HOW TO ASK FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION WITH FRENCH QUESTION

Sometimes you need to know how to say more than a simple yes or no
in French; you may want to know when or where something happened
and who came and what they did. In this case, you need to use an
information question, and like in English, French information questions
start with a question word (technically known as interrogative adverbs
and adjectives).

USEFUL FRENCH QUESTION WORDS

 quand (when)
 à quelle heure (at what time)
 qui (who/whom)
 qui est-ce que (who, object of the verb)
 qui est-ce qui (who, subject of the verb)
 avec qui (with whom)
 pour qui (for whom)
 comment (how)
 combien (de) (how many/how much)
 où (where)
 d’où (from where)
 pourquoi (why)
 pour quelle raison (for what reason)
 quoi (what)
 qu’est-ce qui (what, subject of the verb)
 que/qu’est-ce que (what, object of the verb)
 quel + noun (what/which)
 The interrogative words are just an added block to the yes/no question
block. In other words, you form a question like you would for a yes/no
question and add the question word or expression at the beginning.

THE FRENCH EST-CE QUE QUESTION FORMAT

Follow these steps to include a question word in the est-ce que format:
1. Start with a statement and add est-ce que to form a yes/no question.
For example, Tu achètes un livre (You buy a book) becomes Est-ce que
tu achètes un livre? (Do you buy a book?)
2. To ask a more specific question, just add the question word at the
beginning of the yes/no question.
For example, if you want to know why someone buys a book, use the
word pourquoi at the start of your question: Pourquoi est-ce que tu
achètes un livre? (Why do you buy a book?)
Here are a few more examples of information questions using est-ce
que:
Quand est-ce que tu vas en vacances? (When do you go on vacation?)
Combien d’enfants est-ce qu’ils ont? (How many children do they
have?)
Qu’est-ce qu’on attend? (What are we waiting for?)

The question word que (what) turns into qu’ before a vowel, as shown
in the last example. However qui (who/whom) doesn’t change.
 FRENCH QUESTIONS WITH INVERSIONS
Follow these steps to include a question word in inversion format.
1. Invert the verb and subject in the statement and put a hyphen between
them.
For example, the statement Tu achètes un livre (You buy a book)
becomes Achètes-tu un livre? (Do you buy a book?)
2. Add the question word at the beginning, and don’t forget the question
mark at the end.
For example, if you want to know why someone buys a book, use the
word pourquoi at the start of your question: Pourquoi achètes-tu un
livre? (Why do you buy a book?)
If the question includes a name or noun, it still has to go before the verb,
at the beginning of the yes/no question. For example, Pourquoi Pierre
achète-t-il un livre? (Why does Pierre buy a book?)

Here are additional examples of information questions using inversion:

Quand vas-tu en vacances? (When do you go on vacation?)

Combien d’enfants ont-ils? (How many children do they have?)
Qu’attend-on? (What are we waiting for?)
THE FRENCH INTERROGATIVE OÙ
The interrogative où (where) behaves differently from other question
words. Actually, où is a complete rebel! The best way to ask a question
that begins with où is to build sentences this way: où + verb + any
subject (pronoun or noun). If it is a subject pronoun, you still need to link
it to the verb by a hyphen, as in the following examples:
Où as-tu trouvé ça? (Where did you find that?)
Où va Paul? (Where is Paul going?)
Où sont mes clés? (Where are my keys?)
Où allez-vous voyager? (Where are you going to travel?
  How much? / how many?
Combien?
How much? / How many?

Combien de livres as-tu?

How many books do you have?

Combien ça coûte?
How much does it cost?

 When?
Quand?
When?

Quand part le train?

When does the train leave?

 Where?
Où?
Where?

Où sont les toilettes?

Where are the toilets?

 How?
Comment?
How?

Comment êtes-vous venu?

How did you get here?

 Why?
Pourquoi?
Why?

Pourquoi riez-vous?
Why are you laughing?

 Which?
Quel? / Quelle? (m/f)
Which?

Lequel? / Laquelle?
Which one?

 What?
Qu'est-ce que?
What?

Qu'est-ce que c'est?

What is it?

 Who?
Qui?
Who?

