Spoken French - Understand Fast Spoken French

“French people speak too fast!” This French lesson will teach you the basics to understand real-life, fast spoken French…
Learn how to understand spoken French, even when it`s incredibly fast! With these tips, you`ll understand fast French conversations quickly and with ease.
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At Comme une Française, we specialize in everyday spoken French. We focus on three unique aspects that are different from school French, self-study books, Duolingo, etc:
1. We focus only on the specifics of speaking/understanding/being understood in everyday French and have unique ways to help you learn it properly & faster.
2. We focus on shortcuts to help you make progress faster, which also means we tell you exactly what you can stop learning to prioritize what’s really important.
3. We use French culture as the subject to make it fun and interesting for adults.
Take care and stay safe.
😘 from Grenoble, France.
Géraldine

[@Commeunefrancaise]

Click here to read, save or print the full written lesson, with all the vocabulary and extra free resources: www.commeunefrancaise.com/blog/spoken-french-language?

[@ikarumizu]

Merci beaucoup!

[@jefreyjoseph58]

I come to understand fast spoken french by listening very carefully and remember the words i dont understand then i look them up in the dictionnaire after.

[@basmafouda6403]

where does it take us to?

[@ogunbunmiblessing7838]

Merci

[@gdvanc]

Fantastic! This makes me wish I had a lifetime to learn this beautiful language. Your explanation of standard French vs. common conversational French makes so much sense. It’s like you speak in cursive. :)

[@user-wt5if6rx8m]

soon spoken french will be just people looking at each other communicating through eye movements because every single word is 100% silent

[@marshan1226]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@eo4419]

il y a ceux déjà de cette façon.

[@user-wt5if6rx8m]

@@eo4419 😂😂

[@Ayadiswaggie]

What

[@coguglielmi]

Da fuck? No way, bro. Ch'te garantis !

[@mpagan606]

My first three months everyone was saying (in Bretagne), “En Fait...” I thought they were saying “ Un Fête” and I thought to myself, wow, everyone parties a lot here! When I found out En Fait was a filler word, it completely changed my experience living here. Btw, they still do make a lot of Fêtes :)

[@ablurida]

Hahaha I hope you didn't get too disappointed! We all used to get told off in school for using it too much. By the way I'm sure you know this now, but for anyone reading, it is 'une fête' (fem.)

[@oliverbirnso2884]

@@ablurida En fête!

[@Afiafancy]

Hahahahaha....i love french people! I need my personal bf =teacher

[@k.5425]

What does "en fait" mean. What does filler word mean

[@jean-paulisambart2444]

Indeed

[@ZoL20]

I m a French native... After listen to her, Im so happy not to have learn French !! So much things we use to say without thinking.... Good luck People, never give up! 😊

[@jobell881]

Lol help us!!

[@magarnischal6073]

Thank you.I am trying

[@CurtisMontague]

It’s not so bad, especially if you can immerse yourself in the language. I lived in Paris and picked up these tips very naturally.

[@MelissaLynn]

@@CurtisMontague same! it was much easier

[@fifthdoctor]

Thank you! I get the same feeling as a native English speaker for people who have to learn or are trying to learn English. It’s literally a lawless language!! At least French has comprehensible rules, I’ve never really appreciated how hard English might seem to some people!

[@ButacuPpucatuB]

My very first French teacher always encouraged me to embrace the fast lane experience. She advised us to watch movies without the subtitles, to carefully look at the hand and facial expressions, to follow the emotion of the music, and to watch several times. Don’t be afraid to repeat a movie. Don’t feel stupid that you didn’t understand the first time round. Eventually, your ability to understand will come. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@shimmeringwalls]

Excellent advice!

[@zainodat2168]

Quite often we're taught using fast spoken French in videos and audio in my classes, but it's never really explained to us.

[@Destassan]

For me it works better with the subtitles. But with French ones, ofc ;)

[@ButacuPpucatuB]

Zain Odat Don’t wait for an explanation. Raise your hand and ask questions. Take notes throughout the show/movie. And don’t be shy to use Google and KZbin. Since they are the same company you can use either one and look up answers and solutions. To start, get familiar with colloquial phrases. Good luck!

[@ButacuPpucatuB]

Tomás B. Fernandez Merci beaucoup 👍🏽

[@johndepaula]

One of my first, and favorite, examples of fast spoken French: Je ne sais pas. = Chai pas.

[@Mullkaw]

J'sais pas

[@god_hawx6130]

chpas

[@julienielsen4462]

Chui pas in quebecois

[@Maximetony]

Chais pas gros

[@chal9575]

johndepaula j’appellerais pas ca “fast spoken” mais plutôt un raccourci (shortcut)

[@vaner9283]

When in France, I found that I could understand foreigners speaking french much better than I could understand the native french. Perhaps this is why.

[@Syl75]

Yes foreigners naturally speak slowly. It's the same for every language. A foreigner speaking English is also easier understandable than a native English.

