Learn Hardcore French: Le journaliste pose des questions simples dans cette émission. - The journalist asks simple questions in this program.

Le journaliste suggests a specific journalist that the speaker and listener can identify (for example, the regular host of the show).
Un journaliste would introduce some journalist, not yet identified, just “a journalist”.

So the sentence is talking about a particular, known journalist in that program.

Does pose really mean “asks”? I thought poser meant “to put” or “to pose”.

Yes, poser literally means “to put” or “to place”, and also “to pose” (as in posing for a photo).

But in the fixed expression poser une question / poser des questions, it means “to ask (a question/questions)”.

poser une question = to ask a question
poser des questions = to ask questions

This is just how French expresses “to ask a question”. You don’t use demander directly with une question.

Why is it pose des questions and not demande des questions?

In French, the usual verb phrase for asking questions is:

poser une question à quelqu’un = to ask someone a question

You cannot normally say demander une question or demander des questions. That sounds wrong to native speakers.

You use demander with the thing you’re asking for, not with the word question:

demander quelque chose à quelqu’un
- demander son avis = to ask for his opinion
- demander l’heure = to ask the time

So:

✅ poser des questions
❌ demander des questions (incorrect)
✅ demander quelque chose (ask for something)

What tense is pose here, and can it mean “is asking” as well as “asks”?

Pose is present tense, 3rd person singular of poser:

je pose
tu poses
il / elle / on pose

French does not have a separate “-ing” form like English. The simple present can correspond to both:

The journalist asks simple questions
The journalist is asking simple questions

Context tells you whether it’s a general habit (he usually asks simple questions) or something happening now. The French form pose itself doesn’t change.

Why is it des questions and not les questions or de questions?

Des is the normal plural form of un/une (a/an):

une question → des questions = some questions

So des questions means “(some) questions” in a general, non‑specific way.

les questions would mean “the questions”, specific questions we know about.
de questions is generally wrong here. De replaces des only in certain structures, e.g.:
- after a negative: Il ne pose pas de questions.
- after certain precede‑the‑noun adjectives: de simples questions (see next question)

In the neutral, positive sentence, des questions is the standard form.

Why are the adjectives in questions simples after the noun, not before? And what’s the difference if I say de simples questions?

In French, most adjectives normally come after the noun:

des questions simples = simple questions

Some short, frequent adjectives (like beau, grand, petit, bon, mauvais, jeune, vieux, nouveau) usually come before the noun, but simple normally comes after.

However, simple can be used before the noun with a slightly different meaning:

des questions simples: questions that are easy, straightforward
de simples questions: “mere questions”, “only questions”, emphasizing that they are not something more important (for example, not accusations or attacks)

So word order here can affect nuance:

des questions simples = simple in difficulty
de simples questions = just, merely questions

Why is simples plural? Is this agreement required?

Yes, in French adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.

questions is feminine plural:
- singular: une question
- plural: des questions

So simple has to match:

singular feminine: une question simple
plural feminine: des questions simples

That’s why you see simples with an -s.

What gender is émission, and how do I know to use cette and not ce?

Émission is feminine. Many nouns ending in -ion are feminine in French:

la nation, la conversation, la télévision, l’émission

Demonstratives must agree with the noun:

ce for masculine singular (before consonant): ce film
cet for masculine singular (before vowel): cet homme
cette for feminine singular: cette émission
ces for all plurals: ces émissions, ces films

So with émission (feminine), you must say cette émission.

Why is the preposition dans used in dans cette émission? Could we say à cette émission or sur cette émission?

Dans cette émission literally means “in this program/show” and is the most natural way to say that something happens within the show, during it.

dans cette émission = in the context of this show, while the show is on

Other options:

à cette émission is sometimes used, but more for “on this show” in the sense of appearing on it:
- Il a été invité à cette émission. = He was invited on this show.
  In your sentence, dans is more idiomatic because we’re talking about what happens inside the content of the show.
sur cette émission is not used to mean “on this show” in this context; it would more likely mean “about this show” (e.g. a report sur cette émission = about this show).

So for “in this show/program,” dans cette émission is the standard phrasing.

What’s the difference between cette émission and l’émission here?

Both can be possible, but they don’t have the same nuance:

dans cette émission = in this show, pointing to a specific show in the situation or context (for example, “this show we are talking about now / this show you are watching”). It’s more demonstrative, like pointing with your finger.
dans l’émission = in the show, referring to “the show” as already known in the conversation, but without the demonstrative “this/that” flavor.

So:

If the speaker is emphasizing this particular show: dans cette émission.
If the show is just the known show already established in context: dans l’émission.

How do you pronounce questions and émission, and are there any liaisons in the sentence?

Pronunciation tips:

questions → roughly: [kɛs-tyɔ̃]
- que- like “kess”
- -tions is the nasal “tyon” sound, not “shon” in French
émission → roughly: [e-mi-sjɔ̃]
- é as in “ay”
- -ss- is a clear s
- -tion again as “syon” (nasal vowel at the end)

Liaisons in the sentence:

des questions: there is a liaison: des is pronounced [de] on its own, but before questions it becomes [dez kɛs-tyɔ̃].
No liaison between journaliste and pose: journaliste ends in a silent -e, and the -e normally blocks liaison here, so you say [ʒuʁ-na-list poz], not [ʒuʁ-na-lis-t poz].

Final consonants:

The s in questions and simples is silent.
The t in journaliste is pronounced: [ʒuʁ-na-list] (unlike many other words where final t is silent).

Could the sentence be Le journaliste pose une question simple dans cette émission? When would you use singular instead of plural?

Yes, Le journaliste pose une question simple dans cette émission is grammatically correct.

des questions simples = several simple questions
une question simple = one simple question

You’d choose the singular if you want to highlight a specific, single question (for example, one key question that he asks).

You’d choose the plural when you’re describing his general behavior in the show or several questions in one episode:

Habitual/general: Il pose des questions simples dans cette émission.
One particular moment / one key question: Ce soir, il pose une question simple dans cette émission.