#27 Why Is French Considered Difficult?｜French Language Column

French is often associated with a beautiful sound and a refined image. At the same time, however, it is also said to have difficult pronunciation and many grammatical rules.

When you actually begin studying French, you may often feel confused because written words do not always match their pronunciation and because every noun is classified as either masculine or feminine.

I feel that much of the difficulty of French comes from having to pay attention to several rules at the same time. However, once you understand each system step by step, you will gradually begin to recognize the patterns behind the language.

In this article, I will introduce the main reasons French is considered difficult and explain the features you should know when learning it.

Spelling and Pronunciation Often Do Not Match

One of the main reasons French is considered difficult is that the spelling of a word does not always match its actual pronunciation. In French, consonants written at the ends of words are often not pronounced.

For example, consider the following words and expressions:

• petit: small
• grand: big
• vous parlez: you speak

In these words and expressions, you do not pronounce every written letter individually.

Several letters may also combine to represent a single sound. For example, “eau,” meaning “water,” is written with three letters but is pronounced as the single vowel sound /o/.

English also contains words whose spelling and pronunciation do not match. In French, however, you need to learn specific pronunciation rules concerning final letters and combinations of vowels.

French pronunciation is not completely irregular, however. Once you learn the basic rules, you will be able to predict the pronunciation of unfamiliar words to some extent.

Words Often Sound Connected

In French, speakers tend to connect words smoothly across an entire sentence rather than pronounce each word separately. As a result, you may know individual words but still have difficulty recognizing them in conversation.

The main processes and rules that connect sounds in French are liaison, enchaînement, and elision.

Liaison

Liaison is the phenomenon in which a final consonant that is normally silent is pronounced and linked to the vowel at the beginning of the following word.

For example, “les amis” is not pronounced as two completely separate words. The final consonant of “les” is pronounced and connected to the initial vowel of the following word.

Enchaînement

Enchaînement is the phenomenon in which a final consonant that is normally pronounced becomes linked to the vowel at the beginning of the next word.

The spelling of the words does not change, but in actual speech, several words may sound like a single unit.

Elision

Elision occurs when a short word ending in a vowel is followed by a word beginning with a vowel or a silent “h.” In this situation, the final vowel of the first word is omitted.

For example, you do not say “je aime.” Instead, you write and say “j’aime.”

Because French has these distinctive sound changes, you need to pay attention not only to individual words but also to the way sounds connect when listening.

Nouns Are Masculine or Feminine

French nouns are classified as either masculine or feminine.

For example, “livre,” meaning “book,” is masculine, while “maison,” meaning “house,” is feminine. The article placed before a noun also changes according to its gender.

• un livre: a book
• une maison: a house
• le livre: the book
• la maison: the house

Japanese and English do not classify nouns as masculine or feminine in the same way as French. For this reason, beginners may find it particularly confusing that objects and abstract concepts have grammatical gender.

You also cannot always determine a noun’s gender from its meaning. For example, “table,” meaning “table,” is feminine, while “téléphone,” meaning “telephone,” is masculine. These genders are grammatical classifications and are unrelated to biological sex.

In some cases, you can guess a noun’s gender from its ending, but there are also many exceptions. Therefore, when learning a new noun, it is important to memorize it together with its article.

Adjectives Must Agree with Nouns

In French, adjectives must change their form according to the gender and number of the nouns they describe. This is known as gender and number agreement.

For example, “petit,” meaning “small,” changes as follows:

• un petit livre: a small book
• une petite maison: a small house
• les petits livres: the small books
• les petites maisons: the small houses

As a general rule, the masculine singular form is used as the base. -e is added for the feminine singular, -s for the masculine plural, and -es for the feminine plural.

However, not every adjective forms the feminine simply by adding -e. Some adjectives change more significantly, as shown below:

• beau → belle: beautiful
• nouveau → nouvelle: new
• vieux → vieille: old
• blanc → blanche: white

For this reason, when learning adjectives, it is important to check not only their meanings but also their feminine and plural forms.

Verbs Have Many Conjugations

In French, verbs change according to the person and number of the subject, as well as the tense and mood.

