French for Beginners: Politely Asking About Someone's Family
Learn to ask 'Do you have any siblings?' and 'What do your parents do?' in French, show interest, and use question forms correctly.
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Asking about someone's family is a common way to show interest in French conversation. Unlike talking about your own family, where you make statements like 'J'ai un frère' (I have a brother), asking questions requires different structures. In this lesson, you'll learn how to politely ask if someone has siblings and what their parents do, using inversion and est-ce que. You'll also learn to react with interest. We'll focus on standard French, with notes on informal and formal registers.
By the end, you can…
- ask someone if they have siblings using 'Est-ce que tu as des frères et sœurs ?' or inversion.
- ask what someone's parents do for a living using 'Qu'est-ce que tes parents font comme travail ?'
- show interest in responses with phrases like 'Ah bon ?' and 'C'est intéressant.'
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Est-ce que tu as des frères et sœurs ?
Do you have any siblings?
ess-kuh tew ah day frehr ay suhr
Standard informal question to a peer. 'Frères et sœurs' means brothers and sisters.
Tu as des frères et sœurs ?
Do you have any siblings?
tew ah day frehr ay suhr
Very common in informal spoken French; question is shown by rising intonation.
Qu'est-ce que tes parents font comme travail ?
What do your parents do for a living?
kess-kuh tay pah-rahn fohn kum trah-vy
Polite and standard. 'Comme travail' specifies 'for work'.
Ils font quoi comme travail ?
What do they do for work?
eel fohn kwah kum trah-vy
Informal spoken variant; 'quoi' at the end is common in casual speech.
Ah bon ? C'est intéressant !
Really? That's interesting!
ah bohn? say ta(n)-tay-ress-ahn
Shows interest and keeps the conversation going.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To ask a yes/no question, you can use 'Est-ce que' before a statement: 'Est-ce que tu as des frères et sœurs ?' Alternatively, in informal French, just raise your intonation: 'Tu as des frères et sœurs ?' For information questions, use 'Qu'est-ce que' + subject + verb: 'Qu'est-ce que tes parents font comme travail ?' In informal speech, you may hear 'Ils font quoi comme travail ?' where 'quoi' replaces 'qu'est-ce que'. Note that 'des' becomes 'de' in negative sentences: 'Je n'ai pas de frères et sœurs.'
When to use it
Use 'Est-ce que tu as...' with friends, family, or people your age. For formal situations, use 'Est-ce que vous avez des frères et sœurs ?' or inversion 'Avez-vous des frères et sœurs ?' When asking about parents' jobs, 'Qu'est-ce que vos parents font comme travail ?' is polite. Avoid 'Tu as des frères et sœurs ?' with strangers or superiors; it can sound too direct. In Quebec, you might hear 'Tu as-tu des frères et sœurs ?' but this is regional and not standard in France.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Est-ce que tu as des frères et sœurs ?
Do you have any siblings?ess-kuh tew ah day frehr ay suhrOui, j'ai une sœur et un frère. Et toi ?
Yes, I have a sister and a brother. And you?wee, zhay ewn suhr ay uh(n) frehr. ay twah?Moi, je suis fils unique. Qu'est-ce que tes parents font comme travail ?
Me, I'm an only son. What do your parents do for a living?mwah, zhuh swee fees ew-neek. kess-kuh tay pah-rahn fohn kum trah-vy?Ma mère est médecin et mon père est professeur. C'est intéressant, non ?
My mother is a doctor and my father is a teacher. That's interesting, isn't it?mah mehr ay mayd-sa(n) ay moh(n) pehr ay proh-fess-uhr. say ta(n)-tay-ress-ahn, nohn?A little context goes a long way
In French-speaking cultures, asking about family is common among friends and acquaintances, but it can be considered personal in formal contexts. Use 'vous' with strangers or elders. In France, discussing parents' professions is normal, but avoid asking about income. In Quebec, informal questions may use 'tu' as a question particle, but this is not standard in Europe.
One thing to watch for
Using 'Est-ce que tu as des frères et sœurs ?' with a formal 'vous' subject, e.g., 'Est-ce que vous as des frères et sœurs ?'
Try this instead: With 'vous', the verb must be 'avez': 'Est-ce que vous avez des frères et sœurs ?' or inversion 'Avez-vous des frères et sœurs ?'
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you ask a friend if they have siblings using 'Est-ce que'?
Show a sample answer
Est-ce que tu as des frères et sœurs ?
This uses 'tu' for informal 'you', 'as' for 'have', and 'des frères et sœurs' for 'siblings'. 'Est-ce que' introduces the question.
2Translate: 'What do your parents do for a living?' (formal)
Show a sample answer
Qu'est-ce que vos parents font comme travail ?
Uses 'vos' for formal 'your', 'font' for 'do', and 'comme travail' for 'for a living'. 'Qu'est-ce que' is the standard question form.
3What is a common informal way to ask 'What do they do for work?' in French?
Show a sample answer
Ils font quoi comme travail ?
This places 'quoi' at the end, common in spoken French. It's less formal than 'Qu'est-ce qu'ils font comme travail ?'
To ask about family politely, use 'Est-ce que tu as des frères et sœurs ?' with peers, and 'Qu'est-ce que vos parents font comme travail ?' in formal contexts. Show interest with 'Ah bon ?' or 'C'est intéressant !'
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