Est-ce que tu aimes ton boulot?

Breakdown of Est-ce que tu aimes ton boulot?

tu
you
ton
your
aimer
to like
le boulot
the job
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching French grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning French now

Questions & Answers about Est-ce que tu aimes ton boulot?

Why do we start the sentence with Est-ce que?

Est-ce que is a neutral, very common way to turn any statement into a yes/no question in French. You simply place Est-ce que before a normal subject-verb sentence and add a question mark (and rising intonation if speaking).


Could we ask this question without using Est-ce que?

Yes. In informal speech you can:

  • Drop Est-ce que and rely on intonation: Tu aimes ton boulot ?
  • Use inversion (more formal or written): Aimes-tu ton boulot ?

Why is it tu aimes and not aimes-tu after Est-ce que?

With Est-ce que, you keep the normal Subject-Verb order (tu aimes). Inversion (aimes-tu) is a separate question-forming method that you don’t mix with Est-ce que.


What does boulot mean? Is it formal?

Boulot is colloquial/slang for job or work—think “gig” or “job” in everyday English. In more formal contexts you’d use travail instead of boulot.


Can I replace ton boulot with votre boulot?

Yes.

  • ton boulot = your job (informal singular tu)
  • votre boulot = your job (formal singular or plural vous)
    Just match the possessive to the pronoun you’re using.

If the noun were feminine, would ton change?

Yes. Possessives agree in gender and number (except before a vowel sound, where ma/ ta become mon/ton). For a feminine noun:

  • ta voiture (your car)
  • mon amie (my friend, feminine, because of the vowel)

How would I make this sentence negative?

Surround the verb with ne … pas (colloquially you can drop the ne):

  • Formal: Est-ce que tu n’aimes pas ton boulot ?
  • Spoken: Est-ce que tu aimes pas ton boulot ?

Can I soften the question or add politeness?

You can add words like s’il te plaît, or use vous:

  • Est-ce que vous aimez votre boulot, s’il vous plaît ?
  • Or add bien: Est-ce que tu aimes bien ton boulot ?

When speaking, is a question mark enough to convey the question?
In speech, rising intonation is key. In writing you always include ?. In texting or informal notes you might rely on tone or emojis, but the question mark remains standard.