Is it right to say that

Fatema L.Kwiziq community member

Is it right to say that

Is it correct to say “que achètes tu?”

Asked 8 months ago
Christian H.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

Yes, it is correct. It is the third of the three forms of forming a question explained here:
Asking questions in French with "qui/que/quoi/quand/où/comment/pourquoi/combien" (French Question Words)

There are just two minor spelling errors:

- "Que" needs to be elided: Asking questions in French with "qui/que/quoi/quand/où/comment/pourquoi/combien" (French Question Words)
- A hyphen (trait d'union) is missing: The addition of the hyphen is explained when inverted questions are introduced: Inverted questions in the present tense (Le Présent) in French - regular forms (except il/elle/on forms)

So: "Qu'achètes-tu?"

The other options of forming this question are (see first link) with your variant being the most formal:

Qu'est-ce que tu achètes? (everyday usage)
Tu achètes quoi? (colloquial)

Tips:
- The kwiziq search enables you to find lessons on a topic of interest quite easily
- Computer based language tools have made immense progress and can be used for experimentation:
-- ChatGPT, Copilot (e.g. integrated in Microsoft Edge): For language learning these type of tools (large language models) are nothing less than a revolution. I put your question to Copilot and it did not point out the spelling errors until being poked. However, ChatGPT (GPT-4, paid version) nailed it on the spot.
-- Grammar checkers: These cannot be fully trusted but are quite good for checking simple texts. See Inverted questions in the present tense (Le Présent) in French - regular forms (except il/elle/on forms) It maybe sometimes quicker than using a ChatGPT type tool.
-- Translations tools like https://www.deepl.com/: Again, diminished value with the introduction of ChatGPT but lets you experiment more quickly. E.g. going back and forth between French and English.

Is it right to say that

Is it correct to say “que achètes tu?”

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