[}}
{{legend|#00AAE2|Countries sometimes considered as Francophone Africa}}]]
A majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa. According to the 2007 report by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, an estimated 115 million African people spread across 31 francophone African countries can speak French either as a [[first language|first]] or [[second language]].][{{fr_icon}} [http://www.amazon.fr/dp/2098821778 ''La Francophonie dans le monde 2006–2007''] published by the [[Organisation internationale de la Francophonie]]. [[Nathan (publisher)|Nathan]], [[Paris]], 2007]
French is mostly a second language in Africa, but in some areas it has become a first language, such as in the region of [[Abidjan]], [[Côte d'Ivoire]][{{fr_icon}} [http://www.amazon.fr/dp/2271059682 ''Le français à Abidjan : Pour une approche syntaxique du non-standard''] by Katja Ploog, [[Centre national de la recherche scientifique|CNRS Editions]], [[Paris]], 2002] and in [[Libreville]], [[Gabon]].[{{fr_icon}} [http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/afrique/gabon.htm "De plus, le français est également devenu la langue maternelle de plus de 30 % des Librevillois et il est de plus en plus perçu comme une langue gabonaise."]] It is impossible to speak of a single form of [[African French]], but rather of diverse forms of African French which have developed due to the contact with many indigenous [[African languages]].[{{fr icon}} [http://www.cecif.com/?page=la_francophonie#francaisafrique "En Afrique, il est impossible de parler d'une forme unique du français mais..."]]
In the territories of the [[Indian Ocean]], the French language is often spoken alongside French-derived creole languages, the major exception being [[Madagascar]]. There, a Malayo-Polynesian language ([[Malagasy]]) is spoken alongside French. The French language has also met competition with English since English has been the official language in [[Mauritius]] and the [[Seychelles]] for a long time and has recently become an official language of Madagascar.
[[Sub-Saharan Africa]] is the region where the French language is most likely to expand due to the expansion of education and it is also there the language has evolved most in recent years.[{{fr icon}} http://www.cecif.com/?page=la_francophonie "Le français, langue en évolution
Dans beaucoup de pays Francophones, surtout sur le continent africain, une proportion importante de la population ne parle pas couramment le français (même s'il est souvent la langue officielle du pays). Ce qui signifie qu'au fur et à mesure que les nouvelles générations vont à l'école, le nombre de Francophones augmente: on estime qu'en 2015, ceux-ci seront deux fois plus nombreux qu'aujourd'hui."][{{fr icon}} [http://www.cecif.com/?page=la_francophonie#francaisafrique c) Le sabir franco-africain]: {{lang|fr|"C'est la variété du français la plus fluctuante. Le sabir franco-africain est instable et hétérogène sous toutes ses formes. Il existe des énoncés où les mots sont français mais leur ordre reste celui de la langue africaine. En somme, autant les langues africaines sont envahies par les structures et les mots français, autant la langue française se métamorphose en Afrique, donnant naissance à plusieurs variétés."}}] Some vernacular forms of French in Africa can be difficult to understand for French speakers from other countries[{{fr icon}} [http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/afrique/centrafrique.htm République centrafricaine]: {{lang|fr|Il existe une autre variété de français, beaucoup plus répandu et plus permissive: le français local. C'est un français très influencé par les langues centrafricaines, surtout par le sango. Cette variété est parlée par les classes non instruites, qui n'ont pu terminer leur scolarité. Ils utilisent ce qu'ils connaissent du français avec des emprunts massifs aux langues locales. Cette variété peut causer des problèmes de compréhension avec les Francophones des autres pays, car les interférences linguistiques, d'ordre lexical et sémantique, sont très importantes.}} (''One example of a variety of African French that is difficult to understand for European French speakers'').] but written forms of the language are very closely related to those of the rest of the French-speaking world.
French is an official language of many African countries, most of them former French or [[Belgian colonial empire|Belgian colonies]]:
:*[[Benin]]
:*[[Burkina Faso]]
:*[[Burundi]]
:*[[Cameroon]]
:*[[Central African Republic]]
:*[[Chad]]
:*[[Comoros]]
:*[[Congo (Brazzaville)]]
:*[[Côte d'Ivoire]]
:*[[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
:*[[Djibouti]]
:*[[Equatorial Guinea]] (former colony of [[Spain]])
:*[[Gabon]]
:*[[Guinea]]
:*[[Madagascar]]
:*[[Mali]]
:*[[Niger]]
:*[[Rwanda]]
:*[[Senegal]]
:*[[Seychelles]]
:*[[Togo]]
In addition, French is an administrative language and commonly used though not on an official basis in [[Mauritius]] and in the [[Maghreb]] states:
:* [[Mauritania]]
:* [[Algeria]]
:*[[Morocco]]
:*[[Tunisia]].
