Apprenez à poser des questions en français : utilisez l'inversion,
Learn how to ask questions in French: use inversion, question words, and intonation. Clear explanations and practical exercises for beginners to form and practice questions confidently.
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Turning a statement into a question in French can be done several ways depending on formality and emphasis. This guide covers the main methods with examples.
Spoken Questions
In casual speech, intonation and short question tags are common and keep conversation natural. Rising your voice at the end of a sentence often signals a question without changing word order.
Rising Intonation
Simply say a declarative sentence with a higher pitch at the end to turn it into a question. This works well in relaxed settings when you want to be brief.
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n’est-ce pas
Ajouter n’est-ce pas à la fin invite à l’accord et transforme une déclaration en une question légèrement plus directe. C’est utile pour confirmer une information avec l’auditeur.
Adding n’est-ce pas at the end invites agreement and turns a statement into a slightly more direct question. It’s useful for confirming information with the listener.
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est-ce que
Placer est-ce que avant une phrase indique une question claire sans changer l’ordre normal des mots. Cela fonctionne aussi bien à l’oral qu’à l’écrit et est neutre en ton.
Placing est-ce que before a sentence signals a clear question without changing the normal word order. It works in both spoken and written French and is neutral in tone.
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Inversion
L’inversion consiste à échanger le sujet et le verbe pour former une question et donne un ton plus formel ou poli. Elle est souvent utilisée à l’écrit, dans les actualités ou dans une conversation élégante.
Inversion swaps the subject and verb to form a question and sounds more formal or polished. It’s often used in writing, news, and polite conversation.
Basic Inversion
Reverse the verb and subject pronoun for straightforward questions. If the verb ends with a vowel and the subject pronoun starts with a vowel, add a small -t- sound for ease of pronunciation.
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Inversion with Nouns
When the subject is a noun rather than a pronoun, place the inverted pronoun after the verb and keep the noun at the start. This keeps the question clear and precise.
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Qui and Que
Questions with qui and que follow different patterns depending on whether they ask about the subject or the object. Use inversion only when que is the object and switch to normal order for subject questions.
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Question Words
Question words like où, quand, pourquoi, comment, and combien specify the type of information you want and can be used with any question formation method. Place the question word at the start to guide the listener.
Qui
Utilisez qui lorsque vous posez des questions sur une personne. Il peut fonctionner comme sujet ou objet de la phrase, ce qui influence si vous inversez le verbe ou si vous le suivez simplement.
Use qui when asking about a person. It can function as the subject or object of the sentence, which affects whether you invert the verb or follow it directly.
Que / Qu’ / Qu’est-ce que
Utilisez que (ou ses formes contractées) pour demander une chose ou une action. Qu’est-ce que est courant en français parlé et sert d’introduction neutre pour des questions plus détaillées.
Use que (or its shortened forms) when asking about a thing or an action. Qu’est-ce que is common in spoken French and serves as a neutral way to introduce more detailed questions.
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Summary
French offers multiple ways to ask questions, from simple intonation to formal inversion. Choose the method that fits the situation and level of politeness you want, and start with the question word when you need specific information.
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