Can You Tell If These Simple French Phrases Are Translated Correctly?

By: John Satak
Estimated Completion Time
8 min
Can You Tell If These Simple French Phrases Are Translated Correctly?
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About This Quiz

For a language as beautiful as French, it sure can be tricky! With all the extra vowels (looking at you, oiseaux), difficult pronunciation and multiple registers of formality when conjugating a word (tu or vous?), there can be a lot to unpack for a non-native speaker. But never fear! Like with any language, a core understanding of phrases and definitions is key to a strong base and often more than enough for communicating and understanding. So if testing that core knowledge is what you're after, you've come to the right place! 

French is a language that has over 275 million speakers worldwide, and the number of people who speak French is growing every year! French is also the official language in 29 countries, so if you want another language you can use when you're traveling, French is definitely a pretty good choice. From France to Canada, all the way to Madagascar, you'll be able to communicate with people from all walks of life with the language. But before you can do that, you'll need to dust off the ol' thinking cap and see how much of those French lessons stuck with you!

Maybe you can't wait to discuss all the cultural differences and globalization of our fast-growing world, or perhaps you'd love to discuss Louis Vuitton's newest line of luxury handbags. Whatever you may want to share or experience in French, you won't be able to get very far without being able to say hello (did you say bonjour? I hope so!). Think you know how to say those everyday phrases French phrases without any faux pas? Well, jump right in and see for yourself, c'est parti!




Q 04 Two croissants
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If you're in France, you HAVE to indulge in at least a few pastries! How would you ask for "two croissants"?
Tout croissants
Doux croissants
Tu croissants
Deux croissants
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In French, it can be tricky to know if a word is masculine or feminine, which will change how you write the word for "one" in French (un or une). So if you're in doubt, simply order two! You're probably gonna want that second one anyway; they're just too good.

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Q 01 My name is
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Let's say you wanted to introduce yourself. How would you say, "Hello, my name is ..."?
Bonjour, mon nom est ...
Bonjour, tu m'appelles ...
Bonjour, moi nom est ...
Bonjour, je m'appelle ...
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Good job! The literal translation is closer to "I call myself" rather than "My name is" in French. It may be strange to say it that way in English, but the reverse is true in French!

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Q 02 How are you
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Great, you've introduced yourself. Now how would you follow up with "How are you?" in French?
Où es-tu?
Comment mangez-vous?
Comment sa vas?
Comment ça va?
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nice! "Comment ça va" more closely translates to "How's it going," and while there are few different ways to express this idea, this is by far the most common phrase you'll be using and hearing to ask how someone is.

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Q 03 Fine thanks
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Your new friend responds with an "I'm good, and you?" How do you tell them "Fine, thanks"?
Fine, merci.
Fin, merci.
Comment, merci.
Ça va, merci.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You don't want to come off TOO enthusiastic, and so a simple "ça va" is the perfect measured response when first meeting someone. The French like to play it cool, and so while a "fine" from an American may seem like something could be wrong, a "fine" from a French person is much closer to how an American uses "I'm good."

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Q 05 Please after order
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Oops, we forgot to say please after our order! Quick, how can you tack on a "please" to the end of our request?
S'il te please!
Plaisir!
Si vous plaît!
S'il vous plaît!
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

I knew you'd remember your pleasantries! Good thing too; while everyone can appreciate someone who is polite, formality is very important to French culture. Now while they probably won't kick you out, you'll definitely get a more kind and patient response if you're mindful of how you're talking to people!

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Q 06 Ask for a coffee
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You've got your croissants; now you just need a nice, classic French coffee and you'll be set. How do you ask for "a coffee, please"?
Au café, s'il vous plaît.
Pour café, s'il vous plaît.
À café, s'il vous plaît.
Un café, s'il vous plaît.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Un/Une" is the word for both "a" and "one" in English, so if you need help remembering "a coffee," just remember how many coffees you want!

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Q 07 Thank you nice day
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You're so moved by the service of your barista, you can't help but want to exclaim, "Thank you, have a nice day!" But how?
Mercy, bonne journée!
Merci, avoir un bon jour!
Merci, bonne journée!
Merci, a un bonjour!
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Passez une bonne journée" also exists to mean more literally "have a nice day," but in the context of getting coffee from a barista, "bonne journée" is a very common way of wishing someone well!

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Q 08 Where is the museum
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Now it's museum time. The only problem is you don't know how to get there. How can you ask "where is the museum?" to someone passing by?
Ouais le musée?
Ou est le musée?
Où est le musée?
Où tes le musée?
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Very nice! "Où" is the word for "where" in French, and a very important one to know! If you're ever somewhere new, this word will be your best friend when it comes to finding museums and bathrooms!

