French Phrase
Qui est-ce qu'on devrait inviter à la fête ?
Meaning
This phrase is a common and natural way to ask 'Who should we invite?' in French, specifically when referring to people. The 'est-ce que' construction makes it a clear and unambiguous question, and 'on devrait' expresses a suggestion or obligation.
When to use
Use this phrase when discussing guest lists for an event like a party, dinner, or gathering. It's suitable for informal to semi-formal contexts among friends, family, or colleagues planning an event together.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quiest-ce queondevraitinviterà la fête
Qui
The interrogative pronoun 'qui' means 'who' or 'whom' and is used for people. It can be a subject or an object in a question.
Est-ce que
This is a common interrogative construction that turns a statement into a question without changing word order. It's very versatile and makes questions sound natural.
On
This pronoun is widely used in spoken French to mean 'we,' 'one,' or 'people in general.' It always takes a third-person singular verb conjugation, like 'il' or 'elle'.
Devrait (devoir)
This is the conditional form of the verb 'devoir' (to have to, must). 'On devrait' means 'we should' or 'one should,' expressing advice or a suggestion.
Inviter
This is the infinitive form of the verb 'to invite.' After a modal verb like 'devrait,' the following verb is usually in the infinitive.
À la fête
This means 'to the party.' 'À' is a preposition meaning 'to' or 'at,' and 'la fête' means 'the party.' It's a common expression for attending an event.
🗨In Conversation
Alors, la fête est samedi. Qui est-ce qu'on devrait inviter à la fête ?
So, the party is Saturday. Who should we invite to the party?
Bonne question ! On pourrait inviter Marc et Sophie, non ?
Good question! We could invite Marc and Sophie, couldn't we?
✕Common Mistakes
Qui on devrait inviter à la fête ?
While sometimes heard informally, it's grammatically less correct and can sound abrupt. The 'est-ce que' structure or inversion is preferred for clarity.
Qui est-ce que nous devrions inviter à la fête ?
'On' is very common in spoken French for 'we' and pairs naturally with 'devrait' (third person singular conjugation). Using 'nous' would require 'devrions' and is more formal.
↔Alternatives
Qui devrait-on inviter à la fête ?
Who should we invite to the party? (More formal)
Qui inviter à la fête ?
Who to invite to the party? (Very informal)
Qui est-ce qu'il faut inviter à la fête ?
Who must we invite to the party?
Cultural Tip
In French culture, invitations to parties are often extended verbally or through informal messages among close friends. For more formal events, written invitations are common. The use of 'on' for 'we' is extremely prevalent in spoken French and is generally preferred over 'nous' in casual settings, making this phrase very natural.