In addition to being the official language of
France, French is also the official language of Haiti, Luxembourg, and more than fifteen countries in
Africa. The French language is one of the official languages in Canada, Belgium, and Switzerland,
plus it is considered an unofficial second language in many countries such as
Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. French is also one of the six official languages of the United
Nations. In all, approximately 75 million
people speak French as their native language. In addition, many people around the world learn French in school.
The French language that exists today is the result of a long and complex evolution.
Ancient France was invaded by different ethnic and linguistic groups:
Celts, Greeks, Romans, Franks and other Germanic tribes, and Arabs. The name "France"
actually comes from the name of the Germanic tribe, the Franks, who entered France during
late antiquity and gradually became the dominant people. They adopted the late form of
Latin that was spoken in the country at the time, but added many of their own words and
changed some of the Latin forms to resemble their own more closely.
People who speak French today can not understand the early forms of French spoken
before the 12th century or so without specialized study. Over the years, as different
peoples entered the country, the words and grammatical structures
evolved to fit the needs and patterns of the developing French language. Two examples: the Latin
for "farmer" was "agricola"; the French is now agriculteur. The
Latin for "(they) are" was "sunt"; the conjugated French verb has become sont.
French vocabulary has contributed many words and phrases to the English language. For example, hors
d'oeuvre, en route, rendezvous, and R.S.V.P. all come from French.
As you are learning French, you may find it comforting to recognize some French words. However,
although French and English share many words and expressions, don't assume that a French vocabulary
word always means what you expect it to mean in English. For example, the French word comment
doesn't mean "comment." It means "how." And demander doesn't
mean "to demand." It means "to ask." A person who is sympathique
is not sympathetic-- he's nice.
English speakers who are learning French may find the concept of formal and informal address to be particularly interesting. When you speak French to an older person, or someone you don't know very well, you
should use the formal
vous form of address. When you speak French to a child, a good friend,
or a family member, you can use the informal
tu form of address. Did you know that the
French address their pets as
tu? It's true! Pets are very highly regarded in France
and are treated as part of the family. It's not unusual to see a French person go just
about everywhere with the family dog-- even to a restaurant!
The conjugation of French verbs can be tricky for English speakers who are learning French. French verbs fall into two main categories: regular verbs and irregular verbs. Regular French verbs are usually conjugated in a consistent way. The stem is not changed and the endings are regular. Irregular French verbs have inconsistent tense formation with changes in both the stem and ending. The conjugation of each irregular French verb needs to be memorized individually.
English speakers learning French will also find many other interesting differences between the two languages.
For example, in French numerals, a decimal is written as a comma, and vice-versa. So,
1,000 looks like 1.000 when written in French. And .75 becomes ,75. Also, you might notice
that the French write the number seven with a line through it (to
distinguish it from the number one, which they write with a top stroke that makes it look
like a seven).
Although French pronunciation follows fairly consistent rules, regular practice is necessary to learn to speak French well. That's why good French software programs or audio products can be so important. It's easier than ever to learn French and to begin to speak French with the language
resources and French language software from Transparent Language. With FrenchNow!, Before You Know It, KidSpeak, PDQ, and our other language learning products, you will speak French, learn French vocabulary, conjugate French verbs, understand French grammar, and master French pronunciation quickly. Plus, our French translation software, EasyTranslator, will help you translate French to English and translate English to French. Best of luck with your French language learning!