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Q 09 Can you help me
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Now that you have the directions question queued up in your brain, how would you ask "Excuse me, can you help me, please?" to someone nearby?
Excusez-moi, est-ce que vous pouvez moi aider s'il vous plaît?
Excuse-toi, est-ce que vous pouvez m'aider s'il vous plaît?
Excusez-moi, est-ce que vous pouvez helpé s'il vous plaît?
Excusez-moi, est-ce que vous pouvez m'aider s'il vous plaît?
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If something is being done TO you (talk to me, help me) then you take "me" and put it in front of the verb ("il me parle", or "he's talking to me"). But because "aider" starts with a vowel, you change it to "m'aider" (me + aider).

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Q 10 Hungry at restaurant
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The museum went great, but now you're hungry. You sit down at a restaurant, and the waiter asks you, "Qu'est-ce que vous voulez boire?" What are they asking you?
Do you have your meal ticket?
Do you have a reservation?
Did you want to sit in the booth?
What would you like to drink?
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Boire" means "to drink" in English, and if you're in a restaurant ordering a drink in France, don't be too surprised when it doesn't come with ice! This practice isn't very common in Europe in general, so if you're in French-speaking region and you want ice, make sure to add "avec des glaçons s'il vous plaît"!

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Q 11 I would like to order
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Your waiter comes back with your drink, and you're ready to eat. How do you say "I would like to order ..."?
Je veux aimer commander ...
J'aime commander ...
Je veux commander ...
Je voudrais commander ...
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Je veux" means "I want," which is a pretty similar meaning to "I would like." However, just like in English, it's important to be polite, and so the way to soften the request is to ask in the conditional form "je voudrais." Always nice to ask and not demand!

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Q 12 Check please
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The meal was as delicious as you hoped, but now you're ready for more adventures. How do you ask for "the check, please"?
Le chèque, s'il vous plaît.
La carte, s'il vous plaît.
Maintenant, s'il vous plaît.
L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Just like in real life, in French you have to look out for those fake friends ("faux amis" in French, or "false cognate" in English), or simply words that seem like they would be the same in English but actually have a different meaning in French. "Chèque" isn't entirely a false cognate, as it is the same word for a check at the bank. However, in the restaurant setting, you might get some funny looks.

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Q 13 Accept payments by card
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Shopping is always fun when you're abroad, but not everywhere accepts cards! How do you ask if they do accept payments by card?
Est-ce que je peux vous monnaie?
Est-ce que je peux payer par carte?
Est-ce que je donne mon argent?
Est-ce que je pense de carte?
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Good choice! "Payer par carte" is thankfully very similar to the English equivalent, so there shouldn't be too much trouble remembering it! Fun fact: "argent" is the word for money in French, but it's also their word for silver. Guess they didn't see a reason in changing the word when the currency changed!

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Q 14 It's beautiful today
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The host of your lodging asks how the weather is outside. How do you tell them "it's beautiful today!" in French?
Il fait beau aujourd'hui!
Il est beau aujourd'hui!
Il est belle aujourd'hui!
Tu fait belle aujourd'hui!
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Good job! When talking about the weather in French, the verb "faire" or "to do/make" is used, not "être" or "to be". It's an easy one to mix up, but try to remember that the weather *makes* beautiful in French!

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Q 15 What time is it
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If you were Cinderella in a francophone country, how would you ask "What time is it?" as to avoid being home past midnight?
Quoi temps est il?
Que temps il fait?
Combien d'heure sur la route?
Quelle heure est-il?
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Congratulations! You didn't turn into a pumpkin! While "temps" can be the word for time (and weather; go figure!), more often you'll hear "heure" used when talking about what time it is on the clock. The more you know!

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Q 16 I love to walk
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You meet your French-speaking friend for lunch, and you can't wait to tell them your newfound love for walking. How can you express "I love to walk!" to your friend?
Je m'aime marcher!
J'aime deux marcher!
J'aime à marcher!
J'aime marcher!
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hey, walking is really good for you; no reason not to like it! In French, to say "I like to ...", you just need "j'aime" + the infinitive ("marcher," in this case). No need to include a different word for "to"!

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Q 17 I'm going to the bakery
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You wouldn't want to worry your host-mom while you're out getting your third round of croissants. How can you leave her a note saying "I'm going to the bakery"?
Je suis vais à la boulangerie.
Je va à la boulangerie.
Je suis manger la boulangerie.
Je vais à la boulangerie.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Your host mother can now rest easy knowing your just down the street. To translate "am going" into French, you just have to use the verb in the present tense ("je vais" or "I am going"). The present tense can translate to both "I am going" and "I go," which means less work for us English speakers!