[@jonathan1391544]

@@Syl75 yeah, I have a Portuguese class where everyone else is a french native speaker, my teacher doesn't speak French very well and often the French students have no idea what he's saying when he tries to speak French but I always understand perfectly, it's pretty funny

[@diaprojectdiss2142]

And I've found Swiss French much easier to understand than Parisian French.

[@scottpreston5074]

Yes

[@elisabethdakak878]

@@Syl75 Not everyone has a very good enunciation in the language he/she speaks.

[@phatrickmoore]

love how the alternatives to "oui" are just like the ones we have in english :) oui = yes ouais = yeah ouiap = yep

[@LemoUtan]

Nan = nah ?

[@Garcia-elf]

Now I get it. I always wondered why I was hearing "wey" instead of oui.

[@mercy-katherine]

Or like we have in Spanish Oui = sí Ouais = see Ouaip = sip 🙌

[@Garcia-elf]

@@mercy-katherine see? ese si no conozco

[@williamwheway1664]

Patrick Moore Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est d'où nous venons tous Les rêves que nous avons, l'amour que nous partageons C'est ce que nous attendons Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est d'où nous venons tous Les rêves que nous avons, l'amour que nous partageons C'est ce que nous attendons Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est d'où nous venons tous Les rêves que nous avons, l'amour que nous partageons C'est ce que nous attendons Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Et dans ma tête, dans ma tête C'est d'où nous venons tous Les rêves que nous avons, l'amour que nous partageons C'est ce que nous attendons Et dans ma tête, dans ma tête C'est d'où nous venons tous Les rêves que nous avons, l'amour que nous partageons C'est ce que nous attendons Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est d'où nous venons tous Les rêves que nous avons, l'amour que nous partageons C'est ce que nous attendons Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de

[@williamgeorgefraser]

I just loved how you brought up the "word" "euh" in French. It is the standard sound of French sportsmen and celebrities who open their mouths before engaging their brains. "Je..euh, euh euh, veux, euh, euh, euh, dire, euh, euh, euh, que, euh, euh, euh..."

[@LianneLavoie]

The part about replacing dire with faire, and then sort of imitating the person's voice when quoting them, seems to me to be similar to the English "he was like" or "he went" instead of "he said".

[@floconspecial]

Exactly :)

[@puravidahoy]

Spot on!

[@sjappiyah4071]

Lianne Lavoie Great comparison

[@katiemarshall7531]

Or "he goes"

[@caramae69]

Thank you, I was confused.

[@MS-rb6xh]

Gotta = got to Gotcha = got you Gonna = going to

[@steverocksyo]

For foreigners got = have gotta = have to gotcha = have you wanna = want to fixin to = getting ready to ;)

[@kianallanosdesign7119]

Steve Steele « finna » is even more broken than fixing to.

[@maybethisismarq]

@@kianallanosdesign7119 👍👍

[@monamouroxo]

Steve Steele fixin to is definitely a southern thing. I’m from the north of the US, and when I went to the south, they would say “fixin to”, and I thought they had to literally had to go to fix something, it was so weird for me haha 😂 So all that to say is that I’ve never heard that expression in the north lol

[@cinnaminson0653]

@@steverocksyo gotcha also means "I understand you."

[@Shikamati03]

As a young native french speaker, I'd say that my generation uses more of those expressions. For example : "genre" = like, "du coup" = so, as a consequence, "en fait" = actually or in fact, etc.

[@raykent3211]

Hi, I'm old and mostly mix with old people, but I've never had anyone ask me "est-ce que tu veux boire quelque chose? ". Rather "tu buy un coup?" With buy pronounced as in English, to make a purchase, but from boire, with no formal french representation. .. baiiiiye? . I'd be interested to know how you say hello. A younger neighbour said "la forme?" Or, I think, "ça gaze?". But he was nearly 30.....

[@Shikamati03]

Ray Kent wowow you should never ever greet someone by saying « ca gaze ? » ! this is sooooo lame and old-fashioned to us ! rather, a good old « salut ! » is always welcome, though we also might say « wesh » to really close friends. But if you are old, trust me you shouldn’t use these phrases, because they will make you sound quite ridiculous 😋

[@raykent3211]

@@Shikamati03 thanks! Where does wesh come from, and how old are you? It's only in the last few years that "sick" can signify very good in English. Hard to keep up! Anyway I stick with bonjour or ça va, to be safe.

[@Shikamati03]

Ray Kent I have no idea where wesh comes from ! it’s also used as « come on ! » like when you’re disappointed or angry at someone. Yep English has its whole load of very polysemic words, sick is one of them, and an equivalent to it in french would be « lourd » (litt. heavy). You can use it exactly as « sick » But those expressions are quite difficult to fully grasp, so as a learner maybe you should, as you said, stick to easier, everyday words like « salut », « ça va » etc.

