learn French Melbourne

  • 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 the obvious choice. But there’s a catch: malgré is a preposition, and prepositions in French…

  • 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, more formal verb, used almost exclusively to describe the origin or source of something. The…

  • 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 is the everyday, neutral choice. Aucun/aucune is stronger and more pointed, closer to “not a…

  • besoin

    The French word “besoin” is a noun that translates to “need” in English. It is commonly used to express necessity or desire for something. Basic Meaning of “Besoin” The word “besoin” is mostly used to indicate that someone needs something or has a requirement. The typical structure for expressing need in French is: “Avoir besoin…