Did you know that French is spoken on every continent? French is the official language in more than 29 countries and has more than 300 million native and non-native Francophones. It was to be expected that being one of the five most spoken languages, it would be rich in its diversity, accents and variations, vocabulary, and different pronunciations.
The language will always vary according to the territory. For example, even though Canadian French and French from France share the same grammatical rules, the pronunciation is vastly different. This is due to the circumstances of the territories and the historical influences that have impacted them over time. For example, Quebec has a considerable influence from North American countries compared to European French culture.
So, is it possible that the only similarity Canadian and European French share is the same grammatical rules? And the answer is probably yes. The differences between both are huge. But, when you read a text in French, it will be challenging to know if it comes from a Quebecois or a French author. However, we bet that when you listen to the authors speak, you will rapidly identify the differences between both types of French.
Regardless of whether you are in Canada or France, in this article, we will review the French grammar rules so that you feel more confident in French. But first, let's pay an ode to our beloved country and learn some French Canadian facts!
Some French Canadian Facts!
- Canada has a population of nearly 35 million people, and French is the first official language spoken by 22.8% of Canadians.
- Did you know that almost 10.4 million Canadians can carry on a fluent conversation in French?
- All institutions in Canada, by law, must offer their services in English and French.
- The Government of Canada promotes both official languages in Canadian society. For example, you can find French public training very quickly.
- Quebec is the only Canadian Francophone province where French predominates even within government institutions.
- Did you know that almost 1.7 million young Canadians study French as a second language?
Do you want to learn more about the Canadian Francophonie? Click here!
Basic French Grammar Rules
- The verbs "être" and "avoir":
Two essential irregular verbs in French are être and avoir, whose conjugations you will have to learn by heart since they don't follow the same ending patterns. The verb "être" corresponds to be and to be. It is used to inform the person's circumstances, such as their profession, nationality, etc. Example: "Je suis Mexicain", which means I'm Mexican. The verb "être" is also used as an auxiliary for the compound tenses of verbs of movement, such as aller, partir, and tomber (go, leave, and fall).
The verb "avoir" corresponds to the verb to have. For example: "Stephanie a voiture rouge" means "Stephanie has a red car."
- Regular verbs in French:
During the conjugation, the regular verbs will always change their endings according to the person doing the action and follow the same endings pattern. The regular verb endings are usually -ir, -re, or -er, for example, mang-er (eat). Check out the endings of the regular verb "manger" (to eat):
- Je mange
- Tu manges
- Il/Elle mange
- Nous mangeons
- Vous mangez
- Ils/Elles mangent
- Adjectives in French: An adjective generally describes a noun, an object, or a person. Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun.
- "Des femmes mystérieuses": Misterious women. Adjective: "Mystérieuses".
- "La petite fille mange du pain": The little girl eats bread. Adjective: "Petite".
- Adverbs in French: An adverb describes a verb, an action, an adjective, and even another adverb.
- "Elles partent ensemble": They leave together. Adverbs "ensemble" which modifies the verb "parent."
Most of the adverbs in French finish in -ment. For example:
- courageuse = courageusement; courageous = courageously.
- claire = clairement; clear = clearly.
- gaie = gaiement; cheerful = cheerfully.
- The negation:
The negation in French is formed with the words "ne" and "pas" (not). "Ne" goes after the subject and before the verb. The "pas" is positioned after the verb. Remember that the general structure of the negation is: Subject + NE (N') + verb + PAS + complement.
Let's take an example:
- French: "Gloria habite à Paris" = "Gloria n'habite pas à Paris".
- English: Gloria lives in Paris. = Gloria does not live in Paris.
- Other types of negation:
- Ne + verb + PAS: No
- Ne + verb + PLUS: Not anymore, not anymore.
- Ne + verb + RIEN: Nothing
- Ne + verb + PERSONNE: Nobody
- Ne + verb + NEVER: Never
- Ne + verb + AUCUN/E: None
- Ne + verb + QUE: Not more than
- Gender in French: Compared to English, French has two genders: masculine and feminine. Each word (especially objects and people) will have a specific gender. Almost all nouns ending with a silent "e" are of the feminine gender; however, remember that there are always exceptions in French. Let's see an example:
- Feminine: La technologie; the technology.
- Masculine: L'espagnol; the Spanish.
These are some topics to study in French grammar. We recommend you keep reading to introduce yourself more to the language and discover also why French is so different. This represents only a tiny part of this universe of French (without considering all the exceptions we find in the language). Ready? GO!
Do you want to learn French in Canada?
Since French is one of the official languages of Canada, there are great opportunities in the country to learn or practice the language. Here you will find some good options for learning French:
- The Government of Quebec: offers online and face-to-face French classes for intermediate and advanced levels. These courses are taught in universities and educational centers, where you can find intensive and specialized French courses in culture and the labor market.
- The University of Toronto: This iconic University offers face-to-face and online French courses so you can improve your vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. At the University, you will find six-month courses, and at the end, you can receive a certificate of completion.
- The Alliances Françaises: These centers aim to promote French culture and are recognized by the French Embassy and Campus France. Here you can find great French and French civilization courses for all levels. You will discover Alliance Françaises in Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Moncton, and Halifax, Canada.
- AEFE Schools (Agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger): In Canada it is one of the most popular centers for French education with more than 7,000 students per year. AEFE schools are certified by the French administration and focus on pedagogical innovation and language learning. In Canada you can find the following centers: Lycée Claudel in Ottawa; the Collège Stanislas de Québec; the Collège Stanislas and the Collège International Marie de France in Montreal; the Lycée Français de Toronto and the Toronto French School; the Lycée Louis Pasteur in Calgary, and the École Française Internationale Cousteau in Vancouver.
Is it possible to learn French online?
Learning French and any new language requires motivation, organization, and patience, a lot of patience. However, knowing how to measure your progress and identify your mistakes is also essential. Don't you think that all this will be much easier if you have the support of a private tutor? If you want to improve your skills in this beautiful language more effectively, check out the official Superprof platform!
On the Superprof Canada website, you will find more than 1600 tutors available in Canada who can teach you French, but you can also find more private tutors to learn Spanish, German, and even Cantonese! Even you can learn both Canadian and European French!
And did you know that Superprof can choose to study in person or 100% online? That's how it is! With Superprof, you no longer have excuses not to learn French! Is it freezing outside? Is the weather extreme this winter? Do you want to save 764234623 hours of traffic? Superprof is the best alternative for you! And remember, as long as you have the motivation, organization, and Superprof support, you can learn practically everything online, and of course, French! Bah ouais!
How does Superprof work?
From the comfort of your room, you can start practicing your French whenever you want, whether you are in Canada or France. Follow the steps below:
- Access the Superprof platform through our official site;
- Enter that you want to practice "French" or that you want to know more about "mathematics" or learn to dance "salsa," for example;
- Do not forget to enter the city or province where you are to obtain the most personalized results. For example, you can enter "Toronto."
- Get instant access to thousands of profiles of registered tutors teaching French in Canada.
- Click on the one that catches your attention the most. You can access all their professional and academic training and their prices per class.
- Don't forget to click on the option "Book a class!",
- And voila! This was a piece of cake, my French speaker friend!
The rates of French classes can vary according to the city and the language level to be taught. However, some tutors may offer a lower price per lesson if you take multiple classes with them or opt for group lessons. And the fantastic thing is that most Superprof tutors offer their first lesson for free! Are you ready to start your path to bilingualism? Find the best private teachers with Superprof and achieve your bilingual goals! Welcome to the Superprof family! :-)
Learn more about the differences between the French language here!
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