By the end of this lesson you'll know where French is spoken around the world, and you'll be ready for some of the differences you may meet.
Beyond France
French isn't only the language of France. It's spoken by hundreds of millions of people, on several continents. In some places it's an official language. In others, it's widely used in education, business or everyday life, alongside other languages. People who speak French are called francophones.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| francophone | frahn-koh-FONN | French-speaking |
| la langue | lah LAHNG | the language |
| officiel / officielle | oh-fee-SYEL | official (masculine / feminine) |
You can use the prepositions from the lesson on prepositions to talk about these places.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| le Luxembourg | luh lewk-sahn-BOOR | Luxembourg |
| la Côte d'Ivoire | lah koht dee-VWAHR | Côte d'Ivoire, Ivory Coast |
| le Cameroun | luh kahm-ROON | Cameroon |
| la Nouvelle-Calédonie | lah noo-vel kah-lay-doh-NEE | New Caledonia |
Europe
Besides France, French is spoken in Belgium, in Switzerland, in Luxembourg and in Monaco.
On parle français en Belgique et en Suisse.
French is spoken in Belgium and in Switzerland.
On parle français au Luxembourg et à Monaco.
French is spoken in Luxembourg and in Monaco.
North America and the Caribbean
In Canada, French is especially strong in Québec, and it's also spoken elsewhere in the country. In the Caribbean, French is spoken in Guadeloupe, Martinique and Haïti.
On parle français au Québec.
French is spoken in Québec.
On parle français en Guadeloupe et en Martinique.
French is spoken in Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Haïti est un pays francophone.
Haiti is a French-speaking country.
Africa
French is widely used in many African countries, including Sénégal, Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroun, and in the Maghreb countries of north-west Africa.
On parle français au Sénégal et au Cameroun.
French is spoken in Senegal and Cameroon.
Abidjan est en Côte d'Ivoire.
Abidjan is in Côte d'Ivoire.
The Pacific
In the Pacific, French is spoken in Tahiti and New Caledonia.
On parle français à Tahiti et en Nouvelle-Calédonie.
French is spoken in Tahiti and New Caledonia.
Talking about these places
When you talk about the French-speaking world, the small word in front of each place still follows the patterns you've learned. Most of the countries in this lesson are either masculine, which gives au Sénégal and au Cameroun, or feminine, which gives en Belgique and en Côte d'Ivoire. Islands vary, so learn those one at a time, as they come up. On parle français (French is spoken) is the most useful phrase in this lesson, and it works with every place on the list.
Local variation
French isn't exactly the same everywhere. These differences are small, and you'll be understood wherever you go.
Numbers are one example. As you saw in the lesson on numbers 21 to 100, septante and nonante are used in Belgium and Switzerland, in place of soixante-dix and quatre-vingt-dix.
Meals are another. In parts of Belgium, Switzerland and Québec, le déjeuner can be the morning meal, le dîner is at midday, and le souper is in the evening.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| le souper | luh soo-PAY | supper, the evening mealUsed in Belgium, Switzerland and Québec. |
| la fin de semaine | lah fan duh suh-MEN | the weekendIn Québec. |
| magasiner | mah-gah-zee-NAY | to go shoppingIn Québec. |
In Québec, you'll also hear la fin de semaine for the weekend, and magasiner for going shopping.
En français
- Tu parles français au Sénégal ? (Do you speak French in Senegal?)
- Oui, et je parle aussi wolof. (Yes, and I also speak Wolof.)
- Il y a beaucoup de langues au Sénégal ? (Are there a lot of languages in Senegal?)
- Oui, beaucoup ! (Yes, a lot!)
What's next
Next, the review of this unit brings together transport, prepositions, the future, hotels and invitations, as you plan a trip of your own.