Learn Hardcore French: Voulez-vous venir à la campagne avec moi ce week-end ? - Do you want to come to the countryside with me this weekend?

In French, inversion (placing the subject after the verb) is a formal way to form questions. In “voulez-vous,” the inversion indicates politeness and a formal register. It’s equivalent to asking “Do you want to…” in English with a slightly more polite tone.

Why is the main verb “venir” in the infinitive form after “voulez-vous”?

After a conjugated modal verb like “voulez” (from “vouloir”), the following verb remains in the infinitive form. This structure is common in French when the first verb expresses desire, ability, or possibility, making “venir” function as the main action that follows “voulez-vous.”

What does the phrase “à la campagne” mean, and how is it used here?

“À la campagne” translates to “to the countryside.” It is a prepositional phrase that specifies the destination of the invitation. The preposition “à” is combined with the definite article “la” before “campagne” to indicate the location.

What is the function of “ce week-end” in this sentence?

“Ce week-end” means “this weekend” and it functions as a time expression. In French, adverbial phrases that indicate time are typically placed at the end of the sentence, emphasizing when the action is planned to take place.

How can we tell that the sentence is formal?

The formality is indicated by several features: first, the inversion in “voulez-vous” is a more formal structure than simply using “est-ce que” or the informal tone. Second, “vous” is used as the subject pronoun, which is reserved either for plural subjects or as a respectful singular form. These choices give the sentence a polite and formal tone.

How might this invitation be phrased in a more informal manner?

In informal settings, you could say, “Tu veux venir à la campagne avec moi ce week-end ?” This version uses “tu” (the informal singular form) and omits inversion, which is more typical in casual spoken French.