French Indirect Questions with 'si' (If/Whether)
si, remove question markers, and follow standard subject-verb order while adjusting pronouns and tenses.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'si' (whether/if) to report a yes/no question indirectly, replacing the direct question mark with a period.
- Use 'si' when the original question is a yes/no question (e.g., 'Do you like coffee?').
- Remove the inversion or 'est-ce que' structure; use standard subject-verb order.
- Ensure the tense of the reported verb matches the sequence of tenses rule.
Overview
In French grammar, an indirect question (or reported question) is a fundamental structure used to report what someone has asked without quoting them directly. When the original question is a 'yes/no' question, the conjunction si (meaning 'if' or 'whether') becomes the essential tool for this transformation. This allows you to embed the question smoothly into a declarative sentence, shifting from an interrogative form to a subordinate clause.
This is a core skill for fluid communication, moving your speech from simple, direct statements to more complex, reported narration.
The primary function of si in this context is to introduce a proposition whose truth is uncertain or being questioned. It effectively translates the 'question mark' and the inverted syntax or est-ce que of a direct question into a grammatical link. For instance, a direct question like `« Est-ce que le musée est ouvert aujourd'hui ?
» ("Is the museum open today?") becomes a reported statement: Elle demande si le musée est ouvert aujourd'hui.` ("She is asking if the museum is open today.").
Mastering this structure involves more than just adding si. It requires three key adjustments: neutralizing the interrogative structure (removing est-ce que and inversion), changing pronouns to reflect the new speaker's perspective, and, most critically at the B2 level, applying the concordance des temps (sequence of tenses) when the reporting verb is in the past. This grammatical back-shifting is what distinguishes proficient speakers, allowing them to accurately report past conversations.
For example, reporting the same question tomorrow would yield: Elle a demandé si le musée était ouvert ce jour-là. Notice the tense shift from est to était.
How This Grammar Works
demander: to ask. The most standard, all-purpose verb.Je lui ai demandé s'il venait.(I asked him if he was coming.)vouloir savoir: to want to know. Expresses a stronger sense of curiosity or insistence.Elle voulait savoir si le projet avait été approuvé.(She wanted to know if the project had been approved.)se demander: to wonder. Used for internal monologue or when posing a question to oneself.Je me demande si j'ai fait le bon choix.(I wonder if I made the right choice.)ne pas savoirorignorer: to not know. Used to state a lack of information, where thesiclause defines the unknown element.Nous ignorons si les résultats seront publiés demain.(We do not know if the results will be published tomorrow.)
si is that it standardizes the three different ways French can form a 'yes/no' question. All three direct forms converge into a single, elegant indirect structure:- 1With
est-ce que: Theest-ce queis simply deleted and replaced bysi. This is the most straightforward transformation.
- Direct:
Est-ce que tu as compris la leçon ? - Indirect:
Le professeur demande si tu as compris la leçon.
- 1With Inversion: The subject and verb are returned to their standard statement order (
sujet+verbe) aftersi.
- Direct:
Avez-vous reçu mon courriel ? - Indirect:
Je voudrais savoir si vous avez reçu mon courriel.
- 1With Rising Intonation: The word order already matches a statement, so you simply insert
siafter the introductory verb.
- Direct:
Tu es prêt ? - Indirect:
Il demande si tu es prêt.
je, tu, nous, vous), possessives (mon, ton, notre, votre), and certain adverbs of time and place to fit the new context. demain might become le lendemain, hier might become la veille, and ici might become là, depending on the temporal and spatial distance from the original utterance. This logical shift is crucial for accurate reporting.Formation Pattern
si follows a reliable pattern. Understanding the individual components is key, especially the rules governing contractions and tense sequences.
si + [Subordinate Clause (Subject + Verb + ...)]
si Contraction Rule
si must contract (elide) when it is followed by the masculine pronouns il or ils. This is not optional.
si + il → s'il
si + ils → s'ils
si never elides with the feminine pronouns elle or elles, nor with on. The i sound is maintained to avoid an awkward phonetic combination.
si + elle → si elle (Correct: Je me demande si elle viendra. Incorrect: s'elle viendra.)
si + elles → si elles
si + on → si on
La Concordance des Temps (The Sequence of Tenses)
si clause depends entirely on the tense of the introductory verb in the main clause.
présent) or Future (futur simple)
si clause. The original tense of the question is preserved.
