Asking HOW questions in French with COMMENT (French Essentials Lesson 25)

Summary

This video tutorial teaches how to ask questions in French using the word 'comment,' meaning 'how.' It covers different contexts such as informal and formal ways of asking about someone’s well-being or name. The video also demonstrates how to ask about actions, like making a chocolate cake, and offers insights on using 'comment' with various tenses, including the past tense. The content encourages viewers to practice forming their own questions and offers practical tips on structure and conjugation, making it accessible for both beginners and intermediate learners of French.

Takeaways

• 😀 'Comment' is the French word for 'how' and is used to ask questions in various contexts.
• 😀 You can use 'comment' to ask about someone's well-being, such as 'Comment ça va ?' (How is it going?).
• 😀 To ask someone's name, you can use 'Comment tu t'appelles ?' (What is your name?). This is informal.
• 😀 For a more formal way to ask someone's name, use 'Comment vous appelez-vous ?'.
• 😀 'Comment' can be used to inquire about how actions are done, e.g., 'Comment fais-tu un gâteau au chocolat ?' (How do you make a chocolate cake?).
• 😀 In informal speech, you don’t always need to invert the subject and verb after 'comment'. Example: 'Comment tu fais ça ?' (How do you do that?).
• 😀 In formal speech, the subject and verb are often inverted when asking questions with 'comment'. Example: 'Comment faites-vous cela ?' (How do you do that?).
• 😀 When asking about actions in the past, 'comment' can still be used in different tenses, such as 'Comment est-elle arrivée ici ?' (How did she get here?).
• 😀 For informal questions about past actions, you can use a more casual structure, such as 'Elle est arrivée ici comment ?' (How did she arrive here?).
• 😀 Practice making your own questions using 'comment' to improve your fluency. Example: 'Comment tu vas ?' (How are you?).

Q & A

What does the word 'comm' mean in French?

The word 'comm' in French means 'how.' It is commonly used to ask questions about someone's well-being or to inquire about how something is done.

How is 'comm' used in a question about someone's well-being?

'Comm' is used in questions like 'Comment ça va?' which means 'How are you?' It is a common way to check in on someone's condition or feelings.

What is a more informal way of asking 'What is your name?' in French?

A more informal way to ask 'What is your name?' is 'Comment tu t'appelles?' which translates directly to 'How do you call yourself?'

How do you ask 'How do you make a chocolate cake?' in French?

To ask 'How do you make a chocolate cake?' in French, you would say 'Comment fais-tu un gâteau au chocolat?' This uses the verb 'faire' (to make/do) in the present tense.

What is an alternative way to phrase 'How do you make a chocolate cake?' in French?

An alternative way to ask this question is 'Comment est-ce que tu fais un gâteau au chocolat?' This structure adds the question word 'est-ce que' to make the question more formal.

How does the use of 'comm' change when asking questions in the past tense?

When using 'comm' in the past tense, the verb is typically inverted with the subject, as in 'Comment est-elle arrivée ici?' meaning 'How did she arrive here?' This shows how verb inversion works in past tense questions.

Why is there an apostrophe in 'Comment' when asking 'How did she arrive here?'?

The apostrophe is used in 'Comment' because the following word begins with a vowel ('est'). This is a common French grammar rule to make the sentence flow more smoothly.

What is the role of verb conjugation in asking questions with 'comm'?

Verb conjugation plays a key role in forming questions with 'comm,' as the verb must be correctly conjugated based on the subject and tense. For example, in the present tense, you would say 'Comment fais-tu?' (How do you do?).

What is the difference between formal and informal uses of 'comm' in questions?

In informal questions, 'comm' can be placed at the end of a sentence without inverting the subject and verb, such as 'Elle est arrivée ici, comment?' In formal questions, inversion is more common, like 'Comment est-elle arrivée ici?'

How can you practice asking questions using 'comm' in different tenses?

To practice, try forming questions in different tenses. For example, use 'comm' with present tense verbs ('Comment fais-tu ça?') or past tense verbs ('Comment est-elle arrivée ici?'). Start by adding 'comm' to basic sentences and experiment with verb inversion for various tenses.