In this grammar lesson you will learn how to form inverted questions in French.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- how to form inverted questions in French
- how to form inverted questions in French for closed questions
- how to form inverted questions in French for open questions
- how the inverted form is used in sentences
- how you can quiz yourself on how to form inverted questions in French
- how to practice with flashcards on how to form inverted questions in French
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French
Please refer to the French A2 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about this lesson fits in French A2.
By the end of the lesson, you will know all about how to form inverted questions in French!
Table of Contents
How to Form Inverted Questions in French
You have already seen a few examples on how to form inverted questions in French, when you read the lesson on how to ask questions in French.
In this lesson, you will learn in detail, how to form inverted questions in French!
To form inverted questions in French, you put the subject pronoun (je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles) after the verb, and then insert an hyphen in-between the verb and the subject pronoun.
Tu es heureux ? -> Es–tu heureux ?
Are you happy? -> Are you happy?
You will learn how to do this for both closed and open questions, and the variations that exist in French.
Closed Questions
Please look at some closed questions that are inverted.
- verb + hyphen + je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles
Tu es heureux ? -> Es–tu heureux ?
Are you happy? -> Are you happy?
Vous aimez les chats ? -> Aimez–vous les chats ?
Do you like cats? -> Do you like cats?
Vous avez un chien ? -> Avez–vous un chien ?
Do you have a dog? -> Do you have a dog?
Ils ont des enfants ? -> Ont–ils des enfants ?
Do they have children? -> Do they have children?
So far it’s a simple process.
However, for questions with il, elle, and on the method is different.
When a verb ends with a vowel, then a t must be inserted in-between the verb and the il, elle, and on with hypens on either side.
- verb + -t- + il, elle, on
Il parle espagnol ? -> Parle-t-il espagnol ?
Does he speak Spanish? -> Does he speak Spanish?
Elle aime la soupe ? -> Aime-t-elle la soupe ?
Does she like soup? -> Does she like soup?
On parle français ici ? Parle-t-on français ici ?
Is French spoken here? Is French spoken here?
This happens because the t makes the sentence easier to pronounce.
You don’t have to add a t if the verb already ends with a t or a d.
Open Questions
We explored some question words (combien, comment, où, pourqoui, quand, and que) in the lesson on how to ask questions in French.
You will use these question words to ask an open question in French that is inverted.
- question word + verb + hyphen + je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles
Que veux–tu ?
What do you think?
Combien d’options avons–nous ?
How many option do we have?
Que détestez–vous ?
What do hate?
Pourquoi criez–vous ?
Why are you shouting?
Quand partent–ils ?
When are they leaving?
Just as in closed questions, you will need to add a t when a verb ends with a vowel, for questions with il, elle, and on.
- question word + verb + -t- + il, elle, on
Comment va-t-il ?
How is he?
Où va-t-elle ?
Where is she going?
Que cherche-t-on ?
What are we looking for?
Example Sentences on How to Form Inverted Questions in French
The final section of this lesson on how to form inverted questions in French is about seeing the questions in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on how to form inverted questions in French through examples.
Here you can find the sentences of the previous chapters, neatly stored in one place.
Tu es heureux ? -> Es–tu heureux ?
Are you happy? -> Are you happy?
Vous aimez les chats ? -> Aimez–vous les chats ?
Do you like cats? -> Do you like cats?
Vous avez un chien ? -> Avez–vous un chien ?
Do you have a dog? -> Do you have a dog?
Ils ont des enfants ? -> Ont–ils des enfants ?
Do they have children? -> Do they have children?
Il parle espagnol ? -> Parle-t-il espagnol ?
Does he speak Spanish? -> Does he speak Spanish?
Elle aime la soupe ? -> Aime-t-elle la soupe ?
Does she like soup? -> Does she like soup?
On parle français ici ? Parle-t-on français ici ?
Is French spoken here? Is French spoken here?
Que veux–tu ?
What do you want?
Qu’aimes–tu?
What do you like?
Combien d’options avons–nous ?
How many option do we have?
Pourquoi criez–vous ?
Why are you shouting?
Quand partent–ils ?
When are they leaving?
Comment va-t-il ?
How is he?
Où va-t-elle ?
Where is she going?
Que cherche-t-on ?
What are we looking for?
Quiz Yourself on How to Form Inverted Questions in French
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want!
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki, you can get our French A2 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,816 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A2.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
Have you ever wondered what the best way is to learn a new language?
I have been learning languages for over 20+ years and I was always frustrated with books, courses, and classes that I had tried.
It never really seemed to work for me.
I wanted to learn a language in the most effective and efficient way, and there was nothing out there for me.
So I thought, “why not make something myself?“.
Using my experience and by doing research I created Language Atlas, a platform where people can learn French and Spanish in the most effective and efficient way.
I created free lessons and quizzes so that there would always be a easy and accessible way for people to learn or brush up on their language skills.
However, I also created courses that are much more comprehensive and in-depth.
These courses are easy to follow, clear, and allow you to become fluent in the most effective and efficient way.
The courses of Language Atlas have:
- 800+ Lessons with audio
- 800+ Quizzes
- 10,000 Flashcards with explanations, images, and audio
- A gamified way of learning a new language
- A vibrant community (including support from me)
You can register for free and try the French A0/A1 and Spanish A0/A1 Courses for free!
This includes over 60 lessons and quizzes, 500 flashcards that adapt to how you learn, and access to the community (including support from me).
All you have to do is study 30 minutes a day and you will be fluent in no time!
Don’t miss out – register for free and start learning!