Mastering all of the French grammar rules can be tricky for beginner students. Below, French teacher Carol Beth L. shares 15 French grammar mistakes you’re probably making…
Do you ever feel like French grammar is just too hard? Like you’re always making mistakes, and you can never seem to get it right? You’re not alone. In fact, even native French speakers make mistakes sometimes.
But don’t worry – we’re here to help. In this post, we’ll show you 15 common French grammar mistakes that people often make, and we’ll give you some tips on how to avoid them. So read on!
Is French Grammar Easy to Learn?
While French grammar may not be as simple as that of some other languages, it is certainly not as difficult as many people believe. Here’s why:
- With a little time and effort, most learners can quickly develop a good grasp of the basic rules.
- Once you have a solid foundation, you can begin to explore the more nuanced aspects of the language.
- There are always exceptions to the rules, but that is true of any language.
- The key is to not get too discouraged by the occasional setback and to keep moving forward with your learning.
With perseverance, you will eventually find that French grammar is not nearly as daunting as it first appeared. Taking French lessons is an easy way to master French grammar and to avoid common French grammar mistakes. Learn more about the benefits by watching the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mi5fCEDSmE
Common Mistakes in French Grammar
Making mistakes is inevitable when you’re learning a new language. After all, you’re learning complex grammar rules, difficult pronunciation, and long lists of vocabulary words.
Students often make the same French grammar mistakes over and over again. Being aware of these common grammar mistakes will help you avoid them in the future.
Below are some of the most common French grammar mistakes students find themselves making, even when they are familiar with the rules.
The first few mistakes relate to specific phrases that students have a tendency to misuse, while the rest deal with grammatical patterns that are quite complex.
1. Greetings
In English, when you greet someone in the early morning hours, you typically say “Good morning.” This English greeting doesn’t translate literally in French.
In fact, the phrase “Bon matin” does not actually exist in the French language. Rather, one would simply say “Bonjour!” when greeting someone.
2. Translations
A number of other literal translations can also be tempting. For example, you might want to express your interest in hobbies, people, and activities.
Be careful not to literally translate the English phrase “I am interested in…” into French (eg, Je suis interessée dans…). Instead, say “Ça m’interesse” (That interests me) or “____ m’interesse” (____ interests me).
3. Subject/Object
To correctly state that you miss someone, use the verb “se manquer.” If you want to say “I miss you,” say “Tu me manques.”
To say “He misses us,” say “Nous lui manquons.” Remember that the English subject and object switch places when translated into French.
4. Agreement
Remember to make adjectives properly agree with feminine or plural nouns. For example, the adjective “amusant“ (funny) would be changed to “amusante” in the feminine singular and “amusantes” in the feminine plural.
In English, adjectives don’t usually change based on the gender or number, so it’s easy for students to forget this important French grammar rule.
5. Articles
French has more articles than English. Both languages use “a” and “the”, but French has separate articles to denote masculine, feminine, and plural of each one.
Recall, however, that no neuter exists among French pronouns or articles. For example, a table is most definitely feminine, whereas the wall beside it is quite masculine.
In addition to having more articles, French also uses articles more frequently than English. In English, for example, you would say that “We meet regularly on Mondays,” but French-speakers would use the appropriate article, saying “on se rencontre régulièrement le lundi.”
6. Prepositions
Remember to use the correct preposition and include the appropriate article contraction when necessary. In theory, French prepositions are easier than English prepositions because there are fewer of the most common ones.
For example, “De” translates to “of” or “from”, and “à” translates to “to,” “at,” and sometimes other related location or movement prepositions.
A few places to watch out are when you’re talking about playing musical instruments (Je joue d’un instrument) and sports (Je joue à un sport).
Also, be extra careful with those pesky articles! Relevant contractions include “du” (“de” + “le”), “des” (“de” + “les”), “au” (“à” + “le”) and “aux” (“à” + “les”). “De”, “la”, and “à la” do not contract.
7. Negative Articles
Use “il n’y a pas de” rather than “il y a pas de”. When using “de” or “de” + an article in the negative, remember that French has lots of exceptions! This is one of them.
If there is zero of something, take out the article. For example, someone could say “Il y a du pain sur la table” (There is bread on the table). In the negative, this would become “Il n’y a pas de pain sur la table,” not “Il n’y a pas du pain sur la table.”
8. Conjugated Verbs
Remember to conjugate your verbs. While we do this in the English language, it’s not as much or in as much detail as French-speakers.
This is especially important when you’re writing because all those silent final consonants and vowels need attention.
The singular forms are the most similar in present tense, but are not always spelled the same, so watch out!
9. Passé composé/ Imparfait
The English distinction between the present perfect and the simple past isn’t exactly the same as the French distinction between these two tenses.
The passé composé is very commonly used for one-time events in the past. For example, “J’ai fait mes devoirs hier soir.” (I did my homework last night.)
The imperfect is used more often for something a person used to do over a period of time in the past. For example, “Je faisais mes devoirs tous les jours.” (I did my homework every day.)
10. Subjunctive
The subjunctive is one of the most difficult verbs in French, if not the most difficult because we don’t use it often in English. Many of us anglophones aren’t even aware of the fact that we use it at all.