Qui est-ce?
Who is it?
Interrogatives - How to ask questions in French

1. Questions without any question word

The forming of questions in French is fundamentally similar to the way
we form questions in English. The basic principal is that the verb is
placed before the subject, i.e. there is a subject / verb inversion.
In written French, questions are usually formed by inverting subject
and verb; but how this is done depends on the type of verb (with or
without an auxiliary) and on whether the subject is a pronoun or a noun.
Note: in cases of inversion where the pronouns il(s) elle(s) or on follow
a verb form ending in a vowel, French adds a linking -t- between the
verb and the pronoun; for example va-t-il, not va-il, or pense-t-elle,
not pense-elle.
Particularly in spoken French, any question (all the types below) can
alteratively be expressed by adding "Est-ce que" to the front of a
statement. See Part 3 below.

1.1. Verbs with no auxiliary (single word verbs)

1.1.1. When the subject is a pronoun - with the verb être
In the simplest statements, and when the subject is a pronoun, English
and French questions are formed in just the same way, as in this example
:
Statement Question

Structure subj > verb > complement verb > subj. > complement

English She is your sister Is she your sister?

French Elle est votre soeur. Est-elle votre soeur?

However, that is where the direct similarities end.... notably because in
English the verb to be is the only verb with which we can just invert
subject and verb to form a question.

1.1.2. When the subject is a pronoun - Other verbs

To make a question using any other English verb, we always need to use
an auxiliary (as in do you like). Here French is a bit simpler than English,
and simple inversion is possible with all verbs when they are used with
a pronoun subject and single-element tenses, i.e. tenses that do not
require an auxiliary – which means most tenses in French (present,
simple past, imperfect, future, etc).
Statement Question

subj > verb > complement verb > subj. > complement

Il aime votre soeur Aime-t- il votre soeur ?

Ils vivent à Londres. Vivent-ils à Londres

Vous voyez la voiture rouge. Voyez-vous la voiture rouge?

Vous irez à Paris demain. Irez-vous à Paris demain

and in the negative - note how the ne and pas are placed.
Il ne vient pas. Ne vient-il pas?

Il ne parlera pas en premier. Ne parlera-t-il pas en premier ?

In other words , and as long as the subject is a pronoun, in French we
can ask Vivent-ils à Londres, though in English we can't ask Live they in
London ? (You could in Shakespeare's time, but not in modern English!)
1.1.3. When the subject is a noun - with être and other verbs
English:
The same structure verb to be > subj. > complement is possible in
English, whether the subject is a pronoun or a noun. We can say Is she
your sister?, but we can also ask Is Mary your sister? , or Is this girl
your sister ?, or even Is this girl I'm showing you a photo of your
sister? This is not possible in French.
French:

Instead of placing the noun subject between the verb and the
complement, French repeats the subject - firstly as a noun, then as a
pronoun, on the structure:
subject noun > verb to be > subject pronoun > complement

Statement Question

Subj noun > verb > Subj. noun > verb > pron. >
complement complement

Jacques aime votre soeur Jacques aime-t- il votre soeur ?

Les Dupont vivent à Londres. Les Dupont vivent-ils à Londres

Le médecin a une voiture

Le médecin a-t-il une voiture rouge?
rouge.

Le chat dort dans un panier. Le chat dort-il dans un panier ?

Le chat dormira dans un

Le chat dormira-t-il dans un panier ?
panier.

or to translate the last example given above for English

Cette fille dont je vous montre une photo, est-ce votre soeur?
1.2. Verbs with two elements (auxiliary / verb)
1.2.1. When English and French are alike
When the subject of the sentence is a pronoun, and in contexts where
in both French and English the verb tense is formed with the use of
an auxiliary (notably in the perfect or passé composé tense, or with
modals) English and French questions are formed in just the same way,
as in these examples :

Statement Question

Structure Subj > v1 > v2 > object V1 > subj.> v2 > complement

English You have eaten an egg Have you eaten an egg ?

French Vous avez mangé un oeuf. Avez-vous mangé un oeuf ?

English They have seen the film Have they seen the film ?

French Ils ont vu le film. Ont-ils vu le film ?

English You should read this book Should you read this book ?

French Vous devriez lire ce livre. Devriez-vous lire ce livre ?

However if there is a direct or indirect pronoun object in the statement,
such as lui or leur in French, this comes before the initial auxiliary –
which is not the same as in English

French English

(IO) > v1 > pron. > v2 > object v1 > subj. > v2 (v3) > (InOb) > object.

Lui avez-vous donné de l'argent? Have you given him some money ?

Vous a-t-il raconté sa vie? Did he tell you his life story?

