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Interrogatif (Asking Questions)

Asking questions in French is not too difficult, and we all ask questions continually in our daily living.

Since being able to ask questions is an essential language skill, let's take a look at how to do it!

We use Question Words or Question Expressions along with three possible Approaches, in asking questions. All of them are as good as the others. The Inversion approach shown below can be a little more involved, but not much.

(1) First let's take a look at some of the most popular question words and expressions.

(2) Then we'll look at the approaches and examples.

Popular Question Words are:

 

qui (who),

quoi, que, (what),

quand (when),

où (where),

pourquoi (why),

comment (how)

Corresponding Question Expressions or phrases which can be used in place of the simple question words (above) are:

 

(qui)

quel individu (what/which individual / person)

quelle personne (what/which person),

 

(quoi / que)

quel objet (what/which object, what/which thing),

quelle action, (what/which action)

 

(quand)

quel moment (what/which moment, what time),

quelle année (what/which year),

quelle heure (what time),

quelle époque (what/which era),

combien de temps (how much time),

depuis quand (since when, how long),

 

(où)

quel lieu (what/which location, what/which place),

quel endroit (what/which location, what/which place),

quel pays (what/which country),

 

quel édifice (what/which building),

quelle maison (what/which house),

quel appartement (what/which apartment),

quelle résidence (what/which residence),

 

quel quartier (what/which neighbourhood),

quelle rue (what/which street),

quelle banlieue (what/which suburb)

quelle région (what/which area, what/which region),

quelle province (what/which province),

 

quelle ville (what/which city),

quel village (what/which town, what/which village),

 

(pourquoi)

quelle raison (what/which reason),

quel but (what/which goal, what/which reason),

quelle façon (what/which fashion, what/which manner, what/which way),

quelle manière (what/which fashion, what/which manner, what/which way)

All are shown below with examples (and helper words as needed).

 

There are three Approaches to asking questions:

A) Intonation

B) Est-ce que

C) Inversion

 Let's see how each one works below, followed by a few basic examples.

 

 A) Intonation - Asking Questions using only "Intonation"

First, let's take a look at the formulas and a few basic examples (More examples are shown further below)

Formulas: Asking questions using Intonation can be done three ways:

- Any statement followed by a simple question mark  ?

- Any statement followed by a question word and a question mark  ?

- Any statement followed by a question phrase / expression and a question mark  ?

Intonation Example set 1:

 

Intonation with only a question mark :

"Vous marcherez?"

You will walk?

Will you walk?

 

Intonation with a question word:

"Vous marcherez quand?"

You will walk when?

When will you walk?

 

Intonation with a question phrase / expression:

"Vous marcherez à quelle heure?"

You will walk at what time?

At what time will you walk?

Intonation Example set 2:

 

Intonation with only a question mark :

"Les joueurs s'entraînent?"

The players are training?

The players train?

Are the players training?

Do the players train?

 

Intonation with a question word:

"Les joueurs s'entraînent quand?"

The players are training when?

The players train when?

When are the players training?

When do the players train?

 

Intonation with a question phrase / expression:

"Les joueurs s'entraînent quel soir?"

The players train which evening?

The players are training which evening?

Which evening do the players train?

Which evening are the players training?

Intonation Example set 3:

 

Intonation with only a question mark :

"Tu voyages en Italie?"

You are travelling to Italy?

Are you travelling to Italy?

You travel to Italy?

Do you travel to Italy?

 

Intonation with a question word:

"Tu voyages en Italie avec qui?"

You travel to Italy with whom?

You are travelling to Italy with whom?

With whom do you travel to Italy?

With whom are you travelling to Italy?

Who do you travel to Italy with?

Who are you travelling to Italy with?

 

Intonation with a question phrase / expression:

"Tu voyages en Italie pour combien de temps?"

You are travelling to Italy for how long?

For how long are you travelling to Italy?

How long are you travelling to Italy for?

See a wide range of examples below.

 

B)  Est-ce que  - Asking Questions using "Est-ce que"

First, let's take a look at the formulas and a few basic examples. (More examples are shown further below)

Formulas: Asking questions using "Est-ce que" can be done in three ways:

- The question phrase "Est-ce que" followed by a subject, verb, and a question mark  ?

- Any question word followed by "est-ce que", a subject, verb, and a question mark  ?

- Any question phrase / expression followed by "est-ce que", the subject, verb, and a question mark  ?

Est-ce que ... Example set 1:

 

Est-ce que with only a subject, verb and question mark:

Est-ce que vous marcherez?"

You will walk?

Will you walk?

 

Est-ce que with a question word:

 "Quand est-ce que vous marcherez?"

You will walk when?

When will you walk?


 Est-ce que with a question phrase / expression:

 À quelle heure est-ce que vous marcherez?"

You will walk at what time?

At what time will you walk?

Est-ce que ... Example set 2:

 

Est-ce que with only a subject, verb and question mark :

"Est-ce que les joueurs s'entraînent?"

The players train?

The players are training?

Are the players training?

Do the players train?

 

Est-ce que with a question word:

"Quand est-ce que les joueurs s'entraînent?"

When are the players training?

