22 Essential Interrogative Words in French

1. Qu’est-ce que c’est? (What is it?)

The most common interrogative word in French is “que” or “qu’est-ce que”, which means “what”. It can be used to ask about people, objects, events, etc. For example:

– Qu’est-ce que c’est? (What is it?)
– Qu’est-ce que tu fais? (What are you doing?)
– Qu’est-ce qui se passe? (What’s happening?)

2. Où? (Where?)

“Où” means “where” in French. It is used to ask about locations and places. Some examples:

– Où vas-tu? (Where are you going?)
– Où est la gare? (Where is the train station?)
– Où sont mes clés? (Where are my keys?)

3. Quand? (When?)

To ask about time, dates, and schedules in French, use “quand”, meaning “when”. For example:

– Quand est-ce que tu arrives? (When are you arriving?)
– Quand est ton anniversaire? (When is your birthday?)
– Quand est-ce que le film commence? (When does the movie start?)

4. Qui? (Who?)

“Qui” means “who” in French and is used for asking about people. Here are some examples:

– Qui est là? (Who’s there?)
– Qui veux-tu inviter à la fête? (Who do you want to invite to the party?)
– De qui s’agit-il? (Who is it about?)

5. Pourquoi? (Why?)

The word “pourquoi” is used to ask “why” questions in French. For example:

– Pourquoi es-tu en retard ? (Why are you late?)
– Pourquoi est-ce important ? (Why is it important?)
– Pourquoi pleures-tu ? (Why are you crying?)

6. Est-ce que…? (Is it…?)

Est-ce que can turn a statement into a yes/no question:

• Est-ce que tu pars bientôt? (Are you leaving soon?)
• Est-ce qu’il fait froid dehors? (Is it cold outside?)

7. Comment? (How?)

“Comment” means “how” in French. Here are some examples:

– Comment vas-tu ? (How are you?)
– Comment sais-tu la réponse ? (How do you know the answer?)
– Comment est-il arrivé ici ? (How did he get here?)

8. Combien? (How much/How many?)

Combien is used to ask about quantities:

– Combien coûte cette chemise ? (How much does this shirt cost?)
– Combien de personnes viennent à la fête ? (How many people are coming to the party?)

9. Quel/Quelle? (Which?)

Quel/Quelle means “which” and is placed before a noun:

– Quel bus va au centre-ville ? (Which bus goes downtown?)
– Quelle robe vas-tu porter ce soir ? (Which dress are you going to wear tonight?)

10. Lequel/Laquelle? (Which one?)

Lequel/Laquelle is also “which” but is placed after the noun:

– Tu veux laquelle de ces glaces ? (Which of these ice creams do you want?)
– Lequel de ces films veux-tu regarder ? (Which of these movies do you want to watch?)

11. À quelle heure? (At what time?)

This asks for specific times:

– À quelle heure est ton rendez-vous ? (What time is your appointment?)
– Le magasin ouvre à quelle heure ? (What time does the store open?)

12. Depuis quand? (Since when?)

Depuis quand asks about how long something has been happening:

– Depuis quand étudies-tu le français ? (Since when have you been studying French?)
– Ça fait longtemps qu’elle travaille ici ? Depuis quand ? (Has she been working here long? Since when?)

13. Jusqu’où ? (Until where?)

This asks about the extent or limit of something:

– La route va jusqu’où ? (Until where does the road go?)
– Jusqu’où es-tu prêt à aller pour réaliser ton rêve ? (Until where are you ready to go to achieve your dream?)

14. Jamais/Toujours (Ever/Always)

These can be used to ask if something has ever happened or happens habitually:

– As-tu jamais visité Paris ? (Have you ever visited Paris?)
– Est-ce qu’il pleut toujours autant ici ? (Does it always rain this much here?)

15. Quelquefois/Souvent (Sometimes/Often)

These ask about the frequency of something:

– Vas-tu quelquefois au cinéma ? (Do you sometimes go to the movies?)
– Tes amis viennent-ils souvent chez toi ? (Do your friends come over to your place often?)

16. Comment…? (How…?)

Comment can be combined with other words to ask “how” questions:

– Comment ça marche ? (How does this work?)
– Comment s’est passé ton rendez-vous ? (How did your appointment go?)

17. Qu’est-ce que…? (What is…?)

Qu’est-ce que can be combined with a verb to ask about actions:

– Qu’est-ce que tu préfères manger ? (What do you prefer to eat?)
– Qu’est-ce qu’il fait beau aujourd’hui ! (What nice weather it is today!)

18. Qu’est-ce qui…? (What…?)

Qu’est-ce qui asks about the cause or reason for something:

• Qu’est-ce qui t’a fait rire? (What made you laugh?)
• Qu’est-ce qui t’intéresse dans ce livre? (What interests you about this book?)

19. Lequel des deux/Laquelle des deux? (Which of the two?)

This construction asks you to choose between two options:

– Lequel des deux films est le meilleur ? (Which of the two movies is the best?)
– Laquelle des deux robes vas-tu porter ? (Which of the two dresses are you going to wear?)

20. À quel point? (To what extent?)

À quel point asks about the degree or extent of something:

– À quel point es-tu fatigué ? (How tired are you?)
– À quel point est-ce important pour toi ? (To what extent is this important to you?)

21. Dans quelle mesure? (To what extent?)

Similar to à quel point, this asks about the scope of something:

– Dans quelle mesure crois-tu que cela va l’aider ? (To what extent do you think this will help him/her?)
– Dans quelle mesure est-il coupable dans cette affaire ? (To what extent is he guilty in this matter?)

22. Comment se fait-il que…? (How come…?)

This construction asks about the reason behind something:

– Comment se fait-il que tu n’as pas terminé ton devoir ? (How come you didn’t finish your homework?)
– Comment se fait-il qu’elle soit déjà partie ? (How come she’s already left?)