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Q 18 I'm waiting in the house
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When meeting up with your friends, you're the first to get to the rendezvous point. How can you send the text "I'm waiting in the house"?
Je suis ouais dans la maison.
Je waité dans la maison.
Je suis la maison.
J'attends dans la maison.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nice! "Attendre" is another tricky word in French, while it may look like "attend" in English, it's actually the word for "to wait." Darn those faux amis!(#NoMoreFakeFriends2020)

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Q 19 Do you speak English
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There may come a time where you NEED to use English. When all other options fail, how can you politely ask "Do you speak English"?
Parlez-vous Français?
Toi, tu parles anglais ou quoi?
Parle-moi comme anglais?
Est-ce que vous parlez anglais?
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Disaster averted! Making sure to use the "vous" form when you're asking strangers a question is a must if you want the best chance of someone actually helping you! "Parlez-vous anglais" is a completely correct way to ask if someone speaks English as well. Whatever you do, just make sure you're using the correct form!

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Q 20 I'm going to eat a croissant
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Really? Croissants again? How do you tell your friends "I going to eat a croissant" so they don't think you've run off and gotten lost?
Je suis manger un croissant.
Je mange un croissant.
Je vais mangez un croissant.
Je vais manger un croissant.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You just can't help yourself, can you? Don't worry, we don't judge here. "I'm going to (do something)" is the future tense, and a common way to express this is with "aller" (je *vais* manger), similar to how we construct this sentence in English. Careful, though; don't forget that while orally there are many words that sound like "manger" (mangez, mangé), it's important to use the infinitive form after "je vais."

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Q 21 I speak English
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Now's your moment! After they ask if anyone speaks English, you reply with, "Actually, I speak English!" in French. What did you say?
Actuellement, je parle anglais!
En fait, je parle anglais!
Actuellement, je parlez anglais!
Donc, je peux anglais si tu veux!
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Don't. Trust. Fake. Friends. I think that's pretty much the moral of this story. Just when you think you "actuellement" has your back, it goes and switches sides on you by being "currently" in French. It's always the ones you least expect. ("En fait" directly translates to "in fact" but is used similarly to how we use "actually" in English).

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Q 22 Library
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The library is always worth visiting when abroad, but especially in France as the architecture is often astounding. How can you ask "where is the library?" in French?
Où est la librairie?
Ou est la bibliothèque?
Où se trouve la bibliothèque?
Ou se trouve la librairie?
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

I see you're starting to learn who your REAL friends are. I used to trust "librairie" to just be library in English too, but it turns out it gets a hard downgrade to "bookstore" in French. "Où se trouve" is just another way to say "where" (more literally, "where does it find itself?"). It's a bit more formal and fancier than regular old "où," so feel free to change it up if the mood strikes you.

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Q 23 I am five years old
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With such wisdom for someone your age, your friends can't help but politely ask how old you are. You reply with " I am five years old." But how did you say it in French?
Je suis cinq ans âgé.
Je suis cinq ans.
J'ai cinq vieux.
J'ai cinq ans.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

I mean, we're all 5 years old at heart, right? This is one of those phrases that is just thought of differently in French than in English. In French, you use the verb "avoir" (to have) to describe your age, not the verb "to be" (être) like in English. Tricky tricky!

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Q 24 Why did you do that
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Your friend throws a banana at you in a game of "Mario Kart" despite making an "alliance" prior to starting. In a calm and measured rage, you demand "Why did you do that?" In French ...?
Ouais tu as fait ça?
Comment tu fait ça?
Pourquoi tu es fait ça?
Pourquoi tu as fait ça?
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are no good answers when it comes to matters of betrayal; however, you did pick the correct answer when translating this sentence. "Pourquoi" in French is comprised of the words "for" and "what," which is the standard way to ask "why." This statement is in the past tense as well, so don't forget the "avoir" (tu *as* fait) that brings it into the past tense!

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Q 25 I need water
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Uh-oh, you forgot your bottle of water while traveling around the Sahara in Morocco AGAIN. How can you communicate "I need water" to the tour guide?
Je nid l'eau.
J'ai besoin de nourriture.
J'ai de l'eau.
J'ai besoin d'eau.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Being able to tell people what you need can be life saving! "Need" in French directly translates to "to have need of" (avoir besoin de), so make sure to memorize this construction in case you need it!

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Q 26 I am sorry
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After many months of distance between you, your friend decides to finally apologize for the "Mario Kart" debacle. They say "I'm sorry." How would you say it back in French?
Je désolé.
Je suis désolé.
Je souri.
Je suis souri.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

No tricks here: "I'm sorry" is a word-for-word translation. "Je suis désolé" has each word correlate to its translation in the English (I am sorry). Always good to know how to say sorry!

