How to form questions in French?

Forming questions in French can seem complex at first, but with practice, it becomes second nature. Here are the main ways to ask questions in French, from the most casual to the most formal.

Intonation

The simplest way to form a question in French is by using a rising intonation at the end of a statement:

• Tu aimes le café. (You like coffee.)
• Tu aimes le café ? (Do you like coffee?)

This method is common in casual, spoken French.

Est-ce que

Adding "est-ce que" at the beginning of a statement turns it into a question:

• Est-ce que tu aimes le café ? (Do you like coffee?)

This is a versatile and widely used method in both spoken and written French.

Inversion

Inverting the subject and verb is a more formal way to ask questions:

• Aimes-tu le café ? (Do you like coffee?)

For third-person singular verbs ending in a vowel, add "t" between the verb and pronoun:

• Aime-t-il le café ? (Does he like coffee?)

Question words

French question words (qui, que, quoi, où, quand, comment, pourquoi) can be used with the above methods:

• Où est-ce que tu habites ? (Where do you live?)
• Quand partez-vous ? (When are you leaving?)

Advanced structures

For more complex questions, you can use structures like:

• Qu'est-ce qui... (What... as the subject)
• Qu'est-ce que... (What... as the object)

Example:

• Qu'est-ce qui t'intéresse ? (What interests you?)
• Qu'est-ce que tu veux ? (What do you want?)

Remember, the choice of question format often depends on the level of formality and the context of the conversation.