Question Formation in French
Les questions
In French, there are three main ways to ask questions, depending on formality and emphasis.
Three Ways to Ask Questions
- Intonation (informal)
- Est-ce que (neutral)
- Inversion (formal)
Hyphen and T-Euphonic
A hyphen is required between the verb and subject. With verbs ending in a vowel and il/elle/on, -t- is added for pronunciation.
2. Est-ce que
Est-ce que is placed at the beginning of the sentence and works with all subjects and tenses.
3. Inversion
In formal or written French, the verb and subject pronoun are inverted.
Est-ce que + subject + verb
1. Intonation
The simplest way to ask a question is to keep the word order of a statement and raise the intonation at the end.
Example Sentences
Information Questions (Wh-questions)
Question words are used to ask for specific information.
verb–subject
Inversion with Noun Subjects
When the subject is a noun, it remains at the beginning and a pronoun is inverted with the verb.
Questions with Prepositions
Prepositions usually stay at the end in spoken French but move to the front in formal French.
Placement of Question Words
Question words can appear at the beginning or remain in place in informal speech.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| qui | who | Qui parle ? |
| que / quoi | what | Que fais-tu ? |
| où | where | Où vas-tu ? |
| quand | when | Quand arrive-t-il ? |
| pourquoi | why | Pourquoi étudies-tu le français ? |
| comment | how | Comment ça va ? |
| combien | how many / how much | Combien ça coûte ? |
Spoken vs Formal French
Choice of question form depends on context.
| Context | Preferred Form |
|---|---|
| Casual conversation | Intonation |
| Neutral / teaching | Est-ce que |
| Formal / writing | Inversion |
Negative Questions
Negation wraps around the verb in all question forms.