The first step is to understand the situations in which it is used, and then practice, observe, and correct oneself. Then practice some more, and observe some more, and correct oneself more.
Give yourself time to perfect this French grammar rule, but also insist on understanding and using it correctly. Gradually, you will be able to use it successfully.
11. False Cognates
As anyone who has studied French knows, false cognates are a common source of confusion. A false cognate is a word that looks and sounds similar to a word in another language but has a different meaning.
For example, the French word “ressortir” looks like it should mean “to re-sort,” but in fact it means “to stand out.” This can be a tricky mistake to avoid, as many false cognates are similar in both pronunciation and meaning. However, with a little bit of practice, it is possible to learn to spot these words and avoid making this common mistake.
12. Poor Pronunciation
One of the most common mistakes that French learners make is poor pronunciation. While there are many rules to follow when it comes to French grammar, the key to speaking like a native is correct pronunciation.
Unfortunately, many learners focus on memorizing grammar rules and neglect to work on their pronunciation. As a result, they end up sounding like they’re speaking a foreign language, even if they’re using all the right grammar.
The good news is that with a little practice, anyone can improve their French pronunciation. By listening to native speakers and paying attention to the way they form their words, you can learn to speak like a native in no time.
13. Keeping the Definite Article
A common mistake that French learners make is forgetting to use the definite article. In English, we usually don’t use articles with proper nouns (names of people, places, organizations, etc.), but in French, every noun must have a definite or indefinite article. For example, say you’re talking about your friend Marie.
In English, you would say “Marie is from Paris.” However, in French, you would say “Ma amie Marie est de Paris.” This might seem like a small mistake, but it can change the meaning of what you’re trying to say. If you forget the article, it sounds like you’re saying that all Maries come from Paris!
14. Knowing When to Use the Partitive Article
The partitive article is a common source of confusion for French learners. It is used to denote a quantity of something, but it is not always used in the same way as the English “some” or “any”.
In general, the partitive article is used with uncountable nouns and with plural countable nouns. It is also used when the quantity is unknown or indefinite. For example, you would use the partitive article with the phrase “un verre de vin” (a glass of wine). However, there are a few exceptions to this rule.
One common mistake is to use the partitive article with plural countable nouns that refer to a specific group or quantity. For example, the phrase “des amis” (some friends) does not require the partitive article, but “des trois amis” (three friends) does.
Understanding when to use the partitive article can be tricky, but with a little practice, it will become second nature.
15. Misplaced Adjectives
French grammar can be tricky, but one of the most common mistakes made by English speakers is placing adjectives in the wrong order. Adjectives describe, identify and quantify people or things and usually go in this order: quantity or number, quality or opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin and material.
For example, a small red square box would be translated to “une petite boîte carrée rouge”. While it may seem like a small mistake to make, misplaced adjectives can change the meaning of what you want to say entirely. For example, saying “J’ai mangé un gâteau délicieux” (I ate a delicious cake) is very different from saying “J’ai mangé un délicieux gâteau” (I ate a delightful cake).
How Do You Avoid Spelling Mistakes in French?
When learning French, it is important to be aware of the many ways in which the French language differs from English. One area where this is especially true is in the realm of spelling.
While there are some similarities between the two languages, there are also many traps that English speakers can fall into when trying to spell French words.
The best way to avoid making spelling mistakes is to learn the basic rules of French orthography. Once you understand how the French alphabet works, and how to form words using basic syllable rules, you will be well on your way to spelling correctly. In addition, there are a number of resources that can help you to check your spelling as you go.
By taking the time to learn proper spelling techniques, you can avoid making costly mistakes when writing in French.
What Are Common Mistakes French Speakers Make in English?
There are a few common mistakes that French speakers often make when speaking English. One mistake is using the wrong verb ending. For example, in French the verb “to be” is conjugated differently depending on whether the subject is masculine or feminine. However, in English the verb “to be” is always conjugated the same, regardless of the subject. As a result, French speakers often use the wrong verb ending when speaking English.
Another common mistake is using direct translations from French. This can often lead to confusion, as some words and phrases have different meanings in French and English. For example, the French word “cours” can mean either “class” or “course,” but in English it can only mean “course.” As a result, it’s important to be aware of these differences when speaking English.
Finally, another common mistake is mispronouncing words. This is often due to the fact that French and English have different rules for pronunciation. For example, in French many words are pronounced with a silent letter at the end, but in English this letter is usually pronounced. As a result, mispronouncing words is a common mistake that French speakers make when speaking English.
Advanced French Grammar Mistakes to Be Aware Of
These aren’t the only French grammar mistakes out there, but they are certainly worthy of attention.
Keep your eyes open and your ears peeled for other mistakes, and correct them when you can. In no time, you will be well on your way to excellent (and impressive) French usage!
We hope that this article has helped you become more aware of the most common French grammar mistakes. As with any language, practice makes perfect! So keep studying and practicing your French, and before you know it, these errors will be a thing of the past. Au revoir!
Post Author: Carol Beth L.Carol Beth L. teaches French lessons in San Francisco, CA. She has her Masters in French language education from the Sorbonne University in Paris and has been teaching since 2009. Learn more about Carol Beth here!
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