Skip to content

est-ce que

is it that

particle ess-kuh Common
Grammar & Structure Particles

Usage Note

Est-ce que is a ready-made question opener that lets you keep normal word order instead of inverting subject and verb, so est-ce que tu viens ? feels friendlier than the inverted viens-tu ?. You never translate it literally, and in fast speech it collapses to a mumbled 'sque or vanishes entirely, leaving just a rising tone.

Examples

"Est-ce que tu as faim ?"

Natural Translation

Are you hungry?

Literal Translation

Is-it-that you have hunger?

Explore French by topic