French uses special structures to turn statements into questions. The three main methods are:
- Adding est-ce que: a simple way to ask questions by placing est-ce que at the beginning.
- Inversion: swapping the subject and verb for a more formal or literary style.
- Using question words: asking for specific information like who, what, where.
Using est-ce que
The formula is est-ce que + statement. It’s straightforward and can be used for most subjects and verbs.
| French Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Est-ce que tu viens ce soir ? | Are you coming tonight? |
| Est-ce que vous avez fini ? | Have you finished? |
| Est-ce qu’il fait froid ? | Is it cold? |
| Pourquoi est-ce que tu ris ? | Why are you laughing? |
Using Inversion
Invert the order by putting the verb before the subject pronoun, connected with a hyphen. For example, tu viens becomes viens-tu.
| French Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Viens-tu ce soir ? | Are you coming tonight? |
| Avez-vous fini ? | Have you finished? |
| Fait-il froid ? | Is it cold? |
| Pourquoi ris-tu ? | Why are you laughing? |
Special Cases
- If the subject is a noun (not a pronoun), place the noun first, then invert the following pronoun and verb:
| French Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Marie vient-elle ? | Is Marie coming? |
| Le professeur est-il là ? | Is the teacher here? |
- For verbs that end with a vowel + -t-, insert -t- between the verb and pronoun to aid pronunciation:
| French Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Va-t-il partir ? | Is he going to leave? |
| A-t-elle fini ? | Has she finished? |
Using Question Words
Start the question with a question word to specify what you’re asking about. Common question words include:
| French Question Word | English Meaning | Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| qui | who | Qui est là ? | Who is there? |
| que / quoi | what | Que fais-tu ? / Tu fais quoi ? | What are you doing? |
| où | where | Où vas-tu ? | Where are you going? |
| quand | when | Quand part-il ? | When is he leaving? |
| pourquoi | why | Pourquoi ris-tu ? | Why are you laughing? |
| comment | how | Comment ça va ? | How’s it going? |
| combien (de) | how many / how much | Combien ça coûte ? | How much does it cost? |
Combining Question Words with Est-ce que or Inversion
You can use question words with either est-ce que or inversion for complete questions.
| Structure | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| question word + est-ce que | Pourquoi est-ce que tu ris ? | Why are you laughing? |
| question word + inversion | Pourquoi ris-tu ? | Why are you laughing? |
Informal Questions: Question Word + Subject + Verb
In spoken French, you’ll often hear the question word followed by the subject and verb without est-ce que or inversion:
| French Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Pourquoi tu ris ? | Why are you laughing? |
| Où tu vas ? | Where are you going? |
Translate the English question word into French: "Where".
où
The French word for "where" is où.
Summary
- est-ce que + statement is the easiest and most common way to form questions.
- Inversion is more formal and involves switching the verb and subject pronoun.
- Question words help ask about specific information and can be combined with either est-ce que or inversion.
- Informal spoken French sometimes skips est-ce que and inversion altogether.
What is the informal way to ask a question with a question word in spoken French?
Question word + subject pronoun + verb, without est-ce que or inversion.
In spoken French, questions often omit est-ce que and inversion: Pourquoi tu ris ? Où tu vas ?
Flashcards (1 of 23)
- English Example: Are you coming tonight?
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
