Day 1: French Basics Masterclass - Learn French in 7 Days | Profrenchguide.info

French Foundations: Day 1 Masterclass

Build your French foundation with alphabet mastery, perfect pronunciation, essential greetings, and daily conversation starters for English speakers.

60-75 Minutes English Support Audio Guides Beginner Friendly
Your 7-Day French Journey Day 1 of 7 - Foundation Building
Getting Started Certificate: 6 days away

Interactive Pronunciation: Click on any word, letter, or the 🔊 button to hear the correct French pronunciation!

Alphabet Pronunciation Greetings Introductions Numbers Days & Months Exercises

Your Day 1 Learning Path

Welcome to your first day of French mastery! Today, we'll build the essential foundation that will support all your future French learning. You'll finish today feeling more confident with basic French sounds, words, and conversations.

Alphabet Mastery

Recognize all 26 letters plus French accents

French Pronunciation

Learn nasal sounds and silent letters

Essential Greetings

Master formal & informal French greetings

Self-Introduction

Confidently introduce yourself in French

Maximize Your Learning

Speak aloud throughout this lesson! French pronunciation relies heavily on muscle memory. Repeat words and sentences multiple times until they feel natural. Pay special attention to nasal sounds and silent letters.

The French Alphabet

The French alphabet has 26 letters, same as English, but with different pronunciations. French also uses accent marks (é, è, à, etc.) that change pronunciation.

A a
(ah)
B b
(bay)
C c
(say)
D d
(day)
E e
(uh)
F f
(eff)
G g
(zhay)
H h
(ash)
I i
(ee)
J j
(zhee)
K k
(kah)
L l
(ell)
M m
(emm)
N n
(enn)
O o
(oh)
P p
(pay)
Q q
(koo)
R r
(err)
S s
(ess)
T t
(tay)
U u
(oo)
V v
(vay)
W w
(doo-bluh-vay)
X x
(eeks)
Y y
(ee-grek)
Z z
(zed)
French Accent Marks
  • é - accent aigu (acute) - pronounced "ay"
  • è - accent grave (grave) - pronounced "eh"
  • ê - accent circonflexe (circumflex) - lengthens vowel
  • ë - tréma (diaeresis) - separates vowel sounds
  • ç - cédille (cedilla) - makes C sound like "s"
  • à - accent grave on A
Alphabet Learning Strategy

Focus on letters that sound different from English: G, J, R, U, W, Y. The French "R" is guttural (from the throat). Practice nasal sounds: AN, EN, IN, ON, UN. Remember final consonants are often silent.

French Pronunciation Guide

French pronunciation follows consistent rules. Unlike English, what you see is (mostly) what you pronounce. Key features: nasal sounds, silent letters, and liaisons.

Sound Type French Example Pronunciation English Equivalent
Nasal Vowels bon 🔊 bohn (nasal) Like "bone" but nasalized
Silent Letters Paris 🔊 Pa-ree (silent S) Final consonants often silent
French R rouge 🔊 Rooj (guttural R) From back of throat
U Sound tu 🔊 tu (pursed lips) Say "ee" with rounded lips
Liaison les amis 🔊 layzah-mee Linking words together
EU Sound feu 🔊 feu Like "ur" in "burn"
GN Sound champagne 🔊 shahm-panyeh Like "ny" in "canyon"
Pronunciation Practice

Listen and repeat these minimal pairs to train your ear for French sounds:

vin / vent (wine / wind)
beau / bon (beautiful / good)
tu / tout (you / all)

Essential French Greetings

French greetings vary by formality and time of day. Unlike English, French distinguishes between formal "vous" and informal "tu".

French Greeting English Translation Context & Formality Pronunciation Guide
Bonjour 🔊 Hello / Good day Standard greeting, daytime bohn-zhoor
Bonsoir 🔊 Good evening Evening greeting bohn-swahr
Salut 🔊 Hi / Bye Informal, friends only sah-loo
Comment allez-vous? 🔊 How are you? (formal) Formal, with "vous" koh-mahn tah-lay voo
Comment ça va? 🔊 How's it going? Informal, with "tu" koh-mahn sah vah
Ça va? 🔊 Alright? / How are you? Very casual sah vah
Enchanté(e) 🔊 Nice to meet you When meeting someone ahn-shahn-tay
Au revoir 🔊 Goodbye Standard farewell oh ruh-vwahr
Greeting Practice Dialogues

Practice these short conversations to build your greeting confidence:

Formal Situation (Business):

A: "Bonjour. Comment allez-vous?" 🔊

B: "Bonjour. Je vais bien, merci. Et vous?" 🔊

A: "Très bien, merci. Enchanté." 🔊

Informal Situation (Friends):

A: "Salut! Ça va?" 🔊

B: "Salut! Oui, ça va bien. Et toi?" 🔊

A: "Ça va. À plus tard!" 🔊

Important: Tu vs. Vous

Tu (informal) = friends, family, children. Vous (formal) = strangers, elders, professional settings, plural "you". When in doubt, use "vous" - it's more polite and won't offend.

Self-Introductions in French

Learn how to introduce yourself confidently in different situations. French introductions often include a handshake (formal) or cheek kisses "la bise" (informal, usually 2-4 kisses depending on region).

