Asking Questions

Vocabulary List for Questions

French	English
Qui ?	Who?
Que...? / Qu'est-ce que...?	What...?
Quand ?	When?
Où ?	Where?
Pourquoi ?	Why?
Comment ?	How?
Combien (de) ?	How much/How many?
À quelle heure ?	(At) What time?
Combien de temps ?	How long?
Est-ce que	(Used to form a question)
Tu aimes... ?	Do you like...?

Three Ways to Form Yes/No Questions in French

1. The word Order Stays the Same, you just add a Question Mark

In casual French, you can ask a question by keeping the word order as if you're making a statement and simply raising your tone at the end, or adding a question mark.

Examples:

• Tu aimes la pizza ? – Do you like pizza?
• Ils jouent au football ce soir ? – Are they playing football tonight?

This is the simplest and most informal way of asking a question.

2. Using "Est-ce que" to Make Questions

To make a question clearer and more formal, especially in written French, you add "Est-ce que" at the start of the sentence. The word order remains the same, but adding "Est-ce que" transforms the sentence into a question.

Examples:

• Est-ce que tu veux venir avec nous ? – Do you want to come with us?
• Est-ce que vous avez déjà fini vos devoirs ? – Have you already finished your homework?

"Est-ce que" is very useful in exams because it ensures your sentence structure is correct while making the question clear.

3. Inverting the Subject and Verb

This is the most formal way to ask a question, and it's commonly used in written or formal spoken French. You invert the subject (the person or thing doing the action) and the verb (the action word).

Examples:

• Aimes-tu les fruits? – Do you like fruits?
• Peut-elle venir avec nous ? – Can she come with us? If the subject starts with a vowel and the verb ends with a vowel, you add a -t- in between to make the sentence flow smoothly:
• A-t-il une voiture? – Does he have a car?

Inversion is a great technique to use in exams because it is formal and sophisticated.

Using Question Words in Detail

Question words help you ask more specific questions. Let's go over each in detail:

Qui? (Who?)

This is used to ask about people. If you're asking who is doing the action, "qui" acts as the subject, and you don't need another pronoun.

• Example:
  • Qui habite ici ? – Who lives here?

If you're asking about the object (who is receiving the action), you use qui along with other words like est-ce que.

• Example:
  • Qui est-ce que tu invites ? – Who are you inviting?

Que/Qu'est-ce que ? (What?)

"Que" is used to ask what when you're asking about the object of the sentence. You can also use qu'est-ce que for more clarity.

Example:

• Que fais-tu ? – What are you doing?
• Qu'est-ce que tu fais ? – What are you doing? (more formal)

When you invert, you use que directly with the verb. In spoken or informal French, the structure qu'est-ce que is more commonly used.

Quand ? (When?)

This is used to ask about time or events.

Example:

• Quand est-ce que tu vas partir ? – When are you going to leave?
• Quand arrives-tu ? – When are you arriving?

Où ? (Where?)

This word is used to ask about location or place.

Example:

• Où habites-tu ? – Where do you live?
• Où est-ce que tu vas ? – Where are you going?

Pourquoi ? (Why?)

This word is used to ask about reasons or causes.

Example:

• Pourquoi pleures-tu ? – Why are you crying?
• Pourquoi est-ce que tu étudies si tard ? – Why are you studying so late?

Comment ? (How?)

Used to ask about the manner or way something is done.

Example:

• Comment vas-tu ? – How are you?
• Comment est-ce que tu fais cela ? – How do you do that?

Combien (de) ? (How much/How many?)

Used to ask about quantity.

Example:

• Combien de frères as-tu ? – How many brothers do you have?
• Combien ça coûte ? – How much does it cost?

À quelle heure ? (At what time?)

Used to ask about specific times.

Example:

• À quelle heure est-ce que le train part ? – What time does the train leave?

Combien de temps ? (How long?)

Used to ask about duration.

Example:

• Combien de temps est-ce que tu vas rester ? – How long are you going to stay?

Grammar Points Related to Asking Questions

The Role of "Est-ce que"

"Est-ce que" is a helpful structure because it can be used with almost any statement to turn it into a question. It doesn't change the word order but is placed at the beginning to make a statement into a question. It's commonly used in both spoken and written French and is particularly useful for beginners.

Examples:

• Est-ce que tu as un frère ? – Do you have a brother?
• Est-ce que vous venez demain ? – Are you coming tomorrow?

Inversion for Formality

Inverting the verb and subject adds formality and is mostly used in writing or formal speech. This is particularly useful in exam situations because it demonstrates an understanding of more advanced grammar.

Examples:

• Parles-tu français ? – Do you speak French?
• Joue-t-il au foot ? – Does he play football?

If the subject and verb both start or end with a vowel, you add a -t- for clarity.

Example:

• A-t-il une idée ? – Does he have an idea?

Example Questions

Questions:

1. Est-ce que tu as fini tes devoirs ? Have you finished your homework?
2. Où vas-tu ce week-end ? Where are you going this weekend?
3. Quand est-ce que tu vas à l'école ? When are you going to school?
4. Pourquoi est-ce qu'il est en retard ? Why is he late?
5. Faites-vous du sport ? Do you play sports?

Answers:

1. Oui, j'ai fini mes devoirs. Yes, I have finished my homework.
2. Je vais à Paris ce week-end. I'm going to Paris this weekend.
3. Je vais à l'école à 8h. I go to school at 8 a.m.
4. Il est en retard parce qu'il a manqué le bus. He is late because he missed the bus.
5. Oui, je joue au tennis chaque semaine. Yes, I play tennis every week.

Useful Phrases to Use in Exams

• Est-ce que je peux... ? – Can I...?
• À quelle heure... ? – At what time...?
• Comment dit-on... en français ? – How do you say... in French?
• Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? – Can you repeat, please?
• Où se trouve... ? – Where is...?
• Qu'est-ce que tu fais après l'école ? – What do you do after school?