"Je suis 25 ans" ❌ → "J’ai 25 ans" ✅ 

In English, we say "I am 25 years old" but in French, age is something you have, not something you are. That’s why the correct phrase is "J’ai 25 ans."            
       Other examples of this pattern: 

• J’ai soif. (I’m thirsty.) 
• J’ai froid. (I’m cold.) 

If you're talking about age, thirst, cold, heat, hunger, or even fear (J’ai peur = "I’m scared"), you should always use "avoir" instead of "être” 

"Je n’aime un film pas" ❌ → "Je n’aime pas un film" ✅ 

In English, we say "I don’t like a movie," but in French, negation surrounds the verb. That’s why the correct phrase is "Je n’aime pas un film" instead of "Je n’aime un film pas." In French, when making a sentence negative, "ne" and "pas" go around the verb like a sandwich. 
       Examples :  

• Elle ne regarde pas la télé. (She doesn’t watch TV.)
• Nous ne voulons pas une pizza. (We don’t want a pizza.)
• Tu ne comprends pas la question. (You don’t understand the question.) 
  

Whenever you make a sentence negative in French, remember to place "ne" before the verb and "pas" after it!  

"Je manque toi" ❌ → "Tu me manques" ✅ 

Being able to express that you miss someone or something in French isn’t intuitive for English speakers. In French, you do not miss someone or something… they are being missed by you. 
        To say you miss someone, follow this structure: 

• Start with the person being missed (je, tu, elle, etc.).
• Add the indirect object pronoun (me, te, lui, etc.).
• Finish with "manquer," conjugated to match the first part. 
  

Example: Tu me manques (literally: "You are missing to me"). 

"Tu peux m’aider ? (to a stranger)" ❌ →  Vous pouvez m’aider ? ✅

In French, there are two ways to address people: "tu" (informal) and "vous" (formal). 
Use "tu" with friends, family, peers, younger people, and colleagues or older acquaintances who have invited you to do so. 

• Quel âge as-tu ? (How old are you?) 
  

Use "vous" with strangers, older people, superiors, or in professional settings (at least initially). 

• Quel âge avez-vous ? (How old are you?) 
  

When in doubt, start with "vous" and if  the relationship becomes more familiar, the other person may invite you to switch to "tu"  
But not all French speakers use this! Indeed, in Québec, everyone is using  "tu", making the communication much easier there! 

"C’est belle" ❌ → “Elle est belle” ✅ 

French has two different ways to say "it is" or "he/she is": 

• C’est → Used before nouns and modified adjectives.
• Il/Elle est → Used before adjectives alone. 
  

What to say instead: 

• C’est une belle ville. (It’s a beautiful city.)
• Elle est belle. (She is beautiful.) 

📌  If you’re describing a person with an adjective, use "il/elle est." 

“Elle est un professeur” ❌ → “Elle est professeur” ✅ 

In English, we say "She is a teacher," so it’s natural to think the French equivalent would be "Elle est un professeur." However, in French, you do not use "un" or "une" before a profession. That’s why the correct phrase is "Elle est professeur." 
        Examples : 

• Il est médecin. (He is a doctor.)
• Elle est avocate. (She is a lawyer.)
• Ils sont ingénieurs. (They are engineers.) 
  

📌If you're talking about someone’s profession, drop the article "un/une." 

"Un cent / Un mille" ❌ → "Cent / Mille" ✅ 

In English, you say "one hundred" so  English speakers assume the French equivalent is "un cent." But that's incorrect! In French, "cent" alone already means "one hundred," so adding "un" isn’t necessary. 
      Examples: 

• J’ai cent euros. (I have one hundred euros.) 
• Il y avait mille personnes. (There were one hundred people).

Also, another thing to know: "cent" takes an "s" in the plural ("cinq cents"), while "mille" remains unchanged, even in the plural ("dix mille"). 

However, if you're talking about cents (money), the correct term is "un centime" instead of "un cent." 

"Je vois lui" ❌ → "Je le vois" ✅ 

In English, we say "I see him" so it’s natural to think the French equivalent would be "Je vois lui." However, in French, object pronouns go before the verb. That’s why the correct phrase is "Je le vois." 
        Examples : 

• Je t’aime. (I love you.)
• Elle nous parle. (She is talking to us.)
• Tu me donnes un livre ? (Are you giving me a book?) 
  

If you're using object pronouns (me, te, le, la, nous, vous, les), always place them before the verb. 

"Je sais quelqu’un" ❌ → "Je connais quelqu’un" ✅ 

For English speakers, you say "know someone", so the literal translation would be "savoir quelqu’un". But nope! In French, two different verbs clarify the meaning of "to know": 

• "Savoir" is used for facts and knowing how to do something.
• "Connaître" is used for people and places. 
  

If you're talking about people or places, use "connaître." If you’re talking about facts or skills, use "savoir." 
Examples : 

• Je sais où elle habite. (I know where she lives.)
• Je connais bien cette ville. (I know this city well.)
• Il sait nager. (He knows how to swim.) 
  

"Actuellement" ❌ ≠ "Actually" ✅ 

One of the trickiest false friends in French! While "actuellement" looks like "actually," it actually means "currently."
If you want to say "actually" in French, the best translations are: 

• En fait (Actually, in fact) → "En fait, je ne peux pas venir." (Actually, I can't come.)
• À vrai dire (To be honest) → "À vrai dire, je n’aime pas le café." (Actually, I don’t like coffee.) 
  

If you say "Actuellement, je vis à Vancouver" it means "Currently, I live in Vancouver," not "Actually, I live in Vancouver."