Did you know?
In French like in English, a really easy way to ask questions is by ending a regular statement with an interrogative word or phrase. This is called a tag question. In English, this could be a word or a word group. English speakers use tags like right, don’t they, isn’t she, and aren’t you frequently in conversation.
French speakers also use a variety of words and phrases as tag questions to agree with or acknowledge the original question. Here’s a short list to get you started:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| n’est-ce pas? | right? |
| d’accord? | okay? |
| ou quoi? | or what? |
| hein? | eh? |
| non? | no? |
Par exemple:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Vous aimez dessiner, n’est-ce pas? | You all like to draw, right? |
| Nous allons partir dans 20 minutes, d’accord? | We’re going to leave in 20 minutes, okay? |
| On va à la fête, ou quoi? | Are we going to the party, or what? |
| Il est beau, hein? | He’s handsome, right? |
| Elle est sympa, non? | She’s nice, don’t you think? |
Language Note!
N’est-ce pas is the only tag question that can be used in
formal situations.
Tag questions are typically used in informal speech. With the exception of n’est-ce pas, they are all too casual to be used in formal or professional settings. You’ve now learned how to ask open and closed questions as well as different ways to answer them. Questions can be difficult to master, so try writing out a few questions in French to practice.
Question
N’est-ce pas is the negative inversion of what expression?
C’est
