Duolingo vs Babbel for French verbs (2026)
Neither app is built to teach conjugation. What each one actually does with French verbs, which is less bad, and what to add so you can produce forms.
Read more →French Learning Blog
Conjugation deep-dives, grammar guides, and learning strategies, written for English speakers learning French.
Which French tenses do you actually need?
French has 15 tenses and moods. Six carry almost all conversation, three more get you to B2, and the rest you only ever need to recognise.
Read more →10 French Verbs That Unlock 100 Expressions
Learn 100 everyday French expressions built from 10 versatile verbs, including avoir besoin, faire attention, prendre rendez-vous and tenir au courant.
Read more →Accord du participe passé: every French agreement case, explained
The complete reference for l'accord du participe passé, including the ones natives argue about: avoir + COD, pronominal verbs, en, laissé/fait + infinitive, and why 'les lettres qu'il s'est laissé écrire' takes no agreement.
Read more →Best apps to prepare for the DELF and DALF (2026)
Which apps and tools actually help you pass the DELF and DALF, honestly rated for each of the four skills, plus where verb conjugation quietly costs people points and how to fix it.
Read more →Best apps to learn French verbs (2026)
An honest, hands-on comparison of the apps for learning French verbs and conjugation, what each one is genuinely good at, where it falls short, and how to pick the right one for how you learn.
Read more →Does Duolingo teach French verb conjugation? (An honest look)
Duolingo is great for some things and weak at others. Here's a straight answer on whether it actually teaches French conjugation, what it does well, where it falls short, and what to pair it with.
Read more →How I actually learned Spanish: 830 hours, 4 countries, and one wasted year of Duolingo
The honest story of how a French speaker learned Spanish, from one terrible trip to Colombia armed with nothing but Duolingo, to 830 hours later talking with locals across four countries. The exact routine, the 85/15 split, and the resources I'd use to learn French the same way.
Read more →French boot verbs: the shape that tells you when the stem changes
Stem-changing -er verbs like acheter, appeler and préférer change in the same four spots every time. Draw the boot, and you'll never guess j'achète vs nous achetons again.
Read more →The French future tense endings trick: they ARE avoir
Stop memorizing the futur simple endings separately. They're literally the present tense of avoir, bolted onto the infinitive. One trick covers futur and conditionnel for every verb.
Read more →French pronoun order: the placement ladder that ends the guessing
Me te se le lui y en, French object pronouns stack in one fixed order. Learn the placement ladder and je le lui donne falls right out, no more reshuffling pronouns mid-sentence.
Read more →-cer, -ger and -yer French verbs: spelling changes that defend a sound
Manger → mangeons, commencer → commençons, payer → payons. These spelling changes aren't exceptions to memorize, they're French protecting a soft sound. Learn the why and they become automatic.
Read more →The two kinds of French -ir verbs: finir vs partir
Not all -ir verbs conjugate the same way. Some insert -iss- (finir), some just drop a consonant (partir). Here's the theme that tells you which group a verb belongs to.
Read more →How to memorize French verb endings (without staring at a table)
French verb endings aren't a wall of cells to memorize, they're a handful of rhythms that repeat across tenses. The chant method, the patterns that reuse, and how to drill endings so they stick.
Read more →Passé composé vs imparfait: the photo-vs-movie trick
The single hardest decision in French past tense becomes one image. Passé composé is a photo, a finished snapshot. Imparfait is a movie, an ongoing scene. Here's how to use it in real time.
Read more →How to remember French conjugations: 12 memory tricks that actually stick
Stop re-learning the same endings every week. 12 proven memory tricks and mnemonics for French verb conjugation, from DR MRS VANDERTRAMP to WEIRDO, plus the one habit that makes them permanent.
Read more →How to remember French irregular verbs: start with the survival 4
You don't need to memorize every irregular French verb at once. Master être, avoir, aller and faire first, they carry a third of real conversation and unlock the auxiliaries, futur proche and more.
Read more →WEIRDO: the French subjunctive mnemonic that finally makes it click
When do you use the French subjunctive? WEIRDO, Wishes, Emotions, Impersonal expressions, Recommendations, Doubt, Orders. Six buckets that turn a hundred random triggers into one memorable word.
Read more →How to teach French verb conjugation so it actually sticks
Most French conjugation teaching fails at the same step: practice. Here's a classroom-tested approach that moves students from understanding the rule to producing the form automatically, plus what to assign between lessons.
Read more →French conjugation homework students will actually do
Worksheets get half-finished and copied. Here's how to assign French verb practice that students complete, that trains real production, and that you don't have to mark by hand.
