French grammar: interrogation simple (intonation, est-ce que, inversion basique)

What this grammar point covers

In French, there are several simple ways to ask yes/no questions. This topic covers three main ways: using intonation, 'est-ce que', and basic inversion.

When to use it

Use these forms when you want to ask a simple yes/no question in French, for example when you want to know if someone is coming, if something is true, or to confirm information.

Key forms

• Intonation: Tu viens ?
• Est-ce que: Est-ce que tu viens ?
• Inversion: Viens-tu ?

Examples

Tips

• Intonation is the simplest way: just raise your voice at the end of the sentence.
• 'Est-ce que' is neutral and works with any subject.
• With inversion, remember to add a hyphen between the verb and the subject pronoun.

Exceptions and edge cases

• With 'il y a', the inversion becomes 'Y a-t-il... ?'
• If the verb ends with a vowel and the subject is 'il', 'elle', or 'on', add '-t-' for pronunciation: 'Aime-t-elle... ?'