[@jhornahashi721]

Okk

[@leelama3857]

I switched from "nous" to "on" a few years ago, and love it - so easy and efficient. And also never use the interrogative form, just straight S-V with the lifted voice at the end -- also easier and efficient. So happy to have all of the above confirmed by this gentille "nana". However, I will continue to enunciate my spoken French instead of smushing it together like the natives, because I have, en fait, been complimented many times on my diction by natives in various regions of France. This delights me but always surprises me because I think my intermediate level of French kinda sucks. But who am I to question those kind native speakers?

[@MuttFitness]

When I listen to any language, I prefer hearing people with good diction.

[@luissantiago8446]

Better to speak the basics clearly and correctly, then employing novel quick fixes and short cuts. I continue to speak the English I was taught and it continues to service me quite well, thank you. In fact many consider my correctness in speaking as indicating a foreign birthplace. No. Just the good ole USA. It is good to be aware of linguistic novelties, but not necessarily to employ them. Even these terms and usages will seem dated down the line. Good, clear, and proper French is good enough.

[@depdeitypnw6038]

I feel that. I love learning how to recognize the fast speech, but I don't like to rush my speech.

[@jamesbinns8528]

@@luissantiago8446 I was born and raised in the USA by working class parents who did not finish high school. I never learned to speak and write using proper grammar until I was a senior in college.

[@michel-angechevry3827]

😂

[@annemariemurphy7001]

I would like to hear "French spoken naturally" but slowed down. Perhaps a dialogue that is progressively speeded up. Thank you

[@simonestreeter1518]

I find it works well to combine Geraldine's way with Francais avec Pierre, who only speaks in French, but is slow and clear enough that it works.

[@lesliee.4886]

Hi, i highly recommend the channel "inner French." He speaks french slowly and his videos have really helped improve my own french. Bonne Chance!

[@supermanifold]

SPED. UP.

[@lydiafife8716]

Yes. Practise slowly and pronounce well and one speeds up naturally over time. It sort of just happens with practice.

[@steverocksyo]

You can slow down the speed of the video on KZbin.

[@TheChio116]

Dropping the negation “ne” and just using just “pas” I like it!

[@Chimel31]

Not even: "T'inquiète" (don't you worry) in the video uses neither "ne" nor "pas" and yet implies both.

[@user-zx1lv6cu8t]

@@Chimel31 pour la forme affirmative on aurait plutot dit "inquiete-toi" non? "Tinquiete" ne peut etre que negatif

[@Chimel31]

@@user-zx1lv6cu8t Oui, mais c'est bien de la forme négative dont on parle ici. @Rocio Meza mentionnait des formes abrégées qui omettent le "ne" pour ne garder que le "pas", je faisais la remarque que certaines formes encore plus abrégées se passent également du "pas", en plus du "ne".

[@islamchychy9564]

👌

[@GigiLau]

I saw that a lot on movies.

[@martinneumann7783]

Dear colleagues: I do agree with Géraldine when she recommends watching french movies in FRENCH! My way: first I watch them in German (because I am one). After a while I watch the movie again in the original language with subtitles and then without. For me this is very helpful. Or documentaries or news on french TV, TV5Monde for example. If I don't understand an expression I look immediately for it. In this manner I am also trying to improve my English. I keep on trying...

[@Commeunefrancaise]

Great work, Martin!

[@wolfthequarrelsome504]

I don't know ....i have heard that listening only, is the way to go. Podcasts of personal interest.

[@serenitymaj3872]

Wow ..Lots of small details that no one would teach you formally.. Thank you a lot.

[@johnlawrence2757]

A recent French movie called “L’homme Fidèle” was released in French and also had French sub-titles. I discovered I understood 90% of what was spoken. So it is the speaking that is the problem not the knowledge of the language. But then I have a lot of problems understanding English the way a lot of people speak. So what she is saying is many French people speak very lazily, like many English speakers do I agree going to French movies is a good idea. But you still have to find a movie you want to see

[@MasonHatfieldLogorrhea]

Il me fait .. is like the way we say in English "he was like..."

[@LemoUtan]

That's also how I apprehended it, then I extended it to - he _made_ like a policeman "Ellowellowello, woss gowinon ear then?"

[@MasonHatfieldLogorrhea]

@@LemoUtan ???

[@LemoUtan]

​@@MasonHatfieldLogorrhea I'm saying there's a path from "he said" to my "he made like" to your "he was like" in reported speech.

[@MasonHatfieldLogorrhea]

@@LemoUtan I'm not following exactly lol could you elaborate? Ex:" He was like:... and then I was just like .... "

[@LemoUtan]

@@MasonHatfieldLogorrhea The whole "il a dit" thing is about reported speech, which, in English, is sometimes informalised by avoiding the verb 'to say' and replacing it with 'he went' or 'he made like'.

