To learn French for real life, drill the six tricky sounds (u, r, on, an, en, in), memorize the 20 phone-call phrases below, learn five core verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir) in present tense, and speak out loud 15 minutes a day. Expect to handle a short call in about six weeks.
Your tutor today
I used to tell my students that French would “come with time.” Then one of them, a mom named Marisol, called me after a school meeting in Montreal and cried through most of it. She had understood maybe three words. Time was not the fix. A screenshot-friendly cheat sheet was.
So here is the one I wish I had built her two years earlier. It is dense on purpose. Save it. Screenshot it. Tape it next to your phone.
The one-line answer to “how do I learn French?”
To learn French for real life, drill the six tricky sounds (u, r, on, an, en, in), memorize the 20 phone-call phrases below, learn five core verbs in present tense (être, avoir, aller, faire, pouvoir), and speak out loud 15 minutes a day. Expect to handle a short call in French in about six weeks.
That is the whole plan. Everything below is the reference behind it.
Sounds cheat sheet: the 6 that make you sound “not French”
Every English speaker I coach trips on the same six sounds. Fix these first and half your pronunciation trouble disappears.
| Sound | How to make it (mouth shape) | Example | Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| u | say “ee”, then round your lips like a whistle | tu | you |
| r | soft gargle from the back of your throat | rue | street |
| on | nasal “oh”, stop before the n | bonjour | hello |
| an / en | nasal “ah”, stop before the n | enfant | child |
| in / ain | nasal “a” (as in cat), stop before the n | matin | morning |
| eu | say “eh”, round your lips | deux | two |
Practice tip: pick one sound a day. Say ten words with it out loud in the mirror. Watch your lips move. That is the whole drill.
Pick one sound a day. Ten words in the mirror. That is the entire drill.
Tama
The 20 words that carry 80% of your phone calls
Group them by job, not by grammar. Learn each chunk as one unit.
Opening (4) – Allô. (“Hello.” Phone only.) – Bonjour madame / bonjour monsieur. (“Hello ma’am / sir.”) – Oui, c’est bien moi. (“Yes, this is me speaking.”) – Je vous appelle au sujet de… (“I am calling about…”)
Asking (5) – Est-ce que… (turns any sentence into a question) – Pouvez-vous…? (“Can you…?”) – Comment ça s’écrit? (“How is that spelled?”) – Quand est-ce que…? (“When…?”) – Combien ça coûte? (“How much does it cost?”)
Understanding (5) – Je comprends. (“I understand.”) – Je ne comprends pas. (“I do not understand.”) – Pouvez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît? (“Can you repeat, please?”) – Plus lentement, s’il vous plaît. (“More slowly, please.”) – Un instant, je note. (“One moment, I am writing it down.”)
Fixing (3) – Pardon. (“Sorry / excuse me.”) – Excusez-moi de vous déranger. (“Sorry to bother you.”) – Je vais rappeler. (“I will call back.”)
Closing (3) – Merci beaucoup. (“Thank you very much.”) – Bonne journée. (“Have a good day.”) – Au revoir. (“Goodbye.”)
If you memorize only one line from this whole page, make it “Pouvez-vous répéter, plus lentement, s’il vous plaît?” That single line saves every call.
Phone-call scripts cheat sheet
Three calls. Three scripts. Copy them, change the details, run each one out loud twice. You want the words to leave your mouth without thinking.
Calling the doctor’s office – “Bonjour, je voudrais prendre un rendez-vous, s’il vous plaît.” (Hello, I would like to make an appointment, please.) – “C’est pour ma fille. Elle a de la fièvre depuis hier.” (It is for my daughter. She has had a fever since yesterday.) – “Vous avez quelque chose cette semaine?” (Do you have something this week?)
School meeting confirmation – “Bonjour, c’est la maman de [name]. J’appelle au sujet de la réunion.” (Hello, this is [name]’s mom. I am calling about the meeting.) – “À quelle heure, exactement?” (What time, exactly?) – “Je dois apporter quelque chose?” (Do I need to bring anything?)
Landlord problem – “Bonjour, il y a un problème dans l’appartement.” (Hello, there is a problem in the apartment.) – “Le chauffage ne marche pas.” (The heating is not working.) – “Vous pouvez envoyer quelqu’un aujourd’hui?” (Can you send someone today?)
Run each script slowly first. Then at normal speed. Then with a pretend interruption (“wait, when?”). Real calls have interruptions.
Real phone calls have interruptions. Practice with interruptions, and the real call stops feeling scary.