1.2.2. Cases when English and French are NOT alike

Unfortunately for students, in most cases the question structures in
English and in French will be different, for two reasons:
a) Unlike English, French does not allow simple inversion when the
subject of a sentence is a noun, and
b) Most tenses in French are formed without an auxiliary, whereas in
English we always use an auxiliary (do, did, has, was etc.) to create the
interrogative form of a verb. However as in 1.2. above, instead of
placing the noun subject between the verb and the
complement, French doubles the subject - firstly as a noun, then as a
pronoun, on the structure:
subject noun > v1 > subject pronoun > v2 > object
In which v1 is an auxiliary or modal, and v2 the main verb (infinitive or
past participle)

Statement Question

Subj noun > v1 > v2 > object Subj. noun > v1 > pron. > v2 > object

Jacques a vu votre soeur Jacques a-t- il vu votre soeur ?

Les Dupont ont vécu à Londres. Les Dupont ont-ils vécu à Londres

Le médecin a eu une voiture Le médecin a-t-il eu une voiture

rouge. rouge?

Le chat veut dormir dans un Le chat veut-il dormir dans un panier

panier. ?

Le chat devra dormir dans un Le chat devra-t-il dormir dans un

panier. panier ?
Compare these structures with English

French English

Subj. noun > v1 > pron. > v2 > object v1 > subj. > v2 (v3) > object.

Jacques a-t- il vu votre soeur ? Has Jacques seen your sister ?

Les Dupont ont-ils vécu à Londres Did the Duponts live in London?

Le médecin a-t-il eu une voiture

Does the doctor have a red car?
rouge?

Le chat veut-il dormir dans un Does the cat want to sleep in a

panier ? basket?

Le chat devra-t-il dormir dans un Will the cat have to sleep in a

panier ? basket
A few more examples
Examples:
1. Avez-vous fini de manger?
Have you finished eating ?
2. Voulez-vous danser avec moi ? ?
Would you like to dance with me?.
3. Dois-je mettre tous les sacs dans la voiture ?
Must I put all the bags in the car?
4. Est-il nécessaire d'aller à Londres ?
Is it ne cessary to go to London ?
5. Savez-vous combien de temps cela va prendre?
Do you know how long it will take ?
6. Lui avez-vous dit tout ce que vous savez ?
Have you told him everything you know?
7. Les gendarmes vous ont-ils dit tout ce qu'ils savent ?
Have the policemen told you everything they know know?
8. Les gendarmes ont-ils dit à linspecteur tout ce qu'ils savent ?
Have the policemen told the inspector everything they know know?
1.2.3. Questions using Est-ce que....

Fortunately for students, French has another less complicated way of

forming questions, which is the same in virtually all cases. It is just to add
"Est-ce que" to the front of a statement. With "Est-ce que" in front of it,
any statement becomes a negative. Here again are the examples above,
but this time instead of the English translation you'll find the French
alternative, using est-ce que.
Examples:
1. Avez-vous fini de manger?
Est-ce que vous avez fini de manger ?
2. Voulez-vous danser avec moi ?
Est-ce que vous voulez danser avec moi?.
3. Dois-je mettre tous les sacs dans la voiture ?
Est-ce que je dois mettre tous les sacs dans la voiture?
4. Est-il nécessaire d'aller à Londres ?
Est-ce qu'il est nécessaire d'aller à Londres ?
5. Savez-vous combien de temps cela va prendre?
Est-ce que vous savez combien de temps cela va prendre?
6. Lui avez-vous dit tout ce que vous savez ?
Est-ce que vous lui avez dit tout ce que vous savez ?
7. Les gendarmes vous ont-ils dit tout ce qu'ils savent ?
Est-ce que les gendarmes vous ont dit tout ce qu'ils savent ?
8. Les gendarmes ont-ils dit à linspecteur tout ce qu'ils savent ?
Est-ce que les gendarmes ont dit à linspecteur tout ce qu'ils savent?

A question of style.
Question-forming with Est-ce que is very common in colloquial spoken
French, less common in written French
How to ask questions in French: part 2

2. Questions using a question word

Question words are interrogative pronouns, adverbs or adjectives which
are usually placed at the start of a question. In English they are words
like what, why, how, who or how many. In French they are words
like que, qui, pourquoi or expressions like qu'est-ce que or qu'est-ce
que c'est que.
Even when a question word indicates that a question is being asked, as
for questions without question words, the principal indicator that shows
that a question is being asked is a subject / verb inversion.
French organises questions differently depending on whether the
subject is a pronoun or a noun.

There are two types of questions using question words in French.