« Tu as fini tes devoirs ? »
Ta mère demande si tu as fini tes devoirs. (No change)
« Est-ce qu'il pleuvra demain ? »
Je me demanderai demain s'il pleuvra. (No change, though this structure is rare)
passé composé, imparfait, plus-que-parfait)
si clause must 'back-shift' to a corresponding past tense. This reflects the temporal shift—you are reporting something that was asked even further in the past.
si Clause (after past intro verb) |
« Est-ce que tu es fatigué ? » | Il m'a demandé si j'étais fatigué. |
« As-tu déjà mangé ? » | Elle voulait savoir si j'avais déjà mangé. |
« Vous viendrez à la réunion ? » | Le directeur a demandé si nous viendrions à la réunion. |
« Aura-t-il terminé avant midi ? » | On se demandait s'il aurait terminé avant midi. |
de + infinitif |
« Peux-tu m'aider ? » (as request) | Il a demandé si je pouvais l'aider. (Présent -> Imparfait) |
When To Use It
si structure is used in various conversational and formal contexts to add nuance, politeness, and stylistic flair.- Direct:
Avez-vous pris une décision ?(Have you made a decision?) - Polite/Indirect:
Je vous contacte pour savoir si vous avez pris une décision.(I am contacting you to find out if you have made a decision.)
se demander si is the primary way to articulate internal questions or wonderings. It's the voice of your own thought process considering a 'yes' or 'no' possibility.Je me demande si je devrais l'appeler.(I wonder if I should call him.)Il se demandait s'il avait bien tout compris.(He was wondering if he had understood everything correctly.)
si to relay the questions that were asked. It's what makes storytelling and sharing information sound natural.J'ai vu Chloé. Elle m'a demandé si on sortait toujours ce soir.(I saw Chloé. She asked me if we were still going out tonight.)Alors, il t'a demandé si tu voulais l'épouser ? Raconte !(So, did he ask you if you wanted to marry him? Tell me everything!)
je ne sais pas si... or j'ignore si... as a subtle way to get information. By stating your own lack of knowledge about a 'yes/no' fact, you invite your interlocutor to confirm or deny it, without having to ask a direct question yourself.Je ne sais pas si la boulangerie est encore ouverte.(I don't know if the bakery is still open.)
Si, si, elle ferme à 19h. (Yes, yes, it closes at 7 PM.)Common Mistakes
si but fall into a few predictable traps related to nuance, exceptions, and interference from other grammatical patterns.si with other reporting words (ce que, pourquoi, etc.)si is used exclusively for yes/no questions. For WH-questions (who, what, where, when, why, how), the question word itself is retained in the indirect structure.Est-ce que..., inversion, intonation) | si | `« Est-ce que tu es d'accord ? »Qu'est-ce que...) | ce que | `« Qu'est-ce que tu veux ? »Quand, Où, Comment, etc.) | The word itself | `« Quand pars-tu ? »Il demande si quand tu pars is nonsensical.s'elle Contraction Errors'elle or s'elles. This mistake stems from a logical but incorrect application of the rule that a vowel should elide before another vowel. However, the rule for si is an exception.- Remember:
sionly contracts withilandils. Always writesi elleandsi elles.
Concordance des TempsIl m'a demandé si tu vas bien instead of ...si tu allais bien). However, this is grammatically incorrect and will be penalized in any formal context (exams, professional writing). At the B2 level, you are expected to master this tense sequence. Forgetting to shift from présent to imparfait or futur simple to conditionnel présent is a classic intermediate error.est-ce quesi clause is a subordinate declarative clause, not a question. It must follow the standard Subject-Verb-Object word order. Any remnant of the direct interrogative structure is a mistake.- Incorrect:
Je me demande s'est-il prêt. - Correct:
Je me demande s'il est prêt. - Incorrect:
Il demande si est-ce que tu viens. - Correct:
Il demande si tu viens.
Real Conversations
Here’s how these structures appear in authentic, everyday contexts.
Scenario 1
- Antoine: Salut, tu peux me rendre un service ? Je suis en réunion.
- Léa: Bien sûr, dis-moi.
- Antoine: Tu peux appeler le resto pour savoir s'ils ont encore de la place pour deux ce soir ? Vers 20h. (Can you call the restaurant to find out if they still have a table for two tonight? Around 8 PM.)
- Léa: OK. Je te redis.
Scenario 2
- Manager: Bonjour l'équipe. Petite question : je me demandais si la présentation pour le client était bien sur le drive partagé. Je ne la trouve pas. (Hi team. Quick question: I was wondering if the client presentation was indeed in the shared drive. I can't find it.)
- Employee: Oui, elle y est. Le fichier s'appelle 'Présentation_Finale_v3'.
Scenario 3
- ...et là, il m'arrête en plein milieu de la phrase et il me demande, super sérieusement, si je croyais vraiment aux horoscopes. J'étais tellement surprise ! Je ne savais pas quoi répondre. (...and then, he stops me mid-sentence and asks me, completely seriously, if I really believed in horoscopes. I was so surprised! I didn't know what to answer.)
