Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While désolé, mon français est mauvais is a direct translation, there are several ways to express this depending on the situation. In formal settings, you might use Je m'excuse pour mon mauvais français to say "I apologize for my bad French", Je suis désolé(e), mais mon français n'est pas très bon for "I'm sorry, but my French is not very good" or Pardon pour mon français médiocre to say "Sorry for my mediocre French". In more informal situations, you can say Désolé(e), je suis nul(le) en français to mean "Sorry, I'm no good at French". For a very polite and natural formal expression, it is better to say Je suis désolé, mais je ne parle pas bien français rather than using the word for 'bad'.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are a female speaker, the adjective désolé must include an extra 'e' and be written as désolée in the phrase désolée, mon français est mauvais.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use mauvais (bad) to describe their language skills, but in French, this sounds slightly unnatural. It is more common to say that you do not speak the language bien (well) instead.
Did you know?
- In French, using the word nul to describe your language skills implies you are 'zero' or 'worthless' at it, which is a common hyperbolic way to apologize in casual settings.
- The word mauvais originally carried a much heavier weight, tracing back to a Latin term meaning 'unfortunate' or 'of bad fate' rather than just 'low quality'.
- The verb est is one of the rare instances in French where a silent internal 's' is preserved in the modern spelling, a feature almost unique to it and the name Jésus-Christ.
Examples in context
- Je suis désolé(e), mon français est encore un peu hésitant, mais je vais continuer à m'améliorer.I'm sorry, my French is still a bit hesitant, but I will keep improving.
Example conversation
Hugo is trying to ask Manon for directions in Paris.
- HugoBonjour ! Où est la gare, s'il vous plaît ?Hello! Where is the station, please?
- ManonC'est tout droit, puis tournez à gauche.It is straight ahead, then turn left.
- HugoDésolé, mon français est mauvais. Plus lentement ?Sorry, my French is bad. Slower?
- ManonAh, oui. Tournez à gauche ici, Hugo.Ah, yes. Turn left here, Hugo.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries est, français, mauvais, mon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