 Short-form questions using simple question words such
as qui or quand, which are found in written or spoken French. See
section 1 below
 Longer forms using expressions such as qu'est-ce que or où est-ce
que or quand est-ce que which are commonly used in spoken
French. See section 2 below.
2.1. Short-form questions with a single question word

Question structures:
1. When the question word Qui is the subject of the question,
the question word introduces the question, and is followed by
the verb (the auxiliary if there is one, otherwise the main verb), and
then by any other parts of the sentence.
2. In all other cases, the question word introduces the question, and is
followed by the verb (the auxiliary if there is one, otherwise the main
verb), which is followed directly or indirectly by the subject .
The basic structures are thus the same in both cases:
Simple examples: Qui êtes-vous ? or Que faites-vous ?
2.1.1. Interrogative pronouns Qui, que, à qui, à quoi
Qui refers to people, and means who or whom - i.e. it can be subject
or object (examples 1 and 2)
Que refers to objects (everything except people), and means what,
almost always as the object of a sentence (examples 3 and 4)
Just occasionally que can be the subject of a question (example 5)
A qui (examples 6 and 7) refers to people, and means whose
A quoi (examples 8 and 9) refers to people, and means "of what"
 French English

1. Qui mange au resto ce Who's eating at the restaurant this

soir? evening?

2. Qui voyez-vous Who(m) do you see ?

3. Que pense-t-il ? What does he think ?

4. Qu'avez-vous dit ? What did you say ?

5. Que se passe-t-il ? What is happening

6. A qui est ce téléphone ? Whose is this telephone ?

7. Qui est déjà allé à Montréal

Who's already been to Montreal ?
?

8. A quoi appartient cette

What does this part belong to ?
pièce ?

9. A quoi pense-t-il? What is he thinking about?

Qui is often replaced, specially in spoken French, with the

expressions Qui est-ce qui (subject) or Qui est-ce que (object).
Que is often replaced, specially in spoken French, with the
expressions Qu'est-ce qui (subject) or Qu'est-ce que (object). See long-
form questions below.
2.1.2. Interrogative pronouns Lequel, laquelle
Lequel, laquelle etc. refer back to people or objects that have been
previously mentioned or implied, or are designated in the question.
They correspond to the English which (which ones, which of them, which
people)

French English

1. Voici deux tableaux; Here are two paintings; which do you

lequel préfères-tu? prefer ?

2. "Emballez les cadeaux!"

Wrap up the presents !
"Lesquels dois-je
Which ones must I wrap?
emballer?"

3. Laquelle de ces dix fleurs Which of these ten flowers is the most
est la plus belle beautiful ?

4. Je dois choisir un
téléphone, I have to choose a phone, but I don't
mais je ne sais pas lequel know which one (to choose).
(choisir) .
2.1.3. Interrogative Adverbs Où, quand, pourquoi, comment

Où refers to place, and means where (examples 1 and 2)

Quand refers to time, and means when.
Quand is frequently expanded to Quand est-ce que
Pourquoi refers to cause or reason, and means why.
Comment refers to method or means, and means how.
Combien (de) refers to quantity, and means how much or how many.

French English

1. Où va ce train ? Where is this train going ?

2. Où sont les toilettes, s'il vous

Where are the toilets, please ?
plaît ?

3. Quand pensez-vous venir? When do you think you'll come?

4. Quand est-ce qu'il va pleuvoir ? When's it going to rain ?

5. Pourquoi pleure-t-il tant, l'enfant

Why is the child crying so much ?
?

6. Pourquoi dis tu cela ? Why do you say that ?

7. Comment allez-vous? How do you do?

6. Comment va-t-elle s'expliquer ? How will she explain herself ?

How much does this packet

9. Combien pèse ce paquet ?
weigh ?

10. Combien d'argent avons nous ? How much money do we have ?

2.1.4. Interrogative adjectives Quel / Quelle / -s
Quel, in all its forms, implies a choice between or among the noun(s)
that it qualifies; it means which or sometimes what.
Being an adjective, Quel qualifies a noun, unlike the interrogative
pronouns of the group Lequel (see above). It is normally used
attributively (before the noun - examples 1 - 3 ), but sometimes can be
used predicatively with the verb être (as an introductory complement -
examples 4 - 6 )

French English

1. Quel route devons nous

Which road must we take ?
prendre?

What's the time ? (litterally Which

2. Quelle heure est-il ?
hour is it?)

3. Mais quelle idée lui est passée

But what's got into his head ?
par la tête?

4. Quel est votre avis ? What is your opinion ?

5. Quelles sont les bonnes

Which are the right answers ?
réponses ?

6. Quelle était sa réaction ? How did he/she react ?

2.2. Long-form questions in French

Long forms of the question.

