ELONIO
Log inSign up

Le consommateur préfère-t-il cette marque ?

Le consommateur préfère-t-il cette marque ?
Does the consumer prefer this brand?
From Lesson 226:Formal questions with noun subjects·French

Questions & Answers about Le consommateur préfère-t-il cette marque ?

Why is it Le consommateur préfère-t-il instead of just inverting the noun and verb like Préfère le consommateur?
In French, you cannot invert a regular noun with a verb to ask a question. Simple inversion only works with subject pronouns (like je, tu, il, vous). When the subject is a noun (like le consommateur), you must use "complex inversion": state the noun first, then the verb, and finally attach the matching pronoun (il) with a hyphen.
What is the -t- doing in the middle of préfère-t-il?
It is there purely for pronunciation! The conjugated verb préfère ends in a vowel sound, and the pronoun il starts with a vowel. French dislikes the clunky sound of two vowels crashing together, so an extra -t- is inserted to bridge the gap and make it flow smoothly. It has no translation or meaning of its own.
Is this complex inversion commonly used in everyday spoken French?
Not really. Complex inversion is highly formal and mostly found in writing, journalism, or very formal speeches. In everyday conversation, a French person would almost always say Est-ce que le consommateur préfère cette marque ? or just use a rising intonation: Le consommateur préfère cette marque ?
Why does préfère have a grave accent (è) when the infinitive préférer has two acute accents (é)?
Préférer is a stem-changing verb. In the present tense, for all subjects except nous and vous, that second é changes to an è. This spelling change reflects how the word is spoken: French naturally opens the vowel sound when the word ends in a silent syllable (like the silent -re ending here).
Why is it cette marque and not ce marque?
The word marque (brand) is a feminine noun. Therefore, it requires the feminine singular demonstrative adjective cette, meaning "this" or "that". You would only use ce (or cet before a vowel sound) for masculine nouns.

Learn Le consommateur préfère-t-il cette marque and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →