Est-ce que tu as un animal ?
English: Do you have a pet?
- Language
- French
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Négation et questions
- Practice types
- 0
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
Tu viens ce soir ?
English: Are you coming tonight?
Où vas-tu ?
English: Where are you going?
Pourquoi apprends-tu le français ?
English: Why are you learning French?
Vous aimez le café ?
English: Do you like coffee?
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 ?'.