Tu as un frère ?
English: Do you have a brother?
- Language
- French
- Level
- A1
- Unit
- Structure de la phrase et accords
- Practice types
- 0
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
Est-ce que tu parles anglais ?
English: Do you speak English?
Aimes-tu le chocolat ?
English: Do you like chocolate?
Vous êtes prêts ?
English: Are you ready?
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... ?'