[@jasonlockwood7992]

Imagine my joy/trepidation/horror, after learning to speak fluent French in Europe (specifically, Belgium), and then moving to Québec to complete my degree. I effectively had to relearn French, not structurally or grammatically, but in terms of vocabulary and pronunciation. I say joy because it was a fun challenge, trepidation because it was daunting, and horror because I had NO IDEA how different the French was in Québec versus Europe. Long story short, I relearned my French AND I retained the European version, too. That's been handy for me, because I can navigate back and forth as needed. For the record, I don't subscribe to the view that Québec French is "bad" compared to European French, as some do, but rather that it's a variant of the language that developed over time, as any language does. English has done this, as have Spanish and Portuguese.

[@LindaEll]

Growing up in NY state in a French Canadian family, I had the opposite experience! The little French I picked up at home often did not agree with what I was taught in high school. My mother helped me a lot with French, but there were many times she disagreed with the vocabulary I was learning in school. Canadian French is its own thing.

[@jasonlockwood7992]

@@LindaEll That's definitely a different experience. Language can be such a contentious issue, especially when people come from the angle of one version or accent being superior to another. Many years ago, I taught English in Slovakia. This was at a time when a lot of Americans were going to the country after 1989 to teach conversational English. All my students had learned British English, but they were happy to learn from an American. Flash forward several decades and a gentleman I worked with informed me I hadn't taught English, but AMERICAN (his emphasis). He said it in a way as to imply American English = inferior to British. I didn't argue with him, but I found it presumptuous - and rude. For reference, I've been a resident of Australia for 14 years, so my English now is an odd hybrid. I have no idea if that's a good thing!

[@billrachmad]

You remind me of Anne Hathaway. Hahaha. Gr8 vidéo :) supérbe

[@nikki18babe]

I clicked the video because the thumbnail looked like Anne Hathaway had cut her hair.

[@klarissaclairiton9010]

there is no accent on the letter E in the word superbe

[@eric0380]

I thought the same thing

[@hillarybeverly5218]

Same

[@okinseymcron5798]

You have a serious view problem

[@panjiagustian7197]

it starts at 4:17 you're welcome.

[@lydia1339]

Thank u 😂😂😂

[@williamwheway1664]

Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est d'où nous venons tous Les rêves que nous avons, l'amour que nous partageons C'est ce que nous attendons Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est d'où nous venons tous Les rêves que nous avons, l'amour que nous partageons C'est ce que nous attendons Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est d'où nous venons tous Les rêves que nous avons, l'amour que nous partageons C'est ce que nous attendons Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Et dans ma tête, dans ma tête C'est d'où nous venons tous Les rêves que nous avons, l'amour que nous partageons C'est ce que nous attendons Et dans ma tête, dans ma tête C'est d'où nous venons tous Les rêves que nous avons, l'amour que nous partageons C'est ce que nous attendons Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est d'où nous venons tous Les rêves que nous avons, l'amour que nous partageons C'est ce que nous attendons Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de Dans mon esprit dans ma tête C'est là où Nous sommes de

[@williamwheway1664]

Nibbler800 que veux-tu dire par quoi?

[@sq7238]

This video could’ve lasted less than half it does... even after “starting” the video she keeps talking shit for the sake of long, monetised videos

[@Awesomekid2283]

@@williamwheway1664 Literally why

[@AI-xs4fp]

Bah, I believe I learned more in this french lesson than the 5+ years of studying it! Merci vachement!

[@wilou62]

Salut, Je suis d’accord avec toi, ce sont des choses qu’aucun professeur ne nous apprend à l’école et cette façon de parler est totalement naturelle, on n’y pense même pas. J’imagine que c’est exactement la même chose dans d’autres langues. En ce moment, j’apprends le malgache, dont la structure n’a rien à voir avec les langues latines dont est issu le français. J’ai appris l’anglais et l’espagnol et j’ai toujours pu comprendre des choses en faisant une comparaison avec le français, qui est ma langue natale. Mais avec le malgache, on recommence tout à partir de zéro. C’est « vachement » difficile ! :) Tu m’as vraiment fait rire en écrivant « Merci vachement ». Oui, « vachement », comme Géraldine le dit, peut être utilisé à la place de « beaucoup », mais pas avec merci. Et le pire, c’est que je ne saurais même pas t’expliquer pourquoi ! Je pense qu’à l’écrit, pour retranscrire le côté familier du français parlé et sans forcément reprendre « beaucoup », tu peux par exemple noter « Merciii ! » (avec plusieurs i à la fin - comme lorsqu’on dit merci de manière enjouée, avec entrain). Petit bonus, une différence entre l’anglais et le français, les espaces autour des ponctuations : une espace avant et après les « : », les « ; », les « ? » et les « ! ». :) W.

[@k.monteil...asalon9357]

Hello, 'gotcha' is fast for 'got you', not I have to. 'I have to' is 'I gotta'.

[@jimhresco1728]

Like "ain-cha?" = aren't you?

[@Son_of_aesthetics]

@@jimhresco1728 ain't ya!(you)

[@jimhresco1728]

@@Son_of_aesthetics I dunno....

