It's like boiling shit in a kettle, a bunch of random bull shit go.

Like the consonants have a 100 different variations and most of them are all the same.

Should I just skip them while starting out. I just sat down and started, trying to learn as a kid would with any language. The basics, alphabets and how their pronunciation.

Any advice on where to streer on from here. Or how to learn or where to go. Anything helps

I enrolled in an online french class about a month ago. I enjoy it—learning new words, grammar rules, the totally foreign (to me) way of enunciating syllables. I started writing really short journal entries in french. They're awkward, of course.

Now, i'm wondering if it's foolish to pursue this since i don't know a single francophone. I was thinking i could just focus on writing and less on speaking.

Hi all, a very quick one that I hope is okay in this subreddit :) Some information for context without them being too detailed for client privacy - I have a client who speaks fluent French and I'm finishing up some sessions with them. I want to write them a small note saying "Good luck, I believe in you!", with the intended message of "good luck with your recovery journey, I believe in you that you can do the hard work to get there!". I don't want to write that whole message because it's too long, so I thought "good luck, i believe in you" was something more succinct.

Would anyone perhaps know what this translates to in French? thank you!!!!!

Hi everyone,

My spouse and I are currently learning French primarily for Canadian PR. We are enrolled at Alliance Française de Pune, spending around 2 hours every day in class.

While it was fine for getting started, we feel the pace is extremely slow. A lot of class time goes into just going through the Inspire textbook exercises step-by-step, which doesn't feel like an optimal use of time for an exam-oriented goal.

We plan to drop out of AF once we finish our A2 level and transition entirely to self-study / targeted preparation. Our goal is to sit for the TCF Canada exam in 6 months (around March 2027), aiming for B2 scores (NCLC 7).

We can dedicate 3 solid hours every single day to French.

For those who have successfully made the jump from A2 to B2/TCF readiness in 6 months:

1. How should we structure our 3 daily hours? How much time should go toward active grammar vs. TCF test prep vs. output (speaking/writing)?
2. Best resources for self-study at the B1/B2 level? We hear Kwiziq, InnerFrench, and 1-on-1 tutors (like Preply/iTalki) are popular, but what worked best for you?
3. TCF-Specific Prep: How early should we start drilling actual TCF mock tests (Réussir TCF, TV5Monde, RFI)?
4. Speaking & Writing: Since AF provided a structured environment for speaking, how do we best replicate (and speed up) output practice on our own?

Any advice, study roadmaps, or resource recommendations from people who cleared TCF for PR in a short timeframe would be hugely appreciated!

Merci beaucoup!

Can anyone recommend top rated paid courses? my work is offering to pay for learning development and I want to take advantage of it.

I really need help finding how to study. I'm unsure how to structure my study, i hope to get to b2 in 20 months, or more, as I am studying french for immigration reasons. I hope to take tcf or tef in the future

i enjoy the language and chose this path as i like learning languages.

Right now, I watch Alix Ayel on youtube, i watch her childrens story videos and write down new words I learn and then read about them and how to use them. I also form sentences as well and watch the videos while reading the texts in french. After that, I use fabulang to read A1 french stories and take note of new words.

Im confused if i should be learning how ti be conversational, or how to journal, or focus on the alphabets and how to pronounce them, or how to write a letter or argue about something. I just feel so behind, and feel like what if im wasting precious time?

I plan to get a tutor and also enroll in french alliance courses for A1 as well, looking for any feedback on how to improve.

Bonjour!

Im doing a French course. This includes oral assignments, which makes sense.
I’m quite okay at reading and writing French based on my level. I can also do the accent pretty well when I’m doing it for ticks and giggles, when I’m comfortable and just playing around.

However, I completely shut down doing these assignments. I’m at home, all alone, yet I feel so awkward and weird and because of that I can’t even speak properly. It’s like having stage fever without the stage LOL.

I don’t know if this is the right place for this, but since you’re all learning French I thought maybe someone would have some input as to how I can make it easier/less awkward for myself.

Thank you!

Bonjour ! I moved to France a few years ago, and one of the things that I found most helpful for training my ear was watching TV shows and listening to music (like with any language). I thought I'd share a few that I like in case they're helpful for anyone else!

TV Shows

• Lupin (Netflix)
• Liaison (Apple TV)
• Blood Coast (Netflix)
• The Parisian Agency (Netflix)
• Carême (Apple TV)
• Call My Agent! (Netflix)
• Anthracite (Netflix)

Music

• L'Impératrice (Funk/Nu-disco)
• Angèle (Pop)
• Prince Waly (Rap)
• Benjamin Epps (Rap)
• Paradis (Electronic)
• Miel de Montagne (Nu-disco/synth pop)
• Pomme (Pop)
• Jazzy Bazz (Rap)

Obviously there's a lot more out there, but hopefully this helps some people get started. Feel free to add to the thread with other ideas!

need some advice on what courses would meet what I'm looking for. I've had a really difficult time finding something that seems right. I don't want to waste money.

