Blog & Tips
Free resources to improve your French at your own pace.
How Many Words Do You Need to Read in French?
On a French page, 928 words out of 1,000 are already A1 or A2. What that changes when you start reading.
Why French speakers drop "que" when they talk
In a Montreal corpus, "que" is missing from 24.8 % of complement clauses. The following sound decides.
Where does French negation go, and when does the "ne" disappear?
In speech, "ne" drops in 71 per cent of negations. Where "pas", "rien" and "personne" go.
Asking questions in French: which form do people actually use?
Intonation, est-ce que, inversion: three ways to ask a question in French, and one dominates speech.
Common French mistakes for Spanish speakers: agreement and determiners lead
902 errors sorted in 2021: agreement comes first at 16.29 %, determiners pass 19 %.
Common French mistakes for Arabic speakers: where they come from
Five French consonants are missing from Arabic. What two contrastive studies say about Arabic speakers' errors.
Depuis, pendant, dans, en: which French preposition of time?
"In ten minutes" splits in two in French: choosing between depuis, il y a, pendant, pour, dans and en.
French phone calls: why they are so hard, and what to say
The phone network cuts the high frequencies French relies on. Why calls are harder, and what to say.
Working in healthcare: what level of French do France and Quebec require?
France requires CEFR level B2 under the 2014 decree. Quebec asks for no diploma but sets a professional exam.
After "si", which tense do you use in French?
Why the conditional is banned after si, the four hypothetical systems and the two real exceptions.
Verlan and slang: should you learn the French that textbooks leave out?
How verlan works, where French slang comes from, and which words a learner can actually use.
Masculine or feminine: can you guess the gender of a French noun?
80 % of masculine and 81 % of feminine French nouns follow a rule tied to the ending. The patterns, traps and method.
DELF A2: what a first French exam actually looks like
25 minutes of listening, 45 of writing, 8 minutes of speaking: what really happens on DELF A2 exam day.
European Day of Languages: what already speaking several languages changes when you learn French
On 26 September Europe celebrates its languages: 59.3 % of EU upper secondary pupils learn two or more foreign languages.
Futur proche or futur simple: which future do French speakers actually use?
A March 2026 study puts the simple future at 21.5% and 38.6% in Paris. When to say je vais faire, and when je ferai.
Working front of house or in the kitchen in France: how much French do you need?
319,000 planned hires in 2026: how much French do kitchens and dining rooms in France actually expect?
Raising a Bilingual Child in French: What Passing It On Really Takes
A home language fades fast. What Insee, Statistics Canada and the OQLF show, and which habits actually last.
"Y" and "en": what these two French pronouns replace and where they go
What "y" and "en" replace, where they go, in what order, and why "Vas-y" takes an s.
Job interviews in French: what the recruiter is actually listening for
71 % of managerial hires start with a phone screening (Apec, May 2026). How to prepare in French.
DELF B1: what the new format changed and what the examiner is really listening for
100 points, 50 to pass, and since March 2020 a 45 minute reading paper. The DELF B1 explained paper by paper.
En France, au Japon, à Cuba: which French preposition before a place name?
en, au, aux or à? The choice depends on the gender and number of the place name, not on distance.
Quebec French vs French from France: what really changes
Pronunciation, vocabulary, expressions: what really sets Quebec French apart from the French of France.
Why Spoken French Sounds So Fast, and How to Train Your Ear
7.18 syllables per second: what blocks you is not French speed, but the vanishing boundaries between words.
French Past Participle Agreement: the Three-Question Method
The rule with être and avoir, the cases you can actually hear, and three questions that settle it.
The French CV: what really changes compared with your own résumé
Photo, age, one page, wording: what French law actually requires on a CV, and what is only a habit.
DALF C1: the four papers, the pass mark, and where to start
DALF C1: four papers marked out of 25, 50/100 to pass, under 5/25 fails you. The real format and where to start.
Seventy, Ninety, Septante, Nonante: How to Say French Numbers Without Freezing
Why French counts in twenties, where septante is standard, and how to catch numbers at speaking speed.
Tu or vous in French: who decides, how to make it agree, and what changed at work
63% of French employees said they use tu with their boss (COI 2006 survey). The rule and the traps.
The B1 plateau: why your French stops improving, and how to move again
Going from B1 to B2 takes 150 to 200 guided hours. Why progress slows down, and what actually restarts it.
France's 2026 literary season: 461 novels, and how to use them as a French learner
461 novels hit French bookshops from August to October 2026. How to turn that into real progress.
The French Subjunctive: When Do You Actually Need It?
Four subjunctive tenses exist but only two are still used: what really matters, with sources you can check.
How to write a professional email in French: the phrases and codes you need
Openings, closings, structure: the codes for writing a professional email in French in 2026.
What level of French do you need in France in 2026: A2, B1 or B2?
Since January 2026: A2 for a multi-year residence card, B1 for a resident card, B2 for French citizenship.
French is now the 4th most spoken language in the world: what the 2026 report says
396 million speakers in 2025: the OIF's 2026 report makes French the world's fourth language.
How to improve your French pronunciation, step by step
Nasal sounds, liaisons, rhythm: concrete keys to moving toward a more natural pronunciation.
French-English false friends you absolutely need to know
Words that look alike but don't mean the same thing — a frequent source of mix-ups.
Learning French to immigrate to Canada: the complete guide
Why French carries so much weight in a Canadian immigration application, and how to structure your preparation.
TCF or DELF: which French test should you choose based on your goal
Immigration, studies, citizenship: the two certifications serve different purposes — here's how to choose.
The most common French grammar mistakes (and how to fix them)
A tour of the mistakes almost every learner makes, with simple explanations so you stop making them.
How long does it really take to learn French?
A realistic overview, level by level of the CEFR, so you know what to expect based on your own pace.
Passé Composé vs Imparfait: Finally Understand the Difference
It's THE struggle for French learners. A simple rule and concrete examples so you never hesitate between these two past tenses again.
How to Prepare for the DELF B2 Exam: A Complete Method
The DELF B2 opens the doors to French universities and professional life. Here is a structured, section-by-section method to pass it without stress.
5 Simple Ways to Improve Your French Between Lessons
The secret of fast learners? They never stop learning between lessons. Here are 5 easy habits to keep up.
Speaking More Naturally: Mistakes to Avoid When Talking
You speak well but sound "textbook"? These very common habits give you away — and they fix fast.
Learning French Through Culture and Current Events
Films, music, podcasts, the news: French culture is an endless and free learning resource.
How to Choose the Right French Teacher for Your Goal
Not all teachers are right for every goal. Here is how to find the one who will truly help you progress.
Starting French From Scratch: Where to Begin
Never learned French before? Good news: with the right method, the first weeks are the most motivating.
Improving Your French for Work: Where to Start
Business French has its own codes. Here is how to gain confidence for your meetings, emails and interviews.