If you’re a French speaker learning English, you’re not alone in making certain mistakes. After years of teaching English to francophone professionals, I’ve noticed the same errors come up in almost every session. The good news? Once you understand why you make them, they’re easy to fix.
Here are the 10 most common ones — and how to correct them.
1. “I am agree” ❌ → “I agree” ✅
In French, you say “je suis d’accord” — literally “I am in agreement.” But in English, “agree” is a verb, not an adjective. You don’t need “am.”
Wrong: I am agree with you.
Right: I agree with you.
The same applies to “I am not agree” → “I disagree” or “I don’t agree.”
2. “Since three years” ❌ → “For three years” ✅
This is perhaps the most common mistake. In French, “depuis” covers both “since” and “for.” In English, they’re different:
- Since = a specific point in time → “since 2020,” “since Monday”
- For = a duration of time → “for three years,” “for two hours”
Wrong: I live here since three years.
Right: I have lived here for three years.
Notice the tense change too — English uses the present perfect (“have lived”) with “since” and “for.”
3. “I have 30 years” ❌ → “I am 30 years old” ✅
French uses “avoir” (to have) for age: “J’ai 30 ans.” English uses “to be.”
Wrong: I have 30 years.
Right: I am 30 (years old).
4. “Actually” doesn’t mean “actuellement”
This is a classic faux ami (false friend). “Actually” in English means “in fact” or “to be honest.” The French “actuellement” translates to “currently” in English.
Wrong: I actually work at Airbus. (meaning right now)
Right: I currently work at Airbus.
Other dangerous faux amis: sympathique ≠ sympathetic (use “nice” or “friendly”), sensible ≠ sensible (use “sensitive”), assister ≠ to assist (it means “to attend”).
5. Missing the “th” sound
French doesn’t have the “th” sound. French speakers typically say “ze” instead of “the” and “sink” instead of “think.”
Practice tip: Put your tongue between your teeth and blow air. It feels strange at first, but it’s the only way to produce this sound correctly. Practice with: the, this, that, think, three, through, although.
6. “I am waiting for since one hour” ❌
This combines two mistakes — “since/for” confusion and French sentence structure.
Right: I have been waiting for one hour.
English uses the present perfect continuous (“have been waiting”) for actions that started in the past and continue now.
7. Forgetting word order in questions
French often makes questions by adding “est-ce que” or inverting the subject. English has strict question word order: Question word + auxiliary + subject + verb.
Wrong: Why you are late?
Right: Why are you late?
Wrong: Where you go yesterday?
Right: Where did you go yesterday?
8. “I am not agree” and double negatives
French uses “ne…pas” which wraps around the verb. English puts “not” (or the contraction “n’t”) after the auxiliary verb.
Wrong: I understand not the question.
Right: I don’t understand the question.
And never use double negatives in standard English: “I don’t want nothing” → “I don’t want anything.”
9. Pronunciation of final consonants
In French, final consonants are usually silent (petit, fait, regard). In English, final consonants are almost always pronounced: fact, fast, asked, helped.
Skipping final consonants in English changes meaning or makes words unintelligible. “Ask” becomes “ass.” “Fact” becomes “fak.” Always finish your words.
10. Using “make” and “do” incorrectly
French uses “faire” for everything. English splits this into “make” and “do” with rules that feel arbitrary:
- Do: do homework, do the dishes, do business, do a favor, do your best
- Make: make a decision, make a mistake, make money, make a phone call, make progress
The rough rule: “do” is for activities and tasks, “make” is for creating or producing something.
Ready to fix these mistakes for good?
The fastest way to stop making these errors is to practice with someone who can spot them in real time. At LEFO, every conversation session includes an AI-powered assistant that catches your mistakes as you speak and helps you self-correct naturally.
Want more tips like this? Browse our Survival English course or check out our Daily English Dose for daily micro-lessons.