Interrogatives (question words) in French
Read more about how to use Interrogatives (question words) in French.
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Interrogatives (question words)
Qu'est-ce que tu fais ? Que fais-tu ? (What do you do?)
We can also use the word quel (which, what) when asking questions.
Choose the right question word based on the answer. N.B. you won't need all of the words.
Ils habitent à Bruxelles. → habitent-ils ?
Je m’appelle Nadia. → vous vous appelez ?
J’arrive à 15h00. → est-ce que tu arrives ?
Choose the right question word based on the answer. N.B. you won't need all of the words.
Ils habitent à Bruxelles. → où 1 habitent-ils ?
Je m’appelle Nadia. → Comment 2 vous vous appelez ?
J’arrive à 15h00. → Quand 3 est-ce que tu arrives ?
Où habitent-ils ? (Where do they live?) → Ils habitent à Bruxelles (They live in Brussels). Other examples: - Où vas-tu en vacances ? - Je vais à Cannes (-Where are you going on vacation? -I'm going to Cannes).
Comment vous vous appelez ? (What's your name?, literally, "How are you called"?") → Je m’appelle Nadia (I'm called Nadia). We use comment (how) + the verb s'appeler (to be called, or in this case, appelez-vous) when asking someone's name. Example: - Comment s'appelle votre chien ? - Il s'appelle Rambo (-What's your dog called? -He's called Rambo).
Quand est-ce que tu arrives ? → J'arrive à 15h00 (When are you arriving? → I arrive at 3pm). Example: - Quand arrive le bus ? - Dans 5 minutes (-When does the bus arrive? -In 5 minutes).
Choose the right question word based on the answer. N.B. you won't need all of the words.
Tu aimes ? – J’aime le chocolat.
tu veux ? – Je veux un café.
dessinent-ils ? – Ils dessinent une maison.
Choose the right question word based on the answer. N.B. you won't need all of the words.
Tu aimes quoi 1 ? – J’aime le chocolat.
qu'est-ce que 2 tu veux ? – Je veux un café.
que 3 dessinent-ils ? – Ils dessinent une maison.
- Tu aimes quoi ? - J’aime le chocolat (-What do you like? -I like chocolate). Quoi is a more informal equivalent of que: Qu'aimes-tu (formal)→ Tu aimes quoi ? (informal). It's used to ask a question about something. Note: the verb and the subject are not reversed when using quoi (what). Example: - Vous faites quoi ? - Nous faisons des crêpes (-What are you making? -We're making crêpes).
Qu’est-ce que tu veux ? - Je veux un café (-What do you want? -I want a coffee). Qu'est-ce que replaces que (what) in an informal question and always comes at the start of the question. Reminder: when using qu'est-ce que to form a question it is followed by the subject and then the verb? Example: - Qu’est-ce que tu fais ? - Je prépare le dîner (-What are you doing? -I'm preparing dinner); - Qu'est-ce que tu manges ? - Je mange un sandwich (-What are you eating? -I'm eating a sandwich).
Que dessinent-ils ? - Ils dessinent une maison (-What are they drawing? -They're drawing a house). Que is the more formal equivalent of quoi (what). Reminder: que always comes at the start of the question with the verb and subject reversed. Example: - Que fait-elle ? -Une tarte (-What is she making? -A pie); - Que font-ils ? - Ils dansent (-What are they doing? -They're dancing).
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