Learning French Vocabulary and Grammar

Once you’ve got a feel for French pronunciation and a basic understanding of the language, it’s time to dive into conversational phrases and a few rules that can help you start to make sense of French vocabulary. Rosetta Stone’s approach takes the emphasis off of memorisation and places it on learning French in the context of conversations, so language learners can start building towards navigating real-world situations with confidence.

1. Start with common French conversational phrases

Knowing a few scattered words in French and trying to string them together can make for some very awkward conversations. Instead, focus on learning common phrases upfront, including often used greetings and questions. Indeed, words like bonjour (good morning) or phrases like je m’appelle (my name is…) are important, but you’ll also find that learning when to use words like enchanté (enchanted or nice to meet you) or Comment allez-vous? instead of Ça va? (both formal and informal ways of saying How are you?) are essential in navigating conversations with native speakers.

2. Practise with a French Phrasebook

Keeping a French phrasebook on hand for quick reference can be a helpful tool not just in advancing your confidence to engage in impromptu conversations, but also to help you practise and study in stolen minutes throughout the day. Rosetta Stone makes this easy for French language learners with quick-access Phrasebook built into the mobile app to help you learn and practise French on-the-go.

3. Take advantage of those French cognates

In your quest to learn common French words and phrases, you’ll have a little help from the fact that many words in French have similar sounding words in English. We call words derived from the same mother tongue cognates, and French and English have the good fortune of sharing quite a few. Words like carafe, finir (to finish), or fiasco are all cognates. Beware however of words that are spelt similarly but pronounced differently. These are semi-true cognates, and they take a little extra finesse in pronunciation to pull off.

4. Focus on French etiquette

There’s a reason the word faux pas, which means misstep, is one we borrow from French. French can be a very formal language, and it’s essential to get your etiquette right the first time or risk offending someone unintentionally. Learning the difference between formal and informal greetings and which ones are the correct phrases to use depending on the situation is especially crucial for French language learners. For instance, there are three separate French greetings you might use to say hello, but the appropriateness of each depends on how well you know the person you are speaking to. Bonjour can be used in most situations, and salut is okay for casual settings, but you should only use coucou with very close friends or family.

How to Learn Advanced French

Once you feel comfortable with common conversational phrases and greetings, it’s time to take your French to the next level. To be confident speaking the language, you’ll want to also dig into French grammar to get a better understanding of how to structure sentences. The best way to practise French grammar is not to do pen and paper drills or exercises, but to learn how to conjugate verbs and get subject agreement in the context of actual French conversations.

Focus on getting your French verbs to agree

French can be a tricky language in that when you conjugate verbs, they have to agree both in gender and number. French verbs are generally divided into three groups for conjugation: verbs ending in -er, verbs ending in -ir, and verbs ending in -re. Of course, some French verbs are irregular and don’t fit neatly into any of these categories. There are standard rules for conjugation that will apply depending on which group the verb fits into, as well as variations of conjugation depending on the subject and the verb tense.

Don’t worry about learning French verb tenses

French may seem like a moody language, but if you can find comparable examples of these verb tenses in English, it can help you understand how to conjugate without being intimidated. For instance, some language learners find the subjunctive and conditional tenses, or as the French call them “moods,” difficult to master. Subjunctive tense is used to indicate uncertainty and is usually coupled with the expression of an emotion, an opinion or a desire. For instance, Je veux que tu le fasses (I want you to do it) is an example of the irregular verb for do (faire) conjugated in the subjective. Conditional mood in French is when something is not guaranteed to happen. For instance, Si j’avais su, je l’aurais fait (If I had known, I would have done it) uses a conditional mood of the verbs to know and to do. These two French moods that determine conjugation are not about when an action happened but about how it happened.

Practise learning French in the present first

Overwhelmed by all the rules? Don’t be. The best way to demystify complex French grammar rules and verb conjugation is to start simple with the present tense. Learn how to form verbs ending in -er in the present tense before branching out into other endings. Then take the next step and tackle irregular verbs before circling back and learning how to adapt verbs in other more complicated tenses. This is why Rosetta Stone structures lessons in small increments, so you can learn a language one bite at a time, practising previous vocabulary and grammar extensively before moving on to new concepts.