How to build your French vocabulary
Vocabulary is what lets you understand and be understood. Grammar holds a sentence together, but without the right words you can't say what you mean or follow what you hear. The good news: a relatively small core of words covers most everyday French, so learning the most common ones first pays off quickly.
The topics on this page are organised by theme, with pronunciation and audio for every word. This guide shows how to use them so the words stay with you, and which topics matter most for daily life in Canada and for TEF Canada and TCF Canada.
Start with the words you'll use every day
Begin with time, food, feelings and people. These come up in almost every conversation, from booking an appointment to talking about your weekend, and they appear constantly in listening and reading tasks.
Days, months and telling the time let you make plans. Food and clothing get you through shops and restaurants. Emotions let you say how you feel and react to what others say, which matters in any speaking task.
Learn words in context, not alone
A word on its own is easy to forget. Learn each one inside a short sentence you could actually say, and include its article: "la pomme", not just "pomme". The article tells you whether the noun is masculine or feminine, which affects the adjectives and pronouns around it.
Say the word and the sentence aloud. Hearing yourself helps your memory, and the audio on each topic page lets you check your pronunciation against a model.
- Je prends un café le matin.: I have a coffee in the morning.
- Elle porte une veste rouge.: She's wearing a red jacket.
- Nous sommes contents de vous voir.: We're happy to see you.
Review a little, often
Your memory keeps what you meet again at the right moment. Review new words the next day, then after a few days, then after a week. A few minutes of review each day works better than one long session at the weekend.
Keep a short personal list of words you actually need, such as vocabulary from your job, your neighbourhood or your exam topics. Words that matter to you stick far better than random lists.
Vocabulary for TEF Canada and TCF Canada
Both exams cover everyday situations: work, housing, health, transport, leisure and public services. Theme-based vocabulary prepares you for the listening and reading documents, and gives you the words to answer in speaking and writing.
Examiners value vocabulary that's varied and suits the situation. Instead of repeating "bien" or "intéressant", learn a few alternatives and connectors such as "pourtant", "d'ailleurs" and "en revanche" so your answers flow. Check the official exam sites for the current list of tasks.
French vocabulary: common questions
How many French words do I need to know?
A few hundred well-chosen words let you handle simple everyday situations, and a few thousand let you follow most conversations. Focus first on the most frequent words and the topics you actually meet.
Should I learn the gender of every noun?
Yes. Learn each noun with "le", "la", "un" or "une". Gender changes the adjectives and pronouns around the noun, so knowing it from the start saves many mistakes later.
What's the fastest way to remember new words?
Learn them in a sentence, say them aloud, and review them a day, a few days and a week later. Using a word in your own sentence is the strongest way to keep it.
Is Canadian French vocabulary different?
Most vocabulary is the same. Québec has some everyday words of its own, such as "magasiner" for to go shopping, but standard French words are understood everywhere in Canada.