French interrogative sentences using est-ce que, inversion, and question words to ask questions clearly and correctly.
Interrogative sentences are questions, and in French, there are three main ways to form them: using est-ce que, inversion, or question words. These methods help you ask about people, things, actions, and more.
- Est-ce que is the most straightforward and neutral way to turn a statement into a question.
- Inversion is more formal or written, flipping the verb and subject pronoun.
- Question words (who, what, when, where, why, how) add more specific information to questions.
Understanding these three methods will help you ask questions confidently in any situation.
Est-ce que
The simplest way to make a question is to add est-ce que at the beginning of a statement. The sentence structure stays the same; you just add est-ce que to signal a question.
- Use est-ce que before the subject and verb.
- No changes to word order or verb form.
- Can be used in formal and informal situations.
| French Statement | French Question | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Tu manges une pomme. | Est-ce que tu manges une pomme ? | Are you eating an apple? |
| Il part à 8 heures. | Est-ce qu’il part à 8 heures ? | Is he leaving at 8 o’clock? |
| Vous comprenez la leçon. | Est-ce que vous comprenez la leçon ? | Do you understand the lesson? |
Inversion
Inversion means flipping the order of the verb and subject pronoun, adding a hyphen between them. This method is more formal and common in writing or polite speech.
- Invert the verb and subject pronoun (e.g., parle-t-il ?).
- Add a hyphen between verb and pronoun.
- Use a “t” between two vowels for pronunciation (a-t-il).
- Do not invert when the subject is a noun—just repeat the noun before the inverted verb.
| Statement | Inversion Question | Est-ce que Question | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elle chante une chanson. | Chante-t-elle une chanson ? | Est-ce qu’elle chante une chanson ? | Is she singing a song? |
| Tu voyages en France. | Viages-tu en France ? | Est-ce que tu voyages en France ? | Are you traveling in France? |
| Paul étudie tard. | Paul étudie-t-il tard ? | Est-ce que Paul étudie tard ? | Does Paul study late? |
Question Words
Question words ask for specific information and are placed at the beginning of the question. They can be combined with est-ce que or inversion.
- Common question words:
- qui (who)
- que / quoi (what)
- où (where)
- quand (when)
- pourquoi (why)
- comment (how)
- combien (how many/how much)
| Question Word | Example (Est-ce que) | Example (Inversion) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qui | Est-ce qui vient ? | Qui vient ? | Who is coming? |
| Que | Qu’est-ce que tu fais ? | Que fais-tu ? | What are you doing? |
| Où | Où est-ce que tu vas ? | Où vas-tu ? | Where are you going? |
| Quand | Quand est-ce que tu pars ? | Quand pars-tu ? | When are you leaving? |
| Pourquoi | Pourquoi est-ce que tu cries ? | Pourquoi cries-tu ? | Why are you shouting? |
| Comment | Comment est-ce que tu fais ça ? | Comment fais-tu ça ? | How do you do that? |
Translate: 'Why are you shouting?' using a question word and est-ce que.
Pourquoi est-ce que tu cries ?
The question word 'Pourquoi' is placed at the start, followed by 'est-ce que' and the subject-verb: 'Pourquoi est-ce que tu cries ?'
Summary
French questions can be formed with:
- Est-ce que + subject + verb (simple and neutral)
- Inversion (verb + pronoun) for formality and writing
- Question words at the beginning, followed by est-ce que or inversion
Practice all three methods to ask clear, accurate questions in every situation.
Flashcards (1 of 12)
- English Translation: Are you eating an apple?
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
