French Phrase
On joue à quoi ?
Meaning
Literally ‘We/One play at what?’, this informal question asks what game or activity the speaker and the listener are about to play. It’s the go‑to phrase when you want to know the name of the game in a casual setting.
When to use
Use it with friends, family, or classmates when you’re about to start a game, a sport, or any playful activity and you’re not sure which one. It’s perfect for board‑games, video‑games, sports, or even a spontaneous karaoke session.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onjoueàquoi?
On (impersonal pronoun)
‘On’ is an informal pronoun that can mean ‘we’, ‘one’, or ‘people in general’, and is very common in spoken French.
Jouer à + noun
The verb *jouer* takes the preposition *à* when you talk about the game, sport, or activity you are playing.
Interrogative ‘quoi’ after a preposition
When a question word follows a preposition, French uses *quoi* (e.g., *à quoi*, *de quoi*).
No inversion needed
In informal spoken French, you can keep the normal word order and just add a rising intonation; no subject‑verb inversion is required.
🗨In Conversation
On joue à quoi ?
What are we playing?
On va jouer à « Dixit ». Tu connais ?
We’re going to play ‘Dixit’. Do you know it?
✕Common Mistakes
On joue quoi ?
Missing the required preposition *à* after *jouer*.
On joue à quel ?
After *à* you need a noun (or *quoi*), not the interrogative adjective *quel* alone.
Nous jouons à quoi ?
While grammatically correct, using *nous* sounds overly formal in casual spoken French; native speakers prefer *on*.
↔Alternatives
On joue à quel jeu ?
What game are we playing?
C’est quoi le jeu ?
What’s the game?
Quel jeu on joue ?
Which game are we playing?
Cultural Tip
In French, *jouer* is followed by *à* for games and sports (e.g., *jouer à la pétanque*, *jouer à la console*), but by *de* for musical instruments (*jouer du piano*). The pronoun *on* replaces *nous* in everyday speech, so you’ll hear it far more often than the formal ‘nous jouons’. Also, the question *On joue à quoi ?* is considered very informal; in a classroom or formal setting you’d ask *Quel jeu allons‑nous jouer ?*.