Est-ce que or Inversion? Ask Natural Questions in French (A2)

Want to sound confident when asking questions in French? A2 learners often wonder: should I use est-ce que, inversion, or just a rising voice? In this lesson, you’ll learn the three main ways to ask questions, when each is used, and how to combine them with question words like où, quand, and pourquoi. We’ll keep it practical, with examples you can use right away.

Three ways to ask yes/no questions

French has three common patterns:

1) Intonation (very common in speech)

Say the statement with a rising voice at the end.

French
Tu aimes le chocolat ?
Lit: You like chocolate?
Do you like chocolate?

2) Est-ce que + statement (neutral and polite in speech)

Put “est-ce que” before a normal sentence.

French
Est-ce que vous travaillez demain ?
Lit: Is it that you work tomorrow?
Are you working tomorrow?

3) Inversion (formal, common in writing)

Invert the verb and the subject pronoun with a hyphen: verbe-pronom.

French
Aimes-tu le cinéma ?
Lit: Like-you the cinema?
Do you like the cinema?

est-ce que tu habites ?

a--il un stylo ?

Est-ce que es-tu prêt ? → Es-tu prêt ? Don’t mix est-ce que and inversion in the same question. Va il au cinéma ? → Va-t-il au cinéma ? In inversion with il/elle/on after a vowel, add -t-: « va-t-il ».

Question words you use every day

You can use question words with est-ce que or with inversion. In casual speech, est-ce que is very frequent. In writing, inversion is common.

où
where
adverb
Où est-ce que tu habites ?
Where do you live?
quand
when
adverb
Quand est-ce que vous arrivez ?
When do you arrive?
pourquoi
why
adverb
Pourquoi es-tu en retard ?
Why are you late?
comment
how
adverb
Comment est-ce que ça marche ?
How does it work?
combien
how many / how much
adverb
Combien coûte ce livre ?
How much does this book cost?
qui
who
pronoun
Qui est-ce que tu vois ?
Who do you see?
qu’est-ce que
what (in questions)
fixed expression
Qu’est-ce que tu fais ce soir ?
What are you doing tonight?
French
Qu’est-ce que tu regardes ?
Lit: What is it that you watch?
What are you watching?
French
Que regardes-tu ?
Lit: What watch-you?
What are you watching?
🔠 Put the words in order

Make a formal/inverted question.

🔠 Put the words in order

Use pourquoi + est-ce que for a natural spoken question.

est-ce que vous partez ?

💬 At the bakery
🧠 Choose the best question form
est is (3rd person singular of être) ce this/that (neutral “it”) que that/which (linking word)

Putting it together

  • For everyday speech: intonation or est-ce que are perfect. « Est-ce que vous habitez ici ? »
  • For emails, exams, and formal style: inversion is elegant. « Habitez-vous ici ? »
  • With question words: choose est-ce que for neutral speech (« Où est-ce que… ») or inversion for formal writing (« Où habitez-vous… »). Both are correct.

Practice combining them:

  • Où est-ce que tu travailles ? / Où travailles-tu ?
  • Quand est-ce que vous partez ? / Quand partez-vous ?
  • Pourquoi est-ce qu’il rit ? / Pourquoi rit-il ?

fais-tu le week-end ?

Cultural note

In many everyday situations (shops, cafés, with friends), est-ce que and intonation are more common than inversion. You’ll hear « Tu viens ? » and « Est-ce que tu viens ? » very often. Inversion (« Viens-tu ? ») sounds polite, careful, or bookish. It’s great to understand and to use in writing or when you want a more formal tone.

Quick recap

  • Use intonation or est-ce que in speech; inversion in formal contexts.
  • Keep the hyphen in inversion and add -t- before il/elle/on when needed.
  • With question words, est-ce que is your friendly default at A2.

Keep practicing by turning your daily statements into questions in all three styles. You’ve got this—pose des questions avec confiance !