{"id":203,"date":"2026-08-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sayouitofrancais.com\/store\/?p=203"},"modified":"2026-08-09T15:06:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T15:06:48","slug":"how-to-speak-like-a-native-french-speaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sayouitofrancais.com\/store\/blog\/how-to-speak-like-a-native-french-speaker\/","title":{"rendered":"How to speak like a native French speaker ?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019ve been learning French for months or years, even. Your grammar is impeccable, you have a rich vocabulary and yet when you try to watch a French series on Netflix or have a conversation with your native French partner, it sounds more like Greek and Latin to you ?! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, it’s not your fault. Learning a language isn\u2019t just learning grammar and standard vocabulary. It\u2019s also understanding gestures, acquiring colloquialisms and cultural codes and contexts. And just like most languages, French is full of colloquialisms, slang and second degree humour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The French language is composed of 3 registers :<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Le registre courant : <\/strong>It’s a level of language that is standard and neutral. It uses simple words and grammatically correct phrases. You can use it everyday at work, in school or in the media to communicate with anyone in the Francophone world.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Le registre familier : <\/strong>It’s a level of language that is more slack and spontaneous, only used in verbal communication. It is characterised by abbreviations, everyday vocabulary and simplified sentences that do not respect all the rules of prescriptive grammar. For example, in fran\u00e7ais familier<\/em>, you skip the \u00ab ne \u00bb in a negative sentence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Le registre soutenu :<\/strong>\u00a0 It\u2019s a very formal, elegant and immaculate level of language. It uses a rich vocabulary, often academic or literary, a strict grammar and more complex sentence structures. It\u2019s often used in written communication like books, poems or official letters.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s a little example of equivalent sentences in all three registers.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    Registre courant<\/strong><\/th>Registre familier<\/strong><\/th>Registre soutenu<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Je mange<\/em><\/td>Je bouffe<\/em><\/td>Je consomme<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
    Je suis fatigu\u00e9<\/em><\/td>Je suis crev\u00e9<\/em><\/td>Je suis ext\u00e9nu\u00e9<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
    Donne-moi ton style<\/em><\/td>File-moi ton sylo<\/em><\/td>Tu peux me pr\u00eater ton stylo ?<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Now, when French natives speak, they switch between registers like it’s nobody\u2019s business. An informal conversation would typically switch up constantly between the registres courant<\/em> and familier<\/em>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let me tell 4 ways to sound like a native French person in an informal conversation :\u00a0<\/strong>
    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Skip the \u00ab ne \u00bb in a negative sentence\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Je ne parle pas \u2013 Je parle pas !\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Je n\u2019ai pas aim\u00e9 \u2013 J\u2019ai pas aim\u00e9\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Je ne viens pas \u2013 Je viens pas <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      2.<\/strong> Contract the subject pronoun\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        <\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Je suis fran\u00e7ais \u2014 J\u2019suis fran\u00e7ais<\/em> (sounds like Chuis fran\u00e7ais) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Tu as un livre \u2013 T\u2019as un livre <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Je ne sais pas \u2013 J\u2019sais pas <\/em>(sounds like Ch\u00e9 pas)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        3. Add fillers while talking\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          <\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          Ben ! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Voil\u00e0 quoi ! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Du coup !\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          En fait !\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          4. Familiarise yourself with French slang and idiomatic expressions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            <\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            I\u2019ve made an illustrated e-book with over 100+ words and expressions that native French speakers use \u2013 words and expressions that u-you won\u2019t find in your French textbooks. And the good news is that you can download this e-book for FREE<\/strong> !<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n