In everyday spoken French, it is very common for people to stress that
they are asking a question, by starting it with a consolidator
like Qu'est-ce que or où est-ce que or quand est-ce que . Questions
starting this way are unmistakably questions, while questions starting
with a short question word, most notably que or qu' could be
misheard.

For example, it would be easy to confuse Qu'avez-vous vu

? with Avez-vous vu ?

The solution is so simple. Just add Qu'est-ce que ... or a similar

expression to the start of a declarative statement and it becomes a
question.

IMPORTANT: when questions are formed using Qu'est-ce que ... or a

similar expression, there is no inversion of subject and verb.
Example: Que pensez-vous ? but Qu'est-ce que vous pensez ?
2.2.1. Qui est-ce qu.. / Qu'est-ce qu.. (...c'est que)
The precise expression used depends on whether the question refers
to a human or an inanimate, and whether the question concerns the
subject or the object of the statement.
Qui est ce qui is the human subject of a question.
Qui est ce que is the human object of a question
Qu'est ce qui is the inanimate subject of a question.
Qu'est ce que is the inanimate object of a question .

Long form questions can also be formed with lequel etc.

When "que" starts a short form question, it is almost always the object
of the verb, as Que penses-tu ?
See examples 3 and 4 below

Examples.
Long question form Short equivalent

No inversion Inversion when appropriate

1. Qui est-ce qui aime le chocolat ? Qui aime le chocolat ? *

2. Qui est-ce qu'il a épousée ?. Qui a-t-il épousée ?

3. Qu'est-ce qui vous surprend ? Que vous surprend-il ?

4. Qu'est-ce qui se passe ? Que se passe-t-il ? **

5. Qu'est-ce que vous en pensez ? Qu'en pensez-vous ?

6. Lesquelles est-ce que tu préfères ? Lesquelles préfères-tu ?

Notes.
Example 1. There is no inversion when qui is the subject of a question.
See qui above.
Example 3. Que as subject of a verb. In this example, and in modern
French, to render the perfectly acceptable English question "What
surprises you?" one cannot say "Que vous surprend ?" And certainly
not "Que surprend vous ?". A short form is sometimes formed by
repeating the subject (que ... il), but this is clumsy and is a structure
that is not much used. The long form is most common.
Example 4. Se passer is an existential verb, and one of only a few such
verbs that can be commonlyused in a short-form question starting
with Que as a subject. Other such verbs include arriver, exister,
survivre, suivre.
2.2.2. The even longer form: Qu'est-ce que c'est qu..
This even longer alternative is only found in spoken French, and is quite
common in colloquial French. Of particular importance is example 6,
which is a very normal way of saying "What's that ?"

Long question form Even longer form

1. Qui est-ce qui aime le Qui est-ce que c'est qui aime le
chocolat ? chocolat ?

2. Qui est-ce qu'il a épousée ?. Qui est-ce c'est qu'il a épousée ?.

3. Qu'est-ce qui vous surprend Qu'est-ce que c'est qui vous surprend
? ?

4. Qu'est-ce qui va se passer ? Qu'est-ce c'est qui va se passer ?

5. Qu'est-ce que vous en

Qu'est-ce c'est que vous en pensez ?
pensez ?

6. (none) Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça ?

2.2.3. Long forms with interrogative adverbs: quand est-ce que, Où est-
ce que, etc

All of the interrogative adverbs in French can, and often are,

consolidated at the start of questions by the addition of est-ce qu.., and
when necessary with the addition of il est.

Short question form Long equivalent

1. Où est le chocolat ? Où est-ce qu'il est le chocolat ?

2. Où as-tu mis le chocolat ? Où est-ce que tu as mis le chocolat ?

Quand est-ce que vous avez vu le

3. Quand avez vous vu le chat ?
chat?

4. Quand l'avez vous vu ? Quand est-ce que vous l'avez vu ?

5. Pouquoi s'arrête-t-il ? Pourquoi est-ce qu'il s'arrête ?

Pourquoi est-ce qu'il mange un oeuf

6. Pourquoi mange-t-il un oeuf?
?

7. Comment allez-vous ? Comment est-ce que vous allez ?

8. Comment le chat est-il rentré Comment est-ce que le chat est

là-dedans? rentré là-dedans ?

