French Phrase
Les instructeurs sont certifiés ?
Meaning
This question asks whether the instructors have an official certification. It is a straightforward yes‑no question that checks the credentials of the teaching staff.
When to use
Use this sentence when you are evaluating a training program, a sports academy, a language school, or any service where the qualifications of the instructors matter. It works both in spoken and written French, especially in formal or semi‑formal contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Lesinstructeurssontcertifiés?
Definite article (Les)
‘Les’ is the plural definite article used before masculine or feminine nouns.
Subject‑verb agreement (sont)
The verb ‘être’ is conjugated in the third‑person plural to match the plural subject ‘instructeurs’.
Past participle as adjective (certifiés)
‘Certifiés’ is the past participle of ‘certifier’ used as an adjective; it agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
Question formation (inversion)
In formal French, a yes‑no question can be formed by inverting the verb and subject, adding a hyphen and a question mark.
🗨In Conversation
Les instructeurs sont certifiés ?
Are the instructors certified?
Oui, tous nos instructeurs détiennent une certification reconnue par l’État.
Yes, all our instructors hold a state‑recognized certification.
✕Common Mistakes
Les instructeurs sont certifié ?
The adjective must agree with the plural noun ‘instructeurs’, so add the –s.
Les instructeurs est certifiés ?
‘Est’ is singular; the subject is plural, so use ‘sont’.
Les instructeurs sont‑certifiés ?
Do not hyphenate the adjective; hyphens are only used in compound nouns or certain fixed expressions.
↔Alternatives
Est‑ce que les instructeurs sont certifiés ?
Are the instructors certified?
Les professeurs sont‑ils certifiés ?
Are the teachers certified?
Les formateurs sont certifiés ?
Are the trainers certified?
Cultural Tip
In everyday conversation French speakers often prefer the ‘est‑ce que’ construction or a simple rising‑intonation question (e.g., ‘Les instructeurs sont certifiés ?’) rather than full inversion, which sounds more formal. Remember that adjectives placed after the verb must agree in gender and number, so ‘certifiés’ stays plural masculine here.