Intonation of Yes/No Questions
Turn any statement into a yes/no question just by raising your pitch at the end.
A yes/no question with no question word (no est-ce que, no inversion) is formed simply by RAISING the pitch at the end: Tu viens ? (Are you coming?) — same words as the statement, different intonation.
A statement's pitch FALLS at the end: Tu viens. (You're coming.) — falling pitch signals a plain fact, not a question.
Trap for English speakers: English usually signals a yes/no question by inverting the auxiliary verb (Are you...?); in French, intonation ALONE can turn a statement into a question, with zero change in word order.
- Tu viens. — You're coming. (statement, falling pitch)
- Tu viens ? — Are you coming? (question, rising pitch — same words, opposite pitch)
- C'est fini. — It's over. (statement, falling pitch)
- C'est fini ? — Is it over? (question, rising pitch)