When do the players train?

The players train when?

The players are training when?


Est-ce que with a question phrase / expression:

"À quelle heure est-ce que les joueurs s'entraînent?"

At what time are the players training?

At what time do the players train?

The players train at what time?

The players are training at what time?

Est-ce que ... Example set 3:

 

Est-ce que with only a subject, verb and question mark:

"Est-ce que tu voyages en Asie?"

You are travelling to Asia?

Are you travelling to Asia?

You travel to Asia?

Do you travel to Asia?

 

Est-ce que with a question word:

 Quand est-ce que tu voyages en Asie?"

When are you travelling to Asia?

You are travelling to Asia when?


 Est-ce que with a question phrase / expression:

 "Pour combien de temps est-ce que tu voyages en Asie?"

You are travelling to Italy for how long?

For how long are you travelling to Italy?

How long are you travelling to Italy for?

See a wide range of examples below.

 

C)  Inversion - Asking Questions using the "Inversion"

Let's take a look at the formulas and a few basic examples. (More examples are shown further below)

Formulas: Asking questions using "Inversion" can be done in three ways:

- The conjugated verb + hyphen + subject pronoun and a question mark ?

- A question word + conjugated verb + hyphen + subject pronoun and a question mark ?

- A question phrase / expression + conjugated verb + hyphen + subject pronoun and a question mark ?

Inversion Example set 1:

 

Inversion with only a subject pronoun, verb and question mark:

Marcherez-vous?"

You will walk?

Will you walk?

 

Inversion with a question word:

 "Quand marcherez-vous?"

You will walk when?

When will you walk?


Inversion with a question phrase / expression:

 À quelle heure marcherez-vous?"

You will walk at what time?

At what time will you walk?

Inversion Example set 2:

Important Note:

In this example set, the subject of the verb (les joueurs) must be identified before it can be used as the pronoun (ils) in the inversion form (s'entraînent-ils).

 

Inversion with only a subject, verb and question mark :

"Les joueurs s'entraînent-ils?"

The players train?

The players are training?

Are the players training?

Do the players train?

 

Inversion with a question word:

"Quand les joueurs s'entraînent-ils?"

When are the players training?

When do the players train?

The players train when?

The players are training when?


Inversion with a question phrase / expression:

"À quelle heure les joueurs s'entraînent-ils?"

At what time are the players training?

At what time do the players train?

The players train at what time?

The players are training at what time?

Inversion Example set 3:

 

Inversion with only a subject, verb and question mark:

"Voyages-tu en Asie?"

You are travelling to Asia?

Are you travelling to Asia?

You travel to Asia?

Do you travel to Asia?

 

Inversion with a question word:

 Quand voyages-tu en Asie?"

When are you travelling to Asia?

You are travelling to Asia when?


Inversion with a question phrase / expression:

 "Pour combien de temps voyages-tu en Asie?"

You are travelling to Italy for how long?

For how long are you travelling to Italy?

How long are you travelling to Italy for?

See a wide range of examples below.

  More Examples of using the three Question Methods:

qui

 

Tu parles à qui? (Intonation)

À qui est-ce que tu parles? (Est-ce que)

À qui parles-tu? (Inversion)

quel individu / quelle personne

 

Tu parles à quelle personne? (Intonation)

À quelle personne est-ce que tu parles? (Est-ce que)

À quelle personne parles-tu? (Inversion)

 

que / quoi

 

Tu veux quoi? (Intonation)

Qu’est-ce que tu veux? (Est-ce que)

Que veux-tu? (Inversion)

quel objet / quelle action

 

Tu veux quel objet? (Intonation)

Quel objet est-ce que tu veux? (Est-ce que)

Quel objet veux-tu? (Inversion)

 

quand

 

Tu vas aller quand? (Intonation)

Quand est-ce que tu vas aller? (Est-ce que)

Quand vas-tu aller? (Inversion)

à quel moment / à quelle heure

en quelle année / à quelle époque

pendand combien de temps / depuis quand / depuis combien de temps

 

Tu vas aller à quel moment? (Intonation)

À quelle heure est-ce que tu vas aller? (Est-ce que)

En quelle année vas-tu aller? (Inversion)

 

où

 

Vous habitez où? (Intonation)

Où est-ce que vous habitez? (Est-ce que)

Où habitez-vous? (Inversion)

à quel lieu / à quel endroit


dans quel édifice / dans quelle maison / dans quel appartement

dans quel quartier / dans quelle rue

dans quel village / dans quelle ville

dans quelle province / dans quelle région

dans quel pays

 

Vous habitez à quel endroit? (Intonation)

À quel endroit est-ce que vous habitez? (Est-ce que)

À quel endroit habitez-vous? (Inversion)

pourquoi

 

Ils sortent pourquoi? (Intonation)

Pourquoi est-ce qu’ils sortent? (Est-ce que)

Pourquoi sortent-ils? (Inversion)

pour quelle raison / dans quel but

 

Ils sortent pour quelle raison? (Intonation)

Pour quelle raison est-ce qu’ils sortent? (Est-ce que)

Pour quelle raison sortent-ils? (Inversion)