Bedeutung
To provide a response to an inquiry.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In French schools, students are taught to 'répondre par une phrase complète' (answer with a complete sentence). Simply saying 'yes' or 'no' is often considered insufficient or even slightly impolite in an educational context. While the phrase is the same, the accent and some informal variations might differ. In Quebec, you might hear 'répondre à la question' with a very distinct 't' sound in 'question' (sounding like 'ques-tsion'). In many West African French-speaking countries, 'répondre' can sometimes carry a connotation of 'talking back' to elders, so the context of who is answering whom is very important for politeness. Belgian French uses the phrase identically to France, but in administrative contexts, they might be even more formal, using 'répondre à la présente' (referring to a letter).
The 'À' Rule
Always remember the 'à'. If you forget it, you're speaking 'Franglais'!
Don't 'Demander' Questions
Never say 'demander une question'. It's the most common beginner mistake.
Bedeutung
To provide a response to an inquiry.
The 'À' Rule
Always remember the 'à'. If you forget it, you're speaking 'Franglais'!
Don't 'Demander' Questions
Never say 'demander une question'. It's the most common beginner mistake.
Use 'Y'
To sound more native, use 'y' to replace 'à la question'. 'J'y réponds !'
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing preposition.
Je réponds ___ la question de Marie.
The verb 'répondre' always takes the preposition 'à' when followed by a question.
Choose the correct sentence.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
In French, you must say 'répondre à'.
Complete the dialogue.
Professeur: 'Qui peut répondre à cette question ?' Étudiant: '___'
The student is offering to provide the answer using the correct preposition.
Match the French phrase with its English translation.
Match the following:
These are the fundamental building blocks of this topic.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenJe réponds ___ la question de Marie.
The verb 'répondre' always takes the preposition 'à' when followed by a question.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
In French, you must say 'répondre à'.
Professeur: 'Qui peut répondre à cette question ?' Étudiant: '___'
The student is offering to provide the answer using the correct preposition.
Ordne jedem Element links seinen Partner rechts zu:
These are the fundamental building blocks of this topic.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNo, it is neutral. It can be used in any context, from a formal letter to a chat with a friend.
No, this is grammatically incorrect in French. You must use the preposition 'à'.
'Répondre' is general. 'Répliquer' implies a quick, sometimes argumentative response.
You say 'Je lui ai répondu'. 'Lui' is the indirect object pronoun.
Yes, it is a regular -re verb (third group).
Yes, 'répondre à la porte' is correct, though 'ouvrir la porte' is more common.
You say 'répondre au téléphone'.
The noun is 'une réponse' (an answer).
It replaces the 's' from the Latin 'respondere'.
Yes, that is a more formal way to say 'answer a question'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Poser une question
contrastTo ask a question
Répondre au téléphone
similarTo answer the phone
Donner une réponse
synonymTo give an answer
Répondre de
specialized formTo be responsible for
