Question words
Words like où, quand, pourquoi, and comment help French ask for specific missing information clearly.
Examples
FrenchTranslation
Pourquoi arrives-tu si tard ?
Why are you arriving so late?
Où travailles-tu maintenant ?
Where do you work now?
Comment fais-tu cela ?
How do you do that?
Pattern
question word + clause
How it works
Words like où, quand, pourquoi, and comment help French ask for specific missing information clearly. This pattern typically appears as question word + clause and becomes easier when you meet it again in short, readable examples.
What to notice
- The question word usually opens the clause.
- French has several ways to form a question, but the question word still frames the meaning.
Why it matters
Use the high-frequency tools that appear in real beginner interaction.
Use in context
Question words deserve their own page because real interaction depends on them far more than phrasebook-style memorization.