For example, the present-tense conjugation of “parler,” meaning “to speak,” is as follows:

• je parle
• tu parles
• il / elle parle
• nous parlons
• vous parlez
• ils / elles parlent

Since you need to learn several forms for a single verb, conjugation can feel demanding for learners.

French also has many irregular verbs in addition to regular ones. In particular, the following basic verbs have irregular conjugations:

• être: to be
• avoir: to have
• aller: to go
• faire: to do, to make
• venir: to come
• pouvoir: can, to be able to
• vouloir: to want

These verbs are frequently used in everyday conversation, so you need to learn their conjugations at an early stage.

Tenses and Moods Must Be Used Appropriately

French has several tenses for describing the present, past, and future.

The tense you use depends not only on when an event occurred, but also on whether the action was completed, was continuing, or was repeated as a habit.

One distinction that learners often find difficult is the difference between the passé composé and the imparfait.

Passé Composé

The passé composé is commonly used to describe an event that occurred in the past and has already been completed.

• J’ai regardé ce film hier.
  （I watched that film yesterday.）

In this sentence, the action of watching the film took place at a particular point in the past and is presented as a completed event.

Imparfait

The imparfait is used to describe past states, habits, ongoing actions, and the background of events.

• Quand j’étais enfant, je lisais beaucoup.
  （When I was a child, I used to read a lot.）

In this sentence, the imparfait is used because it describes a habit that was repeated during childhood.

French also has grammatical moods, which show how the speaker views the content of a statement, rather than simply indicating when an event takes place.

The main moods include the indicative, conditional, subjunctive, and imperative.

The indicative is used to describe facts and real events.

The conditional, by contrast, is used to describe the result of a hypothetical situation or to express wishes and requests politely.

• Je voudrais un café.
  （I would like a coffee.）

The subjunctive is used after certain verbs and structures that express emotions, wishes, necessity, or doubt.

• Il faut que tu viennes.
  （You must come.）
• Je suis content que vous soyez ici.
  （I am glad that you are here.）

You do not need to learn all of these forms at the beginning. However, as you advance, you will need to choose tenses and moods according to how the speaker views an event.

It Is Important to Learn the Basic Rules Step by Step

If you try to memorize all French grammar and pronunciation rules at once, the large number of points to remember can make the language feel more difficult than it actually is.

At the beginner level, I recommend prioritizing the basic rules that are frequently used in everyday situations rather than trying to memorize every minor exception. Once you have learned the fundamental structures, you will be able to connect new grammar and expressions with knowledge you already have.

For example, you can begin with the following areas:

• The alphabet and basic pronunciation rules
• Definite and indefinite articles
• The gender and number of nouns
• Basic present-tense verb conjugations
• Common verbs such as être, avoir, aller, and faire
• Basic negative sentences and questions
• Vocabulary and expressions frequently used in daily life

First, become familiar with how words are pronounced and with the basic word order. You can then gradually add articles, noun gender, verb conjugations, and other grammatical elements without placing too much pressure on yourself.

It is also important to learn new words together with articles or short example sentences rather than memorizing them in isolation. For example, instead of learning only “maison,” meaning “house,” it is more practical to learn “une maison,” which also shows you that the noun is feminine.

Similarly, rather than learning only the verb “parler,” you can memorize it in a short sentence such as “Je parle français.” This allows you to learn the conjugation and word order at the same time.

For pronunciation, it is not enough simply to read the rules. You should also listen to real audio and practise saying the words aloud. By connecting spelling with sound, you will gradually become better at predicting pronunciation when you see a word and at recognizing words when you hear them.

You do not need to memorize every exception or detailed grammatical rule from the beginning. First, focus on becoming able to create basic sentences. You can then add new rules as they become necessary and gradually improve your French.

Summary

French is considered difficult because of several factors involving pronunciation, grammar, and spelling.

The main reasons can be summarized as follows:

French has many structures that differ from those of English and Japanese, so you may find it difficult during the early stages of learning.

However, French pronunciation and grammar follow consistent patterns. By learning the basics one step at a time and repeatedly listening to and reading real French, you will gradually develop a deeper understanding of the language.