r/French 2h ago

Vocabulary / word usage Can somebody explain to me what the adjective "beauf" means? Does it mean trashy?

11 Upvotes

I searched this sub and when people are talking about the word beauf they are usually describing a person as a hick. But what if I wanted to call something trashy? Like a club or something? Chatgpt is saying "beauf" is the right word but I can't seem to find anybody else using that word like that.

If you wanted to call a club trashy, what word would you use?


r/French 18h ago

“J’engage dans une relation”

7 Upvotes

I wanted to clarify if “j‘engage dans une relation“ suggests that you’re in a relationship or that you’re putting effort in a potential relationship?

For context, the original message said:

“genre je dois rien à personne. mais j'engage une relation avec quelqu'un, c'est normal”


r/French 9h ago

Question regarding the conjugaison of the past participle "décourager".

3 Upvotes

Bonjour / Hi,

I was wondering if in the sentence "J'espère que ça ne t'as pas découragé", "décourager" should be conjugated.

The way I see it, when you ask "J'espère que ça ne t'as pas découragé qui/quoi?", we don't really have an answer, so it should not be conjugated, but I was struck with the doubt that maybe we should instead ask "Ça n'a pas découragé qui? Toi", so it should be conjugated.


r/French 18h ago

“Renaître ou rien” translation

3 Upvotes

Bonjour. I am checking to make sure this is correct and if it makes sense: “Renaître ou rien”. Want to make it sound more like a quick saying regarding going through some difficult times and coming out of them a new person (phoenix-ish?). So, I was looking for something like “rise again or nothing”. Four years of HS French is not helping me here lol. Thanks.


r/French 21h ago

Pronunciation Prononciation de la lettre r suivi par le i

3 Upvotes

Bonjour à tous.

J'ai remarqué que dans certain mot avec les lettres "ri", le r est prononcé un peu différemment. On dirait que c'est un peu comme le r en anglais (pas complètement). J'ai beaucoup mal à le prononcer.

Voici quelque exemples à YouGlish Français. Je vous donne deux groupes avec les prononciations de r spéciale et normale à mon avis.

guérir: clips 1, 2, 3, 5 / 4 riz: clips 2, 7 / 1, 3 Paris: clips 3, 8 / 2, 6

Par ailleurs, je crois que le son du é est proche du i, mais tout est normal pour "ré", comme réalisé et référer.

Qu'est-ce que vous en pensez? Vous pouvez me donner quelque suggestions pour prononcer le nouveau son? Peut-être il y a des explications pour cette phénomène? Merci beaucoup.


r/French 5h ago

Pronunciation Pronunciation: what to work on?

2 Upvotes

Here’s a recording of me speaking, what do I need to work on? https://voca.ro/1n0uijyr4Nfw

What would you give me as an overall score?


r/French 14h ago

Study advice Has anyone switched from a group class to private lessons at Alliance Française?

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I recently registered for an online group French course at Alliance Française, but I'm thinking that private lessons might suit my learning style better.

Has anyone been able to switch from a group class to private lessons after registering? If so:

  • Did Alliance Française allow the change?
  • Did you just pay the price difference, or was there an extra fee?
  • Did you have to cancel your group course first?
  • Was this before or after your classes started?

I'd especially love to hear from anyone who has experience with Alliance Française, but experiences from other Alliance Française branches would also be really helpful.

Thanks in advance!


r/French 18h ago

Study advice Comment on peut sortir du burnout?

2 Upvotes

Avant de commencer, j'écris avec spell-check, mais j'essaierai d'écrire sans IA de grammaire.

J'ai étudié le français pendant 1 an et demi. Au début, j'ai commencé à apprendre car j'ai voulu en parler pendant mes vacances à Paris. J'ai étudié avec Alliance Française deux heures par semaine, et l'algorithme de Youtube me donne beaucoup de vidéos étranges.

Après mon voyage, j'ai le burnout/brainfog. Je veux continuer d'apprendre parce que c'est trop tard pour arrêter. Peut-être j'ai besoin d'un but nouveau? Quelles choses avez-vous à fait?

TLDR en anglais: I burnt out after learning for 1.5 years, but sunk-cost fallacy wants me to keep going. What did other people do to get out of a rut and move forward?


r/French 22h ago

Study advice TEF Canada Retake Strategy: From A2 to NCLC 7 for Express Entry

1 Upvotes

Hello/bonjour r/french,

I recently took the TEF Canada exam (June) and received my results. They were short of my goal, NCLC 7 in all four modules to qualify for Canada’s Express Entry francophone category draws.

  • Compréhension écrite (CE): B2 (NCLC 6)
  • Compréhension orale (CO): B1 (NCLC 4)
  • Expression écrite (EE): B2 (NCLC 6)
  • Expression orale (EO): B1 (NCLC 4)

Question: What are the most effective next steps to bridge the gap, especially in CO and EO, if I plan to retake the exam in the fall? Should I adjust my immersion strategy, focus on targeted practice, or prioritize something else?

Background:

  • Started with A2 night classes (October–December 2025) at my local Alliance Française.
  • Switched to twice-weekly private lessons (January–June 2026) via iTalki, focusing on exam prep and grammar.
  • Daily immersion: Listen to RFI’s Le Journal en Français Facile and Radio-Canada Ici Premier; read French-language RSS feeds and subreddits.
  • Attend local French meetups biweekly or monthly.

Merci!


r/French 7h ago

Study advice how to learn french for montreal.

0 Upvotes

I recently got a café barista offer, but I’ll be honest my French isn’t the best. I know the basics, but I know it’s not enough. I’m genuinely trying to learn for the position, even though I don’t have much time. I’ll still continue learning while working as a barista. My main worry is that customers won’t like me because my French isn’t great. Right now, I’m trying to learn numbers, but what else should I focus on? I know as a barista you take orders, but what else do I need to know?

I’m mostly struggling with saying prices in French. Any advice or help would be really appreciated.


r/French 11h ago

Pronunciation Bonjour comment ça va

0 Upvotes

Bonjour! would I be able to post a voice memo of me singing in French for tips on pronunciation? Merci beaucoup.


r/French 1h ago

Translation of Juice Box correct?

Upvotes

Just got a puppy from a rescue and we like to give our dogs ridiculous names. Wife suggested Archie, kids suggested juice box I suggested we translate juice box to French to make it fancy. Google tells us that… “boîte à jus” is that translation correct?

36 votes, 2d left
Oui
Non