Asking questions in French
Yes/No questions (= Direct questions)There are 3 main ways to ask questions in French
1. invert subject and verb (used in formal situations and or when you don't know the person well)
Parlez-vous francais? Do you speak French?
Etes-vous anglais? Are you English?
2. use 'est-ce que' at the start of the sentence (any situation formal/informal)
Est-ce que vous parlez francais? Do you speak French?
Est-ce que vous etes anglais? Are you English?
3. pronounce the sentence with an interrogation tone (informal)
vous parlez francais? Do you speak English?
vous etes anglais? Are you English?
There are 3 main ways to ask open questions in French. Those three ways are similar to the ways used for yes/no questions but combined with an interrogative pronoun. The main interrogative pronouns are: qui(why) que/quoi(what) comment(how) pourquoi(why) ou(where)
1. interrogative pronoun + invert subject and verb (used in formal situations and or when you don't know the person well)
Qui etes-vous? Who are you?
Que voulez-vous? What do you want?
A quoi jouez-vous? What are you playing at?
De quoi m'accusez-vous? What are you accusing me of?
Lequel de ces deux animaux preferez-vous? Which one of these two animals do you prefer?
De ces deux robes, laquelle preferez-vous? Of these two dresses, which one do you prefer?
Comment le savez-vous? How do you know that?
Pourquoi vous cachez-vous? Why are you hiding?
Ou etes-vous? Where are you?
2. interrogative pronoun + use 'est-ce que' at the start of the sentence (any situation formal/informal)
Qui est-ce que vous etes? Who are you?
Qu'est-ce que vous voulez? What do you want?
A quoi est-ce que vous jouez? What are you playing at?
De quoi est-ce que vous m'accusez? What are you accusing me of?
Lequel de ces deux animaux est-ce que vous preferez? Which one of these two animals do you prefer?
De ces deux robes, laquelle est-ce que vous preferez? Of these two dresses, which one do you prefer?
Comment est-ce que vous le savez? How do you know that?
Pourquoi est-ce que vous vous cachez? Why are you hiding?
Ou est-ce que vous etes? Where are you?
3. interrogative pronoun + pronounce the sentence with an interrogation tone (informal)
Vous etes qui? Who are you?
Vous voulez quoi? What do you want?
Vous jouez a quoi? or a quoi vous jouez? What are you playing at?
Vous m'accusez de quoi? What are you accusing me of?
Vous preferez lequel de ces deux animaux? Which one of these two animals do you prefer?
De ces deux robes, vous preferez laquelle? Of these two dresses, which one do you prefer?
Comment vous le savez? How do you know that?
Pourquoi vous vous cachez? Why are you hiding?
Vous etes ou? or ou vous etes? Where are you?