[@haleykuchar6782]

Je pense que c’était juste son accent mais elle veut dire I gotta

[@jimhresco1728]

Could be the accent but maybe it's the need for speed that causes the informal dialect to become popular in the first place. "I hafta go- wanna come?"

[@laurenr8977]

Thank you for this! As a beginner it can sometimes be so discouraging to listen to native speakers. This is honestly the most helpful video I’ve found. 🙌

[@raniesposito4251]

I LOVE this! As a French teacher, I'm totally going to have my students watch this. They always complain about how fast French is... even though most speak spanish and it's so similar.

[@marcostap]

Wow! This video appeared in my KZbin recommendations. It is the best single French lesson I have ever experienced! I used to give many English lessons like this in Japan. It really regestered with me. I'm definitely adding your channel to my list. Thank you so much!

[@eerika54]

In elementary when I still had french classes, I was actually taught to speak in some of the fast spoken french ways (Like not having inversion in questions), but I don't remember learning the slow french version of things. I've been struggling with this, because when I see a longer, more formal version of a phrase I'm supposed to know, it goes straight over my head. This video made everything so much more clear

[@mjensenismeismjensen5587]

The best way is always by enjoying your favorite content. I went to a Paul Taylor's show once and I actually understood more the French part of the show than I expected with my A1 maybe A2 French. Of course, it would've been better with subtitles, which is impossible for live shows. So to that end, Cyprien and Norman and many other Francophone youtubers' contents are more helpful

[@jobell881]

Well I find it hard even though I understand mauritian creole very well, watching this video was a revelation I actually understood everything you said, much easier than formal French, as the fast spoken French is much closer to creole I'm used to hearing. This is the breakthrough I needed! Thank you! (Sorry not experienced enough to write that in French! Lol) Subscribed 😃

[@scotleoqueen704]

I'm currently learning French & your videos are also part of daily lessons, you explain everything so well. And a double thank you for all the free content you offer 💙💜

[@carollutz8253]

Oh my gosh! So helpful! Merci beaucoup!

[@HowardHoMusic]

Brilliant! I've needed this!

[@alejandromaciel9748]

Thank God I found you!!! I'm a beginner, and I am happier now that I know about you =)

[@drmichaelelinski6992]

Géraldine, cette leçon est absolument excellente. Merci mille fois !

[@blueskies1415]

Merci Géraldine. Vous êtes fantastique!

[@beckymurphy6728]

This is my first time watching a video of yours. I loved it! I knew 95% of these things already but hearing them explained more in depth is awesome. Thank you so much! Every little bit helps me speak and understand better!

[@claudianowakowski]

I actually had teachers very early on who taught this. It gave students a great advantage.

[@originalhebbo]

You're an amazing teacher ! ♡

[@salomibold341]

Hiba ou heba ?

[@sabastineakpofini4677]

Merci pour ton aide, je suis content.

[@timhampshire3511]

This is the best French education channel on KZbin

[@jackieedwards-henry8315]

This is EXACTLY the type of instruction I’ve been looking for since I returned to the States in 1983 from my year of study in Bordeaux! And I’m thrilled to hear that a lot of what I picked up on that you were breaking down in this video still exists and is used today. 😀👍 Merci mille fois! You have a new subscriber and follower in me!!

[@Commeunefrancaise]

Welcome, Jackie!

[@joanmackie1735]

I first went to France when I was 19, with one year of university French under my belt. I managed well most of the time, but I remember being completely flummoxed when somebody pointed to something I had ( can't remember what -it was probably something to eat or some kind of accessory) and said "Ça s'achète où?", which I heard as "Sassachettou?" and had to have explained to me. This use of the " illogical reflexive" is common in French and virtually non-existent in English, and can take time to get used to.

[@Ptitnain2]

Au Québec, t'aurais sûrement entendu "Oustulàacheté" ou "Ouséquetulàacheté?" "Où est-ce que tu l'as acheté?"

[@AM-we8hj]

God, I love my language now that I watch KZbinrs explaining it, and reading people struggling at it in the comments. At least, that one, I'm good at it!

[@jamescarr4662]

It's just the passive

[@vincentnonnenmacher9352]

Love this ‘illogical reflexive’ ! Enterrons Descartes et Pascal sans aucune réflexions :-)

[@lildrea54]

Spot on. Thanks, Geraldine!!

[@NDiaz-et6hc]

Watching French movies, French television, ie.: TV5 and French radio is the best way to learn French. I have grown up in the Province of Québec, in Canada where the accent and spoken French is extremely different(yet still the same language of course). So to understand France culture, films have been my main gateway! It is a treasure! Thank you for this leçon because I find French fascinating, so beautiful and full of exquisite 'nuances' :) Merci Mam'selle!

[@traysexton9943]

Great video! I learned so many new ways of pronunciation just now

[@barnard-baca]

Para uno de habla hispana, estudiante del idioma francés, no es tanto el problema de la gramática y la velocidad, ni el ritmo, sino reconocer que las vocales cambiantes del francés hacen que uno se atropella. Hay que abrir la mente, y el oído. Excelente vídeo..

