Yes/No Questions with Intonation

This pattern relies entirely on the pitch of your voice. In a normal French sentence, your voice usually drops at the end. This signals that you have finished your thought. It is like a musical phrase coming to a rest. To ask a question, you reverse this music. You keep the sentence exactly the same as a statement. However, you raise the pitch of the last syllable. This "upward curve" tells the listener you want an answer. Think of it like a question mark you say out loud. If you forget to raise your pitch, people will just think you are telling them a fact. They might look at you and wait for more. It is a bit like a grammar traffic light. Green means keep going with your statement. Yellow means you are turning it into a question. Red means you forgot the pitch and now everyone is confused. Yes, even native speakers mess this up if they are tired!

1. 1Making these questions is a simple three-step process.
2. 2Start with a basic statement. For example: Tu parles français (You speak French).
3. 3Keep the word order exactly as it is. Do not change anything.
4. 4Raise the pitch of your voice on the final word.
5. 5In writing, you simply add a question mark at the end: Tu parles français ?.
6. 6You can do this with any subject.
7. 7Il est prêt (He is ready) becomes Il est prêt ? (Is he ready?).
8. 8Nous mangeons (We are eating) becomes Nous mangeons ? (Are we eating?).
9. 9Vous avez le menu (You have the menu) becomes Vous avez le menu ? (Do you have the menu?).
10. 10It works perfectly with negative sentences too. Just keep the ne...pas structure.
11. 11Tu ne manges pas ? (You aren't eating?).

You will hear this everywhere in France. It is the go-to style for daily life. Use it when you are talking to friends or family. It is perfect for casual coworkers. Use it in a shop or at a restaurant for quick checks.

• Ordering food: C'est possible d'avoir de l'eau ? (Is it possible to have water?).
• Checking on a friend: Tu vas bien ? (Are you doing okay?).
• Asking for directions: C'est par ici ? (Is it this way?).
• At home: On regarde un film ? (Should we watch a movie?).

It is the most efficient way to communicate. It saves time. It makes you sound like a local. It shows you are comfortable with the language. It is like wearing your favorite pair of jeans. It is relaxed and reliable.

While intonation is common, it has limits. Do not use it in very formal writing. Avoid it in professional emails or official letters. In these cases, use Est-ce que or inversion. In a very formal job interview, it might sound a bit too casual. If you are presenting to a board of directors, stick to formal structures. Think of it like your attire. You wouldn't wear flip-flops to a wedding. Similarly, you wouldn't use basic intonation for a legal deposition. However, for 90% of your daily French, it is perfect. If you are unsure, listen to the person you are talking to. If they use it, you can too.

The biggest mistake is the "flat ending." If your voice does not go up, it is not a question. This happens often when learners are nervous. They focus so much on the words that they forget the melody.

• ✗ Tu as faim. (Statement: You are hungry.)
• ✓ Tu as faim ? (Question: Are you hungry?)

Another mistake is mixing patterns. Do not use inversion and intonation together.

• ✗ As-tu faim ? (Inversion) - This is correct, but adding a huge pitch jump makes it weird.
• ✓ Tu as faim ? (Pure intonation).

Don't forget the verb! Sometimes learners just say the noun with a rising pitch.

• ✗ Café ? (Coffee?)
• ✓ Tu veux un café ? (Do you want a coffee?)

While Café ? works in very casual settings, using a full sentence is better practice for A1.

French has three ways to ask questions. Think of them as a scale of formality.

1. 1Intonation: Tu viens ? (Casual). Like texting a friend.
2. 2Est-ce que: Est-ce que tu viens ? (Standard). Like a polite phone call.
3. 3Inversion: Viens-tu ? (Formal). Like a classic novel.

Intonation is the "friendliest" one. It is less "heavy" than Est-ce que. It feels less rigid than inversion. It is the easiest to master because there are no extra moving parts. You don't have to worry about where to put the est-ce que. You don't have to swap subjects and verbs. You just talk.