“Bonjour mon amie, comment allez-vous aujourd’hui ?”
→ Don’t say that in French!
It’s correct French, but it’s a bit too formal for most occasions. In everyday life, it would sound weird to your Parisian friends.
You see, there’s the French you learned in school – for textbooks, novels, exams.
Learning this “correct” French is useful, but you need to take its rules with a grain of salt.
Because the actual French language that we speak everyday is like a whole new language!
It’s a bit informal, it’s not the best grammar, but suddenly you sound relaxed and friendlier.
Let’s see how you can use this spoken French to sound like a native!
1) Greetings Spectrum
- “Bonjour !” → Can start any conversation, especially with strangers, like any store clerk (at the boulangerie for instance.)
- “Salut !” → For friends and informal situations
- “Coucou !” → Cute, friendly, relaxed, for people you already know
If you want to start a more personal conversation, you can then ask how they’re doing.
- “Comment allez-vous ?” → Correct French, very formal, respectful distance
- “Ça va ?” → Simple, clear, fits anywhere
- “Ça roule ?” → Informal, casual, for people you already know in low stakes situations
2) Pronunciation Patterns
Informal pronunciation doesn’t always fit the written “correct French” transcription.
a) We almost always cut the “ne” in “ne… pas”
“Je ne sais pas.” (= I don’t know) → “Je sais pas.”
b) Pushing sounds together when speaking fast.
“Je sais pas” → “Chais pas”
We wouldn’t write it that way, but that’s how it sounds!
c) Cutting other small words here and there
“Il y a” (= There is) → “Ya”
“Il n’y a pas de problème.” → “Ya pas d’problème.” → “Pas d’problème.”
d) Simplifiying questions
Formal French : “Que fais-tu ce soir ?” (= What are you doing tonight?)
“Correct” French : “Qu’est-ce que tu fais ce soir ?”
Real spoken French: “Tu fais quoi ce soir ?” (no need to invert pronoun and verb)
3) Vocabulary Bridge
Correct French / Informal conversational French:
- La voiture / La caisse (= the car)
- Le travail / Le travail, le taf (= work)
- L’argent / Le fric, les thunes (= money)
- Un ami / Un pote, un copain (= a friend)
- La maison / La baraque (= the house)
- Les vêtements / Les fringues (= clothes)…
4) Example: how it can change a conversation
Correct, written French:
– Comment vas-tu aujourd’hui ? Est-ce que tout va bien ?
– Oui, tout va bien, je suis pleine d’énergie.
(= How are you today? Is everything alright? // – Yes, everything’s fine, I’m full of energy)
Or
– Plus ou moins, je ne sais pas, je suis un peu fatiguée.
(= More or less, I don’t know, I’m a bit tired)
→ It’s correct French. Everyone understands you, and that’s the most important thing. However, you do speak like a manual for learning French.
Real, informal spoken French:
– Ça roule ? (= How are you? Fine?)
– Ouais, super, j’ai la patate. (= Yeah, great, I’m pumped)
Or
– Bof, chais pas, chuis un peu crevée. (= Meh, I dunno, I’m a bit tired)
→ That’s informal French. Everyone understands you, and your speech is more natural to a French person. And it’s fun to say “Bof!” and feel like a French native speaker!
5) Complete Navigation System
Here’s exactly how to bridge from textbook French to natural French:
Step 1: Master the casual greetings
You can use “Bonjour” in all situations, but with friends you can also try:
“Salut !” or “Coucou !”
Step 2: Cut the “ne” in negations
Je ne sais pas → Je sais pas (= I don’t know)
Ce n’est pas vrai → C’est pas vrai (= that’s not true)
Step 3: Adapt your question style
Use “Que faites-vous ?” (= what are you doing ?) with the inversion of subject and verb, in formal writing only.
Keep “Qu’est-ce que vous faites ?”, with “vous”, for polite conversations.
Use “Tu fais quoi ?” for friendly conversations.
Step 4: Learn natural contractions
Practice the common patterns:
Je sais pas → J’sais pas, chais pas (= I don’t know)
Il y a / il n’y a pas → Ya / Ya pas (= there is, there isn’t)
Tu es / Tu as → T’es, t’as (= you have, you don’t have)
Tu n’as pas besoin de te presser, il y a le temps.
(= You don’t need to hurry, there’s time.)
Actually sounds like: “T’as pas besoin d’te presser, ya l’temps.”
Don’t use them in writing, though!
Step 5: Build conversational vocabulary
Learn the informal versions of common words. Like:
Le travail → Le boulot, le taf (work)
Une voiture → Une caisse (a car)
Quelque chose → Un truc (something)
You don’t need to use them yourself, but you need them to understand informal conversation.
Step 6: Train your ear with real French!
Listen to French YouTubers, podcasts, casual conversations. Notice the signs of spoken grammar and vocabulary, and their differences with correct written French. What else would you add to the list?
And remember – you’re not abandoning everything you learned. You’re adding a new skillset to what you already know.
Think of it as becoming bilingual within French itself.
6) Your own personal map - right now
Navigating these different levels of formality is the final step to true fluency. It requires something like a… map. That’s exactly what I’ve designed for you.
My weekly practice plan is your personal roadmap. It helps you understand exactly where you are on your journey, and gives you the specific tools and focus areas for your level.
It will give you the confidence to know when to stick to ‘bonjour’, and when you can throw in a ‘carrément’ to really connect with people. It will force you to build a clear, step-by-step plan to finally understand movies, participate in conversations, and feel the joy of connecting with the language, not just conjugating it.
À très vite !
I’ll see you in the next lesson.