Inverted questions in the present tense (Le Présent) in French - il/elle/on forms

In French, to make formal questions, we usually invert the verb and its subject (je, tu, nous, vous, ils, elles). See Inverted questions in the present tense (Le Présent) in French - regular forms (except il/elle/on forms).

However, this method is not as straightforward when the subject is il, elle or on.

Inverted questions in Le Présent (Indicatif) in French

Look at these examples:

Va-t-il à Paris ?Is he going to Paris?

Parle-t-elle anglais ?Does she speak English?

Mange-t-on bientôt ?Are we eating soon?

Y a-t-il un problème ? - Oui, il y a un problème.Is there a problem? - Yes, there is a problem.

Notice that when the verb ends with a vowel (often the case with il/elle/on), then a t must be inserted in-between the verb and il/elle/on with hyphens :  -t- .

The purpose here is to make the sentence easier to pronounce.

ATTENTION:

When the verb already ends in a 't' or 'd', you don't need to insert the extra 't' because it's already present (the 'd' is pronounced [t] in these cases):

Réussit-il ses études ?Is he doing well at school?

Prend-on le train ou le bus ?Do we take the train or the bus?

Quand prend-il sa douche?When does he have his shower?

 

The same rules apply in questions starting with a question word (que, qui, où, ...):

Comment va-t-il ?How is he?

Que cherche-t-elle ?What is she looking for?

va-t-on ce soir ?Where are we going tonight?

Combien de bouteilles veut-il ?How many bottles does he want?



See also: 
Asking questions in French with "qui/que/quoi/quand/où/comment/pourquoi/combien" (French Question Words)
Que + [inverted statement] ? = What ... ? (French Questions)
and
Inverted questions in the present tense (Le Présent) in French - with names/things/emphasis

 

Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources

Réussit-il ses études ?Is he doing well at school?
Prend-on le train ou le bus ?Do we take the train or the bus?
va-t-on ce soir ?Where are we going tonight?
Quand prend-il sa douche?When does he have his shower?
Y a-t-il un problème ? - Oui, il y a un problème.Is there a problem? - Yes, there is a problem.
Comment va-t-il ?How is he?
Que cherche-t-elle ?What is she looking for?
Combien de bouteilles veut-il ?How many bottles does he want?
Va-t-il à Paris ?Is he going to Paris?
Parle-t-elle anglais ?Does she speak English?
Mange-t-on bientôt ?Are we eating soon?
Thinking...