tu es une fille ?
The English phrase "are you a girl?" is translated into French as tu es une fille ?
This phrase is used to ask if a person is female. In French, you can build this question in several ways, such as by using the phrase est-ce que at the beginning of a statement to turn it into a standard question, as in est-ce que tu es une fille ?
Which one should you use?
The default form tu es une fille ? uses rising intonation at the end of a statement to indicate a question, which is common in casual speech. For more polite or formal situations, you can use vous instead of tu, such as in vous êtes une fille ? or Êtes-vous une fille? to address a stranger or someone in a formal setting.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form a standard question, you can add the phrase est-ce que to the beginning of the sentence, for example: est-ce que tu es une fille ? In colloquial speech, tu es is often contracted to T'es.
Did you know?
- French uses the term fille de joie as a euphemism for a prostitute, literally meaning 'girl of joy'.
- The French word fille is a distant relative of the English word 'filial', which refers to the relationship between a parent and a child.
Examples in context
- Est-ce que tu es une fille ?Are you a girl?
- Dis, tu es une fille ?Say, are you a girl?
Example conversation
Nathan is playing a video game online and is confused by a user.
- NathanTu es une fille ?Are you a girl?
- EmmaOui, je suis une fille.Yes, I am a girl.
- NathanAh, d'accord.Ah, okay.
- EmmaOn joue ensemble ?Shall we play together?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fille, tu, une, CC BY-SA 4.0.
