This comprehensive guide talks you through how to form questions in French. It explains inversion, n´est-ce pas ? as well as forming questions using est-ce que ? (and est-ce qui ?). It also talks about where to put reflexive, direct and indirect object pronouns in French questions.
There are many ways to ask a question in French. This guide is divided into the following sections:
1. Asking a French question by using a statement
2. Asking a question by using n´est-ce pas ?
3. Using inversion without a question word
4. Using inversion with a question word
5. Using Est-ce que ? without a question word
6. Use Est-ce que ? with a question word
Note that each section should be looked at individually. In short, rules that apply to one section do not necessarily apply in other sections.
Some details have been left out deliberately. However, by at the end of reading this you should have a more solid understanding on how questions can be formed in French.
1. Asking a French question by using a statement
First of all in French it is possible to ask a question using a statement simply by changing your tone to make it sound like a question, for example:
- La maison a une piscine ?
= Literally: The house has a swimming pool?
Changing your tone to sound like a question here is essential, otherwise it will sound like you are stating a fact, for example:
- La maison a une piscine.
= Literally: The house has a swimming pool. (= Statement)
Asking a question in this way requires you to put any question word at the end of the sentence:
- La piscine est où ?
= Literally: The swimming pool is where?
- Elle arrive quand ?
= Literally: She arrives when ?
The reason for putting the question word at the end is to ensure it sounds like a question as opposed to a statement (i.e. Quand elle arrive = When she arrives), although admittedly not everyone obeys this rule.
This way of asking a question is arguably not the most official way, but it is really one of the simplest ways of asking a question.
When you want to ask What? using the statement as a question format you usually use quoi ? at the end of a sentence, for example:
- Tu as fait quoi ?
= Literally: You have done (or made) what ?
For more advanced learners - Where to put reflexive, direct and indirect object pronouns in statements being used as questions
In this guide reference is made in some places to reflexive, direct and indirect object pronouns. If you are not sure what these are maybe ignore references in this guide to these for now.
In statements being used as questions you would normally put any reflexive pronoun (or any direct or indirect object pronoun):
- Immediately in front of the verb if there is no infinitive (e.g. Il se lève quand ? = "He gets up when?")
- *Note: For these purposes do not think of any past participle(s) as verbs i.e. ignore them (e.g. Il s´est lèvé quand ? = "He got up when?")
- However, if there is an infinitive the direct, indirect or reflexive pronoun goes immediately in front of the infinitive (e.g. Il veut se coucher ? = He wants to go to bed?)
2. Using n´est-ce pas ? to ask a question
Another way of asking a question is by adding n´est-ce pas ? to the end of a statement.
Literally n´est-ce pas ? means more or less "is it not?", but has the feel of "isn´t that right?" regardless of the translation in English, for example:
- Il habite à Paris, n´est-ce pas ?
= He lives in Paris, doesn´t he?
OR He is living in Paris, isn´t he?
- Elle est allée en vacances, n´est-ce pas ?
= She has gone on holiday, hasn´t she?
OR She went on holiday, didn´t she?
- La maison a une piscine, n´est-ce pas ?
= The house has a swimming pool, doesn´t it?
In English n´est-ce pas ? had various meanings in the above examples. However, the French meaning of "isn´t that right?" means n´est-ce pas ? does not change.
Really this is asking for confirmation of a statement, rather than asking a proper question. However, it is a useful French structure to be aware of and to use.
For more advanced learners - where to put reflexive, direct and indirect object pronouns in statements using n´est-ce pas ?
In statements followed by "n´est-ce pas ?" the position of any reflexive, direct and indirect object pronouns is the same as in statements without n´est-ce pas ? namely:
- Immediately in front of the verb if it is not followed by an infinitive (e.g. Il s´est lèvé tôt, n´est-ce pas ? = "He got up early, didn´t he?")
- Note: A past participle is not a verb for these purposes.
- However if there is an infinitive you put the reflexive, direct or indirect object pronoun immediately in front of the infinitive (e.g. Il veut se coucher, n´est-ce pas ? = He wants to go to bed, doesn´t he?)
3. Using inversion without a question word
Now we are going to look at using inversion to form French questions.
For the first of this part of the guide it is essential that you understand what inversion is.
Inversion is where the verb and the subject switch positions to make a question, for example:
- Il est en Angleterre. = Statement
= He is in England.
- Est-il en Angleterre ? = Question using inversion
= Is he in England?
In English inversion is usually limited to the verb to be (i.e. Is he?/Are they? etc.) and to have (i.e. Has he?/Have they? etc), but in French you can in principle use inversion to form a question with any verb, for example:
- Veut-elle sortir ?
= Does she want to go out/leave?
= Literally: Wants she to go out/to leave? = Question using inversion
- Parlez-vous anglais ? (formal &/or plural "you")
= Do you speak English?
