French · A1 · Grammar
How to Ask Questions in French with Est-ce que
Put est-ce que before a normal French statement to make a yes-or-no question: Vous avez une table becomes Est-ce que vous avez une table ? Keep the subject before the verb. To ask for specific information, put the question word first, as in Où est-ce que vous habitez ?
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Examples
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Est-ce que vous parlez anglais ? | Do you speak English? |
| Quand est-ce que le train part ? | When does the train leave? |
| Où est-ce qu’on paie ? | Where do we pay? |
A question you can build quickly
Start with Vous prenez la carte and add Est-ce que to ask about card payments. Before a vowel sound, que becomes qu’: Est-ce qu’elle vient ? Practise with the whole sentence and keep the statement word order after the question marker.
Other forms you will hear
A rising voice can turn Vous avez une table ? into a conversational question. Avez-vous une table ? uses inversion and is common in more formal contexts. You can understand all three patterns while choosing one to use consistently as a beginner.
Try it
Turn “Vous avez un billet” into a question with est-ce que, then ask where to buy a ticket.
Show answer
Est-ce que vous avez un billet ? Où est-ce qu’on achète un billet ?
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