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French Language: Most Popular Articles

These articles are the most popular over the last month.
French Proficiency Test
Test your French with this beginning-level French proficiency test.
Être Verbs - French Verb Conjugation Test
Quiz on using avoir or être when conjugating the French compound tenses.
French First Names for Girls
Looking for a name to use in French class, or inspiration for naming your baby? This list includes more than 100 common French names for girls, along with their pronunciation, English equivalents, and literal meaning. Page 3.
Être - to be
Learn how to conjugate être, an irregular -re French verb.
French Verb Conjugator
Use this French verb conjugator to conjugate any French verb.
French First Names for Boys
Looking for a name to use in French class, or inspiration for naming your baby? This list includes more than 100 common French names for boys, along with their pronunciation, English equivalents, and literal meaning. Page 2.
Avoir - to have
Learn how to conjugate avoir, an irregular -ir French verb.
French Mistake of the Week
Test on common French mistakes featured as the mistake of the week.
Most Common French Words - Top 100 French Words
What are the most common French words?
French Numbers - Nombres
Learn to count in French with French cardinal numbers.
How to Type French Accents
You can type accented characters with ALT codes, which use the ALT key and a 3 or 4 digit code. Page 7.
French Calendar Vocabulary - French for Beginners
French for beginners: test on French calendar: sans serif font french calendar document url french test body background
French Greetings - Learn how to greet people in...
Beginning French: test yourself on French greetings.
Aller - to go
Learn how to conjugate aller, an irregular -er French verb.
Subjunctive or Indicative? French Quiz
Do you know when to use the French subjunctive? Find out with this online quiz.
Faire - to do, make
Learn how to conjugate faire, an irregular -re French verb.
Position of French Adjectives - Position des...
Quiz on placement of French adjectives: sans serif font french adjectives document url body background background color
How to say "I love you" in French
They say that French is the language of love, so you'd better know how to say I love you! Check out this sound file and step-by-step instructions to learn how to say I love you in French. Page 3.
Un coup d'œil
What does the idiomatic French expression un coup d'œil mean and how is it used?
French Greetings - Les Salutations
Learn how to say hello, hi, how are you, and other ways to greet people in French.
French Articles - Articles français
Test yourself on French definite, indefinite, and partitive articles
Top French Verbs
Test on conjugations for the top 10 French verbs.: sans serif font french verb conjugations french verbs document url body background
French Past Tenses - Passé composé vs...
A quiz on the sometimes tricky distinction between le passé composé and l'imparfait
Most Common French Phrases
Learn the most useful and common French phrases.
French Words and Expressions in English
The English language has borrowed a great number of French words and expressions. Some of this vocabulary has been so completely absorbed by English that speakers might not realize its origins, whille other words and expressions have retained their Frenchness - a certain je ne sais quoi which speakers tend to be much more aware of. Here are some French words and expressions which are commonly used in English. Page 2.
French Alphabet - Alphabet français
French for beginners: learn the French alphabet
Essential French - French for Beginners
Test on essential French vocabulary and phrases like do you speak English, yes, no, and I don't know.
French First Names
There are hundreds of common French first names. Some of them look just like their English counterparts, others are fairly similar, and still others seem completely unique. Here are more than 200 of the most popular French names, along with their pronunciation and English equivalents.
Vouloir - to want
Learn how to conjugate vouloir, an irregular -ir French verb.
Pouvoir - can, to be able
Learn how to conjugate pouvoir, an irregular -ir French verb.
Ah bon
Learn about the meanings and uses of the French expression ah bon.
Vouloir, Pouvoir, Devoir - French Verbs
Test on the French verbs vouloir, pouvoir, and devoir.
Passé composé - French Compound Past...
The passé composé is the most common French past tense, often used in conjunction with the imperfect (imparfait) and used to express actions completed in the past.
French Terms of Endearment - Termes d'affection
If French is the language of love, what better language is there to express your love? French has all kinds of interesting terms of endearment, including a rather odd assortment of barnyard animals. Check out this list of French terms of endearment to use with your loved ones (both romantic and familial). Page 2.
