Additional Forms for Asking Questions
8.6.1. The Main Idea
French has several ways to ask the same question. Some are casual, some are neutral, and some are more formal.
Tu te couches à quelle heure ? | What time do you go to bed? |
À quelle heure est-ce que tu te couches ? | What time do you go to bed? |
À quelle heure te couches-tu ? | What time do you go to bed? formal |
All three questions mean almost the same thing, but the style is different.
8.6.2. Informal Questions
In casual speech, French often keeps normal word order and uses a question word.
Tu te lèves quand ? | When do you get up? |
Tu vas où ? | Where are you going? |
Tu fais quoi ? | What are you doing? |
Tu veux quoi ? | What do you want? |
Tu te couches à quelle heure ? | What time do you go to bed? |
This form is common in everyday conversation.
8.6.3. Est-ce que Questions
Est-ce que makes a question clear and neutral.
Quand est-ce que tu te lèves ? | When do you get up? |
Où est-ce que tu vas ? | Where are you going? |
Qu’est-ce que tu fais ? | What are you doing? |
Qu’est-ce que tu veux ? | What do you want? |
À quelle heure est-ce que tu te couches ? | What time do you go to bed? |
Est-ce que does not translate directly into English. It marks the sentence as a question.
8.6.4. Inversion Questions
Inversion is more formal. The verb and subject pronoun switch places.
Quand te lèves-tu ? | When do you get up? |
Où vas-tu ? | Where are you going? |
Que fais-tu ? | What are you doing? |
Que veux-tu ? | What do you want? |
À quelle heure te couches-tu ? | What time do you go to bed? |
With pronominal verbs, the reflexive pronoun stays before the verb:
te lèves-tu | do you get up |
te couches-tu | do you go to bed |
8.6.5. Questions with Quel
Quel means which or what. It agrees with the noun.
quel | masculine singular |
quelle | feminine singular |
quels | masculine plural |
quelles | feminine plural |
8.6.6. Examples with Quel
Quel cours préfères-tu ? | Which class do you prefer? |
Quelle chemise préfères-tu ? | Which shirt do you prefer? |
Quels films veux-tu voir ? | Which movies do you want to see? |
Quelles chaussures veux-tu acheter ? | Which shoes do you want to buy? |
Quelle est ta routine quotidienne ? | What is your daily routine? |
8.6.7. Questions with Qu’est-ce que
Use qu’est-ce que to ask what when “what” is the object of the verb.
Qu’est-ce que tu fais ? | What are you doing? |
Qu’est-ce que tu veux ? | What do you want? |
Qu’est-ce que tu préfères ? | What do you prefer? |
Qu’est-ce que tu as fait hier ? | What did you do yesterday? |
8.6.8. Questions with Qui
Use qui to ask about a person.
Qui est-ce ? | Who is it? |
Qui attends-tu ? | Who are you waiting for? |
Qui vois-tu ? | Who do you see? |
Avec qui est-ce que tu sors ? | Who are you going out with? |
8.6.9. Core Patterns
informal | Tu vas où ? |
est-ce que | Où est-ce que tu vas ? |
inversion | Où vas-tu ? |
quel / quelle / quels / quelles + noun | Which / what ___? |
qu’est-ce que + subject + verb | What do/are ___? |
qui | who / whom |
8.6.10. Practice
Where are you going? informal |
Where are you going? est-ce que |
Where are you going? inversion |
What are you doing? |
What do you want? |
Which class do you prefer? |
Which shirt do you prefer? |
Who are you waiting for? |
What time do you go to bed? informal |
8.6.11. Answers
Where are you going? informal | Tu vas où ? |
Where are you going? est-ce que | Où est-ce que tu vas ? |
Where are you going? inversion | Où vas-tu ? |
What are you doing? | Qu’est-ce que tu fais ? |
What do you want? | Qu’est-ce que tu veux ? |
Which class do you prefer? | Quel cours préfères-tu ? |
Which shirt do you prefer? | Quelle chemise préfères-tu ? |
Who are you waiting for? | Qui attends-tu ? |
What time do you go to bed? informal | Tu te couches à quelle heure ? |
8.6.12. Short Dialogue
A : Tu vas où après les cours ? | A: Where are you going after class? |
B : Je vais au café. Et toi, qu’est-ce que tu fais ? | B: I am going to the café. And you, what are you doing? |
A : Je rentre à la maison. À quelle heure est-ce que tu te couches ce soir ? | A: I am going home. What time are you going to bed tonight? |
B : Je me couche à onze heures. | B: I go to bed at eleven. |
8.6.13. Checkpoint
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to recognize and use informal questions, est-ce que questions, inversion questions, quel forms, qu’est-ce que, and qui to ask for more precise information.