French Phrase
Je descends à quel arrêt ?
Meaning
The speaker is asking which stop they should get off at while traveling on a bus, tram, or similar public‑transport vehicle. It is a direct, polite question that expects the name or number of the stop.
When to use
Use this sentence when you are already on board a vehicle and need clarification about the upcoming stop, especially in a city where stops are numbered or named.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Jedescendsàquelarrêt?
Subject pronoun
"Je" is the first‑person singular subject pronoun, placed before the verb.
Descendre (present)
"Descendre" means “to get off”. In the present indicative it is conjugated as "descends" for "je".
Preposition à
When "descendre" refers to a location, the preposition "à" introduces the stop or station.
Interrogative adjective "quel"
"Quel" agrees with the noun it modifies; "arrêt" is masculine singular, so the form is "quel" (not "quelle").
Noun "arrêt"
"Arrêt" is a masculine noun meaning a bus or tram stop (for the metro you would use "station").
🗨In Conversation
Je descends à quel arrêt ?
Which stop do I get off at?
Tu descends à l'arrêt Saint‑Lazare, à deux stations d'ici.
You get off at Saint‑Lazare, two stops from here.
✕Common Mistakes
Je descends à quelle arrêt ?
"Arrêt" is masculine, so the correct interrogative adjective is "quel", not "quelle".
Je descends où ?
"Où" asks for a location, not the specific name/number of a stop; it sounds vague in this context.
Je descends à quel station ?
Use "station" only for the metro; for buses and trams the proper word is "arrêt".
↔Alternatives
À quel arrêt dois‑je descendre ?
At which stop should I get off?
Quel est mon arrêt ?
What is my stop?
Je sors à quel arrêt ?
Which stop do I get off at?
Cultural Tip
In France, "arrêt" is used for bus and tram stops, while the metro uses "station" (e.g., "À quelle station suis‑je ?"). Remember that "arrêt" is masculine, so the interrogative adjective stays "quel". Asking "C'est quel arrêt ?" is common in informal speech, but the full form "Je descends à quel arrêt ?" is clearer and more polite when speaking to a driver or fellow passenger.