Learn French - French for Beginners
This section of the Learn French at About site includes hundreds of pages to help you learn French. Whether you're just beginning to learn French or picking it up again after a long absence, you'll find everything you need right here: pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, tips, and more.
Venir - to come
Learn how to conjugate venir, an irregular French verb.
French Audio Dictionary
French Audio Dictionary with 2,500 French words and expressions.
French Relative Pronouns - Pronoms relatifs -...
Test on the French relative pronouns qui, que, dont, and où.
French Calendar Vocabulary
Memorize this French calendar vocabulary so that you can talk about the day of the week and the date in French.
Mot du Jour - Learn a French Word a Day
A new French word posted every weekday, with pronunciation, examples of usage, and related words.
Y and En - French Adverbial Pronouns Y and En -...
Lesson and quiz on the French adverbial pronouns y and en
Learn How to Speak French
There is no magic formula for learning how to speak French - it requires time, energy, and patience. There are, however, some techniques which will make your language study more efficient and thus help you to learn French more quickly.
Ça va
What does the French expression ça va mean?
Prendre - to take
Learn how to conjugate prendre, an irregular -re French verb.
French Food Vocabulary - French Test
French for beginners: test on French food: sans serif font food vocabulary french test document url french food
French Accents
What are the French accents and how do you use them?
Devoir - must, to have to; to owe
Learn how to conjugate devoir, an irregular -ir French verb.
Imperfect - French Past Tense
The French imperfect (imparfait) is a descriptive past tense which indicates an ongoing state of being or a repeated or incomplete action.
un souci
What does the French word souci mean? How is it pronounced and used?
French Regular -ER Verbs
Regular -er verbs, that is, verbs that end in -er, are the largest category of French verbs. Thousands of regular French -er verbs are conjugated according to the same pattern, so once you've learned the rules of conjugation for regular -er verbs, you'll be able to conjugate all of them.
Essential French - L'Essentiel
Even if you're just going to France for a week, you should know some survival French - a few essential words and phrases that you'll use over and over. Learn essential French vocabulary and phrases like do you speak English, yes, no, and I don't know.
French Gender Quiz
See how well you've mastered the gender of basic French nouns.
Happy Birthday in French
Learn how to say - and sing! - happy birthday in French, plus more French vocabulary related to birthdays and other special occasions.
Voir - to see
Learn how to conjugate voir, an irregular -ir French verb.
French Subjunctive - Subjonctif
The subjunctive mood is used to express actions or ideas which are subjective or otherwise uncertain: will/wanting, emotion, doubt, possibility, necessity, judgment. It is nearly always found in dependent clauses introduced by que or qui, and the subjects of the dependent and main clauses are usually different.
Savoir - to know
Learn how to conjugate savoir, an irregular -ir French verb.
French Numbers - Listen and Repeat
Practice French numbers with sound files and random number generators.
C'est vs Il est
Test yourself on the difference between c'est and il est
French Possessive Adjectives - Adjectifs...
Possessive adjectives are the words used in place of articles to indicate to whom or to what something belongs. French possessive adjectives are used similarly to English possessive adjectives, but there are some differences in form.
How to Say ___ in French
If you're wondering how to say something in French, you've come to the right place.
French Clothing Vocabulary
French for beginners: test on French clothing: sans serif font clothing vocabulary french clothing document url french test
Vouloir Pouvoir Devoir - French Verbs
It is absolutely essential to understand and be able to use these three irregular French verbs, as they are very common as well as useful. They are often taught together because of the similarities in the conjugations of vouloir and pouvoir and the uses of pouvoir and devoir.
What is French? Facts and Figures about the...
French is spoken officially in 33 countries - that is, there are 33 countries in which French is either the official language, or one of the official languages. Page 2.
French Colors - Beginning French Test
French for beginners: test on French colors: sans serif font french test document url body background background color
De vs Du, De la, Des - French Prepositions and...
