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Inversion avec noms
In French, inversion is not limited to pronouns – it can also be done with nouns and proper names, though this is a bit more complicated.
Sometimes inversion with nouns/names is required, while at other times it’s optional.
Required inversion
1) Direct speech
In direct speech, the normal word order subject + verb must be inverted to verb + subject.
| – Je pense, dit l’infirmière, qu’il y a encore de soupe. | "I think," the nurse said, "there’s more soup." | |
| – Je n’ai pas faim, répondit Céline. | "I’m not hungry," responded Céline. |
In English, this inversion is optional – these are equally correct:
"I think," said the nurse, "there’s more soup."
"I’m not hungry," Céline responded.
2) Questions
In questions, when the subject is a noun or name, that subject remains in place and is repeated in the form of a subject pronoun, which inverts with the verb.
| Cette voiture est-elle à vendre ? | Is this car for sale? | |
| Les profs ont-ils puni la classe ? | Did the teachers punish the class? | |
| Robert cherche-t-il la solution ? | Is Robert looking for the solution? |
It might seem odd, but this is grammatically correct French. If you don’t like how it sounds, you can use est-ce que instead, but of course that makes the question less formal.
Stylistic inversion
Sometimes inversion is optional – it’s just a question of style / formality.
1) After a relative pronoun or indefinite relative pronoun
| Où est le resto dont parlent Pierre et Solange ? | Where’s the restaurant that Pierre and Solange are talking about? | |
| Où est le resto dont Pierre et Solange parlent ? | ||
| Ce qu’ont souffert les réfugiés syriens est affreux. | What the Syrian refugees have suffered is awful. | |
| Ce que les réfugiés syriens ont souffert est affreux. |
2) After a comparison
| Tu es plus studieux que n’a prétendu ta sÅ“ur. | You’re more studious than your sister claimed. | |
| Tu es plus studieux que ta sÅ“ur n’a prétendu.* | ||
| Les devoirs sont moins difficiles que n’ont dit mes camarades de classe. | The homework is less difficult than my classmates said. | |
| Les devoirs sont moins difficiles que mes camarades de classe n’ont dit.* |
3) To emphasize the subject, particularly in poetry.
| Tomba un voile de brume. Un voile de brume tomba. | A veil of mist fell. |
* Why is n’ in front of the verb? That’s the ne explétif.
Part 1: Inversion with pronouns
Notes
- There’s no hyphen when inverting a noun or name.
- When inversion is optional, both choices are equally correct, but inversion is more formal.
Related Lessons
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