Various reforms have been implemented in recent decades in Algeria to improve the status of [[Arabic language|Arabic]] relative to French, especially in education.
While the predominant European language in [[Egypt]] is [[English language|English]], French is considered to be a more sophisticated language by some elements of the Egyptian upper and upper-middle classes{{Fact|date=November 2007}}; for this reason, a typical educated Egyptian will learn French in addition to English at some point in his or her education. The perception of sophistication may be related to the use of French as the [[Noble court|royal court]] language of Egypt during the nineteenth century. Egypt participates in [[La Francophonie]].
French is also the official language of [[Mayotte]] and [[Réunion]], two [[Overseas departments and territories of France|overseas territories]] of France located in the [[Indian Ocean]], as well as an administrative and educational language in [[Mauritius]], along with [[English language|English]].
===Asia===
====Lebanon ====
{{main|French in Lebanon}}
French was the official language in [[Lebanon]] along with [[Arabic language|Arabic]] until 1941, the country's declaration of independence from [[France]]. French is still seen as an official language by the [[Lebanese people]]{{Fact|date=July 2008}} as it is widely used by the Lebanese, especially for administrative purposes, and is taught in schools as a primary language along with [[Arabic]]{{Fact|date=July 2008}}.
====Southeast Asia====
French is an administrative language in [[Laos]] and [[Cambodia]].[[http://www.iht.com/articles/1993/10/16/lang.php French Declines in Indochina, as English Booms], ''[[International Herald Tribune]]'', [[October 16]] [[1993]]: "In both Cambodia and Laos, French remains the official second language of government."] French was historically spoken by the elite in the leased territory [[Guangzhouwan]] in southern [[China]]. In colonial [[Vietnam]], the elites spoke French and many who worked for the French spoke a French creole known as "[[Tây Bồi]]" (now extinct).
====India====
French has official status in the Indian [[Union Territory]] of [[Puducherry|Pondicherry]], along with the regional language [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and some students of Tamil Nadu may opt French as their third or fourth language (usually behind [[English language|English]], Tamil, [[Hindi]]).
French is also commonly taught as third language in secondary school in most cities of [[Maharashtra]] State including [[Mumbai]] as part of the Secondary (X-SSC) and Higher secondary School (XII-HSC) certificate examinations.
===Oceania===
French is also a second official language of the [[Pacific Island]] nation of [[Vanuatu]], along with France's territories of [[French Polynesia]], [[Wallis & Futuna]] and [[New Caledonia]].
==Dialects==
{{main|Dialects of the French language}}
*[[Acadian French]]
*[[African French]]
*[[Aostan French]]
*[[Belgian French]]
*[[Cajun French]]
*[[Canadian French]]
*[[Cambodian French]]
*Guyana French (see [[French Guiana]])
*[[Indian French]]
*[[Jersey Legal French]]
*[[Lao French]]
*[[Levantine French]] (most commonly referred to as Lebanese French, very similar to [[Maghreb French]])
*[[Louisiana Creole French]]
*[[Maghreb French]] (see also North African French)
*[[Meridional French]]
*[[Metropolitan France|Metropolitan French]]
*[[Caldoche|New Caledonian French]]
*[[Newfoundland French]]
*Oceanic French
*[[Quebec French]]
*[[South East Asian French]]
*[[Swiss French]]
*[[Vietnamese French (dialect)|Vietnamese French]]
*West Indian French
==History==
{{main|History of French}}
==Sounds==
{{main|French phonology}}
{{IPA notice}}
Although there are many French regional accents, only one version of the language is normally chosen as a model for foreign learners, which has no commonly used special name, but has been termed ''[[français neutre]]'' (neutral French).{{Fact|date=January 2008}}
* Voiced stops (i.e. {{IPA|/b d g/}}) are typically produced fully voiced throughout.
* Voiceless stops (i.e. {{IPA|/p t k/}}) are unaspirated.
* Nasals: The velar nasal {{IPA|/ŋ/}} occurs only in final position in borrowed (usually English) words: parking, camping, swing. The palatal nasal {{IPA|/ɲ/}}can occur in word initial position (e.g. gnon), but it is most frequently found in intervocalic, onset position or word-finally (e.g. montagne).
* Fricatives: French has three pairs of homorganic fricatives distinguished by voicing, i.e. labiodental {{IPA|/f/–/v/}}, dental {{IPA|/s/–/z/}}, and palato-alveolar {{IPA|/ʃ/–/ʒ/}}. Notice that {{IPA|/s/–/z/}} are dental, like the plosives {{IPA|/t/–/d/}}, and the nasal {{IPA|/n/}}.
* French has one rhotic whose pronunciation varies considerably among speakers and phonetic contexts. In general it is described as a voiced uvular fricative as in {{IPA|[ʁu]}} roue "wheel" . Vowels are often lengthened before this segment. It can be reduced to an approximant, particularly in final position (e.g. "fort") or reduced to zero in some word-final positions. For other speakers, a uvular trill is also fairly common, and an apical trill {{IPA|[r]}} occurs in some dialects.
