of a specific event or situation you were previously discussing.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Etaprèsqu'est-ce quis'est passé
Qu'est-ce qui vs Que
Use 'qu'est-ce qui' when 'what' is the subject of the following verb, as it is here with 's'est passé'.
Reflexive Passé Composé
The verb 'se passer' is reflexive and always takes 'être' as its auxiliary in the past tense, resulting in 's'est passé'.
🗨In Conversation
Soudain, tout le monde a commencé à crier.
Suddenly, everyone started screaming.
Et après, qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ?
And then, what happened?
✕Common Mistakes
Et après, qu'est-ce que s'est passé ?
'Qu'est-ce qui' must be used because 'what' is the subject of the verb 'se passer'.
Et après, qu'est-ce qui est passé ?
The verb 'se passer' is reflexive; you must include the 's'' pronoun to mean 'to happen'.
↔Alternatives
Et alors ?
And so?
Et ensuite ?
And then?
Raconte la suite !
Tell me the rest!
Cultural Tip
French speakers value active listening and engagement in conversation. Using this phrase shows that you are following the narrative closely; in very casual speech, you might also hear 'Il s'est passé quoi après ?' which is a more relaxed way to ask the same thing.