French Grammar- Forming Questions in French
There are four main ways to indicate that a question is being asked.
1. Intonation (it is good practice to not rely on this in exams).
2. Est-ce que…
3. Changing word order (inverting subject and verb)
4. Interrogatives (question words)
1. Intonation
● This is useful when speaking orally, but should be avoided in formal
writing, similar to in English.
Vous aimez la France.
You like France.
Vous aimez la France?
Do you like France?
2. Est-ce que…
● 'Est-ce que' doesn't have an exact translation, but it can be imagined as
'is it that…?'
● Goes before the subject
● The rest of the sentence stays the same (no change of order
necessary).
Tu connais Marie.
You know Marie.
, Est-ce que tu connais Marie?
Do you know Marie?
Est-ce que nous nous réunissons chez toi?
Are we meeting at your place?
● The 'que' in 'est-ce que' will shorten to qu' before a vowel sound.
○ Eg. Est-ce qu'il y a un ordinateur sur la table?
Is there a computer on the table?
3. Changing Word Order
● Invert the subject and the noun.
● Note: there is an exception with the 'je' form of 'pouvoir'.
○ Instead of 'peux-je' (which is what it would normally be if following
this rule), we use 'puis-je'.
Vous pouvez venir. Vous avez un dictionnaire.
You can come. You have a dictionary.
Pouvez-vous venir? Avez-vous un dictionnaire?
Can you come? Do you have a dictionary?
● If this would lead to two vowel sounds being next to one another, a 't' is
added for pronunciation purposes.
Il a un stylo.
He has a pen.
There are four main ways to indicate that a question is being asked.
1. Intonation (it is good practice to not rely on this in exams).
2. Est-ce que…
3. Changing word order (inverting subject and verb)
4. Interrogatives (question words)
1. Intonation
● This is useful when speaking orally, but should be avoided in formal
writing, similar to in English.
Vous aimez la France.
You like France.
Vous aimez la France?
Do you like France?
2. Est-ce que…
● 'Est-ce que' doesn't have an exact translation, but it can be imagined as
'is it that…?'
● Goes before the subject
● The rest of the sentence stays the same (no change of order
necessary).
Tu connais Marie.
You know Marie.
, Est-ce que tu connais Marie?
Do you know Marie?
Est-ce que nous nous réunissons chez toi?
Are we meeting at your place?
● The 'que' in 'est-ce que' will shorten to qu' before a vowel sound.
○ Eg. Est-ce qu'il y a un ordinateur sur la table?
Is there a computer on the table?
3. Changing Word Order
● Invert the subject and the noun.
● Note: there is an exception with the 'je' form of 'pouvoir'.
○ Instead of 'peux-je' (which is what it would normally be if following
this rule), we use 'puis-je'.
Vous pouvez venir. Vous avez un dictionnaire.
You can come. You have a dictionary.
Pouvez-vous venir? Avez-vous un dictionnaire?
Can you come? Do you have a dictionary?
● If this would lead to two vowel sounds being next to one another, a 't' is
added for pronunciation purposes.
Il a un stylo.
He has a pen.
