6 French mistakes we hear every day

Introduction

When learning French, it’s normal to make mistakes. Even after several years of practice, certain phrases come up often… but they immediately sound « wrong » to a French ear. If you want to speak French naturally, fluently, and accurately, it’s essential to spot these common mistakes and understand why they’re problematic. In this article, we’ll look at 6 French mistakes we hear almost every day, and how to easily correct them.

First mistake: “Je suis 30 ans.”

This sentence is very common among English speakers, as it is translated word for word from the English “I am 30 years old”. But in French, we don’t use the verb “être” to express age, we use the verb “avoir”. The correct formulation is therefore: « J’ai 30 ans. » Remember that, when referring to age, we always say “avoir” and not “être”.

Second error: “Je suis bien.”

Many learners think that this sentence is a direct translation of “I’m fine”. However, in French, « Je suis bien » is not used in this context. It is rather used to say that one is well settled, comfortable somewhere (Je suis bien dans ce fauteuil). To answer the question « Comment ça va ?« , you can say: « Ça va bien » or simply « Ça va« .

Third error: “Je visite mes amis.”

Another literal translation of the English “I visit my friends”. In French, the verb “visiter” is used for places (a museum, a city, a monument), but not for people. We would therefore say: “Je rends visite à mes amis.” This nuance is important, because the verb completely changes the meaning of the sentence.

Fourth mistake: “Je sais cette personne.”

The confusion here stems from the use of the verb “savoir ». In French, we say “connaître quelqu’un” not « savoir quelqu’un » The correct sentence would be “Je connais cette personne. » Remember that « savoir » refers to facts, information, or skills (Je sais parler espagnol), while « connaître  » refers to people, places, or things.

Fifth mistake: “J’ai habité en France pour 10 ans.”

This error confuses French and English. In French, we don’t use « pour » to express a past duration, but « pendant. » The correct sentence is therefore: “J’ai habité en France pendant 10 ans”. We reserve « pour » for an action that takes place in the future (Je pars pour deux semaines).

Sixth error: “J’ai beaucoup des amis.”

The expression « beaucoup de » never takes a definite article like « des » after it. We would therefore say: “J’ai beaucoup d’amis”. This small nuance makes all the difference between an awkward sentence and a natural one.

Conclusion

These six French mistakes are among the most common among learners, yet they’re easily corrected with a little attention. By understanding the logic behind each correction, you’ll be able to quickly improve your expression and sound much more natural in your conversations. If you want to go further, practice spotting these small mistakes in your daily conversations and correcting them immediately. It’s by practicing regularly that you’ll reach a level close to that of a native speaker.