French Phrase
Qui sort en premier ?
Meaning
The sentence asks “Who goes out first?” or “Who leaves first?” It is used when a group needs to decide the order in which members exit a place or start an activity.
When to use
Use this question in informal or semi‑formal situations where several people are about to leave a room, a vehicle, a theater, or any shared space and you need to know who should be the first to go.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quisortenpremier?
Qui (who)
Interrogative pronoun used to ask about the person performing an action.
sort (present of sortir)
Third‑person singular present of the verb sortir, meaning “to go out” or “to leave.”
en (in / part of expression)
Here it forms the adverbial phrase “en premier,” indicating the order of something.
premier (first)
When placed after “en,” it works adverbially to mean “first” in a sequence.
🗨In Conversation
On doit sortir du cinéma, qui sort en premier ?
We have to leave the cinema, who goes out first?
Je sors en premier, je porte les sacs.
I'll go first, I’ll carry the bags.
✕Common Mistakes
Qui sort le premier ?
The article “le” is unnecessary; the correct structure is “qui sort en premier”.
Qui est le premier à sortir ?
While grammatically correct, this construction is more formal and changes the focus; for casual speech use the simpler “qui sort en premier?”.
↔Alternatives
Qui part en premier ?
Who leaves first?
Qui sort le premier ?
Who is the first to go out?
Qui sort en premier de la salle ?
Who exits the room first?
Cultural Tip
In French, sortir can mean both “to go out socially” and “to leave a place.” The phrase is common when leaving a restaurant, theater, or meeting room. “Qui part en premier” sounds slightly more formal, while “qui sort en premier” is the everyday version. Remember that “en premier” is an adverbial expression; avoid saying just “premier” after the verb.