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Pourquoi est-ce que vous avez peur ?

Pourquoi est-ce que vous avez peur ?
Why are you afraid?
From Lesson 30:Age and physical states (avoir)·French

Questions & Answers about Pourquoi est-ce que vous avez peur ?

Why does the French sentence use avez (have) when the English translation says "are"?
Just like expressing age (avoir ans) or hunger (avoir faim), French uses the verb avoir (to have) for certain states of being. So instead of saying "you are afraid," in French you literally say "you have fear" (vous avez peur).
Is peur an adjective like "afraid"?
No, peur is actually a noun meaning "fear." Because it is a noun, it pairs perfectly with the verb avoir (to have). You are literally asking "Why do you have fear?"
What is est-ce que doing in the middle of this sentence?
Est-ce que is a very common phrase used to turn a statement into a question. It literally translates to "is it that." By putting it right after the question word Pourquoi (Why), you smoothly connect "Why" to the rest of your sentence: "Why is it that you are afraid?"
Can vous mean just one person here?
Yes! Vous can be plural (talking to two or more people), but it is also the formal "you" used for a single person you do not know well or want to show respect to. The sentence means the exact same thing either way.

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