9. Combien ça coûte? Combien est-ce que ça coûte?

10. Combien en as-tu mangé? Combien est-ce que tu en as mangé?

Note
Il est. is added in example 1 because the question uses the verb être.
In such cases, a second verb must be added, otherwise the dependent
clause starting qu.. would have no verb.
Here are some more examples: Où est-ce qu'il est mon téléphone ? /
Comment est-ce qu'elle est votre maman ? / Pourquoi est-ce qu'il est
Questions

What is a question?
A question is a sentence which is used to ask someone about something and
which normally has the verb in front of the subject. A question word such
as why, where, who, which or how is used to ask a question.How to ask a
question in FrenchQuestion words

How to ask a question in French - Easy Learning Grammar French

1 The basic rules
 There are four ways of asking questions in French:
 by making your voice go up at the end of the sentence
 by using the phrase est-ce que
 by changing round the order of words in a sentence
 by using a question word

2 Asking a question by making your voice go up

 If you are expecting the answer yes or no, there is a very straightforward way
of asking a question. You can keep word order just as it would be in a normal
sentence (subject then verb), but turn it into a question by making your voice
go up at the end of the sentence. So to turn the sentence Vous aimez la
France (meaning You like France) into a question, all you need to do is to add
a question mark and make your voice go up at the end.
Vous (subject) aimez(verb) la France? Do you like France?

On part tout de suite. We’re leaving right away.

On part tout de suite? Are we leaving right away?

C’est vrai. That’s true.

C’est vrai? Is that true?

Tes parents sont en vacances. Your parents on holiday.

Tes parents sont en vacances? Are your parents on holiday?

 Tip
French speakers use this way of asking a question in ordinary, everyday
conversations.
3 Asking a question by using est-ce que
 The phrase est-ce que is used to ask a question. Word order stays just the
same as it would in an ordinary sentence. Est-ce que comes before the
subject, and the verb comes after the subject. So to turn the sentence Tu
connais Marie (meaning You know Marie) into a question, all you need to do
is to add est-ce que.


Est-ce Do you know Marie?

que tu (subject) connais (verb) Marie?

Est-ce que vous allez en ville? Are you going into town?

Est-ce que ta sœur est vraiment heureuse? Is your sister really

happy?

4 Asking a question by changing word order

 In ordinary sentences, the verb comes AFTER its subject. In this type of
question, the verb is put BEFORE the subject. This change to normal word
order is called inversion. You can do this when the subject is a pronoun such
as vous or il. When you change the word order (or invert) in this way, you add
a hyphen (-) between the verb and the pronoun.

Vous (subject) aimez(verb) la France. You like France.

Aimez (verb)-vous(subject) la France? Do you like France?

Il écrit bien. He writes well.

Écrit-il bien? Does he write well?

On part tout de suite. We’re leaving right away.

Partez-vous tout de suite? Are you leaving right away?

 Tip
This is quite a formal way of asking a question.
 In the perfect tense and other tenses that consist of two or more words such
as the pluperfect, the part of the verb that comes from avoir or être is the one
that goes before the pronoun.


As-tu vu mon sac? Have you seen my bag?

Est-elle restée longtemps? Did she stay long?

 When the verb ends in a vowel in the il/elle form, -t- is inserted before the
pronoun to make the words easier to say.

Aime-t-il les chiens? Does he like dogs?

A-t-elle assez d’argent? Does she have enough money?

Tip
Unlike English there are two ways in French of answering yes to a question or
statement. oui is the word you use to reply to an ordinary question.
‘Tu l’as fait?’ – ‘Oui.’ ‘Have you done it?’ – ‘Yes.’

‘Elle est belle, n’est-ce pas?’ – ‘She’s beautiful, isn’t she?’ –

‘Oui.’ ‘Yes.’

si is the word you use to reply to a question or statement that contains a

negative expression like ne … pas.

‘Tu ne l’as pas fait?’ – ‘Si.’ ‘Haven’t you done it?’ – ‘Yes (I
have).’

‘Elle n’est pas très belle.’ – ‘Mais ‘She isn’t very beautiful.’ – ‘Yes, she
si!’ is!’
Grammar Extra!You can also form a question in this way with a noun or a
person’s name. If you do this, the noun or name comes first, then you add an
extra pronoun after the verb and link them with a hyphen.

Jean-Pierre (subject)est(verb)-il (pronoun) là? Is Jean-Pierre there?

La pièce dure-t-elle longtemps? Does the play last long?

In less formal French, the pronoun may come before the verb, and the noun or
name may come at the end of the sentence.

Il est là, Jean-Pierre? Is Jean-Pierre there?

Elle dure longtemps, la pièce? Does the play last long?

 5 Asking a question by using a question word
 A question word is a word like when or how that is used to ask for
information. The most common French question words are listed on Question
words-150.
 You can use a question word with one of the methods described above:
 you can make your voice go up at the end of the sentence. If you do this, the
question word goes at the END of the sentence.
 you can use est-ce que. If you do this, the question word goes at the START of
the sentence.
 you can change word order so that the verb comes before the subject. If you
do this, the question word goes at the START of the sentence.
Vous arrivez quand?

