Top Mistakes French Learners Make

Level: B1. Most French errors are not exotic — they are the same English habits applied to French. Fix these six early and your speaking and writing jump a level. Each comes with a before-and-after and a link to the lesson that drills it.

By the end of this page you can…

…recognise the six most common French errors and apply the fix for each.

1. Guessing a noun’s gender

Every French noun is masculine or feminine, and the gender decides the article (le/la, un/une) and the adjective ending. There is no reliable way to guess it from meaning, so learners who skip it get a cascade of small errors.

• ❌ la problème → ✅ le problème (“the problem” is masculine).
• ❌ un belle maison → ✅ une belle maison (feminine noun, feminine article and adjective).

The fix: never learn a noun alone — store it as le or la + noun. Drill the patterns in the noun gender lesson.

2. Using être for age and feelings

English says “I am 20”, “I am hungry”. French uses avoir (“to have”) for age, hunger, thirst, fear and being cold or hot.

• ❌ je suis 20 ans → ✅ j’ai 20 ans (“I am 20”).
• ❌ je suis faim → ✅ j’ai faim (“I am hungry”).

Learn the set — avoir faim, soif, froid, chaud, peur, raison — alongside the verb in the avoir lesson. For true states of being, use être.

3. Dropping the silent verb endings

Because -e, -es, -ent (and the -s, -t of finis, finit) are silent, learners leave them off in writing. The spoken form hides the spelling, but the written ending still has to be there.

• ❌ ils parle → ✅ ils parlent (said “parl”, written with -ent).
• ❌ tu parle → ✅ tu parles (the -s is silent but required).

Review the endings for the -ER verbs and the -IR verbs.

4. Confusing le/la with du/de la

Use the definite article (le, la, les) for a thing in general or a specific thing; use the partitive (du, de la, des) for some of something uncountable.

• ❌ je mange le pain when you mean “some bread” → ✅ je mange du pain (“I’m eating some bread”).
• ✅ j’aime le pain (“I like bread” — in general, so definite).

The rule of thumb: “like/love/prefer” take the definite article; “eat/drink/buy some” take the partitive. See the partitive articles lesson.

5. Treating every -ir verb like finir

Regular -IR verbs (finir, choisir) add -iss- in the plural, but a whole set of common -ir verbs (partir, sortir, dormir, venir) are irregular and do not.

• ❌ je partis for “I leave” → ✅ je pars (and nous partons, not partissons).

Learn which verbs take -iss- in the -IR verbs lesson.

6. Forgetting elision and liaison

Before a vowel, je, le, la, de, ne, que drop their vowel: je aime becomes j’aime. And nous, vous, les link with a “z” sound to a following vowel.

• ❌ je aime → ✅ j’aime.
• ❌ saying “nous avons” with a gap → ✅ link it: nous_avons = “noo-za-VON”.

How to fix mistakes for good

• Flashcard the gender, not just the word. Put le or la on the front with the noun.
• Memorise the avoir expressions as chunks. avoir faim, avoir 20 ans — learn them whole.
• Write out full conjugations by hand. It fixes the silent endings far better than reading does.

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Practice

Fix the common French mistakes

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Which is correct?

la problème le problème les problème l'problème

Check

Show answer

le problème — problème is masculine: le problème.

2 How do you say 'I am 20'?

je suis 20 ans j'ai 20 ans je suis 20 j'ai 20

Check

Show answer

j'ai 20 ans — French uses avoir for age: j'ai 20 ans.

3 Write 'they speak' (parler) correctly in writing.

Check

Hint: the -ent is silent but written

Show answer

ils parlent — ils parlent — the -ent ending is silent but must be written.

4 Match each mistake to its fix.

• je suis faim Match for je suis faim — choose — j'ai faimj'aimeje mange du painje pars
• je mange le pain (= some) Match for je mange le pain (= some) — choose — j'ai faimj'aimeje mange du painje pars
• je aime Match for je aime — choose — j'ai faimj'aimeje mange du painje pars
• je partis (= I leave) Match for je partis (= I leave) — choose — j'ai faimj'aimeje mange du painje pars

Check

Show answer

• je suis faim → j'ai faim
• je mange le pain (= some) → je mange du pain
• je aime → j'aime
• je partis (= I leave) → je pars

avoir for hunger, partitive for 'some', elision before a vowel, partir is irregular.

5 'I like coffee' (in general) is…

je bois le café j'aime le café j'aime du café je aime le café

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Show answer

j'aime le café — 'Like' takes the definite article: j'aime le café.

Quiz

Check yourself

Top French mistakes quiz

8 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/8 0 answered

1. 1Every French noun has a…

   A tone B gender (masculine or feminine) C plural ending only D fixed accent
   Show answer

   gender (masculine or feminine) — Gender decides the article and adjective, so learn le/la with each noun.

2. 2'I am hungry' in French is…

   A je suis faim B j'ai faim C je suis faim ans D j'ai la faim
   Show answer

   j'ai faim — French uses avoir: j'ai faim.

3. 3'I am 25 years old' is…

   A je suis 25 ans B j'ai 25 ans C je suis 25 D j'ai 25
   Show answer

   j'ai 25 ans — Age uses avoir: j'ai 25 ans ('I have 25 years').

4. 4Why write 'ils parlent' when it sounds like 'parl'?

   A the -ent is a spoken syllable B the -ent ending is silent but required in writing C it is optional D it marks the past
   Show answer

   the -ent ending is silent but required in writing — The -ent is silent but must still be written for ils/elles.

5. 5'I'm eating some bread' is…

   A je mange le pain B je mange du pain C je mange un pain D je mange de pain
   Show answer

   je mange du pain — 'Some' of an uncountable noun uses the partitive: du pain.

6. 6'I love music' (in general) is…

   A j'aime de la musique B j'aime la musique C j'aime du musique D je aime la musique
   Show answer

   j'aime la musique — Like/love take the definite article: j'aime la musique.

7. 7Which -ir verb is IRREGULAR (no -iss-)?

   A finir B choisir C partir D réussir
   Show answer

   partir — partir is irregular: je pars, nous partons — no -iss-.

8. 8Before a vowel, 'je' becomes…

   A ja B j' C jE D je stays
   Show answer

   j' — Elision: je aime → j'aime.

Next

• Fix gender with the noun gender lesson
• Learn the avoir expressions in the avoir lesson
• Back to Start Learning French Here