Questions
Three ways to ask, and the question words.
There are three ways to ask a yes-or-no question. They mean the same; they differ in register.
| Way | Example | Used |
|---|---|---|
| Rising voice | Tu viens ? | Speech; the commonest |
| est-ce que | Est-ce que tu viens ? | Speech and writing |
| Inversion | Viens-tu ? | Formal, mostly written |
est-ce que, "is it that", turns any statement into a question. In inversion the subject pronoun follows the verb, with a hyphen. If the verb ends in a vowel and the pronoun is il, elle or on, a -t- goes between them: A-t-il fini ? "Has he finished?", in the passé composé; Parle-t-elle français ? With a noun subject, the noun stays first and a pronoun is added: Marie est-elle là ?
Question words
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| qui | who | Qui est-ce ? |
| que, quoi | what | Que fais-tu ?, Tu fais quoi ? |
| qu'est-ce que | what | Qu'est-ce que tu fais ? |
| où | where | Où habites-tu ? |
| quand | when | Tu pars quand ? |
| comment | how | Comment ça va ? |
| pourquoi | why | Pourquoi tu ris ? |
| combien, combien de | how much, how many | Ça coûte combien ? |
| quel, quelle, quels, quelles | which, what | Quelle heure est-il ? |
The question word can go at the end in casual speech (Tu vas où ?), at the start with est-ce que (Où est-ce que tu vas ?), or at the start with inversion (Où vas-tu ?). quel agrees with its noun: quel âge, quelle heure, quels livres.
n'est-ce pas ? at the end of a sentence asks for agreement, like "isn't it?" or "don't you?"; in speech hein ? or non ? does the same.
Cards from this guide
9 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Sentences cards.
What's the simplest way to ask a yes-or-no question?
Raise your voice at the end: Tu viens ?
What does est-ce que do?
It turns a statement into a question: Est-ce que tu viens ?
What is inversion?
Putting the subject pronoun after the verb, with a hyphen: Viens-tu ?
Why is there a t in A-t-il fini ?
To keep two vowels apart in an inverted question.
How do you say "What are you doing?"
Qu'est-ce que tu fais ?
What does quel mean, and how does it change?
"Which, what"; it agrees with its noun: quel, quelle, quels, quelles.
What are the question words for where, when, how and why?
où, quand, comment, pourquoi.
How do you ask "How much is it?"
Ça coûte combien ?
How do you ask "What is it?"
Qu'est-ce que c'est ?