Is French difficult?
If you are just starting to learn French, many of its nuances can blow your mind if you are not used to it.
Let's figure it out, is everything as scary as it seems at first glance?
The dashes, dots and caps that run over the text make a novice’s eyes dazzle.
But diacritics are our clues. Depending on the symbol, words that are almost identically written can mean different things and be pronounced differently. Remember what these signs mean, and reading will immediately become easier.
The system of verb forms in French is more complicated than in Russian. More tenses, moods. Many things seem unusual and the brain takes time to readjust.
But there is also a system here:
- Most verbs are conjugated by analogy.
- The variety of tenses in French is not accidental. Their correct coordination in the text makes it easier to grasp the sequence of events in question.
- And in order to start communicating at an everyday level, you only need to master 5-6 tenses.
The French seem to construct questions in complex ways by inverting the word order.
But in fact, inversion is not a mandatory requirement. And in most cases, you can ask simply by changing the intonation, as in Russian. And this is not the only possible way to avoid difficulties.
But with the numerals, monsieur, they have become quite perverted.
We are used to counting in 10s. And for the French, 99, for example, will be 20 multiplied by 4 plus 10 and plus 9. Well, there’s a little training and the brain gets used to keeping this interesting score.
Sounds, especially nasal ones, are completely unusual for our Russian ears and mouths.
This is not surprising - in Russian and French they are completely different.
But it is possible to achieve good French pronunciation and understanding - learn the rules of reading, regularly listen to French speech and read aloud.
I agree, it can be scary at first. But it definitely shouldn’t stop you from at least starting to learn French.
The listed difficulties, in fact, give it a special charm, for which many people love it and want to speak it.
I myself remember very well my first steps in French. Not everything worked out the first time... But I liked it. Do you find it difficult to learn?
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