Forming Questions in Depth
This lesson builds on the question-forming skills covered in the grammar foundations course, going deeper into complex question structures, the use of question words with different verb forms, and common pitfalls.
Review: Three Ways to Ask Questions
| Method | Register | Example |
|---|
| Intonation | Informal | Tu peux venir ? |
| Est-ce que | Neutral | Est-ce que tu peux venir ? |
| Inversion | Formal | Peux-tu venir ? |
Questions with Verb + Infinitive
When a question involves a conjugated verb followed by an infinitive (modal constructions), all three question methods work. The important rule is: only the conjugated verb participates in the question formation.
With Intonation
- Tu veux manger ? — Do you want to eat?
- Elle peut venir ? — Can she come?
With Est-ce que
- Est-ce que tu veux manger ? — Do you want to eat?
- Où est-ce que tu veux manger ? — Where do you want to eat?
- Qu'est-ce que tu veux manger ? — What do you want to eat?
With Inversion
- Veux-tu manger ? — Do you want to eat?
- Où veut-elle aller ? — Where does she want to go?
- Que veut-il faire ? — What does he want to do?
Note: In inversion, only the conjugated verb inverts. The infinitive stays at the end.
Questions with Reflexive Verbs
With Intonation
- Tu te lèves à quelle heure ? — What time do you get up?
- Vous vous appelez comment ? — What's your name?
With Est-ce que
- À quelle heure est-ce que tu te lèves ? — What time do you get up?
- Comment est-ce que vous vous appelez ? — What is your name?
With Inversion
- Comment vous appelez-vous ? — What is your name?
- À quelle heure se lève-t-il ? — What time does he get up?
In inversion, the reflexive pronoun stays before the verb:
- Se lève-t-elle tôt ? — Does she get up early?
- Se couchent-ils tard ? — Do they go to bed late?
Questions with Negation
You can ask negative questions in French. The structure differs by method.
With Intonation
- Tu ne viens pas ? — You're not coming?
- Elle ne sait pas nager ? — She can't swim?
With Est-ce que
- Est-ce que tu ne viens pas ? — Aren't you coming?
- Est-ce qu'il n'y a pas de pain ? — Isn't there any bread?
With Inversion
- Ne viens-tu pas ? — Aren't you coming?
- N'est-ce pas vrai ? — Isn't it true?
- N'avez-vous pas compris ? — Haven't you understood?
In inversion, ne comes before the verb and pas comes after the pronoun:
- Ne parle-t-il pas français ? — Doesn't he speak French?
Answering Negative Questions: Si
Remember: to answer "yes" to a negative question, use si instead of oui:
- Tu n'aimes pas le chocolat ? — You don't like chocolate?
- Si, j'adore le chocolat ! — Yes I do, I love chocolate!
Indirect Questions
An indirect question is a question embedded within a statement. The word order in indirect questions is not inverted — it follows normal declarative order.