French lesson 8: the 3 ways to ask questions
French communication lesson 8: the 3 ways to ask questions in French
At the beginner level (level A1), knowing how to ask questions is one of the first things to learn. In French, you can ask questions in 3 ways. In other words, there are 3 types of questions:
- the familiar form = informal
- the standard form = neutral
- the sustained form = formal
- the standard form = neutral
- the sustained form = formal
The video below will teach you how to ask questions in French according to these 3 forms. To understand well and to speak well, watch the video several times repeating aloud after the teacher.
As a reminder, a closed question is a question whose answer will be yes, no or I don't know. If needed, see our lesson on closed questions. An open question is a question with an interrogative pronoun. If needed, see our lesson on open-ended questions.
The familiar form (informal)
For a closed question, it is constructed with:
Subject + verb + complement + ? (question mark), with the intonation rising at the end.
Example: Vous parlez français ? (Do you speak French?) As you can hear in the video, the intonation rises.
Here, the question is constructed like an affirmative sentence (Subject + verb + complement), but with a different intonation: the intonation must be raised at the end of the sentence.
For an open-ended question, it is built with:
Subject + verb + interrogative word + (complement)* + ? (question mark), with the intonation rising at the end.
*The complement is optional. Indeed, it depends on the question. There may be questions without a complement and questions with a complement.
Example without complement: On mange quand ? (When do we eat?) As you can hear in the video, the intonation rises.
Example with complement: Tu fais quoi ce weekend ? (What are you doing this weekend?)
The familiar form is more suitable when talking to family members or friends.
The standard form with “est-ce que” (neutral)
For a closed question, it is constructed with:
Est-ce que + subject + verb + complement + ? (question mark)
Example: Est-ce que vous parlez français ? (Do you speak French?)
For an open-ended question, it is built with:
Interrogative word + est-ce que + subject + verb + ? (question mark)
Example: Quand est-ce qu’on mange ? (When do we eat?)
Here, what characterizes the questions of the standard form is the use of “est-ce que”. This form is called standard because it can be used with everyone, in all contexts.
The sustained form with the inversion of the subject (formal)
For a closed question, it is constructed with:
Verb-subject + complement + ? (question mark)
Example: Parlez-vous français ? (Do you speak French?)
For an open-ended question, it is built with:
Interrogative word + verb-subject + ? (question mark)
Example: Quand mangeons-nous ? (When do we eat?)
Here, what characterizes the questions of the sustained form is the inversion of the subject and the verb (Verb-subject and not Subject + verb). That is, put the verb before the subject. Remember to put the dash (-) between the verb and the subject.
This form is called sustained because it is an elegant and formal language register. In combination with the conditional of politeness, it is also a way to ask something politely. Example: Pourriez-vous m’indiquer vos disponibilités, s’il vous plaît ? (Could you let me know your availability, please?)
To learn how to ask questions, you can also study French communication lesson 6: ask closed questions in French and French communication lesson 7: ask open-ended questions in French.
Once you have mastered this eighth French communication lesson “the 3 ways to ask questions in French”, you can move on to the next lesson:
You can find other communication lessons in French by clicking here. You can also perfect your learning of the French language thanks to our:
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