❓ French Interrogative Adverbs: Rules and Examples
To ask questions in French, you often need interrogative adverbs (les adverbes interrogatifs). These are words like where, when, why, how that allow you to request specific information.
This guide will teach you the most important French interrogative adverbs, the rules for using them, and plenty of examples.
1. The Main French Interrogative Adverbs
| Adverb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| où | where | Où habites-tu ? → Where do you live? |
| quand | when | Quand est-ce que tu pars ? → When are you leaving? |
| comment | how | Comment ça va ? → How are you? |
| pourquoi | why | Pourquoi tu pleures ? → Why are you crying? |
| combien (de) | how much / how many | Combien ça coûte ? → How much does it cost? Combien de livres as-tu ? → How many books do you have? |
2. Structure: How to Use Interrogative Adverbs
✅ With est-ce que (neutral/formal style)
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Où est-ce que tu vas ? → Where are you going?
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Quand est-ce qu’il arrive ? → When is he arriving?
✅ With subject-verb inversion (formal/written style)
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Où vas-tu ? → Where are you going?
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Comment fonctionne-t-il ? → How does it work?
✅ In spoken French (informal style)
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Tu vas où ? → Where are you going?
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Tu pars quand ? → When are you leaving?
👉 All three structures are correct, but spoken French prefers est-ce que or informal word order, while written French uses inversion.
3. Using “Combien”
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Combien alone → how much
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Combien ça coûte ? → How much does it cost?
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Combien de + noun → how many
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Combien de frères as-tu ? → How many brothers do you have?
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Combien d’amis viennent ? → How many friends are coming?
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4. Examples in Sentences
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Où est la gare ? → Where is the train station?
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Quand commence le film ? → When does the movie start?
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Comment s’appelle-t-elle ? → What’s her name?
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Pourquoi il est triste ? → Why is he sad?
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Combien de temps ça prend ? → How long does it take?
5. Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Où tu habites ? (grammatically less formal) → ✅ Où habites-tu ? or Où est-ce que tu habites ?
❌ Combien livres as-tu ? → ✅ Combien de livres as-tu ?
❌ Pourquoi est-il en retard parce que… → Remember: parce que is for answers, not questions.
✅ Quick Recap
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Où = where
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Quand = when
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Comment = how
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Pourquoi = why
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Combien (de) = how much / how many
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Structures: est-ce que, inversion, or informal word order.
🎯 Practice Exercise
Translate into French:
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Where are you going?
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Why are you sad?
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How much does it cost?
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When does the lesson start?
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How many books do you have?
Conclusion
French interrogative adverbs (où, quand, comment, pourquoi, combien) are essential for asking questions in everyday life. Mastering them will help you hold conversations, ask for information, and understand responses more easily.
👉 Pro tip: Practice by turning statements into questions using these adverbs. For example: Tu habites à Paris. → Où habites-tu ?
TAGS:
- French interrogative adverbs
- How to ask questions in French
- Où quand comment pourquoi combien French
- French question words with examples
- Beginner French grammar interrogatives