What are the question words in French?

The main ones are qui (who), que or qu’est-ce que (what), où (where), quand (when), comment (how), pourquoi (why), combien (how much, how many) and quel (which, what), which agrees with its noun. With a preposition they become à qui, avec qui, d’où or de quoi.

How do you ask a question in French?

There are three ways. Raise your voice at the end (Vous habitez ici ?), put est-ce que in front (Est-ce que vous habitez ici ?), or invert the subject and verb (Habitez-vous ici ?). All three are correct; inversion is the most formal.

When do you use est-ce que?

Use est-ce que to turn a statement into a question without changing the word order: Est-ce que tu viens ? After a question word, it goes right behind it: Où est-ce que vous travaillez ? Don’t use it in an indirect question: say Je voudrais savoir si vous venez.

What is inversion in French?

Inversion puts the subject pronoun after the verb, joined by a hyphen: Parlez-vous anglais ? Add -t- between two vowels (Parle-t-il ?). With a noun subject, keep the noun and repeat it as a pronoun: Votre fils a-t-il un emploi ?

What is the difference between qui and que in a French question?

Qui asks about a person (Qui vient ce soir ?), que about a thing (Que fais-tu ?). In the long forms, the last word shows the role: qu’est-ce qui is the subject (Qu’est-ce qui se passe ?), qu’est-ce que the object (Qu’est-ce que tu fais ?).

Is Castle keys free to play?

Yes. The first 6 levels are free with no sign-up, and levels 7 to 12 are free with an account, which also saves your stars on every device. Levels 13 to 30 come with Premium, together with every 3D game’s later levels and all the mock tests.

French question words: pick the key that opens the door

Les clés du château

A French question words game set in a torch-lit castle. Each door shows an answer, like — Avec ma sœur., and each key on your ring is a question. Only one asks for exactly that answer (Avec qui pars-tu ?), so you have to think about what each question word really asks for. Thirty levels in five worlds take you from qui, où and quand to est-ce que, inversion, polite indirect questions and the questions you ask about an ad in the speaking test. World 1 is free with no account, world 2 with a free account, and the rest is Premium.

3 min a round
30 levels
First 6 levels free, no sign-up
Speaking

3D game: plays full screen on phones.

Loading the 3D game…

30 levels, 5 worlds

From the basics to exam speed

Each level is one round of about 3 minutes. Win a star to open the next level, and replay for three stars. The first 6 levels are free with no sign-up, levels 7–12 with a free account, and Premium opens all 30.

World 1 · levels 1–6
Question words
Les mots interrogatifs
Qui, où, quand, pourquoi, combien, then avec qui, d’où, de quoi.
· Free, no sign-up
World 2 · levels 7–12
The library
La bibliothèque
Quel agreement, à quelle heure, depuis quand, combien de and lequel.
· Free account
World 3 · levels 13–18
The crystal cave
La grotte de cristal
Intonation, est-ce que or inversion: find the one correct form (the -t-, qui or que).
· Premium
World 4 · levels 19–24
The throne room
La salle du trône
Indirect and polite questions: si, ce que, ce qui, Pourriez-vous me dire…
· Premium
World 5 · levels 25–30
The ramparts
Les remparts
Phone about an ad as in the speaking test: rent, jobs, courses, a used car, in the formal register.
· Premium

How to play

1Each door shows an answer in French. Read it, then look at your keys: each one is a question.
2Tap the question that gets exactly that answer (or press 1–4). The right key opens the door; a wrong one snaps.
3Every wrong key comes with the right question and why. The torch burns down, so be quick.

What it trains

Choosing the right question word for the answer you want (qui, que, où, quand, comment, pourquoi, combien, à qui, avec qui, d’où), quel agreement and lequel, the three ways to ask (intonation, est-ce que, inversion with its -t-), indirect questions with si and ce que, and formal questions such as Pourriez-vous me dire si…

Why it matters for TCF and TEF Canada

Asking questions is a task of its own in both speaking tests. TCF Canada’s 12-minute speaking test has 3 tasks, and the second, Exercice en interaction, asks you to get information in an everyday situation. In TEF Canada, section A, Obtenir des renseignements, has you phone about an ad and ask about ten questions in the formal register. Varied, well-formed questions show the examiner your range, and that counts towards the speaking level you need, whether that’s NCLC 7 for Express Entry or NCLC 4 for citizenship.

Practise speaking in the real format: TCF Canada speaking practice · TEF Canada speaking practice

Learn while you play

Rules and tips to remember

Read the answer first, then ask what kind it is
A person needs qui, a place où, a moment quand, a way comment, a reason pourquoi, an amount combien. If the answer starts with a preposition (avec, à, de), the question starts with it too: Avec qui ?
Quel agrees with its noun
Quel âge, quelle adresse, quels films, quelles langues: the four forms sound the same, so the noun decides the spelling. Lequel replaces the noun and never stands before it.
Inversion needs a -t- between two vowels
A-t-il, parle-t-elle, va-t-on: add -t- when the verb ends in a vowel. Not after a verb that already ends in t or d: peut-on, prend-il.
Indirect questions keep normal word order
After Pourriez-vous me dire or Je voudrais savoir, there’s no inversion and no est-ce que: si le prix comprend les taxes, ce que je dois envoyer. Si becomes s’ only before il and ils.

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