6 Common Mistakes English Speakers Make in French

If you're an English-speaking expatriate in France or Switzerland, you've probably realized that learning French goes far beyond memorizing vocabulary lists. Even advanced learners fall into the same predictable traps — errors caused by direct translation habits, English pronunciation patterns, or false friends.

In this guide, we'll explore the 6 most common mistakes English speakers make in French and give you practical tips to fix them permanently.

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1. Common Mistakes English Speakers Make in French: "Être" and "Avoir"

English uses "to be" for many states and feelings, but French often uses "avoir" (to have) instead. This leads to awkward literal translations.

Common mistakes:

Why it matters: Saying "Je suis chaud" doesn't mean "I'm hot (temperature)" — it means "I'm sexually aroused"! Similarly, "Je suis froid" means you have a cold personality, not that you feel cold.

How to Fix It:

1. Memorize key avoir expressions as complete phrases:

   • avoir faim (to be hungry)

   • avoir soif (to be thirsty)

   • avoir froid/chaud (to be cold/hot)

   • avoir sommeil (to be sleepy)

   • avoir besoin de (to need)

   • avoir envie de (to want/feel like)

   • avoir raison/tort (to be right/wrong)

   • avoir peur (to be afraid)

   • avoir l'air (to seem/appear)

2. Create situational flashcards: Instead of translating word-by-word, learn phrases in context

3. Think in French patterns: Train yourself to think "I have hunger" instead of translating "I am hungry"

   
   

   

2. False Friends (Faux Amis) — Words That Deceive

Some French words look remarkably similar to English words but mean something completely different. These "false friends" can lead to embarrassing or confusing situations.

Essential False Friends to Know:

Real-life embarrassing moment: Imagine telling your French colleagues "Je suis très excité pour cette réunion!" (I'm sexually aroused about this meeting!) when you meant "Je suis très enthousiaste pour cette réunion!" (I'm very excited about this meeting!)

How to Fix It:

1. Keep a personal faux amis list: Add to it whenever you discover a new false friend

2. Review weekly: Spaced repetition helps cement the correct meanings

3. Create memorable associations: The more ridiculous or memorable your association, the better you'll remember the correction

3. Overusing or Overemphasizing Subject Pronouns

In English, you always need the subject pronoun ("I go," "I eat," "I think"). While French also requires subject pronouns grammatically, English speakers often overemphasize them or pause unnaturally, making speech sound choppy and non-native.

Compare these patterns:

English-influenced: "Je... mange. Je... vais. Je... pense."

Natural French: "J'mange. J'vais. J'pense." (in spoken French)

How to Fix It:

1. Master elision: When je comes before a vowel, it becomes j' — practice linking smoothly: J'aime, j'habite, j'arrive

2. Focus on rhythm: French groups words together in rhythmic phrases rather than separating each word

In informal spoken French: Native speakers often drop "ne" in negations and contract heavily: Jsais pas (instead of Je ne sais pas), Jcomprends pas (instead of Je ne comprends pas)

While you don't need to speak this informally, understanding these patterns helps you sound more natural and understand real French conversations better.

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4. Misplacing "Pas" in Negations — Word Order Matters

English puts "not" or "don't" before the verb: "I don't understand." Many English speakers incorrectly transfer this pattern to French.

Common mistakes:

Je pas comprends.

Je pas sais.

Il pas est ici.

Correct patterns:

Formal: Je ne comprends pas. Informal (spoken): Je comprends pas. (the "ne" is often dropped in conversation)

The rule: In French negation, "pas" comes after the conjugated verb, not before.

How to Fix It:

1. Learn the sandwich pattern: ne + verb + pas (or other negative word)

2. Practice with common verbs:

   • Je ne sais pas / Je sais pas (I don't know)

   • Je n'aime pas / J'aime pas (I don't like)

   • Je ne veux pas / Je veux pas (I don't want)

   • Je ne comprends pas / Je comprends pas (I don't understand)

   • Ce n'est pas / C'est pas (It's not)

3. Remember compound tenses: In passé composé, "pas" comes after the auxiliary verb:

   • Je n'ai pas mangé (I didn't eat)

   • Elle n'est pas venue (She didn't come)

4. Other negative words follow the same pattern:

   • ne... jamais (never): Je ne voyage jamais / Je voyage jamais

   • ne... rien (nothing): Je ne vois rien / Je vois rien

   • ne... plus (no longer): Je n'habite plus à Paris / J'habite plus à Paris

5. Confusing "Bon" and "Bien" — Good vs. Well

English uses "good" and "well" fairly interchangeably in casual speech, but French makes a strict distinction between bon and bien that affects meaning.

The rule:

• Bon = adjective (describes a noun)

• Bien = adverb (describes a verb or state)

Examples:

When "C'est bon" vs "C'est bien":

• C'est bon = It tastes good / It's okay (giving permission)

• C'est bien = That's good (approval) / That's fine

How to Fix It:

1. Simple test:

   • If it describes what something is → use bon/bonne

   • If it describes how something is or happens → use bien

2. Practice with adjective agreement: Remember bon must agree with gender/number:

   • un bon film (masculine)

   • une bonne idée (feminine)

   • de bons résultats (masculine plural)

   • de bonnes notes (feminine plural)

3. Common fixed expressions to memorize:

   • Bon appétit! (Enjoy your meal!)

   • Bonne chance! (Good luck!)

   • Bon voyage! (Have a good trip!)

   • Bien sûr! (Of course!)

   • Très bien! (Very good/well!)

   • C'est bien fait (It's well done)

6. Translating Idioms Literally — Lost in Translation

Every language has colorful idiomatic expressions that make no sense if translated literally. Using literal English idioms in French sounds bizarre and confusing.

Common idiom translation mistakes:

More essential French idioms to know:

Food-related:

• Raconter des salades = To tell lies (literally: to tell salads)

• Avoir la patate = To feel great (literally: to have the potato)

• En faire tout un fromage = To make a big deal out of nothing (literally: to make a whole cheese out of it)

Animal-related:

• Avoir d'autres chats à fouetter = To have other priorities (literally: to have other cats to whip)

• Poser un lapin à quelqu'un = To stand someone up (literally: to put a rabbit to someone)

• Avoir le cafard = To feel down/depressed (literally: to have the cockroach)

Body-related:

• Coûter les yeux de la tête = To be very expensive (literally: to cost the eyes from the head)

• Casser les pieds à quelqu'un = To annoy someone (literally: to break someone's feet)

• Avoir un poil dans la main = To be lazy (literally: to have a hair in the hand)

How to Fix It:

1. Learn idioms in context: Don't just memorize lists — see how they're used in real situations

2. Consume authentic French content: Movies, series, podcasts, and books expose you to natural idiomatic usage

3. Keep an idiom journal: When you hear a new expression, write it down with example sentences

   
   

Cultural note for expats: Using appropriate French idioms shows cultural integration and makes you sound more natural. Native speakers will appreciate your effort and often find it charming when you use their expressions correctly!

Making mistakes is a normal and essential part of learning French — every error is an opportunity to improve.

Ready to go further? Explore our online private French lessons, group conversation classes, or self-paced MasterCourses — designed specifically for English speakers in France and Switzerland.

À bientôt !

Audrey, your French teacher 👩‍🏫