Ready, Set, Parlez! Easy French Words for Beginners | Langster (2023)

FAQs

What is the easiest word to learn in French? ›

One of the most important things to do when you start learning French is to understand basic vocabulary, phrases, and numbers. Beginners usually start practicing words that will help them when meeting French people, ask basic questions, and introduce themselves.

1 – Non, The Typical No in French

The typical way to say “no” in French is “non“.

It is estimated that you have to learn 5000 words to be fluent in French.

The amount of time it takes to learn French depends on many different factors. However, if we had to give a general estimate, we would say that it usually takes around 6 to 12 months to reach a basic level of proficiency (with regular studies!), and 1 to 2 years of consistent work to become fluent.

According to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), French is a category 1 language. This means learning French takes 23 – 24 weeks (575 – 600 hours) for most English speakers. This makes French one of the easiest (and fastest) languages to learn.

What is the hardest word to learn in French? ›

Basic French question phrases

Répétez s'il vous plaît.: Please repeat. Quand voulez-vous voyager?: When do you want to travel? Avec qui avez-vous pris un rendez-vous?: With whom did you make an appointment? Que faisons-nous?: What are we doing?

Here is an estimate: 3-6 months. This is for people who speak similar-ish languages like English and who spend hours studying every day (probably 3+ hours per day)

With the right approach and a bit of dedication, you can learn French in as little as two months. Here are some tips to help you along the way: To start, make sure you're on a schedule. Set aside time each day to study and set yourself up for success by organizing your materials and setting priorities.

The French word for "free", intended in the sense of someone exercising their freedom, is libre (pronounced: lee bruh). In the sense of "free of charge", the word is gratuit (pronounce: g-rat-wee).

The most common French words are: Oui (yes), non (no), merci (thank you), je (I), tu/vous (you), le/la/les (the), un, une des (a, an and some), le/la/les (it, them), et (and) and mais (but).

In most cases, it will then be possible to fill in any blanks through contextual awareness. However, it is estimated that a truly fluent French speaker knows around 3,000 words.

How many words is B2 French? ›

Level B2: Basic Fluency

Reaching B2 is generally considered by most people as having basic fluency. You'll have a working vocabulary of around 4000 words.

A case in point is cul de sac which as we all know means a dead end, which is what our sensible cousins in New York call it. Of course, literally translated, cul de sac means the bottom of the bag. And to add insult to injury this isn't even a phrase the French use – they call a dead end a voie sans issue.

Chouette (great, nice, cool)

But as a slang term, you can use it to describe something you like or to say something or someone is cool. Example: Mon prof est chouette. My teacher is cool. C'est chouette!

Numbers 0 to 10 in French are: zéro, un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf and dix.

29. vingt-neuf. vant-nuff. 61. soixante-et-un.

25 : vingt-cinq. 26 : vingt-six. 27 : vingt-sept. 28 : vingt-huit.

Across multiple sources, Mandarin Chinese is the number one language listed as the most challenging to learn. The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center puts Mandarin in Category IV, which is the list of the most difficult languages to learn for English speakers.

You can learn French in one year. Some people take a decade to learn a language, while others have become fluent in a year or less. It all depends on your discipline.

Can Duolingo help you learn French? The answer is yes, but mostly in the early stages. Duolingo French can be a game-changer if you've just started your learning journey. The bright, intuitive interface lures beginners in and quickly expands their vocabulary.

What is the most useful language to learn? ›

1. English (1,452 million speakers) According to Ethnologue, English is the most-spoken language in the world including native and non-native speakers. Like Latin or Greek at the time, English has become the world's common language.

Serrurerie

Brace yourself: The hardest French word to pronounce is the word for locksmith - "serrurerie".

"The shortest French word with all the vowels is oiseau (bird)." - I never thought of that one - it's lacking the Y which is always a vowel in French, but I guess it matches the picture of the article perfectly then! A fun read.

Spanish pronunciation is easier to the English native speaker, while the French accent can be difficult to master. The French language has sounds that are unfamiliar to a native English speaker. Inability to roll the tongue can make speaking Spanish a challenge.

How do you Say Cat in French? The common synonym for “un chat” is “un minou”. The common synonym for “une chatte” is “une minette”.

puce [ feminine ] The dog has fleas. Le chien a des puces.

The French translation for fish is : un poisson, des poissons.

Absolutely. Since you already speak English, learning French is a completely achievable goal. And thanks to countless resources, you can even do it from the comfort of your home. As long as you have a good study plan and determination, you can reach French fluency fast by teaching yourself.

How can I learn French fluently by myself? ›

Zéro, un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix. Très bien!

Je suis = I am. That said, not always when you would say "I am" in English, is the French translation Je suis.

Avoir means "to have" in most senses, including having something in one's possession and currently experiencing something. Avoir à can mean "to have to," but that expression is more commonly translated by devoir. J'ai deux stylos. > I have two pens.

Spanish may be easier to learn at first , but the vowels, past tense rules, and conjugation can make it more challenging as you progress in your learning journey. On the other hand, once you get the basics of French down, like consonants and accent, it may be just as easy as Spanish to you.

It will take approximately 580 hours or 23 weeks of study to reach complete French fluency. Which we could break down as the following: If you study for 1 hour every day, you can learn French in 1.5 years. If you spend 6 hours every day learning French, you can learn it in less than 100 days.

French is the official language of 29 countries and is the second most studied language in the world.

Level A1 Discover the language: 90 hours/6 weeks. Level A2 Coping with everyday situations: 135 hours/9 weeks. Level B1 Managing everyday situations: 135 hours/9 weeks.

At 5,000 words of an active vocabulary, learners should be able to understand and use more and more French every day.

Is 1000 words enough to speak French? ›

It is estimated that you have to learn 5000 words to be fluent in French. Be selective and learn the 5000 most used words in French! Think about it.

In their language difficulty ranking, the Foreign Service Institute puts French in the top ten easiest languages to learn for English-speakers, alongside notoriously easy languages such as Spanish and Italian.

Silent final consonants in French

Some consonants are pronounced: -c, -r, -f, -l, -k, -q, and -b. You can remember the most recurrent ones by recalling the word CaReFuL. Indeed the letters -k ,-q and -b are rare at the end of a word.

According to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), French is a category 1 language. This means learning French takes 23 – 24 weeks (575 – 600 hours) for most English speakers. This makes French one of the easiest (and fastest) languages to learn.