* Lateral and central approximants: The lateral approximant {{IPA|/l/}} is unvelarised in both onset (''lire'') and coda position (''il''). In the onset, the central approximants {{IPA|[w]}}, {{IPA|[ɥ]}}, and {{IPA|[j]}} each correspond to a high vowel, {{IPA|/u/}}, {{IPA|/y/}}, and {{IPA|/i/}} respectively. There are a few minimal pairs where the approximant and corresponding vowel contrast, but there are also many cases where they are in free variation. Contrasts between {{IPA|/j/}} and {{IPA|/i/}} occur in final position as in {{IPA|/pɛj/}} ''paye'' "pay" vs. {{IPA|/pɛi/}} ''pays'' "country".
French pronunciation follows strict rules based on spelling, but French spelling is often based more on history than phonology. The rules for pronunciation vary between dialects, but the standard rules are:
* final consonants: Final single consonants, in particular ''s'', ''x'', ''z'', ''t'', ''d'', ''n'' and ''m'', are normally silent. (The final letters ''c'', ''r'', ''f'' and ''l'', however, are normally pronounced.)
**When the following word begins with a vowel, though, a silent consonant ''may'' once again be pronounced, to provide a ''[[liaison (linguistics)|liaison]]'' or "link" between the two words. Some liaisons are ''mandatory'', for example the ''s'' in ''les amants'' or ''vous avez''; some are ''optional'', depending on [[dialect]] and [[register (linguistics)|register]], for example the first ''s'' in ''deux cents euros'' or ''euros irlandais''; and some are ''forbidden'', for example the ''s'' in ''beaucoup d'hommes aiment''. The ''t'' of ''et'' is never pronounced and the silent final consonant of a noun is only pronounced in the plural and in [[set phrase]]s like ''pied-à-terre''. Note that in the case of a word ending ''d'' as in ''pied-à-terre'', the consonant ''t'' is pronounced instead.
** Doubling a final ''n'' and adding a silent ''e'' at the end of a word (e.g. ''chien'' → ''chienne'') makes it clearly pronounced. Doubling a final ''l'' and adding a silent ''e'' (e.g. ''gentil'' → ''gentille'') adds a [j] sound.
* [[elision (French)|elision]] or vowel dropping: Some monosyllabic function words ending in ''a'' or ''e'', such as ''je'' and ''que'', drop their final vowel when placed before a word that begins with a vowel sound (thus avoiding a [[hiatus (linguistics)|hiatus]]). The missing vowel is replaced by an apostrophe. (e.g. ''je ai'' is instead pronounced and spelt → ''j'ai''). This gives for example the same pronunciation for ''l'homme qu'il a vu'' ("the man whom he saw") and ''l'homme qui l'a vu'' ("the man who saw him").
==Orthography==
{{Main|French orthography}}
* [[Nasal vowel|Nasal]]: ''[[n]]'' and ''[[m]]''. When ''n'' or ''m'' follows a vowel or diphthong, the ''n'' or ''m'' becomes silent and causes the preceding vowel to become nasalized (i.e. pronounced with the soft palate extended downward so as to allow part of the air to leave through the nostrils). Exceptions are when the ''n'' or ''m'' is doubled, or immediately followed by a vowel. The prefixes ''en-'' and ''em-'' are always nasalized. The rules get more complex than this but may vary between dialects.
* [[digraph (orthography)|Digraphs]]: French does not introduce extra letters or [[diacritic]]s to specify its large range of vowel sounds and [[diphthongs]], rather it uses specific combinations of vowels, sometimes with following consonants, to show which sound is intended.
* [[Consonant length|Gemination]]: Within words, double consonants are generally not pronounced as geminates in modern French (but geminates can be heard in the cinema or TV news from as recently as the 1970s, and in very refined elocution they may still occur). For example, ''illusion'' is pronounced {{IPA|[ilyzjɔ̃]}} and not {{IPA|[illyzjɔ̃]}}. But gemination does occur between words. For example, ''une info'' ("a news") is pronounced {{IPA|[ynɛ̃fo]}}, whereas ''une nympho'' ("a nympho") is pronounced {{IPA|[ynnɛ̃fo]}}.
* [[Diacritic|Accents]] are used sometimes for pronunciation, sometimes to distinguish similar words, and sometimes for etymology alone.
**Accents that affect pronunciation
***The [[acute accent]] (''l'accent aigu''), ''é'' (e.g. ''école''—school), means that the vowel is pronounced {{IPA|/e/}} instead of the default {{IPA|/ə/}}.
***The [[grave accent]] (''l'accent grave''), ''è'' (e.g. ''élève''—pupil) means that the vowel is pronounced {{IPA|/ɛ/}} instead of the default {{IPA|/ə/}}.
