Combien

[Simone]

Hi, I'm a beginner in French (less than a month). I'm currently having difficulties working the word 'Combien' in a sentence, as I'm not exactly sure how the sentence structure should be, and how to form replies to the questions which use 'Combien'. 

Example : 

Combien d'enfants tu as?

Combien de livres de francais tu as? 

How do I reply these 2 questions? 

Elle parle sept langues etrangeres.

Nous connaissons vingt pays.

How do I form the questions to these? Is :

' Combien de langues etrangeres elle parle?' and

'Combien de pays nous connaissons?'

correct?

Sorry about the lack of accents, I'm not sure how to work them in.

Thanks!

[George Hunt]

I would  probably say

Combien d'enfants  as-tu?

and 

Combien de livres de français as-tu? - since these are questions.

and similarly

' Combien de langues étrangères  parle-t-elle?' and

'Combien de pays connaissons-nous?'

The way you wrote it may not be "wrong " but it might be a bit "slang" or informal.

[Simone]

Thanks for the reply! 

Combien d'enfants tu as?

Combien de livres de francais tu as? 

These 2 questions are actually taken from my text book, so I was not aware of the slang. I'm supposed to form answers to these 2 questions. Probably something like 'J'ai x d'enfants'.. or something. I have no clue. 

' Combien de langues étrangères  parle-t-elle?' and

'Combien de pays connaissons-nous?'

Are the places for parle - elle and connaissons - nous interchangeable? As in, are

' Combien de langues étrangères  elle parle?' and

'Combien de pays nous connaissons?' acceptable, but slang? Or is it grammatically wrong?

Is it considered formal to end sentences with nous/vous/elle/etc.? 

[George Hunt]

Well it is not grammatically wrong and it is all a matter of context.

Maybe "slang "is too strong-"informal" perhaps.

If it is obvious you are asking a question (from the context  and also from the intonation in the voice ) then ' Combien de langues étrangères  elle parle? is perfectly acceptable.

But I think  you need to know how to phrase the questions  in the "back to front " way  as well.

At least you can be sure that it is unambiguously a question rather than a statement. Since I don't use French in my day to day life  I can't really say  how  formal the "back to front" way is  but I don't think I would call it "formal" 

Perhaps one of the French speakers  might have a better idea than myself. 

[Vedas]

1-Combien de langues elle parle?

2-Combien de langues est ce qu'elle parle ?

3-Combien de langues parle t-elle ?

1 (with upward intonation) and 2  are mainly  used in conversation (slipshod style)

3 is quite formal or the written form to stick to.