French for Beginners

French for Beginners on Breni is a path for learning spoken and written French from the first sounds, useful in France and across French-speaking Africa, Canada and beyond. Its 8 courses cover sounds and spelling, greetings, everyday phrases, nouns and the present tense, past and future, sentence building, conversations and French in the real world. Learners finish able to choose tu or vous, use gendered nouns correctly and describe past events. Silent letters and liaison come early because they shape listening, and the courses unlock in sequence.

  • 8 courses
  • 10 learning objectives
  • Level: beginner
  • Language: English
  • Price: Subscription, free trial

What you will be able to do

  • Pronounce French nasal vowels and handle silent letters and liaison
  • Choose tu or vous and introduce yourself in French
  • Use le, la and les and make adjectives agree
  • Talk about past events with the passé composé
  • Order in a café, shop and ask for directions
  • Hold a short conversation about plans or travel

Full curriculum

Part 1 · Sounds and basics

1. French Sounds and Spelling: Pronunciation and reading guide

Pronounce French sounds and read words aloud correctly. Units, in order: French vowels and nasal vowels; The French r; Silent letters at the end of words; Liaison between words; Accents on letters such as é and è.

  • — French Vowels and Nasal Vowels
    Learn oral and nasal vowel sounds in spoken French.
    • Oral Vowels
    • Nasal Vowels
  • — The French R Sound
    Master the unique throat sound of the French letter r.
    • Throat Sound Basics
    • R in Words
  • — Silent Word Endings
    Understand which final consonants remain silent in French words.
    • Silent Consonants
    • Reading Silent Ends
  • — Word Liaison
    Connect words smoothly by linking sounds in spoken French.
    • Linking Sounds
    • Listening for Liaison
  • — Letter Accents
    Learn how accents change the pronunciation of French letters.
    • Acute and Grave
    • Reading Accents

2. French Greetings and Introductions

Greet people and introduce yourself in French. Units, in order: Bonjour, salut and au revoir; Tu and vous; Saying your name and nationality; Être and avoir; Asking how someone is.

3. Everyday French Phrases

Handle numbers, food, directions and time in French. Units, in order: Numbers, prices and dates; Ordering in a café; Asking for directions; The time and the days of the week; Talking about family.

Part 2 · Core grammar

4. French Present Tense and Nouns

Use nouns, articles and present-tense verbs correctly. Units, in order: Masculine and feminine nouns; Le, la, les and un, une, des; Regular -er verbs; Common irregular verbs such as aller and faire; Negation with ne and pas.

5. French Past and Future

Talk about what happened and what you plan to do. Units, in order: The passé composé with avoir; The passé composé with être; The imparfait in brief; The near future with aller; Reflexive verbs for routines.

6. French Sentence Building

Build longer, more natural French sentences. Units, in order: Adjective agreement and position; Asking questions three ways; Object pronouns; Partitive articles: du, de la, des; Linking ideas with parce que, mais and quand.

Part 3 · Real use

7. Conversations in French

Hold simple conversations in everyday situations. Units, in order: Small talk; Making plans; Shopping; Travel and hotels; Asking someone to repeat.

8. French in the Real World

Understand French across countries and use it in daily life. Units, in order: France and other French-speaking countries; Reading signs and menus; Writing a short message; Understanding fast everyday speech; Formal French for work.

Sample: French Sounds and Spelling: Pronunciation and reading guide

The opening tier, (French Vowels and Nasal Vowels). Learn oral and nasal vowel sounds in spoken French.

Oral Vowels

Pronounce basic oral vowels like a, e, i, o, u correctly.

Nasal Vowels

Produce nasal sounds like in an, en, in, on.

Questions about French for Beginners

Is French hard to learn for English speakers?

French shares many words with English, but spelling and pronunciation differ a lot. The first course focuses on exactly those differences.

How long does it take to learn basic French?

A few months of regular practice is enough for simple conversations. Each Breni lesson takes about three minutes.

Does the path cover African and Canadian French?

The path teaches standard French understood everywhere, and the last course explains how it varies across countries.

Is Breni an alternative to Duolingo for French?

Yes. Breni is another app for learning French, built on short lessons, immediate feedback and ideas that come back when you miss them.

Does this path prepare me for the DELF exam?

It covers many A1 skills, but it does not follow the DELF syllabus.

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