Read more →Best French verb practice apps for classrooms (2026)
A practical look at the French verb apps worth using with students: what each is good at, where they fall short for conjugation, and what to look for when choosing a classroom tool.
Read more →DELF vs TEF vs TCF: which French exam should you actually take?
A decision tree for picking the right French exam. DELF for academic credentials, TEF Canada for immigration, TCF for university admission, with the costs, validity periods, and use cases for each.
Read more →How Long to Learn French? Calculator
Estimate how long it will take to reach A1, A2, B1, B2 or C1 in French. Get a realistic target date and study plan based on your weekly schedule.
Read more →French for Canadian immigration: TEF or TCF, and what NCLC score do you need?
How much extra French is worth for Express Entry, the exact TEF Canada and TCF Canada score thresholds for NCLC 7, 8, 9, 10, and how many CRS points you actually earn.
Read more →The 14 être verbs in French: DR MRS VANDERTRAMP, explained and drilled
The 14 French verbs that take être (not avoir) in the passé composé. The DR MRS VANDERTRAMP mnemonic, agreement rules, the exceptions nobody mentions, and how to stop saying j'ai allé.
Read more →How to type French accents on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android (and why exams care)
Step-by-step instructions for typing French accents (é, è, ê, ç, à, ô, ù) on every device. Plus why DELF, TEF, TCF and AP French penalise missing accents in their writing sections.
Read more →DELF B1 oral production: the 10 questions the examiner asks every time
The DELF B1 oral exam is built around predictable question templates. Here are the 10 you should rehearse, with sample answers and the structures that score above 20/25.
Read more →Si-clauses in French: the 3 patterns, no exceptions, with examples
The only 3 if-then patterns in French. When to use si + présent, si + imparfait, or si + plus-que-parfait, and the conditionnel mistakes that drop your exam score.
Read more →AP French argumentative essay: marked sample answers at scores 5, 4, and 3
Three sample AP French argumentative essays at scores 5, 4, and 3, with marginalia explaining exactly what each rubric line rewards or penalises. Use these as templates for your own May essay.
Read more →The fastest realistic way to learn French verbs (it's not what you think)
There is no '7 days' trick. But there's an order of operations that gets most learners from zero to passable conversational French verbs in 3–6 months, instead of the 2+ years most apps deliver.
Read more →French Verb Endings Chart: All Tenses
Printable French verb endings chart for -er, -ir and -re verbs in present, imparfait, future, conditional, subjunctive and passé composé.
Read more →How to actually practice French verb conjugation (and what to stop doing)
Most French verb practice doesn't stick because it relies on recognition (multiple choice), not production (typing). Here's what works, and how to structure your practice so it compounds.
Read more →En and y: the two tiny French pronouns that secretly do everything
En and y are the two pronouns English speakers skip, and the two that instantly mark you as fluent when you start using them. Here's exactly what each one replaces, with the placement rule that never changes.
Read more →The French subjunctive: a trigger list that actually works
The subjunctive isn't a mood. It's a reflex triggered by specific words. Here's the only list of triggers you need, plus the conjugation rule, with examples that English speakers will actually remember.
Read more →Futur vs Conditionnel: The Key Difference
Learn the difference between futur simple and conditionnel présent, including their endings, trigger words, pronunciation, and common mistakes.
Read more →Il y a, il est, c'est: how to know which 'there is / it is' to use
Three expressions, three jobs. Il y a, il est, and c'est all translate as 'it is' or 'there is' in English, but French uses them in totally different situations. Here's the rule that decides for you.
Read more →The 100 most common French verbs
The 100 most common French verbs ranked by frequency, with English translations and full conjugation tables. Plus which 30 to learn first, and why.
Read more →Passé simple vs passé composé: when (and whether) to use the literary past
The passé simple is the tense French schoolchildren dread and adult learners can mostly ignore. Here's when you actually need it, when you don't, and how to recognize it when you read it.
Read more →Past participle agreement in French: the only 3 rules you actually need
Past participle agreement (l'accord du participe passé) is the rule French speakers themselves get wrong. Here are the 3 cases that cover 95% of situations, with the COD-placé-avant trick demystified.
Read more →Pronominal verbs in French (se laver, s'asseoir, se souvenir): the complete guide
Pronominal verbs, the ones with se in front, confuse every English speaker learning French. Here are the three types, the agreement rule, and the verbs that change meaning when you add se.
Read more →Passé Composé vs Imparfait: Rules + Quiz
Choose between passé composé and imparfait with four clear rules, signal words, examples, meaning changes, and a free 12-question practice quiz.
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