Learn French — from Zero to Conversational

Complete A1 to B2.2 Curriculum

Course: French

French is spoken on 5 continents and is the official language of 29 countries. Known as the language of love, diplomacy and culture, French opens doors to art, fashion, cuisine and international careers.

🗣️ 300 million speakers worldwide — official language of 29 countries and the UN.
📊 French pronunciation can be challenging at first, but its grammar shares many patterns with English. Once you master the rhythm of the language, progress comes quickly.

Why learn French?

What you get

Grammar you'll master

Le Présent

French present tense covers three main verb groups (-er, -ir, -re) plus key irregular verbs: être, avoir, aller, faire, vouloir, pouvoir.

Je parle français. / Elle a deux chats. / Nous allons au marché ce matin.

Le Passé Composé

The most common past tense — formed with avoir or être + past participle. Used for completed actions.

J'ai mangé une crêpe. / Elle est allée à Paris. / Nous avons vu un beau film.

L'Imparfait

Used for background descriptions, habits in the past and ongoing states. Contrast with passé composé for rich storytelling.

Quand j'étais enfant, je jouais au foot. / Il faisait beau et les oiseaux chantaient.

Articles & Gender

All French nouns have a gender (masculine or feminine). Articles change accordingly: le/la/les and un/une/des.

Le café est chaud. / La boulangerie est fermée. / Des amis m'attendent.

Le Futur Simple

The future tense is formed by adding endings to the infinitive. Key irregular futures: être → ser-, avoir → aur-, aller → ir-.

Je partirai demain matin. / Elle sera médecin. / Nous aurons du temps libre.

Les Pronoms

French pronoun system covers subject, object (direct and indirect) and reflexive forms. Essential for natural speech.

Je le vois tous les jours. / Elle lui a parlé hier. / Ils se lèvent tôt.

A taste of the curriculum

Tu as déjà visité Paris ?

Have you ever visited Paris? — Passé composé for experience.

Oui ! J'ai visité Paris l'été dernier. C'était magnifique.

Yes! I visited Paris last summer. It was magnificent. — Passé composé + imparfait. (With être verbs the participle agrees with the speaker: je suis allé / je suis allée.)

Qu'est-ce que tu as préféré ?

What did you like most? — Passé composé question.

J'adorais me promener le long de la Seine le matin. Je voudrais y retourner bientôt.

I loved walking along the Seine in the morning. I'd like to go back soon.

Frequently asked questions

Is French hard to learn for English speakers?﹢

French shares thousands of words with English due to their shared Norman history — you already know more French than you think. The main challenges are pronunciation, gendered nouns and verb conjugations.

How is French useful internationally?﹢

French is spoken by over 300 million people across 5 continents and is an official language of the UN, EU, NATO and many international organisations. It's the second most studied language in the world.

What's the hardest thing about French grammar?﹢

Most learners struggle with gendered nouns, silent letters, liaison (linking sounds between words) and the difference between passé composé and imparfait. LingoNibble dedicates full units to each.

Will I learn European French or Canadian French?﹢

LingoNibble teaches standard European French, which is understood everywhere. Pronunciation differences with Québécois French are minimal at the B1 level.

How many units does the French curriculum have?﹢

The French curriculum currently covers A1 level (10 units) with A2 and B1 content expanding regularly. Stories and survival tips are available for all levels.

Plan your study

Guide · French roadmap

French Learning Roadmap: From A1 to B2.2

A week-by-week study plan, the grammar that matters at each stage, and sample dialogues at A2 and B1.

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Sample Vocabulary

Hello / Good morning

bonjour

Hi / Bye (informal)

salut

Good evening

bonsoir

Goodnight

bonne nuit

Reading Comprehension Stories

Curriculum Overview (60 Units)

1

Unit 1: Greetings, Introductions & 'Être'

Master basic French greetings, introducing yourself, and conjugating the essential auxiliary verb 'être' (to be).

2

Unit 2: Articles Definite & Indefinite

Master using French definite (le, la, l', les) and indefinite (un, une, des) articles with singular and plural nouns.

3

Unit 3: The Auxiliary Verb 'Avoir' & Possession

Master conjugating the essential auxiliary verb 'avoir' and expressing age, needs, and possession in French.

4

Unit 4: Regular -ER Verbs (parler, habiter, aimer)

Master conjugating first-group regular verbs ending in -ER in the present tense.

5

Unit 5: Basic Negation & Interrogation

Master building negative sentences with 'ne...pas' and forming questions with 'est-ce que' and inversion.

6

Unit 6: Numbers, Time & Prices

Master counting from 0 to 100, telling time, and asking prices in French.

7

Unit 7: Family & Possessive Adjectives

Master vocabulary for family members and possessive adjectives (mon, ma, mes, ton, ta, tes).

8

Unit 8: Daily Routine & Reflexive Verbs

Master describing daily routines using reflexive verbs (se lever, se laver, se coucher) and time markers.

9

Unit 9: Food, Dining & Partitive Articles

Master partitive articles (du, de la, des) when expressing unspecified quantities of food and drink.