[@kabentho]

As a speaker of French as my second language, there's so many things that I learned without even knowing I learned them. Thanks for explaining that they exist and why- This is so cool!

[@martinlangford]

Love your lessons Géraldine and this one was very useful indeed; I hope I manage to remember it. That last one was tough though! I had to go through it about three times before I fully got it but I managed in the end. The speed that people speak in France is my biggest problem and sometimes when I watch films in French, I don't understand what's been said, then I read the subtitles and I realise that it made perfect sense but went over my head because of the speed it was spoken. Thank-you so much for spending all the time you do on these videos.

[@annavlckova7159]

this content is so useful and insane interesting, please make more vids in french

[@VMRVid]

Gotcha is actually "I got you" or "I understand you" or "I will do it for you" Gotta is "i have to" or "I have got to"

[@mme.veronica735]

She was probably saying "you" as "tu"

[@lisahillier3533]

This is wonderful! I am so happy I stumbled upon your lessons. Thank you!

[@beetlejuice3171]

This is an incredibly helpful lesson- 🙏 ☺️ merci beaucoup! You are such a thoughtful monitrice.

[@Kurious2no]

Geraldine, je t'adore! Pour moi, j'écoute France Inter pour la compréhension à l'audition car les intervenants ne sont pas aussi rapides que dans les films. Avec les films je doit utiliser des sous-titres. Merci vachement!!!!!!

[@marieroslind1479]

Thank you for explaining everything in English - We appreciate this very much! Tried a french course of only french which did not work for us! This is great! You are really professional!💝 Bonne Année 🌺

[@lennartthilly8271]

Best french lesson I have ever had. Many thanks

[@drmichaelelinski6992]

Quel cours formidable....j’apprends tellement en écoutant tes leçons géniales. Merci pour m’avoir aidé à mieux parler le français. Grâce à toi, j’améliore un peu plus après chaque leçon avec toi.

[@puppykidd]

Salut Géraldine, merci encore pour une très belle vidéo. T'es vidéos m'as aidé à apprendre le français déjà pendant presque trois ans :) Moi, mon façon préféreé pour améliorer mon français en ecoutant c'est de suivre mes YouToubeurs / KZbinuses francophones préféreés comme Cyprien, Norman, DamonandJo et Natoo (faut juste taper leurs noms sur la barre de recherche pour trouver leur vidéos) parce que leur contenus sont tout marrant et ils parlent assez vite avec sous-titres disponible pour qu'on puisse suivre tout ce qu'ils disent. :)

[@VarunMashru]

Merci pour les recommandations! :)

[@pontianekakoro1737]

Best lesson I ever heard. You are making me learn something new that might jolt me out of the quagmire I have been stuck in for years. Biggest takeaway since I cane across your channel yesterday is that "spoken French is very different from written French" so I will focus more on it as if I am learning an entirely new language. Merci bcp

[@LearnFrenchwithLexie]

It's not uncommon to feel stuck in a quagmire when learning a foreign language, especially when faced with the challenges of spoken French vs written French. Indeed, one of the most significant aspects of learning French is understanding that spoken French differs from written French. This realisation is a crucial step toward achieving fluency and authentic communication. By taking it into account and approaching spoken French as if it were an entirely new language, you're setting yourself up for success.💪

[@mariannewilson753]

No wonder those of us who are not French natives have so much difficulty understanding the language! Thank you for this.

[@mr.richard3109]

Salut. J'apprendre le francais avec Coffee Break French et Memrise pour vocabulary. I just came across this video and I'm so glad I did. It's people like you who fill the gap between textbook and spoken French who give us hope to learn the language properly. Merci beaucoup for everything you do.

[@WinterlyHeights]

For the Australians: * après-midi = afternoon * aprem = arvo

[@alexsteer7551]

As an Australian living in France, merci.

[@lephilosopheinconnu3952]

Arvo? What's that?

[@talideon]

@@lephilosopheinconnu3952 Australian English drops a lot the ends of common words. The 'arv' is from the 'af' bit of 'afternoon', but representing the fact that the 'a' is long by adding the 'r' (Australian English is non-rhotic). The '-o' is a common ending added to these abbreviated words, and triggers voicing of the previous consonant, causing the 'f' to become a 'v', thus: 'afternoon' -> 'aaf' -> 'arvo'.

[@elpidapapoutsaki2201]

Great lesson!!! Merci!!!

[@republiccooper]

Mèsi anpil. Excellente leçon!

[@legrostas2033]

Au Québec, '' Je suis allé à la boulangerie'' devient ''j't'allé à boulang'rie''

[@adriench.7148]

Pour "j'étais allé à la boulangerie" je suppose ?

