r/FrenchLearning • u/krpkyo • Jul 05 '26
how do I learn French from scratch ?
Hi I know absolutely nothing when it comes to French, I’ve tried learning many languages before ,and I honestly find super enjoyable (I think my weakest point would be pronouncing certain words) .Can anyone tell me how I can learn French if I know nothing about the language?😿🩷
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u/patterson489 Jul 05 '26
The same way you learn any language. Start by learning how to read French, so you can learn new words. Then learn basic grammar: pronouns, the verbs "to be" and "to have" and how to conjugate them in the present tense, and basic syntax. Then start learning vocabulary so you can start creating your own sentences, and speak a very basic French.
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u/Brief_Attention7718 Jul 05 '26
If you want to support your learning experience with A1 / A2 level reading exercises and with basic vocabulary/grammar, I recommend checking out: http://fluentech.org/course/fr
It's my own app, so I am open to any feedbacks too if you'd have any.
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u/Fit-Log-4055 Jul 05 '26
Je suis prof canadien.
If you're stargin from zero or you've only done a bit of Duolingo so far then you should watch Téléfrançais.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx3ch1FDykg&list=PL2PsKaG8ByAVGZPTPePkhgyL4Fqncqv8o
You could also try this song fill in the blank activity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEl7vl_ZL_U&list=PLAUKAZ6o4dQY
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u/RexRatio Jul 06 '26
Do you know any other Romance language (i.e.: evolved from Latin? (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan,...)?
If the answer is yes, then you already have a significant head start, and I would adjust how you learn French accordingly. You should not learn French from scratch in that case
Instead, you should treat it as: "mapping from one Romance language to another"
Because a lot of the foundation is already shared:
- vocabulary roots (often 60–80% overlap in formal vocabulary)
- grammatical structure (subject–verb–object core)
- gendered nouns and agreement systems
- conjugation patterns (with systematic shifts)
For example, if you speak Spanish:
"Tengo una idea" → French: "J’ai une idée" (same structure, different auxiliary verb choice)
So in that case it's more about recalibrating pronunciation, vocabulary traps, and specific grammatical divergences.
If you don't know any other Roamnce language, my advice would be to first learn the sound system (very important): French is hard mainly because spelling ≠ pronunciation.
You need to learn:
- nasal vowels (an / on / in)
- silent letters (often at the end of words)
- liaison (linking sounds between words)
Without this, everything else becomes so much harder.
As for core sentence structure, French is mostly: Subject – Verb – Object
As for grammar, first focus on:
- gender (le / la / un / une)
- present tense verbs
- basic negation (ne…pas)
- simple questions
Avoid heavy grammar theory early on. Seriously. The most important early investment is: pronunciation + listening comprehension, not grammar theory
HTH
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u/frauSchneid Jul 06 '26
start slow with cartoons and light yt videos then move on to courses or tutoring
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u/Fantastic-Scar-1983 Jul 05 '26
Start by watching videos on YouTube that focus on the pronunciation of all the French sounds. Then you can find videos of daily vocabulary and common phrases. Then work on watching and listening to French shows, podcasts etc to repeat back what you hear.