Test yourself on using de by itself vs when to use du, de la, or des.
French Colors - French for Beginners
French for beginners: learn how to say the colors in French
Voilà
What does the French expression voilà mean and how is it used?
Beginning French Pronunciation
French, like English, can be very difficult in terms of pronunciation, due to intricacies like silent letters, multiple sounds for a single letter, and endless exceptions to whatever rules you find. This simplified pronunciation chart can help you get a good idea about how to pronounce new words.
Dire - to say, tell
Learn how to conjugate dire, an irregular -re French verb.
Learn French
Learning French is an ongoing and involved process. You can't learn how to speak French overnight, and you probably can't learn it entirely on your own. What you can do is use tools like this site to supplement your French learning.
French Silent Letters - Lettres muettes -...
Improve your French pronunciation by learning about silent letters in French.
French Personal Correspondence - French Letters...
Learn the correct formulas for writing letters in French to friends and family.
Avoir, Être, Faire
The irreglar French verbs avoir (to have), être (to be), and faire (to do/make) are the most important French verbs. They are used in some of the ways that we use them in English as well as in many expressions.
Quiz on Confusing French Pairs
Test yourself on confusing French pairs.: sans serif font confusing french pairs document url body background background color
French Future Tense
The future is, in my opinion, one of the simplest French tenses. There is only one set of endings for all verbs, and most of them - even many which are irregular in the present tense - use their infinitive as the root.
Everyday French Phrases - Essential French
Not all vocabulary is created equal. There are some French phrases that you will hear literally every day, many times a day, and odds are that you should be using them that often too. Here are five truly essential everyday French phrases.
Être Verbs - Mnemonic Devices
If you can't remember which French verbs need être in the compound tenses, you might want to try a mnemonic device, such as Dr and Mrs Vandertramp. Page 2.
French Regular -IR Verbs
Regular -IR verbs, that is, verbs that end in -IR, are the second largest category of French verbs. Hundreds of regular French -IR verbs are conjugated according to the same pattern, so once you've learned the rules of conjugation for regular -IR verbs, you'll be able to conjugate all of them.
Être verbs - French Auxiliary Verbs
Learn which French verbs use être to form the passé composé and the other compound tenses.
French Unisex Names
Looking for a name to use in French class, or inspiration for naming your baby? This list includes some common French names that are suitable for both boys and girls, along with their pronunciation and English equivalents. Page 4.
Être, Avoir, Faire - Test on "To Be" in French
Test on translating 'to be' into French.: sans serif font document url body background background color pairs
French Indefinite Adverbs - Adverbes indéf...
One of the hardest things to translate into French is indefiniteness. French indefinite adverbs, or at least the French equivalents for English indefinite adverbs, are interesting and very useful.
French Numbers Quiz
Learn to count in French with French cardinal numbers.
Introductions - How to introduce yourself in...
Test on introducing yourself in French.: sans serif font document url french test body background background color
French Direct Object Pronouns - Pronoms objets...
Quiz on French direct objects: direct object pronouns sans serif font document url french test body background
French Conditional
The conditional is, in my opinion, one of the simplest French conjugations. There is only one set of endings for all verbs, and most of them - even many which are irregular in the present tense - use their infinitives as the root.
French Regular -RE Verbs
Regular -RE verbs, that is, verbs that end in -RE, are a small category of French verbs which are conjugated according to the same pattern. Once you've learned the rules of conjugation for regular -RE verbs, you'll be able to conjugate all of them.
Bon matin - French Mistake
Mistakes will always be made in French, and now you can learn from them. Wrong: Bon matin Right: Bonjour
Lire - to read
Learn how to conjugate lire, an irregular -re French verb.
Partir - to leave
Learn how to conjugate partir, an irregular -ir French verb.
Mettre - to put
Learn how to conjugate mettre, an irregular -re French verb.
Boire - to drink
Learn how to conjugate boire, an irregular -re French verb.
