French Phrase
C'est quel genre de fête ?
Meaning
Literally “It’s what kind of party?” – a casual way to ask someone what type of celebration is being planned or is currently happening, e.g., a birthday, a costume party, a dinner gathering, etc.
When to use
Use this question in informal spoken French when you want to know the nature of an upcoming or ongoing event. It works well among friends, family, or coworkers, but would sound too casual in a formal business setting.
✦Grammar Breakdown
C'estquelgenredefête?
C'est
Contraction of *ce* (this/it) + *est* (is). Used for identification or definition, especially in spoken French.
quel
Interrogative adjective meaning “which/what”. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
genre de
Literally “kind of”. *Genre* is a masculine noun; the preposition *de* links it to the noun that follows.
fête
A feminine noun meaning “party, celebration, or festivity”.
de
Preposition that introduces the noun after *genre*. It does not change; the noun after it carries its own article if needed.
🗨In Conversation
C'est quel genre de fête ?
What kind of party is it?
C'est une soirée déguisée avec un buffet de tapas.
It’s a costume party with a tapas buffet.
✕Common Mistakes
Qu'est quel genre de fête ?
The correct contraction is *C'est* (ce + est). *Qu'est* is only used in the interrogative form *Qu'est‑ce que…*
C'est quel genre fête ?
You must keep the preposition *de* after *genre*.
C'est quel genre de fêtes ?
Since *fête* is singular in the question, keep it singular unless you specifically mean multiple parties.
↔Alternatives
Quel type de fête est‑ce ?
What type of party is it?
C’est quelle sorte de fête ?
What sort of party is it?
De quel genre de fête s'agit‑il ?
What kind of celebration is it?
Cultural Tip
In France, *fête* can refer to anything from a small family dinner (*dîner de fête*) to a large public celebration (*fête nationale*). When you ask about the *genre* of a party, you’re often looking for clues about dress code, food, or activities – for example, a *soirée* (evening party), a *fête d’anniversaire* (birthday party), or a *potluck* (*repas partagé*). Keep in mind that *genre* is a bit informal; in more formal contexts you might prefer *type* or the full construction *de quel genre de fête s'agit‑il ?*.