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Learn French free in your browser — 80 lessons from A1 to B2, with flashcards and pronunciation practice. No subscription, no download.

Start learning French free →26 languages · A1–B2 · no sign-up
Lesson 1
bonjour
bong-SCHUR
hello

Why learn French with Langula?

French opens 29-country doors

An official language in 29 countries and a working language of the UN, EU, and NATO, French is one of the few genuinely global career assets. It is useful for diplomacy, international law, and business across Europe, Africa, and the Americas alike.

Cognates cut your reading time

After 1066, French reshaped English vocabulary — nation, excellent, restaurant, and liberté are already familiar. That shared stock of words gives English speakers a measurable head start in reading and comprehension from the very first lesson.

Score your nasal vowels instantly

Langula's in-browser pronunciation practice rates your speaking in real time, perfect for drilling un bon vin blanc and the other nasal vowel patterns that simply don't exist in English. Audio is never stored, so you can practice without hesitation.

Lock in noun gender early

Every French noun is masculine or feminine, and getting it wrong ripples through your articles and adjectives. Langula's Leitner flashcards drill the article alongside the word, so le and la become instinctive rather than a constant guessing game.

80 lessons, four CEFR levels

From greetings and the tu-versus-vous distinction all the way to the subjunctive and the pluperfect, all 80 lessons map directly onto A1-to-B2 CEFR levels. A certificate at each stage marks real, recognised progress.

Start free, no install required

Langula runs entirely in your browser with no app download and no sign-up to begin. It is genuinely free and ad-supported, so you can start speaking French today on any laptop or phone.

How it works

1

Pick your language

French is preselected — add your source language and go.

2

Short daily lessons

5–20 minutes a day: new words plus due reviews.

3

Pronunciation & progress

Repeat aloud, watch your streak and unlock badges.

Your first French words

After the very first lesson you can greet people and say thank you.

bonjour
bong-SCHUR
hello
bonsoir
bong-SWAR
goodbye
bonne nuit
bon NWEE
good morning
salut
sa-LÜ
good evening

From A1 to B2 — your structured learning path

Here is how your journey is built: four CEFR levels, 80 lessons. Each lesson teaches 20 new words and 6 example sentences — flashcards and pronunciation practice lock them in before the next level unlocks.

4CEFR levels · A1–B2
80lessons · 20 per level
26words & sentences per lesson
A1
Your First French Steps · Beginner
Lessons 1–20
Master the alphabet, accents, and French's core sounds: nasal vowels (bon, vin, blanc), the uvular R, and the rounded u and eu. Learn the tu/vous distinction, noun genders and articles, the present tense of être and avoir, regular -er verbs, and practical phrases for greetings, numbers, ordering food, and everyday introductions.
After this you can
greet people and introduce yourself
ask about numbers, time and prices
order something in a café
ask and answer simple questions
A2
Everyday French in Action · Elementary
Lessons 21–40
Talk about the past using the passé composé (with avoir and être) and the imparfait, describe plans with aller + infinitive, and use reflexive verbs and basic object pronouns. Handle real-life situations — shopping, giving directions, making appointments — and read short, simple texts with growing confidence.
After this you can
talk about family, work and hobbies
go shopping and ask for directions
tell stories in the past
make appointments and arrange to meet
B1
Express Yourself in French · Intermediate
Lessons 41–60
Navigate most travel situations and conversations with ease. Use the future simple, the conditional, relative pronouns (qui, que, dont, où), comparatives, double object pronouns, and begin the present subjunctive. Narrate experiences, give and justify opinions, and read contemporary French articles and straightforward literature.
After this you can
express and justify your opinion
travel alone and solve problems
report on experiences and plans
roughly follow films and podcasts
B2
Fluent and Near-Native · Advanced
Lessons 61–80
Discuss abstract and professional topics fluently. Command the subjunctive, the pluperfect, the conditional past, the passive voice, and reported speech, and recognise the literary passé simple in reading. Follow French films, news, and debates, write structured arguments, and refine your pronunciation, liaison, and register for near-native naturalness.
After this you can
follow long discussions effortlessly
express yourself spontaneously and fluently
use French at work
understand complex texts and news
Your goal: fluent in everyday life
Level B2 complete — including a PDF certificate for every level you reach.
Start at A1 →

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Learn French — free and at your own pace

French is spoken by around 310 million people across 29 countries on five continents — the only language besides English to span that range. It is an official or working language of the UN, EU, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, and the Red Cross, putting it at the centre of diplomacy, international law, and development work. And with the bulk of future speakers set to come from Sub-Saharan Africa, French is not just a European or Canadian affair: it is one of the world's genuinely growing global languages.

