Job Discussion Forums

jpvanderwerf2001 · Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 1117 Location: New York

In the French language, do they form questions (structurally) the same as in English?

For example:

Why do you like chocolate?

What would be the French equivalent?

Thank you.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

There is no equivalent in French of the auxiliary verb do/does/did..

In English
You smoke
Do you smoke (question form)
You smoked
Did you smoke ? (question form)
he smokes.
Does he smoke ? (question form0

In French questions are formed by inversion of the verb and pronoun subject.

Vous fumez.
Fumez vous ? (question form)

OR by the use of an interrogative phrase at the beginning of the sentence

Vous fumez.
Est-ce que vous fumez ? (Question form with initial interrogative phrase.)

Now my questions : WHY DID YOU NOT LEARN FRENCH AS A CHILD ? DID YOU HAVE A DEPRIVED CHILDHOOD. ?

here_now · Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 12:11 pm Post subject:

The equivalent in French of "why do you like chocolate?" would be "Pourquoi aimez-vous le chocolat?" or "pourquoi est-ce que vous aimez le chocolat?"
You will find most people using the second form when speaking...it sounds a little less formal than the first one

Chasgul · Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 168 Location: BG

Le chocolat, sa t kife porkwa? - SMS French.

mondrian

jpvanderwerf2001 · Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 1117 Location: New York

I'm an American, so that probably answers the "am I deprived?" question. I did, however, have one semester of French in college, but--obviously, I've forgotten it!
Thanks for the input!

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

A lot of/most French people use intonation rather than word order most of the time when making questions.

So "Do you smoke?" can be

Est-ce que vous fumez?
Fumez-vous?

or more normally,

Vous fumez? (with a rising intonation at the end of the sentence).

And so a normal way to say "why do you like chocolate?" would be

"Pourquoi vous aimez le chocolate?"

Super Frank · Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Posts: 365

"ta de clop?"

p.s how annoying is it to log in with bingbangbolloxboom or whatever as a handle Laughing

Pollux · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 224 Location: PL

Ouais, tiens!

And if it's just a friend you're asking, then:

Est-ce que tu fume?
Tu fume?
Fume-tu?
Toi, tu fume?

I think that's correct, but 'fume-tu' sounds weird.

Chris_Crossley · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 12:32 pm Post subject: Fume or fumes?

Will. · Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 783 Location: London Uk

just to concur with others, in spoken form intonation plays a large part but , as in English, the written form takes greater exception to grammatical irregularity and uses question forms and tags.