Quick FAQ
si?No. In the context of indirect questions, French si single-handedly covers both 'if' and 'whether'. The distinction that exists in English does not have a direct equivalent here.
passé composé versus the imparfait? For example, Il a demandé si... vs. Il demandait si...The difference lies in aspect. Il a demandé (passé composé) reports a single, completed act of asking. Il demandait (imparfait) describes the context or background action; it sets a scene where the asking was ongoing, repeated, or a state of being. The tense back-shifting rules in the si clause apply equally to both.
Je me demande si...?Absolutely. Je me demande si... is a very common way to pose a question politely or express a thought aloud. Je me demande s'il va pleuvoir cet après-midi. is a perfectly natural sentence.
si clause inside an indirect question si clause? (The 'if if' problem)French avoids the cacophony of si si. You cannot say Il demande si tu viendras si tu as le temps. You must rephrase the conditional part using au cas où (+ conditionnel) or another construction. The correct form would be: Il demande si tu viendras au cas où tu aurais le temps.
In highly informal, rapid speech, the rule is often relaxed. However, it's a simplification, not an alternative rule. For any educated or formal discourse, and certainly for your learning at the B2 level, mastering and applying the concordance des temps is non-negotiable and a clear sign of proficiency.
3. Indirect Question Structure
| Reporting Verb | Conjunction | Subject | Verb |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Je demande
|
si
|
tu
|
viens
|
|
Il veut savoir
|
si
|
elle
|
est prête
|
|
Nous demandons
|
si
|
ils
|
ont fini
|
|
Elle se demande
|
s'
|
il
|
est là
|
|
Je demande
|
si
|
nous
|
pouvons
|
|
Il demande
|
si
|
vous
|
voulez
|
|
Elle demande
|
si
|
je
|
sais
|
|
Il veut savoir
|
si
|
c'est
|
vrai
|
Elision Rules
| Full Form | Contracted Form |
|---|---|
|
si il
|
s'il
|
|
si ils
|
s'ils
|
Meanings
Indirect questions with 'si' are used to report yes/no questions without using direct quotation marks.
Reporting yes/no questions
Transforming a direct 'Do you...?' question into a statement.
“Elle demande si tu viens.”
“Je me demande si c'est vrai.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Verb + si + S + V
|
Je demande si tu viens.
|
|
Negative
|
Verb + si + S + ne + V + pas
|
Je demande si tu ne viens pas.
|
|
Past
|
Verb (past) + si + S + V (past)
|
J'ai demandé si tu étais venu.
|
|
Formal
|
Verb (formal) + si + S + V
|
Il s'enquiert si vous êtes prêts.
|
|
Inversion (Avoid)
|
Verb + si + V + S
|
INCORRECT: Je demande si viens-tu.
|
|
Contraction
|
si + il(s)
|
Je demande s'il vient.
|
Formality Spectrum
Je m'enquiers de savoir s'il viendra. (Social)
Je demande s'il viendra. (Social)
Tu sais s'il vient ? (Social)
Tu sais s'il ramène ses fesses ? (Social)
Indirect Question Flow
Connector
- si if/whether
Clause
- Sujet + Verbe Subject + Verb
Direct vs Indirect
Decision Process
Is it a yes/no question?
Examples by Level
Il demande si tu es là.
He asks if you are there.
Je demande si c'est bon.
I ask if it is good.
Elle demande si tu viens.
She asks if you are coming.
Il demande si c'est fini.
He asks if it is finished.
Je me demande si elle a faim.
I wonder if she is hungry.
Il veut savoir si tu es libre.
He wants to know if you are free.
Elle demande si nous pouvons partir.
She asks if we can leave.
Je demande si le bus arrive.
I ask if the bus is arriving.
Il m'a demandé s'il pouvait venir.
He asked me if he could come.
Je me demandais si tu avais fini.
I was wondering if you had finished.
Elle veut savoir s'ils sont contents.
She wants to know if they are happy.
Il demande si le film est bien.
He asks if the movie is good.
Je me demande si ce projet sera validé.
I wonder if this project will be approved.
Il a demandé si nous avions bien reçu le mail.
He asked if we had received the email well.
Elle se demande si elle doit accepter l'offre.
She wonders if she should accept the offer.
Je demande si le rendez-vous est maintenu.
I ask if the appointment is still on.
Il s'enquiert de savoir si la décision est irrévocable.
He inquires whether the decision is irrevocable.
Je me demande si, dans ces conditions, il serait possible de changer.
I wonder if, under these conditions, it would be possible to change.
Elle se demande si le résultat aurait été différent.
She wonders if the result would have been different.
Il demande si l'on peut espérer une issue favorable.
He asks if one can hope for a favorable outcome.
Il reste à déterminer si cette hypothèse est corroborée par les faits.
It remains to be determined whether this hypothesis is corroborated by the facts.
