Gender

Whenever you learn a French word, don't forget to learn the gender. It is either masculine or feminine. It is le or la. It is un or une. When a child grows up in France they are told to put something on the table. The word 'the' naturally occurs and the French child knows it is la table not le table.

One simple way in which you can improve your confidence in speaking French is to learn the difference in pronunciation between un and une. Un is pronounced with just a hint of an N, whereas the N is definitely pronounced with une. Use the internet. There are many sites where you can hear these words. Very often people find speaking the hardest of the language skills so get these words right and you will get a few words right in every sentence that you say.

A common question is why do the French make their language so complicated with two genders? The question should be why has English lost its gender? Old English words had gender which was lost in the Middle Ages. We are lucky that we don't have to learn different words for the or a, but English is complicated enough. Be grateful that you speak English already and don't knock the French for any complications, as French is relatively easy.

A bientôt