[@legrostas2033]

@@adriench.7148 Peut-être.. Ce qui est drôle c'est que le ''j't'' est prononcé de la même manière que certaines syllabes en mandarin ''shì'' et ''zhè''. Par exemple, ''je ne le sais pas'' devient ''zhè tu?''. C'est donc quasiment impossible pour un non-natif de bien la prononcer.

[@boutineaulouis2838]

@@legrostas2033 Donc "zhé tu" serais en queksorte: "le sais-tu, toi?". Pour pas se dénigrer en somme? Un peu comme les belges aussi zont cette maladie! Tabernak!!

[@mich8261]

Le gros Tas j’ai immédiatement pensé à « ch’t’allé à la boulangerie »

[@musiqal333]

C'est trop vrai mdr!!!!!! 🤣

[@annmarietornabene]

in fact gotcha is only used mostly for "got you" or even slang for "I understand" and sort of like "ca marche" as well.

[@zaddkiel4458]

Ça marche is more of it's ok or I agree

[@Bahbahlatje]

This is awesome. I have lived and studied in France, so some of this I had picked up, some I had observed but didn't understand. I have never seen this taught but this is incredibly useful in understanding colloquial French in France.

[@treyquattro]

Fantastic channel. Loved it very much, merci!

[@rosangelaridgewell3885]

This is the real way to understand. Everything I learned 60% of it is useless! Why didn't I see this class before? Now, I feel like I need to start all over. We need more real spoken French. I feel betrayed by all the past lessons, I wouldn't understand anybody in France. 😭Merci beaucoup!

[@nathanangelus]

No, it's not useless at all !! Don't be dissapointed ! ^^ When I learnt English, I learnt formal English ! It's important because it's the basics ! Only when you have mastered the minimum of the formal rules you can then understand why and when you can use the unformal possibilities... ^^

[@vanessarhapsody1969]

C'est très utile, merci !

[@stellachen8912]

Bon travail! Merci!

[@claudifitzgerald]

this is craaaaazy. i spent a couple weeks in france this past february and i can say that i picked up most of what this video says without even knowing it. merging words and removing sounds, removing the “ne” for negative sentences, using “on” in informal instances instead of “nous”. it makes my french easier to say, it flows, and when i use it and understand it i feel so french lol. i’d love to learn some more «argot»!

[@TomD67]

Use of _faire_ in place of _dire_ is IMO exactly analogous to American English use of "go" to mean "say," as in "We were walking along when he goes 'Hey, look at that!'"

[@owlmug6052]

J’adore comment vous avez montrées la translittération reversée de l’argo parce que j’ai appris le français en immersion scolaire (au Canada!) et ainsi, on a toujours parlé très simplement. Et moi aussi, je dis ‘je m’suis’! :D C’était génial, merci bien!

[@Hilushenka]

Finally one student for whom french immersion worked well. Congratulations.

[@DondeArandas]

Un belle lecon. Merci beaucoup.

[@ceeceejay]

Thank you for this!!! Very helpful!

[@monamouroxo]

As an American, I have never used “gotcha” as “I have to” (perhaps it’s an English thing?) I usually say “gotcha” as slang for “I gotcha”, meaning “I got you” or “I understand you” I think the word you’re looking for is “gotta” for “have to”. I gotta go to class today (I have to go to class). Mais malgré tout ça, je voulais te remercier pour tes vidéos! Elles sont géniales!!

[@krystalwaterfalls1985]

Kim W she probably meant gotta for I have to or I must

[@Jim_in_AR]

I think she actually said "gotcha" and "I have you," but the KZbin close captioning used "gotta" and "I have to." The PDF of this has "gotcha " and "have you."

[@mohamoodibrahim30]

merci vachement. merci Beaucoup kkkk-it is my New word.

[@manuelguillaud5700]

mohamood ibrahim we don’t say: « merci vachement » because « vachement » is used to amplifie the word after but you can say: « merci vachement beaucoup » (but it’s not that used neither) « merci (vraiment) beaucoup » is still better ;)

[@amar_hain_hum]

C'est une vidéo très utile et extraordinaire pour tous les gens. Excellent.. Merci Madame pour l'a fait ✌✌

[@thomasgriffin5340]

Vos explications de prononciation sont vraiment claires et logiques. Super!

[@seraphinasullivan4849]

Silly resource, I know, but French musicals, specifically Roméo et Juliette, uses everything mentioned here and taught me that was a thing before starting to learn formal French with Rosetta Stone

[@milou66]

Actually, "gotcha" in English means "I got you," or "I have you," or I understand you," or, "you're safe with me." It's "gotta" that means "I have to," or "I must."

[@fabz1509]

Most practical French channel I've come across. Perfect for people like me who have are intermediate. Merci

[@itsReallyLou]

Very nicely done. Thanks so much!

