# Correct French quotation: Louis XVI, "is it a revolt?"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-french-quotation-louis-xvi-is-it-a-revolt/477331>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 16, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-french-quotation-louis-xvi-is-it-a-revolt/477331 "2008-12-16T01:41:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-french-quotation-louis-xvi-is-it-a-revolt/477331/1 "2008-12-16T01:41:16Z")

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Googling around, I find:

“C’est donc une revolte ?”

and the response: “Non, Sire, c’est une revolution!”

Is this the accurate French version?

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**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-french-quotation-louis-xvi-is-it-a-revolt/477331/2 "2008-12-16T02:04:35Z")

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Yes it is. Although I think a king would do the inversion and say “Est-ce donc une révolte ?”, which is a higher register turn of phrase, and the way my grandma always told the story.

But since no audio or video evidence has ever been produced, who knows what his exact words were ? “C’est donc une révolte ?” is perfectly valid French.

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**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-french-quotation-louis-xvi-is-it-a-revolt/477331/3 "2008-12-16T10:36:15Z")

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> [@Kobal2](#):
>
> Yes it is. Although I think a king would do the inversion and say “Est-ce donc une révolte ?”, which is a higher register turn of phrase.

Not necessarily. “C’est donc une révolte?” and “Est-ce donc une révolte?” have a somewhat different meaning : “So, it’s a revolt?” and “Is it a revolt, then?” respectively.

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**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-french-quotation-louis-xvi-is-it-a-revolt/477331/4 "2008-12-16T17:47:54Z")

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_Patiently waits for the straight line_

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-french-quotation-louis-xvi-is-it-a-revolt/477331/5 "2008-12-16T17:52:15Z")

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The peasants are revolting! okay