French Phrase
Tu espères quoi ?
Meaning
This phrase is an informal and direct way to ask someone about their hopes, expectations, or what they anticipate. It's commonly used in spoken French among friends, family, or peers. The 'quoi' at the end emphasizes the interrogative nature in a casual manner.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to know someone's expectations or desires in an informal setting. It's suitable for conversations with friends about future plans, outcomes of a situation, or their general aspirations. Avoid using it in formal contexts or with strangers.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tuespèresquoi
Tu
'Tu' is the informal singular subject pronoun for 'you'. It's used when addressing friends, family, children, or people you know well.
espères
'Espères' is the second-person singular conjugation of the verb 'espérer' (to hope/to expect) in the present tense. It follows the regular -er verb conjugation pattern for 'tu'.
quoi
'Quoi' is an interrogative pronoun meaning 'what'. In informal spoken French, it's very common to place 'quoi' at the end of a question, especially when the question is direct and doesn't use inversion or 'qu'est-ce que'.
🗨In Conversation
J'ai postulé pour ce nouveau poste.
I applied for this new position.
Ah oui ? Tu espères quoi ?
Oh really? What are you hoping for?
✕Common Mistakes
Que espères-tu ?
While 'Que' is a correct interrogative pronoun, 'Que espères-tu ?' uses formal inversion and 'que' typically precedes the verb. 'Quoi' is used at the end of a sentence in informal questions.
Qu'est-ce que tu espères quoi ?
This is redundant. 'Qu'est-ce que tu espères ?' is already a complete and correct question. Adding 'quoi' at the end makes it grammatically incorrect and clunky.
↔Alternatives
Qu'est-ce que tu espères ?
What are you hoping for?
Qu'espères-tu ?
What do you hope for?
Vous espérez quoi ?
What are you hoping for? (formal, informal structure)
Qu'est-ce que vous espérez ?
What are you hoping for? (formal, standard structure)
Cultural Tip
This phrase exemplifies the common use of 'quoi' at the end of informal questions in spoken French, a feature often omitted in formal written French. It's a marker of casual conversation and directness. Using 'tu' (you, informal) reinforces this casual tone, so be mindful of when to use 'tu' versus 'vous' (you, formal/plural) based on your relationship with the person you're speaking to.