The Interrogative Form
In French, there are three main ways to form interrogative sentences (questions). These depend on the level of formality and structure you want to use. Let’s go through them:
1. Intonation (Informal Speech)
🔹 The simplest way to ask a question in spoken French is just to raise your voice at the end of a statement.
Example:
- Tu aimes le chocolat ? (You like chocolate?)
- Elle est là ? (Is she here?)
🔹 This is mostly used in casual conversations.
2. Est-ce que (Neutral/Formal)
🔹 You can add “Est-ce que” before a statement to make it a question.
🔹 This is common in both spoken and written French.
Example:
- Est-ce que tu aimes le chocolat ? (Do you like chocolate?)
- Est-ce qu’il pleut ? (Is it raining?)
🔹 If the next word starts with a vowel, “que” becomes qu’:
- Est-ce qu’elle vient ? (Is she coming?)
3. Inversion (Formal/Written Style)
🔹 Swap the subject pronoun and the verb, adding a hyphen (-).
🔹 If the verb ends in a vowel and the subject is il, elle, or on, add “-t-“ for pronunciation.
Example:
- Aimes-tu le chocolat ? (Do you like chocolate?)
- Vient-elle demain ? (Is she coming tomorrow?)
- A-t-il un chien ? (Does he have a dog?)
🔹 In formal writing or news reports, this form is preferred.
Other Question Words
You can also use interrogative words like “où” (where), “quand” (when), “pourquoi” (why), “comment” (how), “que” (what), “qui” (who), “combien” (how much/many).
Examples with different structures:
- Où habites-tu ? (Where do you live?) → inversion
- Où est-ce que tu habites ? (Where do you live?) → est-ce que
- Tu habites où ? (Where do you live?) → intonation (spoken)
Summary Table
| Type | Example | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Intonation | Tu aimes la musique ? | Informal (spoken) |
| Est-ce que | Est-ce que tu aimes la musique ? | Neutral (spoken & written) |
| Inversion | Aimes-tu la musique ? | Formal (written) |
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La forme interrogative – French Circles