A few features of French catch learners off guard. Spelling is etymological rather than phonetic: final consonants are mostly silent, the plural -s disappears in speech entirely, and liaison flips a quiet consonant back on before a vowel — les amis sounds like "lez-ami." Then there are the nasal vowels, un bon vin blanc, that have no English equivalent, the uvular guttural R, and the rounded front vowels French u and eu. Every noun is masculine or feminine, and articles plus adjectives must agree, making gender a permanent thread running through the whole language.

For English speakers, French is one of the more accessible major languages. The US Foreign Service Institute places it in Category I — roughly 600 to 750 class hours to professional proficiency — and a big reason is history: after the Norman Conquest of 1066, French reshaped English vocabulary so thoroughly that cognates like nation, excellent, and restaurant are already yours. The genuine obstacles are phonetic: the nasal vowels, the uvular R, and the persistent gap between what is written and what is actually said aloud.

Langula addresses French's particular hurdles directly. The in-browser pronunciation scorer gives instant feedback on the sounds English speakers find hardest — nasal vowels, the uvular R, the rounded u and eu — and because audio is never stored, you can practice aloud without self-consciousness. Leitner spaced-repetition flashcards with five boxes are well suited to drilling each noun together with its article, le or la, cementing gender from day one. Eighty structured lessons follow the same A1-to-B2 CEFR ladder as official French exams, and optional account sync keeps your daily habit alive across devices.

Frequently asked questions

Is French hard to learn for English speakers?
It is one of the more approachable major languages. The US Foreign Service Institute rates French Category I, meaning roughly 600 to 750 class hours to professional proficiency. The shared Latin alphabet and thousands of French-derived English words give you a running start. The real hurdles are pronunciation — nasal vowels, the uvular R — and the significant gap between French spelling and how the language actually sounds.
Does French use tones or a special script?
No. French is not a tonal language, so pitch never changes meaning, and it uses the familiar 26-letter Latin alphabet. The only additions are diacritics: the acute accent (é), grave accent (è, à, ù), circumflex (â, ê, î, ô, û), diaeresis (ë, ï, ü), and the cedilla (ç). These affect pronunciation rather than being entirely separate letters.
Why doesn't French sound the way it's spelled?
French spelling is etymological and conservative, preserving letters from Latin and Old French that are no longer pronounced. Final consonants are mostly silent, the plural -s disappears in speech, and liaison can flip a silent consonant back on before a vowel — so les amis sounds like "lez-ami." Langula's spaced-repetition flashcards pair every word with audio so you absorb sound and spelling together.
What is grammatical gender and why does it matter so much in French?
Every French noun is either masculine (le chat) or feminine (la maison), and both the article and any adjective must match that gender. Because gender is often unpredictable from meaning alone, the most effective habit is to memorise each new noun with its article. Langula's Leitner flashcards are designed to drill exactly that, keeping le or la attached to the word from the start.
How long does it take to reach a conversational level in French?
With consistent study, many learners reach A2 within a few months and B1 — where you can handle most travel and social situations — in roughly 350 to 500 hours of focused practice, often within a year of regular work. Daily spaced repetition and speaking practice, like Langula's flashcards and in-browser pronunciation scoring, help speed that timeline up considerably.
What is the difference between tu and vous, and between passé composé and imparfait?
Tu is the informal "you" used with friends, family, and peers; vous is formal or plural and signals politeness or distance — choosing wrongly can sound rude or stiff. For the past tense, the passé composé (j'ai mangé) describes a completed action while the imparfait (je mangeais) describes an ongoing or habitual past situation. Mastering that contrast is one of the key milestones at the B1 level.

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