How to Say ‘Do you speak English?’ in French
Parlez-vous anglais?
par-LAY vu ahn-GLAY
[par-LAY vu ahn-GLAY]
💬 Usage Tip: The [vous] after the verb shows the question is built by flipping the usual order: [vous parlez anglais] becomes [parlez-vous anglais ?]. You can reuse that pattern with other verbs, like [avez-vous] or [comprenez-vous].
🇫🇷 In France: This is polite and works well with strangers. In casual situations many locals would more often say [Vous parlez anglais ?] without flipping the order.
Phrase Breakdown
Parlez
[par-LAY]
Do you speak
Questioning someone's ability to speak a language.
Parlez-vous français?
Do you speak French?
-vous
[vu]
You
Refers to the second person in a formal context.
Voulez-vous du café?
Do you want some coffee?
anglais
[ahn-GLAY]
English
The English language.
Oui, je parle anglais.
Yes, I speak English.
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