= Literally: Speak you English? = Question using inversion
You may have noticed that a dash (i.e. -) has been inserted in all the above question examples. This indicates that the verb and the subject have been inverted.
There is in principle no limitation in French when inverting a subject pronoun (e.g. je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles) or ce. In practice however inversion is rarely used for je, but can be used with a limited number of verbs, for example:
- Puis-je.... ?
= Can I.... ?/May I.... ?
- Suis-je.... ?
= Am I....?
When is inversion not possible?
It is not usually possible to invert any subject that is not a subject pronoun (or ce) where there is no question word at the start of the question.
This means that where the subject of your question is not je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles or ce, you should normally use the following format when using inversion to form a question:
- Subject, Verb* + il/elle/ils/elles ?
*Note: -t- should be added before il/elle when the verb ends in a vowel. (Detailed further below)
Examples are:
- La maison, a-t-elle une piscine ?
= Does the house have a swimming pool?
= Literally: The house has she a swimming pool? (Note: Swimming pool is feminine in French)
- Tes amis, ont-ils mangé ?
= Have your friends eaten ?
= Literally: Your friends, have they eaten?
(Note: Here some or all the friends are male)
- Tes amies, ont-elles mangé ?
= Have your friends eaten?
= Literally: Your friends have they eaten?
(Note: Here the friends are all female)
When is -t- used in French questions?
Something that commonly has come up during French tuition is when -t- is inserted into questions. It is inserted in inverted questions where the verb ends in a vowel and the subject is il, elle and on. It has no real meaning and is really inserted to make pronunciation easier, for example:
- Parle-t-elle anglais ? (-t- is inserted, as the verb ends in a vowel and is followed by elle)
= Does she talk English?
= Literally: Talks she English?
- Va-t-elle à Paris ? (-t- is inserted, as the verb ends in a vowel and is followed by elle)
= Does she go to Paris? OR Is she going to Paris?
= Literally: Goes she to Paris?
- Vend-il la voiture ? (-t- is not inserted, as the verb does not end in a vowel)
= Is he selling the car?
= Literally: Sells he the car?
- A-t-il une voiture ? (-t- is inserted, as the verb ends in a vowel and is followed by il)
= Does he have a car?
= Literally: Has he a car?
For more advanced learners - where to put reflexive, direct and indirect object pronouns in inverted questions without a question word
For inverted questions without a question word any reflexive pronoun (or any direct or indirect object pronoun) normally goes:
- Immediately in front of the first verb if there is just one verb* (e.g. Se lève t-il ? = "Is he getting up?")
- *Note: For these purposes do not think of any past participle(s) as verbs i.e. ignore them (e.g. S´est-il lèvé ? = Has he got up?/Did he get up?)
- However, if there is an infinitive the direct, indirect or reflexive pronoun goes immediately in front of the infinitve (e.g. Veut-il se coucher ? = Does he want to go to bed?)
4. Use inversion with a question word
When using a short form question word* at the start of your question you can in principle invert any type of subject, even subjects that are not subject pronouns (i.e. not je/tu/il/elle/on/ils/elles) or ce. In this scenario you should use the following structure:
- Short form question word* + verb** + Subject of any type (including Subject Pronoun or ce) ?
* Note: For these purposes a short form question form is one that does not include est-ce que (or est-ce qui).
** Note: -t- should be added before il/elle when the verb ends in a vowel.
Examples:
- Où est-il ?
= Where is he?
- Que fais-tu ?
= What do you do?/What are you doing?
OR What do you make?/What are you making?
= Literally: What do you?/What make you?
- Où habites-tu ?
= Where do you live?/Where are you living?
= Literally: Where live you?
- Où habite Pierre ?
= Where does Pierre live?
= Literally: Where lives Pierre?
- Où habitent Pierre et Jacques ?
= Where do Pierre and Jacques live?
= Literally: Where live Pierre and Jacques?
- Quand arrive le train ?
= When does the train arrive?
= Literally: When arrives the train?
- À quoi* t´intéresses-tu ?
= What are you interested in? (Asking one friend)
= Literally (more or less): At what yourself interest you?
*Note: Que ? (What?) cannot follow a preposition (e.g. à, de, avec, sans, etc.). Instead Quoi ? is used after a preposition.
When is inversion not possible with a question word?
One important point is when using a short form question word* at the start of your question you should not really invert a non-subject pronoun (or ce) where there is a direct object or a prepositional object immediately afterwards**. In this situation you should place the non-subject pronoun subject immediately after the short form question*. After that you should invert (i.e. add il/elle/on (and -t- where appropriate)) afterwards, for example:
- Où Pierre habite-t-il à Paris ?
= Where does Pierre live in Paris?
OR Where is Pierre living in Paris?
= Literally: Where Pierre lives he in Paris?
- Quand Pierre vend-il sa voiture ?
= When is Pierre selling his car?
= Literally: When Pierre sells he his car?
*Note: Again for these purposes a short form question form is one that does not include est-ce que (or est-ce qui).