Quand est-ce que vous arrivez? When do you arrive?

Quand arrivez-vous?

Tu prends quel train?

Quel train est-ce que tu prends? What train are you getting?

Quel train prends-tu?

Ils vont où?

Où est-ce qu’ils vont? Where are they going?

Où vont-ils?

Key points
 You ask a question in French by making your voice go up at the end of the
sentence, by using est-ce que, by changing normal word order, or by using a
question word.
 When you put the verb in front of the subject, you join the two words with a
hyphen. A -t- is used in the il/elle form if the verb ends in a vowel.
 You use oui to answer yes to an ordinary question, but si if there is a negative in
the question or statement.
 1 Common question words
 Listed below are some very common question
words. que, quel, qui, quoi and lequel are explained on .
 combien + verb? how much?, how many?
combien de + noun? how much?, how many?

How much does this computer

Combien coûte cet ordinateur?
cost?

C’est combien, ce pantalon? How much are these trousers?

Tu en veux combien? Deux? How many do you want? Two?

Combien de personnes vas-tu How many people are you going to

inviter? invite?

comment? how?

Comment va-t-elle? How is she?

Comment tu t’appelles? What’s your name?

Tip
pardon and comment are also used to ask someone to repeat something, and
are the same as Pardon?in English. quoi can mean the same thing, but is
informal, and is the same as What? in English.

où? where?

Où allez-vous? Where are you going?

D’où viens-tu? Where are you from?

Tip
Be careful not to mix up où, which means where, and ou (without an accent),
which means or.


pourquoi? why?

Pourquoi est-ce qu’il ne vient pas avec Why isn’t he coming with
nous? us?


quand? when?

When are you going on

Quand est-ce que tu pars en vacances?
holiday?

Depuis quand est-ce que vous le How long have you known
connaissez? him?

2 qui?, que? and quoi?

 In questions, qui, que and quoi are all pronouns. Which of them you choose
depends on:
 whether you are referring to people or to things
 whether you are referring to the subject or object of the verb (the subject is
the person or thing that is carrying out the action described by the verb; the
object is the person or thing that ‘receives’ the action)
 whether the word you use will come after a preposition such as à, de or en
 For more information on Pronouns and Prepositions,
see Pronouns and Relative pronouns: qui, que, lequel, auquel, duquel.
 qui? and que? have longer forms, as shown in the table below. There is a
difference in word order between the longer and shorter forms.
 qui? is used for talking about people, and means who? or whom? in English.
You can use whom? in formal English to refer to the object of verb, though
most people use who?. qui? can be used after a preposition.
 Referring
Who?
to Meaning Examples Meaning
Whom?
people

Qui
qui? vient?
Who’s
Subject qui est- who? Qui est-
coming?
ce qui? ce qui
vient?

Qui vois-
qui? tu?
who? Who/Whom
Object qui est- Qui est-
whom? can you see?
ce que? ce que tu
vois?

De qui
est-ce Who’s he
qu’il talking
parle? about?
qui? Pour qui Who’s this
After who?
qui est- est ce book for?
prepositions whom?
ce que? livre? Who did you
À qui write to?, To
avez- whom did
vous you write?
écrit?

Tip
que changes to qu’ before a vowel, most words beginning with h, and the
French word y.
 For more information on que and qui, see Relative pronouns: qui, que, lequel,
auquel, duquel.
 à qui is the usual way of saying whose in questions.

À qui est ce sac? Whose is this bag?

 For more information on using à to show possession, see à, de and en.
 que? and quoi? are used for talking about things, and mean what? in
English. que? cannot be used after a preposition; you have to
use quoi? instead.
 Referring
What? to Meaning Examples Meaning
people

Qu’est-ce
What’s
qui se
happening?
qu’est-ce passe?
Subject what? What’s
qui? Qu’est-ce
worrying
qui
you?
t’inquiète?

Qu’est-ce
qu’est-ce que vous
What are
Object que? what? faites?
you doing?
que? Que faites-
vous?

