How to Say ‘Is he having any difficulties at the moment?’ in French
A-t-il des difficultés en ce moment ?
ah t eel day dee-fee-kool-tay ahn suh moh-mahn
[ah t eel day dee-fee-kool-tay ahn suh moh-mahn]
💬 Usage Tip: A-t-il is a formal question form. This sounds polite and caring in a school discussion.
🇫🇷 In France: French school meetings often frame concerns this way to encourage constructive, non-judgmental discussion.
Phrase Breakdown
A-t-il
ah t eel
Does he have
Inversion form used to ask a formal or neutral question in French.
A-t-il faim ?
Is he hungry?
Words in this phrase
A
[ah]
has
Form of avoir used in inversion questions; here it helps mean 'does he have'.
A-t-il un rendez-vous demain ?
Does he have an appointment tomorrow?
-t
[t]
linking -t-
A pronunciation link inserted between a verb and il/elle/on in inverted questions.
Parle-t-il souvent en classe ?
Does he speak often in class?
-il
[eel]
he
Subject pronoun meaning 'he'; in inversion it comes after the verb.
-il travaille aujourd'hui ?
Is he working today?
Des difficultés
day dee-fee-kool-tay
difficulties / problems
Refers to troubles or things that are hard to do.
Il a des difficultés en lecture.
He has difficulties with reading.
Words in this phrase
des
[day]
some
Plural indefinite article, often meaning 'some' or used before plural nouns in general statements.
Il a des livres intéressants.
He has some interesting books.
difficultés
[dee-fee-kool-tay]
difficulties
Plural noun meaning problems or challenges.
Elle a des difficultés en maths.
She has difficulties in math.
En ce moment
ahn suh moh-mahn
at the moment / right now
Indicates the present period of time.
En ce moment, il travaille beaucoup.
At the moment, he is working a lot.
Words in this phrase
en
[ahn]
in
Common preposition meaning 'in', 'during', or 'while', depending on context.
Il est en réunion cet après-midi.
He is in a meeting this afternoon.
ce
[suh]
this
Demonstrative adjective used before a singular noun; here it means 'this'.
Ce matin, il était fatigué.
This morning, he was tired.
moment
[moh-mahn]
moment
Noun meaning 'moment' or 'time'; in ce moment it means 'right now' or 'at the moment'.
En ce moment, tout va bien.
At the moment, everything is going well.
Get the Full Learning Experience
This lesson is just a preview. Download PrettyFluent to practice pronunciation, roleplay conversations, and master vocabulary with spaced repetition.
Pronunciation Feedback
AI-powered speech recognition to perfect your accent
Spaced Repetition
Retain vocabulary long-term with smart practice
Immersive Roleplaying
Practice real conversations with AI partners
Custom Scenarios
Request lessons tailored to your specific needs
Get Full LessonWhat Learners Are Saying
“Moved to Lyon for a culinary apprenticeship. The food and restaurant scenarios were exactly what I needed — my French colleagues were genuinely impressed.”
Tom H., 38, Chef
“Studying in Paris and the academic French I learned in school was useless for daily life. This app filled the gap in weeks, not months.”
Nina W., 29, Graduate Student
“Learning a language has never been as immediately impactful. Now I can charm the locals and navigate the food scene like a boss.”
Alex M., 42, Software Engineer