In any language, knowing how to ask questions correctly is essential. Whether you’re ordering at a café or asking for directions, the ability to form both formal and informal questions will turn your French speaking skills from passive to interactive.
In this article, you’ll learn how to ask yes-no questions, use question words (qui, quoi, où, comment…), and understand how inversion works in both spoken and written French.
❓1. Yes-No Questions in French
These are the most basic type of questions—where the answer is simply oui or non.
a) Intonation Only (informal, spoken)
Just raise your voice at the end of the sentence.
✅ Tu parles français ? – Do you speak French?
Tip: This structure is very common in everyday conversations.
b) Est-ce que (neutral/formal, spoken and written)
Add est-ce que at the beginning of the sentence.
✅ Est-ce que tu parles français ? – Do you speak French?
Tip: This form works for all subjects and both formal and informal situations.
c) Inversion (formal, written, or emphatic speech)
Swap the verb and subject, often joined by a hyphen.
✅ Parles-tu français ? – Do you speak French?
Tip: If the subject is a name or noun, use a pronoun after the verb:
✅ Marie parle-t-elle français ?
❓2. WH-Questions: Using French Question Words
Like most European languages, French has a set of question words used to ask about people, things, time, place, reason, or manner.
French English Example
Qui Who Qui est là ? – Who is there?
Que / Qu’est-ce que What Qu’est-ce que tu fais ? – What are you doing?
Où Where Où habites-tu ? – Where do you live?
Quand When Quand arrive-t-il ? – When is he arriving?
Pourquoi Why Pourquoi étudies-tu ? – Why are you studying?
Comment How Comment ça va ? – How are you?
Combien How much/many Combien ça coûte ? – How much does it cost?
🔁 3. Structures for WH-Questions
WH-questions can follow 3 different formats, depending on the level of formality:
a) Informal Spoken French
Question word + subject + verb
✅ Tu fais quoi ? – What are you doing?
b) Est-ce que Structure
Question word + est-ce que + subject + verb
✅ Qu’est-ce que tu fais ?
c) Inversion (Formal or Written)
Question word + verb-subject inversion
✅ Que fais-tu ? – What are you doing?
✅ Pourquoi part-elle ? – Why is she leaving?
💡 Note: If the question word is the subject (like qui or qu’est-ce qui), you don’t need inversion.
✅ Qui parle ? – Who is speaking?
🧠 How to Become Better in Asking Questions
🎯 Why This Matters
Knowing how to ask questions is crucial. A learner who can ask and respond to questions fluently stands out in terms of both comprehension and confidence.
At Educateme, our French courses are designed to develop both formal and informal communication skills. We help learners move beyond memorised words and truly speak—in real time, with real French.
📘 Ready to ask questions with confidence?
Book your free consultation and start your journey to French speaking fluency today: https://Educateme.lu/#courses
In this article, you’ll learn how to ask yes-no questions, use question words (qui, quoi, où, comment…), and understand how inversion works in both spoken and written French.
❓1. Yes-No Questions in French
These are the most basic type of questions—where the answer is simply oui or non.
a) Intonation Only (informal, spoken)
Just raise your voice at the end of the sentence.
✅ Tu parles français ? – Do you speak French?
Tip: This structure is very common in everyday conversations.
b) Est-ce que (neutral/formal, spoken and written)
Add est-ce que at the beginning of the sentence.
✅ Est-ce que tu parles français ? – Do you speak French?
Tip: This form works for all subjects and both formal and informal situations.
c) Inversion (formal, written, or emphatic speech)
Swap the verb and subject, often joined by a hyphen.
✅ Parles-tu français ? – Do you speak French?
Tip: If the subject is a name or noun, use a pronoun after the verb:
✅ Marie parle-t-elle français ?
❓2. WH-Questions: Using French Question Words
Like most European languages, French has a set of question words used to ask about people, things, time, place, reason, or manner.
French English Example
Qui Who Qui est là ? – Who is there?
Que / Qu’est-ce que What Qu’est-ce que tu fais ? – What are you doing?
Où Where Où habites-tu ? – Where do you live?
Quand When Quand arrive-t-il ? – When is he arriving?
Pourquoi Why Pourquoi étudies-tu ? – Why are you studying?
Comment How Comment ça va ? – How are you?
Combien How much/many Combien ça coûte ? – How much does it cost?
🔁 3. Structures for WH-Questions
WH-questions can follow 3 different formats, depending on the level of formality:
a) Informal Spoken French
Question word + subject + verb
✅ Tu fais quoi ? – What are you doing?
b) Est-ce que Structure
Question word + est-ce que + subject + verb
✅ Qu’est-ce que tu fais ?
c) Inversion (Formal or Written)
Question word + verb-subject inversion
✅ Que fais-tu ? – What are you doing?
✅ Pourquoi part-elle ? – Why is she leaving?
💡 Note: If the question word is the subject (like qui or qu’est-ce qui), you don’t need inversion.
✅ Qui parle ? – Who is speaking?
🧠 How to Become Better in Asking Questions
- Practice speaking: Saying questions out loud improves fluency and speed.
- Use real-life situations: Ask your teacher or classmates questions in French.
- Mix it up: Practice the same question in all three forms to become familiar with the structure.
🎯 Why This Matters
Knowing how to ask questions is crucial. A learner who can ask and respond to questions fluently stands out in terms of both comprehension and confidence.
At Educateme, our French courses are designed to develop both formal and informal communication skills. We help learners move beyond memorised words and truly speak—in real time, with real French.
📘 Ready to ask questions with confidence?
Book your free consultation and start your journey to French speaking fluency today: https://Educateme.lu/#courses