Inversion

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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
• Asking questions
• Subject pronouns
• Verbs
• Liaisons

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