Je me demande si, par quelque artifice, il a pu réussir.
I wonder if, by some artifice, he was able to succeed.
Elle se demande si, nonobstant les risques, il faille agir.
She wonders if, notwithstanding the risks, one must act.
Il demande si l'on pourrait, le cas échéant, reconsidérer la question.
He asks if one could, if necessary, reconsider the matter.
Easily Confused
Learners confuse the conditional 'si' with the affirmative 'si' used to contradict a negative question.
Learners use 'si' for statements.
Learners keep 'est-ce que' in indirect questions.
Common Mistakes
Je demande si est-ce qu'il vient.
Je demande s'il vient.
Je demande si vient-il.
Je demande s'il vient.
Je demande si il vient.
Je demande s'il vient.
Je demande si il viendrait.
Je demande s'il viendrait.
Sentence Patterns
Je me demande si ___ ___ ___.
Il veut savoir si ___ ___ ___.
Elle demande si ___ ___ ___.
Je demande si ___ ___ ___.
Real World Usage
Je me demande si ce poste offre des opportunités de formation.
Tu sais si on se voit ce soir ?
Je voudrais savoir si le vol est maintenu.
Je demande si la livraison est incluse.
Je me demande si quelqu'un a vu ce film.
Je demande si le cours est obligatoire.
The 'si' contraction
No inversion
Use 'savoir'
Politeness
Smart Tips
Always check if you need to shift the tense of the verb inside the 'si' clause.
Use 'Je me demande si...' instead of a direct question.
Immediately contract to 's'' to avoid sounding like a beginner.
If you can answer with 'yes' or 'no', use 'si'. Otherwise, use the question word.
Pronunciation
Elision
The 'i' in 'si' disappears before 'il' or 'ils'.
Statement
↘
Indirect questions end with a falling intonation, not rising.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'si' as a 'bridge' that turns a question into a statement.
Visual Association
Imagine a question mark (?) being straightened out into a period (.) by the word 'si'.
Rhyme
When you report a yes/no query, use 'si' and don't be weary.
Story
You are at a party. You want to know if your friend is coming. You don't shout 'Are you coming?' (direct). Instead, you whisper to the host: 'Je demande si mon ami vient.' The host smiles because you are polite.
Word Web
Challenge
For the next 5 minutes, write down 3 questions you have, then rewrite them as indirect questions starting with 'Je me demande si...'.
Cultural Notes
Indirect questions are preferred in professional settings to sound less blunt.
Similar usage, though 'tu' is often used in informal speech.
Standard French grammar applies, but reporting verbs are often more formal.
Derived from Latin 'si', meaning 'if'.
Conversation Starters
Tu sais si le bus est à l'heure ?
Tu te demandes si on va réussir ?
Il a demandé si tu étais libre ce soir.
Tu sais si le restaurant est ouvert le dimanche ?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
Il demande ___il vient.
Find and fix the mistake:
Je demande si est-ce qu'il vient.
Which is correct?
Est-ce qu'il est prêt ? (Il demande...)
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
si / je / demande / il / vient
Can you use 'est-ce que' after 'si'?
A: Est-ce qu'il pleut ? B: Je demande ___.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesIl demande ___il vient.
Find and fix the mistake:
Je demande si est-ce qu'il vient.
Which is correct?
Est-ce qu'il est prêt ? (Il demande...)
Direct: Est-ce qu'elle mange ? Indirect: ?
si / je / demande / il / vient
Can you use 'est-ce que' after 'si'?
A: Est-ce qu'il pleut ? B: Je demande ___.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesDis-moi ___ on doit apporter quelque chose.
Elle voulait savoir si avait-il fini son travail.
demande / s' / il / il / peut / entrer
He is asking if they are ready.
How do you report 'As-tu faim?'
Match the pairs:
Nous ne savons pas ___ elles ont déjà mangé.
Which is correct?
Je me demande si est-il possible.
Ask her if she wants to go out.
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
No, 'si' is only for yes/no questions. Use 'où' for 'where'.
It's an elision rule to avoid two vowels together before 'il' or 'ils'.
It's used in all registers, but it makes your speech sound more refined.
Just keep the 'ne...pas' structure: 'Je demande s'il ne vient pas'.
Yes, 'Il veut savoir si...' is very common.
Yes, follow standard sequence of tenses rules when reporting in the past.
The word is the same, but the function is different.
Yes, 'Tu sais si...?' is a common way to ask for information.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
si
None, very similar.
ob
Verb placement is at the end in German.
if/whether
French doesn't have a direct equivalent to 'whether' in this context.
ka dou ka
Completely different syntactic position.
hal
Arabic structure is highly distinct.
shi bu shi
Uses a verb-negation-verb structure.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Grammar Rules
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