French Stressed Pronouns - Pronoms disjoints
Test on French stressed pronouns: sans serif font french grammar document url pronouns body background
French Introductions - Les Présentations
When you meet French speakers, you need to know how to introduce yourself and what to say when you are introduced. Here are some useful expressions related to French introductions - click the links to listen to each expression in French.
Savoir vs Connaître - French Verbs To Know
Test on the difference between the French verbs savoir and connaître.
Gratitude - French Expressions of Gratitude
There are many different ways to express gratitude in French, from a simple thank you to ultra-polite expressions of appreciation. Learn how to thank everyone for everything with this list of expressions related to gratitude.
De vs Du, De la, Des
The preposition de tends to be very difficult for French students. This lesson explains when to use de by itself vs when to use du, de la, or des.
Asking Questions in French
Want to know something? Whether you're working, traveling, learning, or just trying to learn more about someone, questions are an essential part of any conversation. This lesson will teach you four different ways to ask questions in French.
Tout à l'heure
What does the French expression tout à l'heure mean and how is it used?
Living and Working in France
Many people dream of living and possibly working in France, but not many succeed in actually doing it. Just what is it that makes it so difficult to live and work in France?
Subjunctive or Indicative? The Subjunctivator!...
An interactive tool to help you decide whether to use the French subjunctive or indicative.
French Definite Articles
French articles are sometimes confusing for language students, because they have to agree with the nouns they modify and because they don't always correspond to articles in other languages. As a general rule, if you have a noun in French, there is virtually always an article in front of it, unless you use some other type of determiner such as a possessive or demonstrative adjective. Page 2.
Dormir - to sleep
Learn how to conjugate dormir, an irregular -ir French verb.
French Furniture Vocabulary
French for beginners: test on French furniture: sans serif font french furniture document url french test body background
"What" in French
French learners often have trouble deciding how to translate "what" into French. Should it be que or
Spanish is Easier than French... Not!
Ever heard people say that Spanish is easier than French? Think it's true? Think again!
Je te manque - French Mistake
Mistakes will always be made in French, and now you can learn from them. Wrong: "Je te manque" to mean
Connaître - to know, be familiar with
Learn how to conjugate connaître, an irregular -re French verb.
Telling Time in French - L'Heure
Learn how to tell time in French. This multi-part lesson includes notes, sound files, and practice exercises to help master telling time in French.
French Number Expressions
Test yourself on confusing pairs and difficult expressions related to numbers in French like second/deuxième, en premier/au premier/de premier, tiers/troisième...
French Adjectives - Les Adjectifs
French for beginners: test on French adjectives: sans serif font french adjectives document url french test body background
French Class Phrases
To help students use as much French as possible in the classroom, here is a list of essential words and phrases related to comprehension and typical classroom requests, with sound files.
Écrire - to write
Learn how to conjugate écrire, an irregular -re French verb.
French Audio Dictionary - French Terms Starting...
More than 2,000 French terms, each with sound file, English translation, and links to additional or related information.
French Restaurant Vocabulary
All the French vocabulary that you need for restaurants, from ordering to asking for the check. Bon appétit !
Finir - to finish
Learn how to conjugate finir, a regular -ir French verb.
Yes in French
Saying yes is pretty simple, but there are quite a few synonyms and precisions to be aware of. Check out this lesson to learn how to say yes, yeah, sure, and more.
Politeness - French Phrases
When traveling in France, being polite is absolutely essential - be sure you know how to say please and thank you at the very least.
Daily French - Le français du jour
One surefire way to improve your French is to work on it as often as possible. The Learn French at About site includes several daily and weekly French features as well as tips on incorporating French into your daily life.
French Lesson of the Day
There are so many lessons on my site that you might never find them all. Would you like to brush up on grammar concepts or vocabulary lists that you learned long ago... or do you just like surprises? Visit this page - every day will link to a different lesson for you to study.
Sortir - to go out
Learn how to conjugate sortir, an irregular -ir French verb.
