5 Mistakes in French
That Make Your French Sound Awkward (And How to Fix Them)
Let me tell you something that happened in one of my lessons.
One of my students, super smart, great vocabulary, could understand almost everything, said to me:
“J’ai eu une réunion hier et j’été très excité!”
And I just paused.
Not because I didn’t understand.
But because in French… this sentence is a chaotic mix of things that sound right but feel very wrong…
And that’s exactly the problem.
👉 Most learners don’t sound awkward because of grammar.
👉 They sound awkward because of tiny mistakes that completely break the natural flow.
So let’s fix that.
Here are 5 common mistakes that make your French sound awkward and what to say instead.
1. Translating directly from English
This is the BIG one.
You think in English → translate → speak. Wrong, each language has it’s own way to express event, feelings, facts, etc.
Example:
❌ Je suis d’accord avec ça (okay… but heavy)
❌ Je fais une décision
❌ Je suis 25 ans
What happens?
Your sentence is technically understandable… but it doesn’t sound French. The person listening has to make an effort to understand you and it might increase risks of misunderstanding
Instead:
✔️ Je suis d’accord
✔️ Je prends une décision
✔️ J’ai 25 ans
Why this matters:
French isn’t English with different words. It’s a completely different structure.
2. Using “faux amis” (false friends)
Ahhh… the classic trap.
Back to my student:
❌ J’ai assisté à une réunion → ✅ correct
❌ I assist to a meeting → 🚨 NOPE
And the best one:
❌ Je suis excité
This doesn’t mean “I’m excited” (unless… different context 😏I might get back to this one in another post)
Instead:
✔️ Je suis content(e)
✔️ Je suis enthousiaste
Other dangerous ones:
❌ Actuellement ≠ actually (it means currently)
❌ Demander ≠ demand (it means to ask)
💡 These are small mistakes… but they immediately sound “non-natural”.
3. Overusing “très”
If you say très all the time… your French sounds flat.
❌ C’est très bon
❌ Je suis très fatigué
❌ C’est très intéressant
It’s correct. But… boring, you are not boring, I know it so let’s your French reflect that!
Upgrade your French:
✔️ C’est délicieux
✔️ Je suis épuisé(e)
✔️ C’est fascinant
💡 Use precise words, it instantly makes you sound more natural and get to your point.
4. Forgetting rhythm and pronunciation
This one is sneaky.
You might say a perfect sentence… but if the rhythm is off → it sounds awkward.
Example:
❌ Je veux / aller / à / la / plage (too robotic)
French is fluid. Words connect.
Instead:
✔️ Jevealléàlaplage → everything links together
Also:
❌ pronouncing every letter (don’t forget, we are lazy people, we write a lot of letter and then when we have to pronounce them we become suddenly “le tired”)
❌ stressing the wrong syllable (only the last one is stressed or the last one of a rythmic group)
💡It is not about speaking more, it’s about speaking smoother, like a suave chocolate mousse (not sure of that one now that I am reading it again but when I wrote it, it made sense so let’s go with it).
5. Being “too correct” (yes, really)
This one surprises people.
Some students speak like textbooks but sorry to tell you, you are NOT a text book, you have way more personnality :
❌ Je ne sais pas (perfect… but very formal in speech)
❌ Nous allons au restaurant
In real life?
✅ We say:
✔️ Je sais pas
✔️ On va au resto
💡 If you only use “perfect French” → you sound stiff, not like the cool cat I know you are!
So… why does your French sound awkward?
Not because you’re bad. Not because you “don’t know enough”.
But because:
you translate
you use the wrong word that looks right
you don’t sound like real spoken French
👉 And the worst part? These mistakes don’t go away on their own. Sorry, it requires work …
The good news
These are all easy fixes once you’re aware of them.
And honestly?
This is EXACTLY what I work on with my students.
Not:
boring grammar drills
endless vocabulary lists
But helping you sound like you do in your own language.
Want to go further?
If you’ve ever thought:
“I understand French but I can’t speak”
“I sound weird when I talk”
“I translate everything in my head”
“I want my personality to be seen through French”
You’re not alone. And you can fix it way funnier and enjoyable than you think.
Work with me and let’s make your French sound actually natural.
