Asking questions in FrenchQuestion words

Do you know how to ask questions in French? Get to grips with common question words and check your understanding with activities and a quiz.

Part ofFrenchGrammar

Question words

The most useful question words are:

Qui ?Who?
Que… ?/ Qu'est-ce que… ?What…?
Quand ?When?
Où ?Where?
Pourquoi ?Why?
Comment ?How?
Combien (de)?How much/How many?
À quelle heure ?(At) what time?
Combien de temps ?How long?
Qui ?
Who?
Que… ?/ Qu'est-ce que… ?
What…?
Quand ?
When?
Où ?
Where?
Pourquoi ?
Why?
Comment ?
How?
Combien (de)?
How much/How many?
À quelle heure ?
(At) what time?
Combien de temps ?
How long?

Put the question word at the start of the sentence and switch the and around. For example:

  • Où habites-tu ? – Where do you live?

Or use est-ce que between the question word and the subject.

  • Où est-ce que tu habites ? – Where do you live?

In spoken and informal French, most question words can also go at the end. For example:

  • Tu habites où ? – Where do you live?

When qui (who) is the subject of the question, another is not needed, and the word order is the same as a statement. For example:

  • Qui a gagné le jeu ? – Who won the game?

Que (what) can also be qu’est-ce que. After que, the verb and subject are switched around, whereas after qu’est-ce que, the verb and subject stay in the same order as a statement. For example:

  • Que vas-tu faire demain ? – What are you going to do tomorrow?
  • Qu’est-ce que tu vas faire demain ? – What are you going to do tomorrow?

Rearrange the parts of these sentences so they make sense.

Question

aller / Où / demain ? / vas-tu

Question

hier ? / Qu’est-ce / ont fait / qu’ils

Question

au restaurant ? / va-t-on / manger / Quand