Inversion avec le pronom « je »
 |
|
| Share / Tweet / Pin Me! | |
Inversion with the first person singular je is a little trickier than with other subject pronouns. It’s also very formal and therefore rare, so one of those grammar concepts you need to recognize but not necessarily use.
Regular -er Verbs
The je conjugation of -er verbs normally ends in e instable, but when it’s inverted, this is no longer the case: –e must be pronounced, and this is indicated by the addition of an accent. Traditionally, this was an acute accent (é).
Par exemple…
| Pensé-je vraiment qu’il chante bien ? | Do I really think he sings well? | |
| Parlé-je trop fort ? | Am I speaking too loudly? |
However, since the final letter in the inverted verb conjugation is always pronounced [ɛ], in 1990 the Conseil supérieur de la langue française recommended using the more accurate grave accent (è) instead. So today, both accents are allowed.
Par exemple…
| Pensè-je vraiment qu’il chante bien ? | Do I really think he sings well? | |
| Parlè-je trop fort ? | Am I speaking too loudly? |
In addition, the e instable at the end of je is mute, so the pronunciation is in effect pensèj [pã sɛʒ] and chantèj [ʃã tɛʒ].
Other Verbs
Among verbs whose je conjugation doesn’t end in –e, inversion is only allowed with 10 very common ones:
| aller | to go | vais-je | |
| avoir | to have | ai-je | |
| devoir | to have to | dois-je | |
| dire | to say / tell | dis-je | |
| être | to be | suis-je | |
| faire | to make / do | fais-je | |
| pouvoir | to be able to | puis-je* | |
| savoir | to know | sais-je | |
| voir | to see | vois-je | |
| vouloir | to want | veux-je |
Par exemple…
| Ai-je bien compris ? | Have I understood correctly? | |
| Dois-je tout faire moi-même ? | Must I do everything myself? |
* Puis is a special conjugation of pouvoir that is found today only in je inversion.
Introduction: Inversion with pronouns
Related Lessons
Share / Tweet / Pin Me!
This free website is created with love and a great deal of work. If you love it, please consider making a 
Practice is the key to improving your French, and just 15 minutes a day on some kind of French activity can make a huge difference. Check out these ideas and draw up your own schedule.
Of the four language skills, many people find that speaking is the most difficult. Here are tips and resources to help you overcome these obstacles in order to practice French as much as you like.
Jouer is a regular -er French verb that can be a bit confusing when it comes time to decide which preposition should follow. Here’s everything you need to know.