❓ French Interrogative Words (Question Words): An Easy Guide for Beginners

If you want to ask questions in French, you’ll need to know the interrogative words (mots interrogatifs). These are words like qui (who), quoi (what), où (where), and quand (when).

This easy guide will show you the most common French question words, how to use them, and examples to help you practice.

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1. The Most Common French Interrogative Words

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2. Different Forms: Que / Quoi / Qu’est-ce que

French has several ways to say “what”:

• Que before a verb (formal/written):

  • Que fais-tu ? → What are you doing?

• Qu’est-ce que (very common, neutral):

  • Qu’est-ce que tu fais ? → What are you doing?

• Quoi (at the end of a sentence, informal):

  • Tu fais quoi ? → What are you doing?

👉 They all mean the same, but qu’est-ce que and quoi are more common in spoken French.

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3. Asking Questions in French

There are three main ways to ask questions:

1. Intonation (informal):

   • Tu viens ? → You’re coming?

2. Est-ce que (neutral, easy):

   • Est-ce que tu viens ? → Are you coming?

3. Inversion (formal):

   • Viens-tu ? → Are you coming?

👉 Combine these with interrogative words:

• Où est-ce que tu habites ? → Where do you live?

• Pourquoi viens-tu ? → Why are you coming?

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4. Examples with Interrogative Words

• Qui est ton professeur ? → Who is your teacher?

• Où allons-nous ? → Where are we going?

• Comment s’appelle-t-il ? → What is his name?

• Quand part le train ? → When does the train leave?

• Pourquoi étudies-tu le français ? → Why are you studying French?

• Combien coûte ce livre ? → How much does this book cost?

• Laquelle préférez-vous ? → Which one do you prefer?

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✅ Quick Recap

• Qui = who

• Que/Quoi/Qu’est-ce que = what

• Où = where

• Quand = when

• Comment = how

• Pourquoi = why

• Combien (de) = how much/many

• Lequel / laquelle / lesquels / lesquelles = which one(s)

👉 Use them with intonation, est-ce que, or inversion to build questions.

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🎯 Practice Exercise

Translate into French:

1. Where do you live?

2. Who is calling?

3. What are you doing? (neutral form)

4. Why are they leaving?

5. How much does it cost?

Answers:

1. Où habites-tu ? / Où est-ce que tu habites ?

2. Qui téléphone ?

3. Qu’est-ce que tu fais ?

4. Pourquoi partent-ils ?

5. Combien ça coûte ?

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Conclusion

Learning French interrogative words is the first step to asking questions and having real conversations. Start with the basics (qui, quoi, où, quand, comment, pourquoi, combien) and practice them in short, simple questions.

👉 Pro tip: When practicing French, take your daily conversations in English and try to rephrase the same questions in French.

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TAGS: French interrogative words, French question words guide, how to ask questions in French, French grammar for beginners, French questions with examples