Die Frage: Intonation, est-ce que und Inversion

English builds questions with a helper verb: "Do you speak French?" French has no "do". Instead it offers three ways of asking the same thing, which differ in register rather than meaning.

Intonation is what you will hear most often in France: a plain statement with the voice rising at the end. Est-ce que (literally "is it that") is the safe all-purpose choice. Inversion sounds formal in conversation, but you will meet it in writing and in fixed phrases like Comment allez-vous ?

With question words

• Intonation: Tu habites où ?
• Est-ce que: Où est-ce que tu habites ?
• Inversion: Où habites-tu ?

Rules for inversion

The verb and the pronoun are joined by a hyphen: Voulez-vous, Parlez-vous anglais ? When the verb ends in a vowel and the pronoun is il, elle or on, French slips in a -t- to avoid two vowels meeting: Parle-t-il français ? A-t-elle un chat ? Va-t-on au cinéma ?

Inversion is rare with je in modern French. Use est-ce que instead: Est-ce que je peux entrer ?

Answering

Oui means yes. To contradict a negative question, French uses si: Tu n'aimes pas le fromage ? - Si, j'adore ! - You don't like cheese? - Yes I do, I love it! English has no single word for this.