Chapter 7 of 16 · Explore the French path
How sentences work · Chapter 7 of 16
Word order, saying no with ne … pas, and asking a question
French puts the pieces of a sentence roughly where English does. Learn the two halves of “not” that wrap the verb, and the two ways a statement turns into a question.
≈ 4 min of reading · Practise at your own pace
What’s in this chapter
- French word order is English word order: who, then the doing word, then the thing it is done to.
- A little word standing for a person or thing jumps in front of the verb; a whole noun stays behind it.
- “Not” is two words, ne … pas, one on each side of the verb — and French has no helper “do”.
- A question is a statement with the voice going up, or with est-ce que
es-kuh on the front — a flag that translates to nothing. - Si
see is the third answer word: the yes that contradicts a no.
I te
Je te vois.
zhuh tuh vwah
Compare Je vois le renard.
I ne
Je ne suis pas un renard.
zhuh nuh swee pah u(n) ruh-nar
Neither half means anything alone. ne shrinks before a vowel: ce n'est pas
One statement, two questions
French can turn a statement into a question without moving a single word. Read all three aloud.
The question words the stories use
Recognising the first word of a question tells you what is being asked, before you work out the rest.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| où | where |
| qui | who |
| pourquoi | why — literally “for what” |
| qu'est-ce que | what — literally “what is it that” |
The pattern to expect: question word, then the est-ce que flag, then an ordinary sentence.
Order, and asking
- Je te vois.
One little word has crossed to the left of the verb.
Show answer +Hide answer −
“zhuh tuh vwah.” — I see you. - Ce n'est pas un chat.
Find the two halves and the verb they wrap.
Show answer +Hide answer −
“suh neh pah u(n) shah.” — This is not a cat. - Pourquoi est-ce que tu es triste ?
Question word, then the flag that means nothing, then an ordinary sentence.
Show answer +Hide answer −
“poor-kwah es-kuh tew eh treest ?” — Why are you sad?