When learning a foreign language, it is sometimes challenging to accept the ‘weird’ differences between the target language and our own language. However, we want to speak the language, sound right and maybe even want to pretend that it is our own language ^^ Well if your goals include the latter then you should know that there are some mistakes that will give you away immediately. To help you avoid common mistakes in French I have listed some of them below:
1) Χ Il est un chanteur
√ Il est chanteur
→ Careful with the structure: Subject + Verb To be (+ NO article) + noun
2) Χ Je vais visiter mon frère
√ Je vais rendre visite à mon frère/ Je vais voir mon frère
→ Visiter + places
→ Rendre visite à + people or Voir + people
3) Χ Il est six
√ Il est six heures
→ You have to say ‘heures’
4) Χ Je suis quarante
√ J’ai quarante ans
→ Use avoir for age. You have to say ‘ans’
5) Χ J’attends pour ma soeur
√ J’attends ma sœur
→ No need to use ‘pour’.
6) Χ Je suis bien
√ Je vais bien
→ Use aller to say how you are feeling.
7) Χ Je vais rencontrer mes amis à 8h
√ Je vais retrouver/rejoindre mes amis à 8h.
→ Use rencontrer when you meet someone for the first time or by chance.
→ Use retrouver or rejoindre when you planned to meet someone.
8) Χ J’ai passé un bon temps
√ J’ai passé un bon moment
→ Use ‘moment’ to say you had a good time
You are one step closer to your goal. Keep working on your french!