[@TalentedDilittante]

Besides learning French from you, Maitresse Lepère, the four best other ways to learn any language are . . . One, getting in trouble with the police; two, becoming involved with contraband of any kind, such as drugs, art, and gems; three, going to prison; and four, most instructive and important of all, becoming deeply involved amorously with someone who does not speak your language and doesn't want to. In all four cases, you will learn in self-defense. One more: knowing your own language well makes learning a new language far easier. (A prime example is that the majority of Argentines and Uruguayans use only three verb tenses, there is always a period of shock, rebellion and, when lucky, adjustment to practicing the differences and impact of each verb tense.)

[@lechauvesouris2969]

Nothing like a prison love story to make a good linguist.

[@OCUBOX]

Watched 10minutes, my brain hurts, so subscribed so I can return and watch more of your what seems as very helpful lessons. Thanks for the videos!

[@ivana7094]

Très belle vidéo, merci pour toutes ces infos, Géraldine! xx

[@gutierrek]

Thank you!!!! I understand about 70% of what I watch with combining listening and reading subtitles so this while help so much!

[@kristakelly4608]

J'adore le podcast "French Voices" parce qu'il y a une transcription. De plus, puisque je suis canadienne, je regarde une série québécoise sur Tou.tv qui s'appelle "Les Simones" et la chaîne KZbin "Denyzee".

[@truchretienne8889]

Merci de partager ces choses la.

[@lutchbizin6420]

I've never studied French, although it's not a difficult language for me as I'm a native Portuguese speaker. I also teach Portuguese to speakers of other languages and I love your insight as the same process also takes place in Portuguese and as a teacher I avoid explaining that to my students. I'll become more aware. Thank you for your great research!

[@tonyhawk94]

Yes if you speak a Romance / Latin language (Spanish, Portugese, Italian, Catalan even Romanian) these process are natural for many people and easier to understand. :)

[@jasminkaj7731]

Excellent lesson. Thank you.

[@MichaelMindel]

What a fabulous presentation - Brava!!! You're a great natural teacher....Thanks for this wonderful presentation..

[@Frederic1406]

For the beginner test at the end... I personally pronounce "staprem" instead of "cet aprem". I think this is more a Southern France thing. For "cette nana", people of the North would say "cet' nana" and I would say "c'te nana"(I am from Toulouse).

[@charlesvanderhoog7056]

Long ago, Danish went through a similar change as French in the past decades, and today, although one could read Danish with great ease, it has become nigh impossible to understand it when it is spoken. It's like one hears Chinese for the first time and, frankly, I found it to be more difficult to learn than Chinese. French is going the same way. On top of that you have the introduction of alternative words intoFrench, like in the sixties in London we had Cockney Rhyming slang, in France, le verlan is already getting old hat. And the only reason the language is garbled is that highschool kids want to sound 'cool'. It is a stupid approach to the language for it makes communication in that language that much more difficult. I know five distinct levels of French vocabulary, and this video shows there are three levels of pronuncianion on top of that. The harder a language becomes to learn, the less popular it will be in the world. So French is on its way out, which is a pity because, after Brazilian Portugese, it is a most beautiful language. I remember that when I was a teenager, everyone had to learn French, like English. Today, hardly anyone in high school chooses French. It is the French themselves who are to blame for this, especially the Parisian school kids. When I stayed at a friend;s house, every day there was an altercation between the mother and her two kids. She could not understand what her kids (then 11 and 13) were saying to one another and tried to force them to speak 'proper' French which resulted in daily rows.

[@lizziemallow]

I mean it's not French people's way of speaking fault if written French is becoming too different from spoken French. Actually, you should rather blame French politics that are very conservative regarding their own culture, and try to maintain very old standards when most people just don't speak that way anymore. You could actually say the same about a lot of languages, including brazilian Portuguese (which I know a little about since I speak both languages)

[@debbiegoodman4233]

An excellent lesson, very well laid out and explained. Thank you.

[@bettyblades169]

I understood all the fast french but was distracted by how amazingly articulate you are in english.

[@musiqal333]

I remember when I was in Bordeaux. My host friend kept saying "vachement" so often!!!!

[@philv3941]

Oui, on le fait vachement souvent

[@mannymachete5622]

Et c’est vachement fatiguant

[@gavincraddock5772]

Many years ago my French friend told me to use "carrement" in place of "vachement"... is that now very old fashioned?

[@philv3941]

@@gavincraddock5772 "carrément" is allways OK to me. It's slighly less casual and still be cool between friends without being too posh or awkward. In business, never ever use "Vachement", you could use "carrément" if it's informal and you know very well your boss (but not with the client) , and you could use "totalement" instead, with everyone. not posh, not vulgar, perfect.

[@TheSmurfboard]

le lait est vachement bon

[@cv3319]

She s giving me Anne Hathaway meets Paris realness!

[@thedailyepochs338]

I KNOW RIGHT

[@xbjrrtc]

Yaaasss queen

[@ugommaokorie1660]

Yes!!!!! 100% true

[@galladiel]

Thank you so much! This is a very informative and easy to understand video.

[@limmeh7881]

This is just what I needed, I can watch all the french netflix or youtube but having someone explain these things like this helps 1000000000% !!!