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Q 27 I agree
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After a heated debate about pineapple on pizza, you finally settle the argument with an "I agree." Tell me again how you said this in French?
J'agréable.
Je suis agréable.
Je d'accord.
Je suis d'accord.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The French don't opt for the verb "to agree" when talking about agreeing with someone. Instead, their version of it is closer to "I am in agreement" in English. This is another one you just have to remember is ever so slightly different from English and doesn't quite work with a direct translation.

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Q 28 Visit friends weekend
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You need to tell your host family that you're going to visit friends this weekend, so you write a note. What does it say?
Je vais recontrer mes amis ce week-end.
Je visite mes amis ce week-end.
Je vais visiter mes amis ce week-end.
Je vais rendre visite à mes amis ce week-end.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Visiter" is almost a fake friend, but only partially (still, we got our eye on you, "visiter"). While it does translate to "to visit" in English, you can only say in the context of a place you're visiting. When you talk about visiting someone, you have to say "rendre visite," or even more simply "voir" (to see, "je vais voir mes amis").

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Q 29 I'm from kansas
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Impressed with your level of French, a stranger on the metro asks where you're from. Careful, though; as a secret agent, you never know who wants your real identity. Just reply with "I'm from Kansas" to be safe.
Je suis à Kansas.
Je vien Kansas.
Je vais de Kansas.
Je viens de Kansas.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In French, you don't use the verb "être" (to be) to describe where you're from. Instead, you use the verb "venir" (to come) to describe this. A direct translation from French leads us to the phrase "I come from Kansas." If only they knew who you REALLY were.

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Q 30 What do you think about this
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This is it; you're really having a discussion about Louis Vuitton handbags in FRENCH. Your friend asks what you think translates to "What do you think about this?" What were those French words again?
Qu'est-ce que tu pense à ça?
Qu'est-ce que tu pense de ça?
Qu'est-ce que vous pensez de ça?
Qu'est-ce que vous pensez à ça?
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You did hear them correctly; good job! There's a subtle difference in French between "penser de" and "penser à." While both can technically be translated as "to think about," the former asks more WHAT you think about something, and the latter is used more to highlight that you're thinking about something in particular. Also remember to use "tu" when talking among friends!

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Q 31 Stop
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You see it right before your eyes: a man about to step on a bag of croissants. You can't just idly stand by. You want to scream "Stop!", but how?
Arrête!
Pas les croissants!
Arrêtez!
J'arrête!
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Whew, that was a close one. Even when you're yelling at someone in French, it's important to use the correct form of the word. In this case, since it's a stranger, you want to use "vous" (Arrêtez-vous!). More and more often in France, you'll see and hear the word "stop," sometimes even on street signs; don't be afraid to just yell stop in a pinch!

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Q 32 I like the red house
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Your house shopping on the island of Martinique, and you want to tell your realtor, "I like the red house." What can you say?
J'aime la rouge maison.
Je veux la maison rouge.
J'aimerais la maison rouge.
J'aime la maison rouge.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Red is a good color for a house; you've chosen well. When using adjectives in French, it's important to remember whether the adjective comes before or after the noun. In the case of colors, the adjective (rouge) always comes after the noun (maison).

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Q 33 How much does it cost
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When travelling anywhere, you're going to need to know how much something costs (unless you really just got it like that). How would you say "How much does it cost?" in French?
Comment payer pour ça?
Combien d'argent est-ce que je veux?
Comment donner ça à moi?
Combien ça coûte?
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is one of the few times French has a much shorter way of expressing an idea than the English equivalent. A direct translation would be close to "How much that cost?" Don't forget that "combien" is the single word for both "how much" in English.

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Q 34 They are too good
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Will you ever stop eating croissants? As you munch on your 50th croissant of the week, you exclaim "They're too good!" How would you write this in French?
C'est trop bon!
Il sont trop bon!
C'est très bien!
Ils sont trop bons!
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

They really are, though. While there may not be a difference in pronunciation orally, remembering all the letters when using the plural form is important (ilS sont trop bonS). Spelling can be difficult in French because of all the silent letters. If it makes you feel any better, French children also struggle well into their adolescence with spelling, so don't take it personally.

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Q 35 I love french
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Well, your French language adventures are coming to a close, but it's certain there are more to come. How do you say "I love French!"?
J'aime la France!
Je lové le français!
J'amour le français!
J'adore le français!
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Well, I'm glad you do because we do too. "Aimer" can mean both "like" and "love" in French, but when you want to exclaim your enthusiastic love for something, the word "adore" is often used in place of "aimer." Good job!

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