***The [[circumflex]] (''l'accent circonflexe'') ''ê'' (e.g. ''forêt''—forest) shows that an ''e'' is pronounced {{IPA|/ɛ/}} and that an ''o'' is pronounced {{IPA|/o/}}. In standard French it also signifies a pronunciation of {{IPA|/ɑ/}} for the letter ''a'', but this differentiation is disappearing. In the late 19th century, the circumflex was used in place of ''s'' where that letter was not to be pronounced. Thus, ''forest'' became ''forêt'' and ''hospital'' became'' hôpital''.
***The [[Umlaut (diacritic)|diaeresis]] (''le tréma'') (e.g. ''naïf''—foolish, ''Noël''—Christmas) as in English, specifies that this vowel is pronounced separately from the preceding one, not combined and is not a [[schwa]].
***The [[cedilla]] (''la cédille'') ''ç'' (e.g. ''garçon''—boy) means that the letter ''c'' is pronounced {{IPA|/s/}} in front of the hard vowels ''a'', ''o'' and ''u'' (''c'' is otherwise {{IPA|/k/}} before a hard vowel). ''C'' is always pronounced {{IPA|/s/}} in front of the soft vowels ''e'', ''i'', and ''y'', thus ''ç'' is never found in front of soft vowels.
**Accents with no pronunciation effect
***The circumflex does not affect the pronunciation of the letters ''i'' or ''u'', and in most dialects, ''a'' as well. It usually indicates that an ''s'' came after it long ago, as in ''hôtel''.
***All other accents are used only to distinguish similar words, as in the case of distinguishing the adverbs ''là'' and ''où'' ("there", "where") from the article ''la'' and the conjunction ''ou'' ("the" fem. sing., "or") respectively.
==Grammar==
{{main|French grammar}}
French grammar shares several notable features with most other Romance languages, including:
* the loss of Latin's [[declension]]s
* only two [[grammatical gender]]s
* the development of grammatical [[article (grammar)|article]]s from Latin [[demonstrative]]s
* new [[tense]]s formed from auxiliaries
French word order is [[Subject Verb Object]], except when the object is a pronoun, in which case the word order is [[Subject Object Verb]]. Some rare archaisms allow for different word orders.
==Vocabulary==
The majority of French words derive from [[Vulgar Latin]] or were constructed from Latin or Greek roots. There are often pairs of words, one form being "popular" (noun) and the other one "savant" (adjective), both originating from Latin. Example:
* brother: ''frère'' / ''fraternel'' < from Latin ''frater''
* finger: ''doigt'' / ''digital'' < from Latin ''digitus''
* faith: ''foi'' / ''fidèle'' < from Latin ''fides''
* cold: ''froid'' / ''frigide'' < from Latin ''frigidus''
* eye: ''œil'' / ''oculaire'' < from Latin ''oculus''
In some examples there is a common word from Vulgar Latin and a more savant word borrowed directly from [[Medieval Latin]] or even [[Ancient Greek]].
* '''Cheval'''—Concours '''équestre'''—'''Hippo'''drome
The French words which have developed from Latin are usually less recognisable than [[Italian language|Italian]] words of Latin origin because as French evolved from [[Vulgar Latin]], the unstressed final [[syllable]] of many words was dropped or elided into the following word.
It is estimated that 12% (4,200) of common French words found in a typical [[dictionary]] such as the ''Petit Larousse'' or ''Micro-Robert Plus'' (35,000 words) are of foreign origin. About 25% (1,054) of these foreign words come from [[English language|English]] and are fairly recent borrowings. The others are some 707 words from [[Italian language|Italian]], 550 from ancient [[Germanic languages]], 481 from ancient [[Gallo-Romance languages]], 215 from [[Arabic language|Arabic]], 164 from [[German language|German]], 160 from [[Celtic languages]], 159 from [[Spanish language|Spanish]], 153 from [[Dutch language|Dutch]], 112 from [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]], 101 from [[Native American languages]], 89 from other [[Asian languages]], 56 from other [[Afro-Asiatic languages]], 55 from [[Slavic languages]] and [[Baltic languages]], 10 for [[Basque language|Basque]] and 144 — about three percent — from other languages.[Walter & Walter 1998]
===Numerals===
The French counting system is partially [[vigesimal]]: [[20 (number)|twenty]] (''{{lang|fr|vingt}}'') is used as a base number in the names of numbers from 60–99. The French word for ''eighty'', for example, is ''{{lang|fr|quatre-vingts}}'', which literally means "four twenties", and ''{{lang|fr|soixante-quinze}}'' (literally "sixty-fifteen") means 75. This reform arose after the [[French Revolution]] to unify the different counting system (mostly vigesimal near the coast, due to Celtic (via [[Basque language|Basque]]) and Viking influence). This system is comparable to the archaic English use of ''score'', as in "fourscore and seven" (87), or "threescore and ten" (70).
