How to Use French Question Words Correctly

Asking questions in French can feel tricky, especially because there are several different ways to ask them. French has a whole set of question words (où, comment, pourquoi, qui, etc.) and different ways to structure a question depending on the situation.

We’ll go through the most common French question words and explain the three main ways to ask a question: using intonation, est-ce que, and inversion. You’ll also learn the difference between est-ce que and qu’est-ce que: a common source of confusion!

At the end, you’ll find two exercises to help you practice — one on question words and another on forming questions with est-ce que and qu’est-ce que.

How to Use Common French Question Words Correctly

French question words are essential for asking about information, not just yes/no questions. Here are the most important ones:

French Question Word	Meaning	Example
Où	Where	Où est la boulangerie ? (Where is the bakery?)
Quand	When	Quand arrives-tu ? (When are you arriving?)
Comment	How	Comment vas-tu ? (How are you?)
Pourquoi	Why	Pourquoi tu fais ça ? (Why are you doing that?)
Qui	Who	Qui est là ? (Who is there?)
Que/Quoi	What	Que fais-tu ? (What are you doing?)
Combien (de)	How much/many	Combien ça coûte ? (How much does it cost?)

French speakers naturally adjust the question structure depending on the formality and context.

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3 Ways to Ask Questions in French

There are three main ways to structure a question in French. The key is knowing when to use each one.

1. Intonation – Casual and conversational

The easiest way to ask a question is to raise your voice at the end of a statement. This works well in informal situations with friends and family.

Tu viens ce soir ? (Are you coming tonight?)
Il est là ? (Is he here?)

✅ Best for: Friends, family, and informal conversations

2. Est-ce que – Clear and polite

Est-ce que introduces a yes/no question and makes it 100% clear that you’re asking a question. It’s very helpful for beginners because it gives a clear structure to the question.

Est-ce que tu viens ce soir ? (Are you coming tonight?)
Est-ce que vous savez où est la gare ? (Do you know where the train station is?)

You can also use est-ce que with question words:

Où est-ce que tu vas ? (Where are you going?)
Comment est-ce que tu fais ça ? (How do you do that?)

✅ Best for: Polite/formal situations, or when you’re unsure which structure to use

3. Inversion – Formal or polished

Inversion is more formal and common in written French or when you want to sound polished. It involves swapping the subject and the verb.

Viens-tu ce soir ? (Are you coming tonight?)
Savez-vous où est la gare ? (Do you know where the train station is?)

If the subject is a noun, you need to restate the subject:

Où Marie va-t-elle ? (Where is Marie going?)

✅ Best for: Formal speech or writing

Est-ce que vs Qu’est-ce que

This is a common point of confusion!

Est-ce que = introduces a yes/no question

Est-ce que tu aimes le vin ? (Do you like wine?)
Est-ce que vous venez ce soir ? (Are you coming tonight?)

Qu’est-ce que = introduces a “what” question (direct object)

Qu’est-ce que tu fais ? (What are you doing?)
Qu’est-ce que tu manges ? (What are you eating?)

💡 Think of qu’est-ce que as replacing “what” in an English question.

When to Use Each Type of Question

Situation	Example	Recommended Structure
Casual conversation with friends or family	Tu viens ce soir ?	Intonation
Polite/formal situation (e.g., asking a stranger)	Est-ce que vous savez où est la gare ?	Est-ce que
Writing or formal speech	Savez-vous où est la gare ?	Inversion
Emphasis or insistence	Est-ce que tu viens vraiment ce soir ?	Est-ce que

Common Mistakes with French Question Words

Mixing up “est-ce que” and question words
- ❌ Où est-ce que la boulangerie ?
- ✅ Où est la boulangerie ?
Forgetting the inversion rule
- ❌ Où Marie va ?
- ✅ Où va Marie ?
Using “qu’est-ce que” instead of “est-ce que”
- ❌ Qu’est-ce que tu parles anglais ?
- ✅ Est-ce que tu parles anglais ?

Exercise 1: Complete the Questions with the Correct Question Word

Complete the questions with the correct French question word (quand, que, combien, qui, où, comment, pourquoi):

__________ est la boulangerie ?
__________ tu t’appelles ?
__________ tu fais ça ?
__________ il arrive ?
__________ est là ?
__________ vous partez en vacances ?
__________ tu veux manger ce soir ?
__________ il parle si vite ?
__________ coûte ce pull ?
__________ est ton acteur préféré ?

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Exercise 2: Complete the Questions with Est-ce que or Qu’est-ce que

Use est-ce que or qu’est-ce que to form the following questions:

__________ tu parles anglais ?
__________ vous avez vu ce film ?
__________ tu sais où est la pharmacie ?
__________ vous pouvez m’aider ?
__________ tu fais ?
__________ il mange ?
__________ tu veux faire aujourd’hui ?
__________ tu as besoin ?
__________ tu comprends ?
__________ c’est ?

Want to Improve Your French Grammar?

If you’d like to take your French grammar to the next level, check out my article Bon, Bien, Meilleur, Mieux Explained (Exercises Included) — it’s packed with practical tips and examples to help you sound more natural in French!

French Question Words Worksheet

Here’s a quick summary of today’s lesson. Hopefully, the visuals will make it easier to remember!

Est ce que pourquoi où French Lesson On interrogative words

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How to Use French Question Words Correctly (Without Sounding Awkward!)