Basic Introduction Structure
  1. Greeting: Start with "Bonjour" or "Bonsoir"
  2. Your Name: "Je m'appelle..." (I call myself) or "Je suis..." (I am)
  3. Basic Information: "Je suis de..." (I'm from) or "J'habite à..." (I live in)
  4. Occupation: "Je suis..." (I am a...) + profession
  5. Friendly Closing: "Enchanté(e)" or question
Introduction Examples
Formal Introduction (Business Meeting):

"Bonjour. Je m'appelle Marie Dubois. Je suis de Paris, et je suis ingénieure informatique. Je travaille chez Renault depuis cinq ans. Enchantée de faire votre connaissance." 🔊

(Hello. My name is Marie Dubois. I'm from Paris, and I'm a computer engineer. I've worked at Renault for five years. Nice to meet you.)

Social Introduction (Party):

"Bonsoir. Je suis Pierre. Je suis ami avec Sophie de l'université. J'habite à Lyon et je suis professeur de français. Et vous, vous habitez où?" 🔊

(Good evening. I'm Pierre. I'm a friend of Sophie's from university. I live in Lyon and I'm a French teacher. And you, where do you live?)

Casual Introduction (Language Exchange):

"Salut! Moi, c'est Luc. Je suis canadien, de Montréal. J'apprends le français depuis six mois. Et toi, tu parles français depuis longtemps?" 🔊

(Hi! I'm Luc. I'm Canadian, from Montreal. I've been learning French for six months. And you, have you been speaking French for long?)

French Numbers 1-100

French numbers have unique patterns, especially 70-99. Let's start with 1-20 and learn the patterns for counting to 100.

Numbers 1-20
1
Un/Une
2
Deux
3
Trois
4
Quatre
5
Cinq
6
Six
7
Sept
8
Huit
9
Neuf
10
Dix
11
Onze
12
Douze
13
Treize
14
Quatorze
15
Quinze
16
Seize
17
Dix-sept
18
Dix-huit
19
Dix-neuf
20
Vingt
Key Number Patterns
French Number Quirk

French uses a base-20 system for 70-99. 70 = 60+10, 80 = 4×20, 90 = 4×20+10. This is unique to French! Belgium and Switzerland use septante (70), huitante/octante (80), nonante (90).

Days & Months in French

French days and months are not capitalized (unless at the beginning of a sentence). All are masculine (use "le" for days).

Days of the Week
lundi
(Monday)
mardi
(Tuesday)
mercredi
(Wednesday)
jeudi
(Thursday)
vendredi
(Friday)
samedi
(Saturday)
dimanche
(Sunday)
Months of the Year
janvier
février
mars
avril
mai
juin
juillet
août
septembre
octobre
novembre
décembre
Talking About Time in French

Practice these common time expressions:

  • "Aujourd'hui, c'est lundi." 🔊 (Today is Monday)
  • "Demain, c'est mardi." 🔊 (Tomorrow is Tuesday)
  • "Hier, c'était dimanche." 🔊 (Yesterday was Sunday)
  • "Mon anniversaire est en juillet." 🔊 (My birthday is in July)
  • "La réunion est vendredi." 🔊 (The meeting is on Friday)
  • "Nous sommes en janvier." 🔊 (It's January)
Dates Format

French date format: day/month/year. Example: 25/12/2023 (25 décembre 2023). Say: "le vingt-cinq décembre deux mille vingt-trois". Days use cardinal numbers (le un, le deux) except 1st = "le premier".

Day 1 Practice Exercises

Apply what you've learned with these practical exercises. Try to complete them without looking back at the lesson material.

Exercise 1: Alphabet & Pronunciation
  1. Write the French alphabet from A to Z with pronunciations.
  2. List 5 French accent marks with their names and effects on pronunciation.
  3. Pronounce these challenging French sounds aloud: R, U, EU, AN, GN
  4. Identify which letters are usually silent at the end of French words.
Exercise 2: Greetings & Introductions
  1. Create appropriate French greetings for these situations:
    • A business meeting at 10 AM
    • Meeting a friend at a café at 8 PM
    • Answering the phone formally
  2. Write a 4-sentence self-introduction in French for a language exchange event.
  3. Explain when to use "tu" vs "vous" with examples.
  4. Translate these English phrases to French:
    • Good morning, how are you? (formal)
    • Hi, what's up? (informal)
    • Nice to meet you.
Exercise 3: Numbers, Days & Months
  1. Write these numbers in French: 7, 13, 21, 70, 80, 91, 100
  2. Answer these questions in complete French sentences:
    • Quel jour sommes-nous aujourd'hui? (What day is today?)
    • En quel mois sommes-nous? (What month is it?)
    • Quel âge avez-vous? (How old are you? - formal)
  3. List all the days of the week in French in order.
  4. Explain the French number system for 70-99.
Checking Your Answers

After completing the exercises, review the lesson material to check your answers. Don't worry about mistakes - they're a natural part of learning! Focus on understanding where you went wrong and practicing those areas. French pronunciation takes time to master.

Félicitations!

You've completed Day 1 of your French journey. You now have a solid foundation in French basics.

Tomorrow, we'll build on this foundation with essential everyday conversations, food vocabulary, and restaurant phrases.

Continue to Day 2: Conversations Quotidiennes

Want to review? Go back to Alphabet or redo exercises