What are
À quoi
you
penses-
thinking
After tu?
quoi? what? about?
prepositions De quoi
What are
parlez-
you talking
vous?
about?
Tip
It is possible to finish an English sentence with a preposition such as about or of,
even though some people think this is not good grammar.
Who did you write to?
What are you talking about?
It is NEVER possible to end a French sentence with a preposition.
3 quel?, quelle?, quels? and quelles?
 quel? (meaning who?, which? or what?) can be used with a noun (as
an adjective) or can replace a noun (as a pronoun). Compare this
with que? (and its longer forms) and quoi?, which also mean what?, but
are NEVER used with nouns.
 For more information on Adjectives and Pronouns,
see Adjectives and Pronouns.
 quel, quelle, quels and quelles are all forms of the same word. The form that
you choose depends on whether you are referring to something that is
masculine or feminine, singular or plural.

Masculine Feminine Meaning

who?
Singular quel? quelle? what?
which?

who?
Plural quels? quelles? what?
which?

Quel est ton chanteur préféré? Who’s your favourite singer?

Which wine do you

Quel vin recommandez-vous?
recommend?

Quelle est ta couleur préférée? What’s your favourite colour?

Quelle heure est-il? What time is it?

Who are your favourite

Quels sont tes chanteurs préférés?
singers?

Vous jouez de quels instruments? What instruments do you play?

What are your favourite

Quelles sont tes couleurs préférées?
colours?

Quelles chaussures te plaisent le

Which shoes do you like best?
plus?
 4 lequel?, laquelle?, lesquels? and lesquelles?

 In questions lequel, laquelle, lesquels and lesquelles (meaning which

one/ones?) are all forms of the same pronoun, and are used to replace nouns.
The form that you choose depends on whether you are referring to something
that is masculine or feminine, singular or plural.

Masculine Feminine Meaning

Singular lequel? laquelle? which?

which one?

Plural lesquels? lesquelles? which?

which ones?

‘J’ai choisi un livre.’ – ‘Lequel?’ ‘I’ve chosen a book.’ – ‘Which one?’

Laquelle de ces valises est à Which of these cases is Bruno’s?

Bruno?

‘Tu te souviens de mes amis?’ – ‘Do you remember my friends?’ –

‘Lesquels?’ ‘Which ones?’

Lesquelles de vos sœurs sont Which of your sisters are married?

mariées?

5 n’est-ce pas? and non?

 English speakers often use an expression like isn’t it?, don’t they?, weren’t
we? or will you? tagged on to the end of a sentence to turn it into a question.
French uses n’est-ce pas? instead. This useful little phrase never changes, so is
very easy to use. You use it in questions when you expect the person you are
talking to to agree with you.

Il fait chaud, n’est-ce pas? It’s warm, isn’t it?

Tu parles français, n’est-ce pas? You speak French, don’t you?

Vous n’oublierez pas, n’est-ce pas? You won’t forget, will you?
  It is very common to use non (meaning no) in the same way in spoken
French. hein? means the same as eh? in English, and is only used in very
informal conversations.

Il fait chaud, non? It’s warm, isn’t it?

Il fait chaud, hein? It’s warm, eh?

Key points
 In questions qui? means who?; que? and quoi? mean what?
 qui est-ce qui? (subject) and qui est-ce que? (object) are longer forms
of qui? Both mean who? The word order is different from qui.
 qu’est-ce qui? (subject) and qu’est-ce que? (object) are longer forms
of que? Both mean what? The word order is different from que.
 qui? (for people) and quoi? (for things) can be used after prepositions.
 quel? is both an adjective and a pronoun. It means who?, what? or which? in
questions, and is used with a noun or replaces a noun.
 lequel? is a pronoun; it means which? or which one? in questions.
 n’est-ce pas? or non? can be tagged on to the end of sentences to turn them
into questions.
 Grammar Extra!
 All the questions in the previous section are the actual words that someone
uses when they are asking a question, and so they all end with a question mark.
These are called direct questions. When you are telling someone else about a
question that is being asked, you use an indirect question. Indirect questions
never end with a question mark, and they are always introduced by a verb such
as to ask, to tell, to wonder, to know and so on.

 He asked me what the time was. (His actual question was What is the time?)
Tell me which way to go. (Your actual question was Which way do I go?)
Word order in indirect questions is generally the same as in English: question
word + subject + verb.

Dites-moi quel (question Tell me which bus

word) autobus (subject) va (verb) à la gare. goes to the station.

He asked me how
Il m’a demandé combien d’argent j’avais.
much money I had.

I wonder if he’ll
Je me demande s’il viendra ou pas.
come or not.

When the subject of the question is a noun and NOT a pronoun like je or il, the
subject and verb that come after the question word are often swapped round.

Je me demande où (question I wonder where my

word) sont (verb) mes clés (subject). keys are.

Demande-lui qui est venu. Ask him who came.