How long to learn French

How to learn French fast? How long does it take to learn French? This is perhaps the most common question from students who wish to learn French. 

How long a student needs to learn French will depend on several factors, with some taking a longer time than others. How long it finally takes will depend on several factors discussed below.


1. Desired Proficiency level

You can speak French or any other language at different proficiency levels. For instance, a French lawyer will use a much more sophisticated language (higher proficiency level) compared to a French child (lower proficiency level), although both of them are fluent in French! Consequently, if you simply wish to attain Beginner Level proficiency, 40-60 hours of learning will be sufficient. However, to reach an advanced level of proficiency, much more hours are needed!

2. Available time for learning

The time that you can set aside for learning French will definitely affect your progress. Hence, it will take a busy person a much longer time to learn French compared to someone with much time at his disposal.

3. Gaps in between classes

How long it takes to learn French also depends on gaps in between classes. Longer gaps better classes means more chance to forget what you have previously learned. Ideally, we recommend a maximum of 2 days gap in between lessons for maximum retention.

4. Mother tongue influence

Your mother tongue can deeply influence how long you take to learn French, especially French pronunciation. There is such a thing called mother tongue influence that mostly impact on your pronunciation of French words.

5. Knowledge of another 'Romance' language

Those who know another romance language (such as Italian and Spanish) will be able to learn French much faster than others. That is because many French words share a similar root with Italian and Spanish words, making it easier for Italians and Spaniards to correctly guess the meaning of those words, especially in written French.

6. Knowledge of another foreign language

If you already know a foreign language (especially another European language) with some similarities to the French language - such as having the same alphabet, sentence structure, vocabulary and grammar pattern -  it is easier for you to make sense of French as a language.


Learn French Fast [3x faster] with our Accelerated Learning Method

Here's an idea of the minimum hours required to attain different levels of French proficiency. We mention learning hours instead of time frame (weeks, months, etc) as it is more accurate. For instance, a student may take 4 hours/month (if she takes 1h lesson/week) or 56 hours/month (if she takes 14h lesson/week). 

Proficiency Level CEFR Others French Faster
Lower Beginner A1 60-100 hours 40-60 hours
Upper Beginner A2 150-200 hours 60-80 hours
Lower Intermediate B1 350-400 hours 80-120 hours
Upper Intermediate B2 550-650 hours 120-180 hours
Lower Advanced C1 800-950 hours 180-240 hours
Upper Advanced C2 > 1000 hours 240-300 hours

Here's an idea of the learning hours required if you're not a zero beginner:

Proficiency Level A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2
Starting as Zero Beginner
60h
 80h
 120h
 180h
 240h
 300h
Starting as Lower Beginner A1
 -
 40h
 80h
 140h
 200h
 260h
Starting as Upper Beginner A2
-
 -
 60h
 120h
 180h
 240h
Starting as Lower Intermed B1
 -
 -
 -
 100h
 160h
 220h
Starting as Upper Intermed B2
-
 -
 -
 -
 120h
 180h
Starting as Lower Advanced C1
 -
 -
 -
 -
 120h

* Note: The above figures are an approximation and are for reference only!