[[Belgian French]] and [[Swiss French]] are different in this respect. In Belgium and Switzerland 70 and 90 are ''{{lang|fr|septante}}'' and ''{{lang|fr|nonante}}''. In Switzerland, depending on the local dialect, 80 can be ''{{lang|fr|quatre-vingts}}'' (Geneva, Neuchâtel, Jura) or ''{{lang|fr|huitante}}'' (Vaud, Valais, Fribourg). ''Octante'' had been used in Switzerland in the past, but is now considered archaic.[{{fr icon}} {{cite web|url=http://www.langue-fr.net/index/S/septante.htm|title=Septante, octante, huitante, nonante|work=langue-fr.net}}. See also the English Wikipedia article on [[Welsh language]], especially the section "Counting system" and its note on the influence of Celtic in the French counting system. ] In Belgium, however, ''quatre-vingts'' is universally used.
==Writing system==
{{Main|French alphabet}}
French is written using the 26 letters of the [[Latin alphabet]], plus five diacritics (the [[circumflex]] accent, [[acute accent]], [[grave accent]], [[Umlaut (diacritic)|diaeresis]], and [[cedilla]]) and the two [[Ligature (typography)|ligatures]] (œ) and (æ).
French spelling, like English spelling, tends to preserve obsolete pronunciation rules. This is mainly due to extreme phonetic changes since the Old French period, without a corresponding change in spelling. Moreover, some conscious changes were made to restore Latin orthography:
* Old French ''doit'' > French ''doigt'' "finger" (Latin ''digitus'')
* Old French ''pie'' > French ''pied'' "foot" (Latin ''pes'' (stem: ''ped-'')
As a result, it is difficult to predict the spelling on the basis of the sound alone. Final consonants are generally silent, except when the following word begins with a vowel. For example, all of these words end in a vowel sound: ''pied'', ''aller'', ''les'', ''finit'', ''beaux''. The same words followed by a vowel, however, may sound the consonants, as they do in these examples: ''beaux-arts'', ''les amis'', ''pied-à-terre''.
On the other hand, a given spelling will almost always lead to a predictable sound, and the [[Académie française]] works hard to enforce and update this correspondence. In particular, a given vowel combination or diacritic predictably leads to one phoneme.
The diacritics have '''phonetic''', '''semantic''', and '''etymological''' significance.
* [[acute accent]] (''é''): Over an ''e'', indicates the sound of a short ''ai'' in English, with no [[diphthong]]. An ''é'' in modern French is often used where a combination of ''e'' and a consonant, usually ''s,'' would have been used formerly: ''écouter'' < ''escouter''. This type of accent mark is called ''accent aigu'' in French.
* [[grave accent]] (''à'', ''è'', ''ù''): Over ''a'' or ''u'', used only to distinguish homophones: ''à'' ("to") vs. ''a'' ("has"), ''ou'' ("or") vs. ''où'' ("where"). Over an ''e'', indicates the sound {{IPA|/ɛ/}}.
* [[circumflex]] (''â'', ''ê'', ''î'', ''ô'', ''û''): Over an ''a'', ''e'' or ''o'', indicates the sound {{IPA|/ɑ/}}, {{IPA|/ɛ/}} or {{IPA|/o/}}, respectively (the distinction ''a'' {{IPA|/a/}} vs. ''â'' {{IPA|/ɑ/}} tends to disappear in many dialects). Most often indicates the historical deletion of an adjacent letter (usually an ''s'' or a vowel): ''château'' < ''castel'', ''fête'' < ''feste'', ''sûr'' < ''seur'', ''dîner'' < ''disner''. It has also come to be used to distinguish homophones: ''du'' ("of the") vs. ''dû'' (past participle of ''devoir'' "to have to do something (pertaining to an act)"; note that ''dû'' is in fact written thus because of a dropped ''e'': ''deu''). (''See [[Use of the circumflex in French]]'')
* [[Umlaut (diacritic)|diaeresis]] or ''tréma'' (''ë'', ''ï'', ''ü'', ''ÿ''): Indicates that a vowel is to be pronounced separately from the preceding one: ''naïve'', ''Noël''. A diaeresis on ''y'' only occurs in some proper names and in modern editions of old French texts. Some proper names in which ''ÿ'' appears include ''Aÿ'' (commune in ''canton de la Marne'' formerly ''Aÿ-Champagne''), ''Rue des Cloÿs'' (alley in the 18th arrondisement of Paris), ''Croÿ'' (family name and hotel on the Boulevard Raspail, Paris), ''[[Château du Feÿ]]'' (near Joigny), ''Ghÿs'' (name of Flemish origin spelt ''Ghijs'' where ''ij'' in handwriting looked like ''ÿ'' to French clerks), ''l'Haÿ-les-Roses'' (commune between Paris and Orly airport), Pierre Louÿs (author), Moÿ (place in ''commune de l'Aisne'' and family name), and ''Le Blanc de Nicolaÿ'' (an insurance company in eastern France). The diaresis on ''u'' appears only in the biblical proper names ''Archélaüs'', ''Capharnaüm'', ''Emmaüs'', ''Ésaü'' and ''Saül''. Nevertheless, since the 1990 orthographic rectifications (which are not applied at all by most French people), the diaeresis in words containing ''guë'' (such as ''aiguë'' or ''ciguë'') may be moved onto the ''u'': ''aigüe'', ''cigüe''. Words coming from German retain the old Umlaut (''ä'', ''ö'' and ''ü'') if applicable but use French pronunciation, such as ''kärcher'' (trade mark of a pressure washer).
