Do you pronounce the "t" in "comment allez-vous"?

Question

In the flashcard app I'm using the native audio pronounces it as "comment TALLEZ vous"...the "comment" runs into the "allez". Is that right? Is there a rule to it? Or can we pronounce it as just comment ALLEZ vous?

Answer 1

A good question! Yes, in this case, you have to pronounce the "t" in "comment". As you probably know, this is called a "liaison", or "linking". It's the linking of a final consonant, usually a "t" sound, to the next word if this next word starts with a vowel sound.

Here are a few more examples:

Où vont-ils? [oo-voh(n)-teel] (= Where are they going?)

Il a trois enfants. [eel ah trwah-zah(n)-fah(n)] (He has three children.)

Ces oranges sont délicieueses. [seh-zoh-rah(n)zh soh(n) deh-lee-syuhz]. (These oranges are delicious.)

In general, liaisons can be required ("obligatoires"), optional ("facultatifs"), or forbidden ("défendues").

But to give examples would take us into another lesson...

Don't hesitate to ask more questions if the above is not clear. :-)