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L’inversion
The normal word order in French and English is subject + verb, as in vous êtes – you are. Both languages also have what is known as inversion, where the verb and subject pronoun switch places, resulting in êtes-vous – are you. In English, inversion is used only to ask questions, but in French it has several different purposes.
Particularities of French Inversion
In French, a hyphen is required between the inverted verb-subject:
| vous savez | > | savez-vous |
| il est | > | est-il |
When a verb ending in a vowel precedes il, elle, or on, t- must be added for euphony:
| il a | > | a-t-il |
| elle parle | > | parle-t-elle |
| on écoute | > | écoute-t-on |
Inversion with je is possible, though rare and subject to certain conditions:
| j’ai | > | ai-je |
| je parle | > | parlé-je |
Asking Questions
French inversion is most commonly used to ask questions.
| Êtes-vous prêt ? | Are you ready? | |
| Sait-elle la réponse ? | Does she know the answer? |
Incidental Clauses
Inversion sets off verbs that report direct speech or comments.
| « Je sais, dit-elle, que tu as menti ». | "I know," she said, "that you lied." | |
| Elle est partie, paraît-il. | Apparently she left. | |
| Il y a un problème, me semble-t-il. | There seems to be a problem. |
Informally, you can use que instead – see Informal pronouns, "Extra que."
Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases
Several adverbs must be followed by inversion when they’re used at the beginning of a clause.
- à peine
- à plus forte raison
- du moins
- (et) encore (when restrictive: "even so, even then")
- encore moins
- pour le moins
- rarement
- toujours (when the verb is être)
- tout au plus
- vainement
| À peine sommes-nous arrivés qu’il a téléphoné. | We’d scarcely arrived when he called. | |
| Toujours est-il que vous devez l’essayer. | Be that as it may, you need to try. Nevertheless, you need to try. The fact remains that you need to try. |
Optional Inversion
In a number of constructions, inversion is optional.
Adverbs
After peut-être, sans doute, and the exclamative combien, you need either inversion or the word que.
| Peut-être avez-vous sommeil. Peut-être que vous avez sommeil. |
Perhaps you’re tired. | |
| Sans doute ont-ils oublié. Sans doute qu’ils ont oublié. |
Of course they’ve forgotten. | |
| Combien d’argent avons-nous perdu ! Combien d’argent que nous avons perdu ! |
We lost so much money! |
After three adverbs, inversion is completely optional.
- ainsi
- aussi (bien)
- en vain
| Ainsi ont-ils perdu. Ainsi ils ont perdu. |
Thus they lost. | |
| En vain avons-nous crié au secours. En vain nous avons crié au secours. |
We shouted for help in vain. |
Notes
- When inversion is optional, both choices are equally correct, but inversion is somewhat more formal.
- Just as liaisons are required between subject pronouns + verbs, they are required between inverted verbs + subject pronouns.
- Now that you understand inversion with pronouns, go on to part 2: Inversion with nouns.
Related Lessons
- Euphonic inversion
- Word order with inversion
- Avoiding inversion
- Asking questions
- Subject pronouns
- Verbs
- Liaisons
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