How to Say “I Am Not Good at Speaking French” in French

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je ne parle pas très bien français
The English phrase "I am not good at speaking french" can be expressed in French as je ne parle pas très bien français.
This phrase is used to express that your ability to speak the French language is limited.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase literally translates to "I do not speak French very well".

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

In formal situations, you can use Je ne suis pas à l'aise en français to mean "I'm not comfortable in French". In informal or casual spoken contexts, you might use J'suis pas fort(e) en français to say "I'm not good at French" or J'ai du mal à parler français to say "I struggle to speak French". Additionally, in casual spoken French, the ne in the standard phrase is often dropped, resulting in je parle pas très bien français.

How does it change in a sentence?

The phrase je ne parle pas très bien français uses the negation structure ne [verb] pas to negate the verb parle (speak).

Did you know?

  • The word pas literally means 'a step'. It originally described not taking a single step, but evolved into a general word for 'not'.
  • In spoken French, saying je ne parle pas très bien français can actually sound over-confident because native speakers often use modesty as a social lubricant.

Examples in context

  • J'ai du mal à parler français, mais je m'efforce de m'améliorer en pratiquant régulièrement.
    I struggle to speak French, but I'm making an effort to improve by practicing regularly.
  • Mon français n'est pas bon, alors j'utilise des ressources en ligne pour m'améliorer.
    My French is not good, so I'm using online resources to improve.
  • Désolé, je ne parle pas très bien français.
    Sorry, I do not speak French very well.
  • Je ne parle pas très bien français, désolé.
    I do not speak French very well, sorry.
  • Excusez-moi, je ne parle pas très bien français.
    Excuse me, I do not speak French very well.
  • Désolée, mais je ne parle pas très bien français.
    Sorry, but I do not speak French very well.

Example conversation

Emma and Nathan meet for the first time at a cafe.

  1. Emma

    Bonjour ! Est-ce que vous parlez français ?
    Hello! Do you speak French?
  2. Nathan

    Oui, mais je ne parle pas très bien français.
    Yes, but I don't speak French very well.
  3. Emma

    Ce n'est pas grave, Nathan. On peut essayer.
    That's okay, Nathan. We can try.
  4. Nathan

    Merci beaucoup, Emma !
    Thank you very much, Emma!

Sources

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Alexis Mollie
Alexis MollieHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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