75- How to Ask Questions in French (Part I)

Listen to this lesson to learn how to ask questions in French. 🤓

In this episode (part I), we'll learn how to ask close-ended questions (yes/no answers) and in next week's episode we'll learn how to ask open-ended questions (specific information answers.)

If you’d prefer to listen on the go, listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Links & Cheat Sheet

• Lesson cheatsheet: How to Ask Questions in French (Part I) 📝

• Lesson exercises: French Exercises Library 📚

Transcript

Intro: Welcome to the French Made Easy podcast, where I give you all the basics you need to speak French clearly and confidently. I'm your host, Mathilde, and I'm a French teacher, mumpreneur, and bread and cheese lover. Join me as I dive into all things French for beginners, and deliver to you bite-sized and easy-to-follow lessons every Tuesday. Let's get started, "on commence"!

Bonjour à tous! Welcome back to the French Made Easy Podcast! 💖 This is episode number 75, numéro 75!

So today, we're talking about a super important, juicy topic that I'm super excited to talk to you about: how to ask questions in French. So I've divided this lesson into two episodes: closed questions & open questions. I’ll explain what they are in a sec.

Now, how to ask questions in French is usually a complicated topic for French beginners, BUT I will make it as simple as humanly possible for you. 

And dare I say, it will be simple for you to understand.

Before we get started, make sure you have your lesson’s cheat sheet in front of you, that will make it much easier for you to understand. After the lesson, head over to the French Made Easy Library, to download your lesson’s exercises. It’s free!

So first, let’s look at the difference between closed-ended questions and open-ended questions.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLOSE-ENDED QUESTIONS AND OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS

➡️ Close-ended questions are questions that require a yes or no answer. Or even maybe! 

For example: "Est-ce que le chat est dehors?" (Is the cat outside?) You're expecting a yes or no answer.

➡️ Open-ended questions are questions that don't require a yes or no answer, but instead, specific information.

For example: “Où est le chat?” (Where is the cat?) You're not expecting a yes or no answer, but specific information.

So that's what closed, and open questions are.

Whether it is for closed or open questions, there are three main ways to ask a question in French:

• The first way is by using intonation. (very casual.)

• The second way is by using "est-ce que." (casual.)

• The third way is by using inversion. (mainly used in formal writing.)

(There are other ways, which are, in my opinion, a bit too advanced for that level, so I'm not going to dive into it.)

Those 3 are the main ones that you need to learn and understand.

1. BY USING INTONATION

So to ask closed questions (meaning that you're expecting a yes, no, or maybe answer), our first method is by using intonation.

➡️ The first method is the simplest and the I’d say the most used way to ask questions in modern, spoken, casual French: you raise your pitch at the end of a sentence. And that's it.

It is the same structure as a normal declarative sentence; the word order doesn't change.

For example: "Tu parles français." (You speak French.) That is a simple declarative sentence. That's a statement.

Now to make this a question using our first method, which is using intonation, I'm just going to raise my voice at the end of that sentence. 

"Tu parles français?" (Do you speak French?) Now that's a question.

"Tu parles français." Statement. => "Tu parles français?" Question.

It's the same structure. But for the question, my voice rises at the end.

Now, let me add that the only catch with that method is that you have to raise your voice at the end; otherwise, if you don't, the other person will not understand that this is an actual question.

2. BY USING “EST-CE QUE”

➡️ With this method, you just need to add "est-ce que" (or "est-ce qu'" before a vowel) at the beginning of the sentence.

This way is also used a lot by French speakers when we speak.

Now there's no translation for the expression "est-ce-que," word for word; it would be something like "is it that," which doesn't really mean anything in English. But, it does indicate that a question is coming. 

Again, the word order doesn't change; it is the same structure as a normal declarative sentence. 

The only thing that changes is adding "est-ce que" at the beginning of that sentence.

Let's take the same example as earlier. 

"Tu parles français." To make this a question, using our second method, I will add "est-ce que" at the start of that sentence.

"Est-ce que tu parles français?" 

"Tu parles français." Statement. => "Est-ce que tu parles français?" That is a question.

Now, you can raise your voice or not, but the fact that you already have "est-ce que" indicates that a question is coming anyways.

3. BY USING INVERSION

➡️ And more specifically, simple inversion.* So with the simple inversion method, you have to switch the order between the subject pronoun and the verb. Plus, you have to add a hyphen in between the subject pronoun and the verb. I'll explain more in a sec.

So, this method is not used as much. French speakers will rarely use it when they speak. I emphasize the rarely. It's mainly used in writing. And not with casual writing, with formal writing. 

But you still need to understand it if you come across it in a book, if you're passing an exam or if you need it for any kind of formal writing. 

Ok, so let's take our previous example. 

"Tu parles français." To make this a question, using the 3rd method, which is the inversion, you have to inverse the order of the subject pronoun, which is the "tu" , and the conjugated verb, which is "parles" 

"Parles-tu français?"

I switched the order between the verb "parles" and the subject pronoun "tu" and added a hyphen in between.

"Tu parles français." Statement. => "Parles-tu français?" Question.

One note here is that for subject pronouns "il", "elle", and "on" + a verb ending with a vowel, you must add a "t" in between. 

For example:

"Il parle français." Statement.

"Parle-t-il français? Question. I add a "T" in between my verb and my subject pronoun.

Because this podcast is for beginners, and I'm being mindful of not overwhelming you too much, that's all you need to know about inversions for now. There is obviously a lot more to learn about inversion, like complex inversions*, negation in inversions, etc., but these are topics for another lesson.

⚠️ This method is valid for subject pronouns only. When the subject is a noun or a name, we use complex inversions. Topic for another lesson. :)

RECAP’

The three main ways of asking closed questions are: 

1. By using intonation. You raise your pitch at the end of the sentence: "Tu parles français?"

2. By using "est-ce-que" at the beginning of a question: "Est-ce que tu parles français?"

3. By using simple inversion. You switch the order between the subject pronoun and the verb: "Parles-tu français?"

Et voilà!!!!

So, that wasn't that bad, right? Next week, we'll see how to ask open questions. So questions that require specific information, rather than yes, no, or maybe answer.

With that being said. That is now the end of today's episode. If you enjoyed it, please let me know on my website in the comment sections. 

I'll chat with you next week for part II. I'm excited about that too! 

Merci beaucoup et à bientôt.