Mistakes To Avoid When Learning French

In French, all nouns have a gender, either masculine or feminine. This can be a difficult concept for English speakers, but it`s non-negotiable. You need to learn vocabulary with either a definite or indefinite article, so that you learn the gender of each word with the word itself. Getting the gender of a word wrong can lead to confusion at best and a completely different meaning at worst, since some words have different meanings depending on their gender.

French Mistake 2 - Accents

French accents indicate the correct pronunciation of a word, and are required, not optional. Therefore, you need to make an effort to learn what they mean, which words they are found in, and how to type them. Study my accents lesson so that you know what each accent indicates. (Note in particular that ç never precedes e or i). Then look at my typing French accents page to choose between the various methods to type them on your computer.

French Mistake 3 - H

The French H comes in two varieties: aspiré and muet. Although they sound the same (that is, they are both silent), there is an important difference: one acts like a consonant and the other acts like a vowel. The H aspiré (aspirated H) acts like a consonant, meaning that it does not allow contractions or liaisons. The H muet (mute H), on the the other hand, is just the opposite: it requires contractions and liaisons. Making vocabulary lists with a definite article will help you remember which H is which, such as le homard (H aspiré) vs l`homme (H muet).

French Mistake 4 - Tu and vous

French has two words for "you," and the difference between them is pretty distinct. Vous is plural - if there is more than one of anything, always use vous. Aside from that, the difference has to do with closeness and friendliness versus distance and respect. Read my tu vs vous lesson for a detailed descri ption and numerous examples.