* [[cedilla]] (''ç''): Indicates that an etymological ''c'' is pronounced {{IPA|/s/}} when it would otherwise be pronounced /k/. Thus ''je lance'' "I throw" (with ''c'' = {{IPA|[s]}} before ''e''), ''je lan'''ç'''ais'' "I was throwing" (''c'' would be pronounced {{IPA|[k]}} before ''a'' without the cedilla). The c cedilla (ç) softens the hard /k/ sound to /s/ before the vowels '''a''', '''o''' or '''u''', for example '''ça''' /sa/. C cedilla is never used before the vowels '''e''' or '''i''' since these two vowels always produce a soft /s/ sound ('''ce''', '''ci''').
There are two [[ligatures]], which have various origins.
* The ligature ''[[œ]]'' is a mandatory contraction of ''oe'' in certain words. Some of these are native French words, with the pronunciation {{IPA|/œ/}} or {{IPA|/ø/}}, e.g. ''sœur'' "sister" {{IPA|/sœʁ/}}, ''œuvre'' "work (of art)" {{IPA|/œvʁ/}}. Note that it usually appears in the combination ''œu''; ''œil'' is an exception. Many of these words were originally written with the [[Digraph (orthography)|digraph]] ''eu''; the ''o'' in the ligature represents a sometimes artificial attempt to imitate the Latin spelling: Latin ''bovem'' > Old French ''buef''/''beuf'' > Modern French ''bœuf''. ''Œ'' is also used in words of Greek origin, as the Latin rendering of the Greek diphthong ''οι'', e.g. ''cœlacanthe'' "coelacanth". These words used to be pronounced with the vowel {{IPA|/e/}}, but in recent years a spelling pronunciation with {{IPA|/ø/}} has taken hold, e.g. ''œsophage'' {{IPA|/ezɔfaʒ/}} or {{IPA|/øzɔfaʒ/}}. The pronunciation with {{IPA|/e/}} is often seen to be more correct. The ligature œ is not used in some occurrences of the letter combination ''oe'', for example, when ''o'' is part of a prefix (''coexister'').
* The ligature ''[[æ]]'' is rare and appears in some words of Latin and Greek origin like ''ægosome'', ''ægyrine'', ''æschne'', ''cæcum'', ''nævus'' or ''uræus''.[{{fr icon}} [http://monsu.desiderio.free.fr/curiosites/ligat-ae.html La ligature æ]] The vowel quality is identical to é {{IPA|/e/}}.
French writing, as with any language, is affected by the spoken language. In Old French, the plural for ''animal'' was ''animals''. Common speakers pronounced a ''u'' before a word ending in ''l'' as the plural. This resulted in ''animauls''. As the French language evolved this vanished and the form ''animaux'' (''aux'' pronounced {{IPA|/o/}}) was admitted. The same is true for ''cheval'' pluralized as ''chevaux'' and many others. Also ''castel'' pl. ''castels'' became ''château'' pl. ''châteaux''.
