French Question Words and the 3 Ways to Ask a Question

French asks every question three ways: keep statement order and raise your voice, put est-ce que in front, or swap the verb and the subject pronoun. Any question word works in all three. Here is the whole system on one screen.

The left column means Are you coming? and the right one Where are you going? All six are correct French. What changes is register:

The eight question words

All eight work in all three patterns, though what changes shape (below). Here they are in the formal one, with inversion:

1234

1. 1qui
2. 2où
3. 3quand
4. 4combien

Qui (who) asks about a person, où (where) about a place, quand (when) about a time, combien (how much) about an amount.

What is the one word that changes shape with the register: que with inversion, qu'est-ce que with statement order, quoi at the end.

Que tu fais ? is not French: que needs inversion or est-ce que after it. The full who-or-what system, with qu'est-ce qui, is on French interrogative pronouns.

Casual: the question word at the end

Everyday speech keeps the statement exactly as it is and puts the question word where the answer will go.

• Tu pars quand ? - When are you leaving? (Je pars demain. - I'm leaving tomorrow.)
• Il habite où ? - Where does he live?
• C'est combien ? - How much is it?

Speakers also put the word first and leave the rest alone: Où tu vas ? - Where are you going? Pourquoi tu ris ? - Why are you laughing? Both are normal in conversation, as casual as Tu vas où ?, and out of place in an essay.

A yes-or-no question in this register is just a statement with a rising voice: Vous habitez ici ? - Do you live here?

Est-ce que: the safe choice

Est-ce que (literally is it that) turns any statement into a question without touching its word order. A question word goes in front of it.

• Est-ce que tu viens ? - Are you coming?
• Où est-ce que tu travailles ? - Where do you work?
• Pourquoi est-ce qu'il pleure ? - Why is he crying?

Before a vowel, the que of est-ce que shortens to qu': est-ce qu'il, est-ce qu'elle, est-ce qu'on.

It is never wrong and never rude. If you are unsure which register you are in, use it.

Inversion with a pronoun

Inversion swaps the subject pronoun and the verb and joins them with a hyphen. It is the formal register: writing, speeches, careful speech with strangers.

• Parles-tu anglais ? - Do you speak English?
• Où habitez-vous ? - Where do you live?
• Sont-ils prêts ? - Are they ready?

When the verb ends in a vowel and the pronoun is il, elle or on, a -t- keeps the two vowels apart:

The -t and -d verbs already carry a t sound before a vowel, so they need nothing extra. The t means nothing; it is there for the ear.

With je, inversion is now rare outside a few short formal forms. Puis-je entrer ? (May I come in?) uses an old form of pouvoir; everywhere else, say Est-ce que je peux entrer ?

Inversion in the passé composé

In a compound tense the pronoun swaps with the auxiliary, avoir or être. The past participle stays after it.

• As-tu mangé ? - Have you eaten?
• A-t-il fini ? - Has he finished?
• Est-elle partie ? - Has she left?

A negative question wraps the inverted pair: ne before it, pas after it.

• N'as-tu pas faim ? - Aren't you hungry?
• Ne vient-il pas ce soir ? - Isn't he coming tonight?
• N'a-t-elle pas fini ? - Hasn't she finished?

Inversion with a noun subject

In a yes-or-no question, a noun cannot simply swap with the verb. French keeps the noun first, then inverts a pronoun that repeats it.

• Marie parle-t-elle français ? - Does Marie speak French?
• Ton frère vient-il ce soir ? - Is your brother coming tonight?
• Pourquoi Marie pleure-t-elle ? - Why is Marie crying?

The pronoun matches the noun: Marie is elle, tes parents is ils.

After où, quand, comment or combien, when the verb has no object, French can also just swap verb and noun:

• Où travaille ton frère ? - Where does your brother work?
• Quand part le train ? - When does the train leave?
• Comment va ta mère ? - How is your mother?
• Combien coûte ce livre ? - How much is this book?

Pourquoi does not allow the simple swap: Pourquoi Marie pleure-t-elle ?, never pourquoi pleure Marie ?

Mistakes English speakers make

What to do next

1. Ask one question in all three registers: Tu pars quand ?, Quand est-ce que tu pars ?, Quand pars-tu ?
2. Add a -t- to five il and elle questions.
3. For which and which one, read quel and lequel.