Types of Sentences
Sentences are used to express oneself and they can either be questions, exclamations, or statements. We will examine the types of sentences in French in this article.
A sentence in French is called une phrase.
La phrase assertive ou déclarative
These are sentences that assert a particular thought. They are declarative in nature and can be either positive or negative. They end in periods.
- J’ai faim. (I am hungry)
- Je ne suis pas content. (I am not happy)
- Ça ne me regarde pas. (It is none of my business)
- Je suis intéressé. (I am interested)
La phrase interrogative
These are questions used to ask about something or someone. They end with a question mark
Note: For French questions, there is always a space between the final word and the question mark
- Tu es ici ? (Are you here?)
- Où est Jean ? (Where is Jean?)
- Comment allez vous ? (How are you doing?)
- Pouvez-vous nous aider ? (Can you help us?)
La phrase exclamative
These are exclamations that show surprise, anger, or indignation. They end with exclamation marks although they often times look like declarative sentences.
Note: There is always a space between the last word and the exclamation mark.
- J’espère que non ! (I hope not!)
- Ils sont si beaux ! (They are so handsome!)
- C’est une idée fantastique ! (That’s a fantastic idea!)
(Here are some other types of exclamations)
La phrase impérative
These are commands. They are given without a subject. The verbs are also written in a particular conjugation form called the imperative. The verb is either in the singular or plural “you”: tu or vous.
When using the imperative, it can end with an exclamation mark or full stop.
- On y va ! (Let’s go)
- Sois patient ! (Be patient)
- Fais les ménages. (Do the cleaning.)
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