French is a complex language, no doubt about it. For example, you’ve surely noticed that some words can have several meanings or different spellings. What’s more, many rules that students on a language stay in France learn with their teachers come with exceptions—sometimes confusing ones. Other aspects may simply be surprising. Here are ten examples of the challenges and curiosities of the French language.
1. The verb "louer" means both "to rent out an apartment" and "to rent an apartment." So the sentence “Je loue un appartement” could mean either that you are the tenant or the landlord…
2. You’ve probably learned that most words ending in -ette are feminine? Well, be careful: there’s one that’s masculine! Which one? It’s the word "squelette."
3. Spelling can also be tricky. Why is "chariot" spelled with one “r,” while "charrue" takes two?
4. Some words have two correct spellings. For instance, both “oignon” and “ognon” are acceptable.
5. You might think that all verbs ending in -er belong to the first group. But have you thought about the verb “aller”? It actually belongs to the third group…
6. Among French expressions, some are truly strange. “Il a voyagé aux quatre coins du monde” (He has traveled to the four corners of the world) is one you’ve likely heard. But as you’ve learned, the Earth is a slightly flattened sphere, not square—so why “corners”?
7. What do the words "amour," "orgue," and "délice" have in common? Here’s a hint: it has to do with their grammatical gender. Still stumped? Here’s the answer: all three are masculine in the singular and feminine in the plural!
8. What’s special about the word "radar"? It reads the same forward and backward—it’s a palindrome.
9. I’m the only word that uses the letter "U" with a grave accent. Who am I? Answer: the word “où.”
10. Is it possible for a word to have three consecutive E’s? Yes, in the past participle of the verb “créer” in the feminine plural. As you can see, these curiosities weren’t exactly designed to make our lives easier!
