We’ve been looking at questions that use as-tu and t’as lately, so let’s continue with another one that you’ll find useful:
T’as quel âge?
How old are you?
Maybe you’ve learned to ask this question as quel âge as-tu?, which is of course correct, but it doesn’t sound like the sort of thing someone would be very likely to say in a regular conversation.
In entry #717, I wrote about when the inversion can still sound conversational in Québec, and when it doesn’t. With question words (comment, pourquoi, quand, etc.), the inversion is largely avoided in conversations. This is also true of the question asking quel âge.
Remember, tu as generally contracts to t’as in regular conversations, which is why you’re more likely to hear t’as quel âge? than tu as quel âge?
You may even hear the question asked with toi added in:
T’as quel âge, toi?
Just remember that asking t’as quel âge? is informal — it’s OK to use it with someone you’ve become friends with, for example.
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