Bonjour ! I’m David Issokson. I’ve been teaching French for beginners online since 2014, helping hundreds of students move from their very first words to speaking with real confidence.
Most beginner sites are silent and overwhelming. This guide is different: it’s a step-by-step roadmap to the essentials of the language. Whether you are aiming for the A1 proficiency level or just want to survive your first trip to France, you’ll find everything you need here—from pronunciation rules to your first 100 verbs.
Every lesson features authentic audio recorded by Marie Assel Cambier, a professional native French voice artist, so you learn the right way to speak from day one.
🎯 How to Use This Page
- Begin with pronunciation so every word sticks
- Learn the four essential verbs
- Add basic grammar for short sentences
- Build everyday vocabulary
- Practice daily with the Word of the Day and short quizzes
- Study 15 minutes at a scheduled time
🗣️ Master Pronunciation
- Learn the French alphabet with audio
- Learn the 30 Reading Rules to see how spelling maps to sound
- Understand accents: acute (é) and grave (è) (see accents overview)
- Practice ENT endings, the EU in heure, and liaison rules
🧱 Build Your First Sentences
- Greetings: Bonjour, Salut, Ça va (see greetings overview)
- Subject pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles
- Articles: un, une, le, la, les, des
- Questions: est-ce que, inversion, question words (see est-ce que lesson)
- Negation: ne… pas and other common forms
- Tu vs vous: learn when to use each
🔑 Four Essential Verbs
- Être — to be (present tense, describe people and things)
- Avoir — to have (and phrases like avoir peur or avoir faim)
- Aller — to go (talk about plans or movement)
- Faire — to do or make (daily life, hobbies, weather)
- Next steps: parler, prendre, mettre, venir, pouvoir, vouloir, savoir, connaître, devoir
- Explore the Top 100 French Verbs and their full conjugation tables
📅 Present Tense Practice
- 25 verbs in the present tense
- Start with regular -er, -ir, and -re verbs (see regular verbs guide)
- Speak each one aloud until it feels natural
🧰 Core Beginner Topics
- Numbers 1–100
- Days of the week, months, how to say the year
- Telling time
- Weather expressions: il fait beau, il pleut
- Ordering food & restaurant phrases
- How to ask directions
- C’est vs il est
- Family, clothing, colors, feelings, sports, hobbies, travel words
- Adjectives – how they work
- Explore the complete vocabulary hub
🎧 Learn with Audio and Music
- Follow the Word of the Day for daily audio and examples
- Explore beginner-friendly songs: “Alouette,” “Frère Jacques,” “La Vie en rose,” and more from the Top 20 French Songs guide
- Use the Song Lyrics Hub (biggest collection of French lyrics in the world)
🧭 Simple 14-Day Roadmap
- Days 1–2: Alphabet, accents, reading rules, liaison
- Day 3: Greetings, pronouns, articles
- Day 4: Être + short descriptions
- Day 5: Avoir + phrases (avoir faim, soif, peur)
- Day 6: Aller + plans and places
- Day 7: Faire + routines and weather
- Day 8: Questions (est-ce que / inversion) + negation
- Day 9: Numbers, days, months, time
- Day 10: Family words + adjectives
- Day 11: Ordering meals in restaurants
- Day 12: Clothing, colors, shopping basics
- Day 13: Directions and transport
- Day 14: Review with three quizzes + seven recent Words of the Day lessons
💡 Pro Tips
- Set small short-term goals and stick to them
- Read every example out loud; Don’t worry about perfection
- Make sure you really master the core verbs
- Play the audio over and over again
- Keep a streak: one Word of the Day + five new words daily
🎁 Free Beginner PDF
- Download 20 Common French Mistakes (and How to Fix Them) and keep it handy while you study.
🇫🇷 Suggested course – À Moi Paris
Many beginners ask which course I suggest. I’ve known Camille at French Today since 2016, and her À Moi Paris program is my top pick. It begins right at A1 and uses clear, engaging audio lessons, guiding you step by step toward advanced fluency.
👉 Check out the course »
📖 Read my review »
If you purchase the courses, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you.