Manger - to eat
Learn how to conjugate manger, a spelling change French verb.
C'est vs Il est
Learn the different uses for the French expressions c'est and il est
French Adjectives ~ Adjectifs
An adjective is a word that modifies a noun by describing it in some way: shape, color, size, nationality, etc. French adjectives are very different from English adjectives in two ways.
French Demonstrative Pronouns - Pronoms...
Learn all about French demonstrative pronouns celui, celle, ceux, and celles.
Parts of the Body - French Vocabulary
French for beginners: the body: sans serif font french vocabulary document url french test body background
Bon vs Bien - Mauvais vs Mal
Test yourself on the difference between the French words bon and bien, mauvais and mal.
French Subjunctive - Regular Conjugations
Unlike using the French subjunctive, conjugating it is relatively straightforward.
French Home Vocabulary
French for beginners: test on French home: sans serif font document url french test body background background color
Telling Time in French
Test on telling time in French: telling time in french sans serif font document url french test body background
Acheter - to buy
Learn how to conjugate acheter, a stem-changing French verb.
French Pronominal Voice and Pronominal Verbs
Pronominal verbs, including reflexive verbs, need a reflexive pronoun to indicate that the subject is performing the action of the verb upon itself.
French Parts of Speech
Learning French is hard, and it's even harder if you don't understand the basics of grammar in your own language. If your mind boggles when people start talking about nouns, adjectives, and other parts of speech, this lesson is for you.
Y - French Pronoun
The French adverbial pronouns y is so tiny that one might think its role in a sentence is not very important,
Introduction to French Verbs
Learn the basics of French verbs with this introductory lesson.
French Gender - Masculine Endings
French gender is a constant headache for many students of French. There's no simple way to know the gender of every noun other than just learning the gender with each word. There are, however, some patterns in suffixes and word endings - certain endings tend to indicate masculine nouns, while other endings favor feminine nouns. These gender patterns are not fool-proof, but they can help you to figure out the gender of many French nouns.
French Subject Pronouns - Pronoms sujets
French has two different words for you, and it's essential to understand the difference between them. Page 3.
Oh là là
What does the French expression oh là là mean and how is it used?
French Present Tense
The French present tense, called le présent or le présent de l'indicatif, is quite similar in usage to the English present tense.
French Love Language - L'amour et l'amitié
If French is the language of love, what better language is there to express your love? Here are some key French words and phrases related to love, friendship, and special occasions, as well as some French terms of endearment, with sound files, and step-by-step intructions on how to say I love you in French.
French Résumé - Le CV français -...
When applying for a job in a French-speaking country, your résumé needs to be in French, which is more than a matter of translation. Aside from the obvious language difference, certain information that may not be required on résumés in your country is required in France. This article explains the basic requirements and formats of French résumés, and includes several examples to help you get started.
Savoir vs Connaître
French has two verbs which can be translated by the English verb "to know": savoir and connaître . This
French Food Vocabulary - La nourriture
Eating is fundamental and can also be highly enjoyable. Learn this French vocabulary related to food so that you can eat your favorite foods in France.
French Business Letters - Correspondance...
Tips and formulas to help you write all kinds of business letters in French.
Vive la France !
Learn about the meanings and uses of the French expression vive la France.
French Relative Pronouns
Like its English counterpart, a French relative pronoun links a dependent/relative clause to a main clause. Que, qui, lequel, dont, and où are the French relative pronouns, and there's no one-to-one equivalent for these words - depending on context, the English translation may be who, whom, that, which, whose, where, or when.
French Past Participle
The participe passé is the French equivalent of the -ed form of English verbs. It is used in compound tenses, in the passive voice, and as an adjective.
French Family Vocabulary - La Famille - Learn...
French for beginners: family members: french vocabulary vocabulary test vocabulary word listening comprehension lesson test
French Reading Comprehension - Intermediate and...
Improve your French reading comprehension with these reading activities.
télécharger
What does the French word télécharger mean? How is it pronounced and used?

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