**Note: Treat ce as a subject pronoun for these purposes. For clarity, you can invert ce in the same way as a subject pronoun.
For more advanced learners - where to put reflexive, direct and indirect object pronouns in inverted questions using a question word
For inverted questions with a question word any reflexive pronoun (or any direct or indirect object pronoun) normally goes:
- Immediately in front of the first verb if there is just one verb* (e.g. Quand se lève t-il ? = "When is he getting up?")
- *Note: For these purposes do not think of any past participle(s) as verbs i.e. ignore them (e.g. Quand s´est-il lèvé ? = "When did he get up?)
- However, if there is an infinitive the direct, indirect or reflexive pronoun goes immediately in front of the infinitve (e.g. Quand veut.-il se coucher ? = When does he want to go to bed?)
5. Use Est-ce que ? without a question word
An alternative to all the above structures is to use:
- Est-ce que….?
= Is it that….?
In this situation, the Est-ce que...? (Is it that...?) is already in a question format. It is therefore followed by a statement. This means the statement afterwards is not inverted in French, for example:
- Est-ce que tu as un frère ?
= Literally: Is it that you have a brother?
- Est-ce que Pierre aime nager ?
= Literally: Is it that Pierre likes to swim?
It is arguable that using Est-ce que…. ? is asking for positive confirmation of something. However, it is an easy structure to use, as it avoids the need for inversion after Est-ce que.... ?
For more advanced learners - where to put reflexive, direct and indirect object pronouns when using est-ce que ?
In the statement that follows est-ce que any reflexive pronoun (or any direct or indirect object pronoun) normally goes:
- Immediately in front of the verb if there is no infinitive (e.g. Est-ce qu´il se lève ? = "Is it that he is getting up?")
- *Note: For these purposes do not think of any past participle(s) as verbs i.e. ignore them (e.g. Est-ce qu´il s´est lèvé ? = "Is it that he got up?)
- However, if there is an infinitive the direct, indirect or reflexive pronoun goes immediately in front of the infinitve (e.g. Est-ce qu´il veut se coucher ? = "Is it that he wants to go to bed?")
5. Use Est-ce que ? with a question word
You could also combine Est-ce que.... ? (Is it that....?) with a question word in front, for example:
- Quand est-ce que.... ? = When is it that....?
- Qu´est-ce que.... ?* = What is it that....?
- Pourquoi est-ce que....? = Why is it that....?
- Où est-ce que.... ? = Where is it that....?
- Comment est-ce que.... ? = How is it that....?
- Qui est-ce que....? = Who is it that....?
*Note: Que ? has been Qu´ ? because of the vowel that follows.
*Note: You should not insert a preposition in front of Qu´est-ce que.....? (or Qu´est-ce qui....?). The best thing to do in this situation is to use Quoi ? using the short-form question format. (e.g. À quoi penses-tu ? = What are you thinking of?/"What is on your mind?").
As your question word is followed by est-ce que.... ? (is it that....?) you do not invert any following part of the question, because it is in a statement format, for example:
- Qu’est-ce que tu fais ?
= Literally: What is it that you do? (or possibly What is it that you make?)
- Pourquoi est-ce qu´il habite ici?
= Literally: Why is it that he lives here?
One point for more advanced learners is if you find your question sounds strange using est-ce que ? when using a prepositional verb instead use a short form question (e.g. D´où viens-tu ? = Where do you come from?).
When est-ce que....? becomes est-ce qui....?
One important point that sometimes has come up during French tuition is when est-ce que....? becomes est-ce qui.... ?
In short, when followed immediately by a verb*, est-ce que.... ? becomes est-ce qui....? This usually happens when the question word becomes the subject of the verb, for example:
- Qu´est-ce qui a été volé ?*
= Literally: What has been stolen?
* Note: Here est-ce qui is used instead of est-ce que, because it is immediately followed by a verb.
Note that any reflexive pronoun is ignored when deciding whether a verb follows Qu´est-ce qui ? In the following example therefore the verb is considered as following immediately after Qu´est-ce qui ? This means Qu´est-ce qui ? and not Qu´est-ce que ? is used:
- Qu´est-ce qui se passe?
= What is happening?
For more advanced learners - where to put reflexive, direct and indirect object pronouns in est-ce que questions using a question word
The position of any reflexive, direct and indirect object pronoun is the same whether est-ce que is preceded by a question or not, therefore they normally go:
- Immediately in front of the verb if there is no infinitive (e.g. Quand est-ce qu´il se lève ? = "When is it that he is getting up?")
- *Note: For these purposes do not think of any past participle(s) as verbs i.e. ignore them (e.g. Quand est-ce qu´il s´est lèvé ? = "When did he got up?)
- However, if there is an infinitive the direct, indirect or reflexive pronoun goes immediately in front of the infinitive (e.g. Quand est-ce qu´il veut se coucher ? = "When is it that he wants to go to bed?")
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