Articles about French
790+ articles on French language topics!
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-ical becomes -ique
A large number of French adjectives ending in -ique line up neatly with English adjectives ending in “-ical”. Électrique matches “electrical”, pratique matches “practical”, and politique matches “political”. The match is so regular that a learner can often guess the…
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faute de
Faute de is a French prepositional phrase meaning “for lack of,” “for want of,” or “in the absence of.” It comes from the noun faute, meaning “fault” or “lack,” combined with the preposition de. The phrase points to something missing…
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à toi de décider
À toi de décider means “it’s up to you to decide” or “your call.” It is a common way in French to hand a decision, a task, or a turn over to someone else. The structure is flexible: the pronoun…
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Foreign languages in French schools
France likes to present itself as a champion of linguistic diversity. On paper, secondary school students can choose from a dozen or more foreign languages, plus regional tongues like Breton, Corsican, and Occitan. In practice, though, the numbers tell a…
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despite
If you’ve ever tried to say something like “despite the fact that he was tired, he kept going” in French, you may have instinctively reached for malgré. It’s the word every textbook gives you for “despite,” so it feels like…
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nouns ending in -ix
French words ending in -ix are uncommon. Most nouns ending in -ix are masculine, but some important exceptions are feminine. The ending -ix does not reliably show the gender of a noun, so learners should usually learn each noun together…
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venir vs provenir
Venir and provenir both relate to the idea of coming from somewhere, but they are not interchangeable. Venir is the everyday, general verb for “to come,” used constantly in speech for people, things, and events alike. Provenir is a narrower,…
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pas de vs aucun/aucune
French offers two common ways to say “no” or “not any” in front of a noun: pas de and aucun (or aucune for feminine nouns). Both remove or deny something, but they do not carry the same weight. Pas de…
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droit vs droite
Droit and droite look like the same word with an extra letter, but they cover different ground in French. Droit is mostly a masculine noun and adjective meaning “law,” “a right,” or “straight/upright.” Droite is mostly a feminine noun and…
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c’est for people
C’est is one of the most common expressions in French. It comes from ce (this, that) plus est (is), and it literally means “it is” or “this is.” English speakers usually reach for “he is” or “she is” when talking…
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Why some French adjectives go before the noun
In French, most adjectives follow the noun they describe. Une voiture rouge – “a red car” and un livre intéressant – “an interesting book” show the standard pattern. A small group of adjectives breaks this pattern and sits in front…
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indefinite pronoun + de + adjective
French adjectives normally agree in gender and number with the noun they describe: un livre intéressant, une chose intéressante, des idées originales. This is one of the first rules learners absorb. But a specific group of pronouns breaks that pattern…
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second vs deuxième
Both second and deuxième translate to “second” in English, and both refer to the item that comes after the first in a series. They are not fully interchangeable, however. French speakers choose between them based on grammar, formality, and sometimes…
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futur proche vs futur simple
The futur proche and the futur simple both describe events that have not yet happened. They are not interchangeable, though. Each carries its own shade of certainty, distance in time, and register. Knowing which one to pick makes a real…
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