10

Unit 10: A1 Capstone & Travel Synthesis

Synthesize all A1 grammar by navigating travel situations, asking directions, and using prepositions of location.

11

Unit 11: Passé Composé avec 'Avoir'

Master forming the passé composé with auxiliary verb 'avoir' and regular/irregular past participles (parlé, fini, vendu, fait, pris, vu).

12

Unit 12: Passé Composé with 'Avoir'

Master forming completed past actions using the passé composé with auxiliary 'avoir' and irregular participles.

13

Unit 13: Passé Composé with 'Être'

Master using auxiliary 'être' in passé composé for movement verbs and reflexive verbs, including past participle agreement.

14

Unit 14: Imparfait Introduction

Master forming and using the imparfait tense for background descriptions, states, and past habits.

15

Unit 15: Direct Object Pronouns (le, la, l', les)

Master replacing direct object nouns with pronouns (le, la, l', les) and positioning them correctly in sentences.

16

Unit 16: Indirect Object Pronouns (lui, leur)

Master replacing indirect object nouns (à + person) with pronouns (lui, leur) and distinguishing COD from COI.

17

Unit 17: Modal Verbs (pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, savoir)

Master conjugating and using modal auxiliary verbs followed by infinitive verbs to express capability, desire, obligation, and skill.

18

Unit 18: Weather, Seasons & Expressing Nature

Master weather expressions with 'faire' and 'il y a', season names, and climate prepositions.

19

Unit 19: Shopping, Clothing & Demonstrative Adjectives

Master demonstrative adjectives (ce, cet, cette, ces) and vocabulary for clothing and shopping.

20

Unit 20: Health, Body Parts & Expressions of Illness

Master expressing health states, body parts, and symptoms of pain using 'avoir mal à' + contraction.

21

Unit 21: Subjonctif Présent: Desires, Obligations & Emotions

Master the French present subjunctive mood after verbs of desire, necessity, and emotion.

22

Unit 22: Subjonctif Présent: Doute, Incertitude & Verbes Irréguliers

Master the French subjunctive after expressions of doubt/uncertainty and learn key irregular subjunctive stems (fasse, puisse, sache, aille, vienne).

23

Unit 23: Conditionnel Présent: Politesse, Souhaits & Conseils

Master the present conditional tense for polite requests, expressing wishes, giving advice, and hypothesis (Si + imparfait -> conditionnel présent).

24

Unit 24: Pronoms Relatifs Simples: Qui, Que, Dont, Où

Master simple relative pronouns (qui = subject, que = direct object, dont = object of 'de', où = place/time) to build complex sentences.

25

Unit 25: Pronoms Relatifs Composés: Lequel, Auquel, Duquel

Master compound relative pronouns (lequel, laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles, auquel, duquel) after prepositions in formal French.

26

Unit 26: Discours Indirect au Présent et au Passé

Master reported speech in French with intro verbs in present and past tenses, applying strict tense concordance (present -> imparfait, passé composé -> plus-que-parfait, futur -> conditionnel).

27

Unit 27: Hypothèses Réelles: Si + Présent -> Futur Simple

Master real and probable condition clauses using the structure Si + Present -> Future Simple (or Present / Imperative) for future events.

28

Unit 28: Hypothèses Irréelles du Présent: Si + Imparfait -> Conditionnel Présent

Master unreal, hypothetical, or imaginary present condition clauses using the structure Si + Imparfait -> Conditionnel Présent.

29

Unit 29: Le Plus-que-parfait: Antériorité dans le Passé

Master the pluperfect tense (Plus-que-parfait) in French to express actions completed prior to another past event.

30

Unit 30: Synthèse B1.1: Entretiens Professionnels et Monde du Travail

Synthesize all B1.1 grammar modules (Subjunctive, Conditional, Relative pronouns, Reported speech, Pluperfect) in professional interview and workplace scenarios.

31

Unit 31: Le Gérondif et le Participe Présent

Master the gerund (en + participe présent) for expressing simultaneity, manner, and condition, as well as the verbal present participle.

32

Unit 32: Expression de la Cause et de la Conséquence

Master cause connectors (parce que, puisque, comme, en raison de, grâce à) and consequence connectors (donc, par conséquent, c'est pourquoi, tellement... que).

33

Unit 33: Expression du But et de l'Opposition

Master purpose connectors (pour que, afin que + subjonctif) and opposition/concession connectors (bien que + subjonctif, malgré + noun, alors que + indicatif).

34

Unit 34: Pronoms Démonstratifs et Possessifs

Master demonstrative pronouns (celui-ci, celle-là, ceux, celles) and possessive pronouns (le mien, la tienne, les leurs, le nôtre) in formal French.

35

Unit 35: La Forme Passive en Français

Master the passive voice construction (être conjugated in the main tense + past participle + par/de agent) and participle agreement.

36

Unit 36: Adverbes de Manière et de Degré (-ment, bien, mieux, meilleur)

Master the formation of adverbs in -ment and distinguish between adverbs (bien / mieux) and adjectives (bon / meilleur).

37

Unit 37: Pronoms et Adjectifs Indéfinis (chacun, plusieurs, n'importe qui)

Master indefinite pronouns and adjectives (chacun, chaque, plusieurs, certains, n'importe qui, n'importe quel, quiconque, nul).

