French Phrase
Tu as peur de quoi ?
Meaning
This phrase literally translates to 'You have fear of what?' and is a standard way to ask someone about their anxieties or phobias. In French, fear is something you 'have' rather than something you 'are', using the verb 'avoir'.
When to use
Use this in informal settings with friends or family when someone seems hesitant, nervous, or frightened. It is common in spoken French to place 'quoi' at the end of the sentence for emphasis.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tuaspeurdequoi
Avoir peur
This is a fixed expression where 'peur' (fear) acts as a noun following the conjugated verb 'avoir'.
Quoi
When 'what' follows a preposition like 'de' in an informal question, 'quoi' is used instead of 'que'.
🗨In Conversation
Je ne veux pas monter dans les montagnes russes.
I don't want to get on the roller coaster.
Tu as peur de quoi ? C'est très amusant !
What are you afraid of? It's a lot of fun!
✕Common Mistakes
Tu es peur de quoi ?
In French, you must use the verb 'avoir' (to have) with 'peur', not 'être' (to be).
Tu as peur de que ?
After a preposition like 'de', the interrogative pronoun 'que' changes to 'quoi'.
↔Alternatives
De quoi as-tu peur ?
What are you afraid of? (Formal)
Qu'est-ce qui te fait peur ?
What is making you afraid?
Cultural Tip
French speakers often simplify questions in casual speech by keeping the subject-verb order and putting the question word at the end. While 'De quoi as-tu peur?' is grammatically formal, 'Tu as peur de quoi?' is what you will actually hear on the streets of Paris.