==Samples==
{{Inline audio|section}}
{| class="wikitable"
!English || French || IPA pronunciation (Canadian accent) ||IPA pronunciation (French accent)
|-
||French|| ''français'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|francais.ogg|/fʀɑ̃sɛ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|françaisF.ogg|/fʁɑ̃sɛ/}}
|-
||English || ''anglais'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|anglais.ogg|/ɑ̃glɛ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|AnglaisF.ogg|/ɑ̃glɛ/}}
|-
||Yes || ''Oui'', except when responding to a negatively posed question, in which case ''Si'' is used preferentially over ''Oui'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|oui.ogg|/wi/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|ouiF.ogg|/wi/}}
|-
||No || ''Non'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|non.ogg|/nɔ̃/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|nonF.ogg|/nɔ̃/}}
|-
||Hello! || ''Bonjour !'' (formal) or ''Salut !'' (informal) || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|bonjour.ogg|/bɔ̃ʒuːʀ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|bonjourF.ogg|/bɔ̃ʒuːʁ/}}
|-
||Good evening! || ''Bonsoir !'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|bonsoir.ogg|/bɔ̃swɑ:ʁ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|bonsoirF.ogg|/bɔ̃swa:ʁ/}}
|-
||Good night! || ''Bonne nuit !'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|bonne_nuit.ogg|/bɔnnɥi/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|Bonne_nuitF.ogg|/bɔnnɥi/}}
|-
||Goodbye! || ''Au revoir !'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|au_revoir.ogg|/ɔʁvwɑːʁ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|au_revoirF.ogg|/oʁøvwaːʁ/}}
|-
||Have a nice day! || ''Bonne journée !'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|bonne_journee.ogg|/bɔnʒuʀne/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|bonne_journéeF.ogg|/bɔnʒuʁne/}}
|-
||Please || ''S'il vous plaît'' (formal) or ''S'il te plaît'' (informal) || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|s_il_vous_plait.ogg|/sɪlvuplɛ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|s'il_vous_plaitF.ogg|/silvuplɛ/}}
|-
||Thank you || ''Merci'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|merci.ogg|/mɛʀsi/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|merciF.ogg|/mɛʁsi/}}
|-
||You're welcome || ''De rien'' ("it is nothing") or ''Je vous en prie'' (formal) / ''Je t'en prie'' (informal) ||
|-
||I'm sorry || ''Pardon'' or ''Je suis désolé'' (if male) / ''Je suis désolée'' (if female) || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|pardon.ogg|/paʀdɔ̃/}} / {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|desole.ogg|/dezɔle/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|pardonF.ogg|/paʁdɔ̃/}} / {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|désoléF.ogg|/dezɔle/}}
|-
||Who? || ''Qui ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|qui.ogg|/ki/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|quiF.ogg|/ki/}}
|-
||What? || ''Quoi ?'' (←informal {Used as "What?" in English) or ''Comment?'' (←formal {Used the same as "Pardon Me?" in English)|| {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|quoi.ogg|/kwa/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|quoiF.ogg|/kwa/}}
|-
||When? || ''Quand ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|quand.ogg|/kɑ̃/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|quandF.ogg|/kɑ̃/}}
|-
||Where? || ''Où ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|ou_french.ogg|/u/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|où.ogg|/u/}}
|-
||Why? || ''Pourquoi ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|pourquoi.ogg|/puʀkwa/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|pourquoiF.ogg|/puʁkwa/}}
|-
||What's your name? || ''Comment vous appelez-vous ?'' (formal) or ''Comment t'appelles-tu ?'' (informal) ||
|-
||Because || ''Parce que'' / "À cause de" — literally "because of" or "due to" || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|parce_que.ogg|/paʁs(ə)kə/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|parcequeF.ogg|/paʁs(ə)kə/}}
|-
||For (when used as "because") || ''Car'' ||
|-
||Therefore || ''Donc'' || ||
|-
||How? || ''Comment ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|comment.ogg|/kɔmɑ̃/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|commentF.ogg|/kɔmɑ̃/}}
|-
||How much? || ''Combien ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|combien.ogg|/kɔ̃bjɛ̃/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|combienF.ogg|/kɔ̃bjɛ̃/}}
|-
||I do not understand. || ''Je ne comprends pas.'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|je_ne_comprends_pas.ogg|/ʒə nə kɔ̃pʀɑ̃ pɑ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|je_ne_comprends_pasF.ogg|/ʒə nə kɔ̃pʁɑ̃ pɑ/}}
|-
||Yes, I understand. || ''Oui, je comprends.'' Except when responding to a negatively posed question, in which case ''Si'' is used preferentially over ''Oui'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|oui_je_comprends.ogg|/wi ʒə kɔ̃pʀɑ̃/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|oui,_je_comprendF.ogg|/wi ʒə kɔ̃pʁɑ̃/}}