Tama
Paperwork vocabulary cheat sheet
The words that show up on every French form. Recognize them once and you stop freezing at line four.
| French | English | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| Nom | Last name | Every form |
| Prénom | First name | Every form |
| Date de naissance | Date of birth | Medical, school, rental |
| Lieu de naissance | Place of birth | ID, admin |
| Adresse | Address | Everywhere |
| Code postal | Zip / postal code | Everywhere |
| Numéro de téléphone | Phone number | Everywhere |
| Signature | Signature | Bottom of form |
| Ci-joint | Attached | Emails, applications |
| Justificatif de domicile | Proof of address | Rental, banking |
| Pièce d’identité | ID document | Everywhere |
| Relevé de compte | Bank statement | Rental, admin |
| État civil | Marital status | Admin |
| À remplir | To be filled out | Form instructions |
Screenshot this table. Really. It is the block my students re-open the most.
Grammar you actually need: five verbs, present tense
Skip the rest of your grammar book for now. These five verbs power almost every phone-call sentence you will make.
être (to be) – je suis, tu es, il/elle est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils/elles sont
avoir (to have) – j’ai, tu as, il/elle a, nous avons, vous avez, ils/elles ont
aller (to go) – je vais, tu vas, il/elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont
faire (to do, to make) – je fais, tu fais, il/elle fait, nous faisons, vous faites, ils/elles font
pouvoir (to be able to, “can”) – je peux, tu peux, il/elle peut, nous pouvons, vous pouvez, ils/elles peuvent
That is your whole starter kit. “Je peux rappeler?” (Can I call back?) uses one. “Est-ce que vous pouvez répéter?” uses one. You will feel the payoff in week two.
Weekly reps cheat sheet: 15 minutes a day
Consistency beats marathons. This is the exact week I give my newjoiner students.
| Day | 15-minute rep |
|---|---|
| Mon | Say the 20 phone-call phrases out loud, twice |
| Tue | Drill 2 of the 6 tricky sounds in the mirror |
| Wed | Run one phone-call script slowly, then at speed |
| Thu | Fill out a blank form in French (any form) |
| Fri | Have one live spoken conversation (see below) |
| Sat | Watch 15 minutes of French TV with French subtitles |
| Sun | Rest, or re-read this page |
For Friday’s live conversation you have three real options. A friend who will be patient with you. A human tutor, which runs around $400 a month in most cities. Or an AI tutor. I coach on Praktika, where you can have a spoken French conversation with a lifelike AI tutor for about $8 a month, get real-time pronunciation and grammar feedback, and hit a repeat button and slower-speed setting when your ears need one. If freezing at “bonjour” is your specific thing, our free 7-day French speaking warm-up is a gentler ramp before you attempt the doctor’s office.
Your first milestone: a real 3-minute phone call in French, in 6 weeks
Not fluent. Not perfect. A three-minute call to a real office, in French, with the person on the other end understanding your message. That is milestone one. Almost every learner I have coached who ran the plan above hit it on schedule, some as early as week four.
When you hit it, celebrate loud. Then come back for the next cheat sheet (small talk and slang, so you can chat with the person before the “au revoir”). My 25 everyday slang phrases guide is where I would send you next.
Ready to run rep one right now? Start a free conversation and try the doctor’s-office script with a tutor who will slow down and repeat as many times as you need. No judgement. That is the whole point.
Not fluent. Not perfect. Three minutes, understood on the other end. That is your first win, and it is closer than you think.
Tama
FAQ: French exams and certifications
Do I need a French exam or certificate for daily life in Quebec or France? No. Nothing on this page requires a certificate. You only need one for immigration, university admission, or specific jobs. For calls, school meetings, and paperwork, real speaking practice is what actually matters.
What is the DELF, and who is it for? The DELF (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française) is the official French Ministry of Education certificate for levels A1 through B2. It is life-valid (no expiry) and is the standard credential for most immigration files and school admissions up to intermediate level.
What is the DALF, and how is it different from the DELF? The DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française) is the advanced version, covering C1 and C2. Same issuer, same life-validity. Universities in France usually ask for a DALF C1 for direct admission.
TCF vs TEF: which one do I take? Both are level-placement tests (not pass/fail) and both are valid for two years. The TCF (Test de Connaissance du Français) is used widely for university admission and French naturalization. The TEF (Test d’Évaluation de Français) is what Canadian immigration typically asks for; the TEF Canada version is the one for Express Entry and most Quebec applications.
How long does it take to reach B1 for a phone-call test like TEF Canada? For a motivated adult doing 15 minutes of daily speaking practice, roughly 6 to 9 months from zero to a solid B1 result. Faster if you already live somewhere French is spoken around you every day.
Can I prep for a French exam using an AI tutor? Yes for speaking and listening, which are usually the hardest sections for adult learners. For writing and formal grammar, pair the AI tutor with a workbook or a human teacher who can grade essays. The LEAP method is the deadline framework I run with exam students.