French Phrase
Tu regardes quoi?
Meaning
Literally ‘You watch what?’, this informal question asks someone what they are currently watching, looking at, or paying attention to. It’s the everyday way to say ‘What are you watching?’ in French.
When to use
Use it with friends, classmates, or anyone you’re on familiar terms with, especially when you see them glued to a screen, a book, or a scene and you’re curious about the content.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Turegardesquoi?
Subject pronoun (Tu)
‘Tu’ is the informal second‑person singular pronoun used with friends, family, or peers.
Present tense of ‘regarder’
‘Regardes’ is the 2nd‑person singular form of the verb ‘regarder’ (to watch/look at) in the present indicative.
Interrogative ‘quoi’ after the verb
In spoken French, the interrogative pronoun ‘quoi’ can be placed after the verb for a very informal question, equivalent to ‘what’ in English.
No inversion, no ‘est‑ce‑que’
The sentence skips the formal inversion (Regardes‑tu…) and the neutral ‘est‑ce‑que’ construction, making it sound casual.
🗨In Conversation
Tu regardes quoi?
What are you watching?
Je regarde le dernier épisode de *Lupin*.
I’m watching the latest episode of *Lupin*.
✕Common Mistakes
Quoi tu regardes ?
The word order is reversed; ‘quoi’ must follow the verb in informal spoken French.
Tu regardes quel ?
‘Quel’ is an adjective and needs a noun after it; use ‘quoi’ for a stand‑alone ‘what’.
Vous regardes quoi ?
When using ‘vous’, the verb must agree: ‘Vous regardez quoi ?’
↔Alternatives
Qu'est‑ce que tu regardes ?
What are you watching?
Tu vois quoi ?
What do you see?
Qu'est‑ce que tu es en train de regarder ?
What are you in the middle of watching?
Cultural Tip
‘Tu regardes quoi?’ is strictly informal. In a professional setting, a teacher’s office, or when speaking to strangers, opt for the more neutral ‘Qu’est‑ce que vous regardez ?’ (using the formal ‘vous’) or the inverted form ‘Regardez‑vous… ?’. Also, French speakers often add a slight upward intonation at the end to signal a question, even without a question mark in spoken language.