38

Unit 38: Nuances des Verbes Modaux au Conditionnel (devoir, pouvoir, vouloir)

Master modal nuance distinctions in conditional mood (devoir = advice/moral duty; pouvoir = polite request/possibility; vouloir = wish/softened order).

39

Unit 39: Connecteurs Temporels et Subordination Complexe

Master temporal connectors requiring indicative (dès que, aussitôt que) versus subjunctive (jusqu'à ce que, avant que + ne explétif).

40

Unit 40: Synthèse B1.2: Discours Professionnel et Débat d'Idées

Synthesize all B1.2 grammar modules (Adverbs in -ment, Indefinites, Modal nuances, Complex temporal subordination, Debate discourse) for complete B1 mastery.

41

Unit 41: Subjonctif Passé & Antériorité (bien qu'il l'ait fait)

Master the Subjonctif Passé to express completed actions prior to the main clause, governed by feelings, doubt, or subordinating conjunctions.

42

Unit 42: Conditionnel Passé: Regrets & Reproches (j'aurais dû y aller)

Express regrets, counterfactual past desires, and unfulfilled duties using the Conditionnel Passé and past modal auxiliaries.

43

Unit 43: Hypothèses Regrettées (Si + Plus-que-parfait -> Conditionnel Passé)

Master Type 3 conditional sentences and mixed conditionals to analyze past counterfactual scenarios and their consequences.

44

Unit 44: La Voix Passive Avancée et Modale (le rapport doit être rendu)

Master complex passive voice transformations, modal passives, and choice of agent prepositions (par vs de).

45

Unit 45: Participe Présent vs Gérondif (Advanced Nuances)

Master the distinction between Participe Présent (invariable verb form), Adjectif Verbal (variable adjective), and Gérondif (en + participe présent with same subject).

46

Unit 46: Connecteurs Concessifs & Logiques (bien que, pourvu que, en dépit de, néanmoins)

Master advanced logical connectors of concession, restriction, and condition, understanding mood requirements (subjunctive vs indicative vs noun phrases).

47

Unit 47: Le Discours Indirect Complexe au Passé

Master indirect speech when the reporting verb is in the past, applying systematic tense concordance rules and nuanced reporting verbs.

48

Unit 48: Les Pronoms Démonstratifs Neutres (ce qui, ce que, ce dont, ce à quoi)

Master neutral relative pronouns (ce qui, ce que, ce dont, ce à quoi) to represent abstract ideas, clauses, and build emphatic cleft structures.

49

Unit 49: Le Registre Corporatif & La Correspondance Formelle

Master corporate discourse, formal business correspondence, executive politeness formulas, and administrative administrative phrasing.

50

Unit 50: B2.1 Capstone Synthesis & Masterclass d'Argumentation

Synthesize all B2.1 grammar and vocabulary into high-level persuasive debate, academic discourse, and structured oral argumentation.

51

Unit 51: Subordonnées Conditionnelles Avancées (à condition que, à moins que + subj)

Master advanced conditional and restrictive subordinating conjunctions requiring the subjunctive, including expletive 'ne' structures.

52

Unit 52: Tournures Scindées & Mise en Relief (C'est... qui/que, Ce qui... c'est)

Master cleft sentences (C'est... qui/que) and pseudo-cleft structures for rhetorical focus and subject-verb agreements in formal French.

53

Unit 53: L'Expression de l'Hypothèse sans "Si" (au cas où + conditionnel, en cas de + nom)

Master alternative hypothetical structures without 'Si' using conditional mood, subjunctive, prepositions, or inverted clauses.

54

Unit 54: Le Registre Juridique et Administratif

Master high-level French legal phrasing, statutory formulations, official document syntax, and judicial terminology.

55

Unit 55: Style Journalistique & Conditionnel d'Information Non Confirmée (Il y aurait eu...)

Master journalistic discourse, unconfirmed information conditional (Conditionnel de réserve), attribution formulas, and media release register.

56

Unit 56: Argumentation Scientifique & Académique (Structuring research, abstract nominalization)

Master academic writing, abstract nominalization, research hypothesis framing, and empirical reporting in formal French.

57

Unit 57: Critique Littéraire & Le Passé Simple (Recognition of the literary past tense: il fut, il parla)

Recognize and interpret the Passé Simple tense in written literature, historical narrative, and literary commentary.

58

Unit 58: Diplomatie & Nuance (Euphemisms, high-level negotiation syntax, polite disagreement)

Master diplomatic French discourse, euphemistic conditional expressions, polite disagreement syntax, and negotiation register.

59

Unit 59: Gestion de Crise & Communication d'Urgence (Directives, resolving ambiguity, crisis vocabulary)

Master crisis communication, emergency directives, unambiguous instructions, and corporate task force vocabulary under pressure.

60

Unit 60: Masterclass B2 & La Défense Spontanée (Comprehensive B2 synthesis, thesis defense strategies)

Synthesize all B2 grammar and vocabulary into spontaneous oral thesis defense, high-level debate, and executive persuasion.