Learn Hardcore French: Parle-moi franchement: qui cuisine le mieux, Marie ou toi? - Speak to me honestly: who cooks the best, Marie or you?

Because the singular imperative of -er verbs (the “tu” form) drops the final -s: you say Parle !, Regarde !, not “Parles !”. The -s returns only before the pronouns y or en for ease of pronunciation: Parles-en., Vas-y. Since the next word here is moi, you keep Parle-moi.

Why use moi instead of me, and why the hyphen?

In the affirmative imperative, object pronouns follow the verb, are joined by hyphens, and “me/te” change to moi/toi. Hence Parle-moi.

Affirmative imperative order (with hyphens): verb + le/la/les
- moi/toi/lui/nous/vous/leur
  - y
    - en.
      - Example: Donne-le-moi.
Negative imperative: pronouns go before the verb, with no hyphens, and you use me/te again.
- Example: Ne me parle pas. / Ne me le donne pas.

Would Dis-moi franchement sound more natural than Parle-moi franchement here?

Often yes. Dis-moi franchement (“tell me honestly”) targets a specific answer, which fits a follow-up question like “who cooks best?” Parle-moi franchement (“speak to me frankly”) is fine but leans toward “have an honest conversation with me.” You could also say Réponds-moi franchement (“answer me honestly”).

What nuance does franchement add, and can it be moved?

Franchement means “frankly / honestly.” It can:

Modify the manner of speaking: Parle-moi franchement.
Act as a sentence adverb to set the tone: Franchement, dis-moi: … or Dis-moi franchement qui cuisine le mieux… (no colon needed if you embed the clause). Synonyms: honnêtement, sincèrement, en toute franchise. To soften the directness, add s’il te plaît / s’il vous plaît.

Why is it qui cuisine and not qui cuisines?

When qui is the subject of a verb, the verb is in the 3rd person singular: qui cuisine, qui vient, qui a. That’s why you don’t add -s here.

What’s the difference between mieux and meilleur?

mieux = “better” as an adverb, modifying verbs/actions: Il cuisine mieux que moi.
meilleur(e) = “better/best” as an adjective, modifying a noun (or after être about a quality): Sa cuisine est meilleure. / Il est meilleur cuisinier. Avoid “plus bien” in standard French; use mieux instead.

Why is it le mieux and not la mieux?

With adverbs, the superlative takes invariable le: le plus vite, le moins bien, le mieux. It doesn’t agree with the subject’s gender/number: Elle chante le mieux; Ils chantent le mieux—still le.

Can I say qui cuisine le meilleur?

No. Meilleur is an adjective; you can’t attach it directly to a verb. Say:

Qui cuisine le mieux ? (adverb)
or use a noun/adjective: Qui est le meilleur cuisinier / la meilleure cuisinière ?

Why is it toi after ou, not tu?

After ou in this kind of disjunctive choice, you use a stressed (tonic) pronoun: moi, toi, lui/elle, nous, vous, eux/elles. Hence Marie ou toi, not “Marie ou tu.” You also use these after prepositions (e.g., avec toi) and after c’est (C’est toi).

How would I say it if I’m being formal or talking to several people?

Use vous and the plural imperative:

Parlez-moi franchement : qui cuisine le mieux, Marie ou vous ?

Could I use est-ce que or the “qui est-ce qui” structure?

Yes:

Dis-moi franchement : qui est-ce qui cuisine le mieux, Marie ou toi ? You can also restructure: Lequel de vous deux cuisine le mieux ? or Entre Marie et toi, qui cuisine le mieux ?

Is the colon and spacing correct in French?

A colon here is fine to introduce the question. In French typography, you normally put a (narrow, non-breaking) space before a colon: Parle-moi franchement : qui… ? Many people omit it online, but the recommended form includes that space. Lowercase after the colon (qui) is standard unless a proper noun or title requires a capital.

Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts?

Parle-moi: [paʁl-mwa] — final -e in parle is silent; moi = “mwa.”
franchement: [fʁɑ̃ʃmɑ̃] — nasal “an” [ɑ̃]; “ch” like English “sh”; final -t silent.
qui: [ki], crisp “k.”
cuisine: [kɥizin] — the “ui” is a tight [ɥi] (not exactly “kwee”); “s” = [z].
le mieux: [lə mjø] — mieux is one syllable [mjø], not “mee-uh”; round your lips.
toi: [twa].

Is cuisine here the verb or the noun “cooking/kitchen”?

It’s the verb (3rd person singular of cuisiner): cuisine. The noun would be la cuisine (“cooking/kitchen”) and would appear with an article. Here, qui is the subject and cuisine is the verb.