Learn French — from Zero to Conversational

Complete A1 to B1.2 Curriculum

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'y suis allé l'été dernier. C'était magnifique.

Yes! I went there last summer. It was magnificent. — Passé composé + imparfait.

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.

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Sample Vocabulary

Good morning / Hello

Bonjour

Hi (informal)

Salut

Good evening

Bonsoir

Goodbye

Au revoir

Curriculum Overview (40 Units)

1

Unit 1: Greetings & Être

Basic greetings, introductions, and the verb 'être' (to be).

2

Unit 2: Counting & Nouns

Numbers 1-10, basic everyday nouns, and definite/indefinite articles.

3

Unit 3: Family & Avoir

Family members vocabulary and the verb 'avoir' (to have).

4

Unit 4: Verbs (-er) & Actions

Regular -ER verbs, conjugation patterns, and describing daily actions.

5

Unit 5: Food & Cafe

Food and drink vocabulary, and how to order politely in a cafe.

6

Unit 6: Daily Life & Hobbies

Telling time, days of the week, weather expressions, and the irregular verb 'faire'.

7

Unit 7: Places & Directions

City places, prepositions of place, contractions, and the irregular verb 'aller'.

8

Unit 8: Shopping & Clothes

Colors, descriptive adjectives, clothes, and the irregular verb 'prendre'.

9

Unit 9: Health & Body

Body parts vocabulary, expressing physical pain using 'avoir mal à', and basic wellness verbs.

10

Unit 10: Final Exam

Review and test everything you have learned in this level.

11

Unit 11: Past Events: 'Avoir'

Talking about completed past actions using the passé composé with 'avoir'.

12

Unit 12: Past Events: 'Être'

Movement and change of state in the past using the passé composé with 'être'.

13

Unit 13: Describing the Past: Imparfait

Forming the imperfect tense, and contrasting it with the passé composé for stories.

14

Unit 14: Future Tenses: Proche & Simple

Expressing upcoming plans using futur proche and futur simple with regular/irregular verbs.

15

Unit 15: Home & Living

Describing house layouts, furniture, reflexive verbs, and prepositions of location inside a house.

16

Unit 16: Travel & Holidays

Vacation bookings, transportation, geographical prepositions, and pronouns 'y' and 'en'.

17

Unit 17: Work & Profession

Workplace communication, job titles, office tasks, and direct/indirect object pronouns (le, la, les, lui, leur).

18

Unit 18: Food & Cooking

Recipes, kitchen utensils, preparation verbs, expressions of quantity (beaucoup de, un peu de), and partitive pronoun 'en'.

19

Unit 19: Socializing & Invitations

Polite invitation formulas, accepting/declining invitations, relative pronouns (qui, que), and comparisons of adjectives.

20

Unit 20: Final Exam

Review and test everything you have learned in this level.

21

Unit 21: Opinions & Hypotheses: Conditionnel

Expressing hypothetical situations, advice, and polite requests using the conditional present and simple 'si' clauses.

22

Unit 22: Emotions & Desires: Subjonctif

Expressing necessity, emotions, doubts, and wishes using subjonctif présent with regular and irregular verbs.

23

Unit 23: Media & News: Passive & Reported

Discussing news, articles, passive voice, and reported speech in the present.

24

Unit 24: Environment: Double Pronoun Placement

Addressing climate change, renewable energy, and mastering double pronoun placement (e.g. le lui, y en).

25

Unit 25: Culture & Art: Dont & Où

Describing movies, books, museums, and mastering relative pronouns 'dont' (of which/whose) and 'où' (where/when).

26

Unit 26: Travel Problems: Past Sequencing

Discussing travel mishaps, flight cancellations, delays, and sequencing past events using plus-que-parfait and infinitif passé.

27

Unit 27: Health & Well-being: Modals

Discussing healthy lifestyles, fitness, and modal verbs 'devoir/pouvoir' in past tenses (aurait dû, a pu) and 'permettre de'.

28

Unit 28: Social Issues & Debates: Concession

Debating community and social issues using structures of concession (bien que, malgré, pourtant).

29

Unit 29: Personal History & Milestones

Describing life events, trajectories, milestones, and prepositions of duration (depuis, pendant, il y a, en, dans).

30

Unit 30: Final Exam

Review and test everything you have learned in this level.

31

Unit 31: Regrets & Alternatives: Conditionnel Passé

Express regrets, hypothetical past events, and alternative choices using the conditional past and third conditional 'si' clauses.

32

Unit 32: Advanced Subjunctive: Conditions & Doubts

Master using the subjunctive after complex conjunctions (pour que, sans que, avant que, bien que, à condition que) and expressing uncertainty or doubts.

33

Unit 33: Professional Writing: Le Gérondif

Formulate formal cover letters, professional emails, and applications. Master the gerund (en + present participle) to express simultaneity, cause, or manner.

34

Unit 34: Persuasion & Argumentation: Logical Connectors

Structure complex opinions and arguments. Master using logical connectors (puisque, étant donné que, par conséquent, de sorte que) to link cause and consequence.

35

Unit 35: Hopes, Regrets & Wishes: Le Futur Antérieur

Express wishes, regrets, and projected deadlines. Master expressions of wish (pourvu que + subjunctive, si seulement + imperfect) and the future perfect (futur antérieur).

36

Unit 36: Technology & Passive Alternatives

Discuss scientific progress, artificial intelligence, and digital devices. Master using the pronominal passive (se vendre, se faire + infinitive).

37

Unit 37: Idioms & Register Shifts

Understand popular French idioms, pronominal verbs with idiomatic meanings, and shift between formal and informal registers (argot/familiar vs. formal language).

38

Unit 38: Ethics & Complex Relatives

Discuss justice, moral values, and corporate social responsibility. Master complex relative pronouns (lequel, auquel, duquel and their variations).

39

Unit 39: Mediation & Conflict Resolution

Discuss boundaries, active listening, and compromises. Master reported speech in the past, including tense backshifting rules (present -> imparfait, futur -> conditionnel).

40

Unit 40: Final Exam

Review and test everything you have learned in this level.