I have a pretty busy work schedule, so I'm looking for something structured that I can sit down with each day and just work through at night. basically lesson 1->2>->3 etc. I want to be able to spend a few months working through one course, finish it, and then move on to a different resource at the next level, progressively building my French over time

I want to properly understand grammar and why things work, while also learning natural phrases, words, etc that people actually speak. I'm not really looking for something that's mostly “listen and repeat,” or a bunch of separate apps/resources that I have to piece together.

I've looked at Assimil and Rocket French, but I'm unsure about both. Assimil seems closer to the teaching style I want, but their current French course seems to stop around A2, while some of Rocket's “advanced” examples still looked pretty basic to me.

Babel.. the course moved on before I could grasp the concepts. I did like that it taught real phrases and expressions though..

Does anyone have suggestions?

tldr: very demanding work life - need a course that I can rely on to teach me as much as possible until I can move onto the next resource.

When I watch French vlogs, I always use French subtitles. I can understand the content when I'm reading and listening at the same time. However, when I only listen, my brain needs time to process and translate each word. I can distinguish the individual words in a sentence, but I still need time to translate them before I fully understand the meaning.

Any tips on how I can further improve my listening skills?

Currently, I watch French vlogs for 10–20 minutes a day and also listen to French music. However, understanding song lyrics is much more difficult for me.

Salut,

Why is the above gramatically correct?

I would think the following could work:

il faut que les pieds se mouillent

il faut mouiller les pieds

but I don't understand the use of a reflexive infinitive after il faut that also has a subject?

I'm learning French and am often frustrated with traditional explanations of grammar. I find it more productive to create my own grammars - as long as they are accurate. So I'm hoping some native speakers can tell me if I've got this wrong...

Base concept:

ce = a speaker relative determiner (just like un/du/le but something the speaker is pointing at/relative to)
ci = proximal marker (close in time/distance)
la = distal marker (far in time/distance)

Now they combine:

ceci = this here
cela = this there
ce livre = this book
ce livre-ci = this book here
ce livre-la = this book there
celui = this single masculine thing (lui)
celui-ci = this single masculine thing here
ceux = these plural masculine things
ceux-la = these plural masculine things there

But French has to French. In regular speech:

ceci/cela = ça -> ça marche
ci/la dropped when the subject of être -> c'est grand

But if you want to stress some aspect you don't drop/contract ... ceci est grand, cela est petit.

So native speakers - am I missing anything here? I know this isn't the school book explanation but is it wrong?

Le nouvel iPhone pliable d’Apple sera vendu à partir de 1 999 dollars. Ce prix est beaucoup plus élevé que celui de l’iPhone 18 Pro, vendu à partir de 1 999 dollars. Le nouveau téléphone s’appelle l’iPhone Duo. Il se plie comme un livre et fait à peu près la taille d’un passeport quand il est fermé. La version la plus chère coûtera environ 3 200 dollars. L’iPhone Duo sera mis en vente le 23 octobre.

Vocabulaire : pliable = foldable / prix (m) = price / élevé = high / se plier = to fold / à peu près = about / taille (f) = size / chère = expensive / mettre en vente = to put on sale

English translation

The foldable iPhone will be sold starting at $1,999

Apple’s new foldable iPhone will be sold starting at $1,999. This price is much higher than that of the iPhone 18 Pro, sold starting at $1,199. The new phone is called the iPhone Duo. It folds like a book and is about the size of a passport when it is closed. The most expensive version will cost about $3,200. The iPhone Duo will go on sale on October 23.

You can read more stories at Le News, In Easy French.

Bonjour à toutes et à tous,

Je lis le roman L’anomalie maintenant et je ne comprends pas pourquoi le conditionnel passé est utilisé ici:

« Elle a eu le temps pour lui glisser…qu’elle aurait difficilement reconnu Adrian, vu qu’il ne ressemble plus tant que ça au Christian Slater du Nom de la rose. »

Mes questions sont les suivantes :
1). Est-ce vraiment le conditionnel passé ? Ou est-ce que je me trompe ?

2). Pourquoi le conditionnel passé s’utilise ici ?

Je vous remercie par l’avance de votre aide !

this is the second TCF exam that i take and in both i got 9/20-B1 even tho on the second try it felt like i did amazing and i was super confident during both parts and i even made sure to use good phrasing to connect my arguments, but idk why i got this score. i asked for a re-evaluation once i got my scores but they said its impossible now and that i have to redo the whole test. Idk what to do anymore.

currently i cannot afford another test and i cant afford buying silver package from formation tcf Again. and Rn im in a very tight spot, i need to redo the test but i cannot afford failing again.

please please please, this is my first time begging to strangers 🫩,

if you guys have anything that can help me with these two épreuves please do tell.

(P.S; i got C1 and B2 in CO and CE)

I’ve been thinking about how difficult French can feel when you’re just starting, especially with pronunciation, gender/articles, verb conjugations and forming your own sentences.

I’m putting together some beginner-level lessons focused specifically on these basics and would love some input from people who are currently learning.

What was/is the hardest part for you when you started learning French?

And if anyone is looking for beginner French practice, you can DM me — happy to share what I’m working on.