1.18: Question formation ▫︎ Mots interrogatifs
- Page ID
- 202730
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How to ask a question in French?
We have basically 4 ways of asking questions in French:
1. To ask a question in a relaxed, everyday conversation, we just raise our voice.
☞ Vous parlez français ?
2. To insist on the fact that you’re asking a question, you may use “est-ce que”.
☞ Est-ce que vous parlez français ?
3. When we write, or in formal situations, we tend to use “inversion”, a French concept where you invert the subject and the verb.
☞ Parlez-vous français ?
4. When you’re pretty sure the answer is yes, you may use the tag expressions “n’est-ce pas ?” or “non ?
☞ Vous parlez français, n’est-ce pas ?
Attention! The most common construction, mostly used in spoken French, is as followed:
1. You just raise your intonation towards the end of the sentence!
☞ Vous parlez français ? Do you speak French?
2. . If you use an interrogative expression (like when, why, where…) It goes all the way at the end of your sentence.
☞ Tu vas en France quand ? When are you going to France?
☞ Tu voyages avec qui ? With whom do you travel?
3. . Questions with “Est-ce que” is nowadays mostly used to ask questions that can be answered by “oui” or “non”.
☞ Est-ce que tu parles anglais ? Do you speak English?
Practice