Question 1

How does the phrase Où est-ce que work to ask "Where"?

Accepted Answer

To ask an open question in French, you can take a question word like Où (Where) and add est-ce que right after it. It literally means "Where is it that", but it just acts as a signal that a question is coming. After est-ce que, you just use normal subject-verb order: on trouve (we find).

Question 2

Why is it qu'on instead of que on?

Accepted Answer

When short words ending in e, like que, are followed by a word starting with a vowel, the e is dropped and replaced with an apostrophe. This makes it easier to say smoothly. Since on starts with an o, que on combines into qu'on.

Question 3

The translation says "Where do we find...", so why doesn't the French sentence use nous for "we"?

Accepted Answer

In everyday spoken French, people almost always use on instead of nous to mean "we". Even though on is used to mean "we", it always takes the "he/she" (third-person singular) verb form. That is why the verb is trouve and not trouvons.

Question 4

Why is the adjective sympa placed after restaurant, and is it short for something?

Accepted Answer

Most adjectives in French go after the noun they describe, so "a nice restaurant" becomes un restaurant sympa. Sympa is a very common everyday abbreviation for sympathique (nice or friendly). It is also handy because the spelling stays exactly the same whether it describes a masculine or feminine noun.

Où est-ce qu'on trouve un restaurant sympa ?

Breakdown of Où est-ce qu'on trouve un restaurant sympa ?

Questions & Answers about Où est-ce qu'on trouve un restaurant sympa ?

Learn Où est-ce qu'on trouve un restaurant sympa and more in French