French Phrase
Quelles décos faut‑il ?
Meaning
This question asks what decorations are needed or appropriate for a given situation, such as a party, a wedding, or a room makeover. It implies the speaker is looking for suggestions or a checklist of items.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are planning an event, redecorating a space, or simply asking a friend for ideas about what decorative elements should be included. It works both in informal conversation (with the colloquial ‘décos’) and in slightly more formal contexts when you want to sound polished.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quellesdécosfaut‑il?
Quelles (interrogative adjective)
‘Quelles’ is the feminine plural form of ‘quel’, used to ask about a specific set of items; it must agree in gender and number with the noun that follows.
décos (colloquial noun)
‘décos’ is the informal, shortened plural of ‘décorations’; it is feminine plural, so it matches ‘quelles’.
faut‑il (inversion of falloir)
‘Falloir’ is an impersonal verb; in a yes‑no question the verb is inverted with the dummy pronoun ‘il’, giving ‘faut‑il’. The ‘t’ of ‘faut’ is pronounced because of the liaison with ‘il’.
🗨In Conversation
Quelles décos faut‑il pour la soirée d’anniversaire ?
What decorations are needed for the birthday party?
Il faut des ballons, des guirlandes lumineuses et quelques bougies décoratives.
You’ll need balloons, string lights, and a few decorative candles.
✕Common Mistakes
Quelles décos il faut ?
Missing inversion; the correct formal structure is ‘faut‑il’. The colloquial version drops the hyphen but is not standard.
Quel décos faut‑il ?
‘Quel’ is singular masculine; it must agree with the feminine plural noun ‘décos’, so use ‘Quelles’.
Quelles décos faut‑elle ?
‘Falloir’ is impersonal and always uses the dummy pronoun ‘il’; ‘elle’ is never used.
↔Alternatives
Quelles décorations faut‑il prévoir ?
What decorations should we plan for?
Quelles décorations sont nécessaires ?
Which decorations are necessary?
Quelles décos devrais‑je choisir ?
Which decorations should I choose?
Cultural Tip
In French, the impersonal verb ‘falloir’ is often used to give advice or express necessity. The inversion ‘faut‑il’ sounds a bit formal; in everyday speech many native speakers simply say ‘Quelles décos il faut ?’, which is grammatically informal but widely understood. Remember that ‘déco’ is a slang abbreviation; in formal writing you would use ‘décorations’. Also, French speakers tend to list specific items (ballons, guirlandes, etc.) after this question, so be ready to give concrete suggestions.