|-
||Help!|| ''Au secours !! (à l'aide !)'' || /o səkuːʀ/ ||
|-
||Can you help me please ?|| ''Pouvez-vous m'aider s'il vous plaît ?'' / ''Pourriez-vous m'aider s'il vous plaît ?'' (formal) or ''Peux-tu m'aider s'il te plaît ?'' / ''Pourrais-tu m'aider s'il te plaît'' (informal) ||
|-
||Where are the bathrooms?|| ''Où sont les toilettes ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|ou_sont_les_toilettes.ogg|/u sɔ̃ le twalɛt/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|où_sont_les_toilettes.ogg|/u sɔ̃ le twalɛt/}}
|-
||Do you speak English? || ''Parlez-vous anglais ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|parlez-vous_anglais.ogg|/paʀlevu ɑ̃glɛ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|parlez-vous_anglaisF.ogg|/paʁlevu ɑ̃glɛ/}}
|-
||I do not speak French. || ''Je ne parle pas français.'' || {{IPA|/ʒə nə paʀlə pɑ fʀɑ̃sɛ/}} || {{IPA|/ʒə nə paʁl(ə) pa fʁɑ̃sɛ/}}
|-
||I don't know. || ''Je ne sais pas.'' || ||
|-
||I know. || ''Je sais.'' || ||
|-
||I am thirsty. || ''J'ai soif.'' || ||
|-
||I am hungry. || ''J'ai faim.'' || ||
|-
||How are you? / How are things going? / How's everything? || ''Comment allez-vous?'' (formal) or ''Ça va?'' / ''Comment ça va ?'' (informal) || ||
|-
||I am (very) well / Things are going (very) well // Everything is (very) well || ''Je vais (très) bien'' (formal) or ''Ça va (très) bien.'' / ''Tout va (très) bien'' (informal) || ||
|-
||I am (very) bad / Things are (very) bad / Everything is (very) bad || ''Je vais (très) mal'' (formal) or ''Ça va (très) mal'' / ''Tout va (très) mal'' (informal) || ||
|-
||I am ok/so-so / Everything is ok/so-so || ''Ça va comme ci, comme ça.'' || ||
|-
||I am fine. || ''Ça va.'' || ||
|-
||January || ''janvier'' || ||
|-
||February|| ''février'' || ||
|-
||March|| ''mars'' || ||
|-
||April|| ''avril'' || ||
|-
||May|| ''mai'' || ||
|-
||June|| ''juin'' || ||
|-
||July|| ''juillet'' || ||
|-
||August|| ''août'' || ||
|-
||September|| ''septembre'' || ||
|-
||October|| ''octobre'' || ||
|-
||November|| ''novembre'' || ||
|-
||December|| ''décembre'' || ||
|-
||Monday|| ''lundi'' || ||
|-
||Tuesday|| ''mardi'' || ||
|-
||Wednesday|| ''mercredi'' || ||
|-
||Thursday|| ''jeudi'' || ||
|-
||Friday|| ''vendredi'' || ||
|-
||Saturday|| ''samedi'' || ||
|-
||Sunday|| ''dimanche'' || ||
|}
==See also==
* [[French Wikipedia]]
* [[Académie française]]
* [[Office québécois de la langue française]]
* [[La Francophonie]]
* [[History of French]]
* [[Alliance française]]
* [[Dialects of French]]
* [[French-based creole languages]]
* [[French in Canada]]
* [[French in the United States]]
* [[List of countries where French is an official language]]
* [[French phrases used by English speakers]]
* [[List of English words of French origin]]
* [[List of French loanwords in Persian]]
* [[List of pseudo-French words adapted to English]]
* [[French proverbs]]
* [[List of French phrases]]
* [[Morphology of the French verb]]
* [[Reforms of French orthography]]
* [[CRFL (CaReFuL mnemonic)]] — French pronunciation
* [[Verlan]]
* [[Louchébem]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
{{linkfarm|date=September 2007}}
{{FixBunching|beg}}
{{Wikiversity}}
{{FixBunching|mid}}
{{Wiktionarylang|code=fr}}
{{FixBunching|mid}}
{{InterWiki|code=fr}}
{{FixBunching|mid}}
{{Commonscat|French}}
{{FixBunching|end}}
===Courses and tutorials===
*[http://www.jump-gate.com/languages/french/ French Language Course (basic och first (1994) online course)]
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/ Learn French] ''[[BBC]]''
*[http://french.about.com/ Learn French at About] (including French gestures)
*[http://pagesperso-orange.fr/comptoir-des-archives/french.htm Learn the basic rules of French] (easy tables)
*[http://www.targetlanguage.co.uk French lessons at Target Language] (extensive)
*[http://www.rfi.fr/lffr/statiques/accueil_apprendre.asp French language resources and broadcasts in simplified French at Radio France Internationale (RFI) website]
=== Online dictionaries ===
{{for|unilingual dictionaries|fr:Dictionnaire}}
*[http://www.wordreference.com/fren/ WordReference.com English-French dictionary]
*[http://www.collinslanguage.com/ Collins French Dictionary]
*[http://lookwayup.com/free/FrenchEnglishDictionary.htm LookWAYup French English Dictionary]
*[http://www.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/ressources/gdt_bdl2.html Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique]
*[http://www.le-dictionnaire.com Le Dictionnaire]
===Vocabulary===
*[http://www.frenchteacher.eu/french-vocabulary/ French vocabulary], with audio
*[http://www.brain-tune.com/training/run_intro?catalog_id=17 Questions and answers]
*[http://www.dudziak.com/verbs.php A Two-Page PDF Reference Guide of the 681 Most Common French/English Verbs]
====Audio====
*[http://shtooka.moostik.net/dico-fr/index.php?lng=en Free Audio base of French Words]
*[http://arael.shtooka.net/swf/french/index.php French audio files of the Shtooka.net project]
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