There are several ways to form a question in French.
Inversion
The most common way to form a question in French is to reverse the positions of the subject pronoun and the verb, which is called inversion.
When the 3rd-person singular ends with a vowel, a ‘t’ is added between the verb and the pronoun. The ‘t’ is pronounced as part of the syllable that follows it.
| Normal statement | Question using inversion |
| Vous avez des nourvelles. Ils sont en vanacanes. Il est à Lyon maintenant. Il va bien. | Avez-vous des nouvelles? Sont-ils en vacances? Est-il à Lyon maintenant? Va-t-il bien? |
Inversion is only possible with the subject pronouns and verbs. When the subject is a noun, the noun remains before the verb and the appropriate pronoun must be introduced after the verb to form a question.
Examples
Vos parents sont-ils toujours en vacanes? Are your parents still on vacation?
Le restaurant est-il bon? Is the restaurant good?
Est-ce que
Prefixing Est-ce que to the Subject-Verb of a sentence will make it into a yes/no question. Before a vowel, it becomes: Est-ce qu’
Examples
Est-ce que vous désirez quelque chose? Do you want something?
Est-ce que tu es seul? Are you alone?
Est-ce qu’il a le livre? Does he have the book?
Intonation
Raising your pitch on the final syllable of a sentence will also signal a yes/no question.