French grammar: questions fermées et ouvertes

What this grammar point covers

In French, there are two main types of questions: closed questions (yes/no questions) and open questions (questions that need more than yes or no as an answer).

When to use it

Use closed questions when you want a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer. Use open questions when you want more information, like a reason, a place, or a description.

Key forms

• Est-ce que tu aimes le chocolat ?
• Aimes-tu le chocolat ?
• Tu aimes le chocolat ?
• Où habites-tu ?
• Pourquoi étudies-tu le français ?

Examples

Tips

• For closed questions, you can use 'est-ce que', inversion, or just intonation.
• Start open questions with a question word like 'où', 'comment', 'pourquoi', 'quand', or 'combien'.
• Don't forget to use a question mark at the end of your question.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Sometimes in spoken French, the subject pronoun is repeated at the end of open questions, like 'Tu viens, toi ?'.