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French Grammar Basics

French grammar centers on two genders with pervasive agreement, and a distinct verb mood — the subjunctive — that many learners from English backgrounds have never had to think about explicitly before.

Two genders, no neuter

Every French noun is masculine or feminine, and articles, adjectives, and some past participles must agree with that gender (and number) — a single description of a noun can require matching gender and number across several words in the same sentence.

The subjunctive mood

French regularly uses a distinct subjunctive verb form after certain expressions of doubt, emotion, necessity, or desire ("il faut que tu viennes," "it's necessary that you come") — a genuinely separate set of conjugations from the everyday indicative mood, and one of the more advanced grammar milestones for learners.

Formal vs. informal "you"

Like several other European languages, French distinguishes formal vous from informal tu — used with strangers and elders versus friends and peers, respectively.

Tarc does not yet offer a French course — it's planned for a future release, built on the same gamified, spaced-repetition method as the existing Arabic and Latvian courses. Ask to be notified when French launches.

Frequently asked questions

Does French have grammatical gender like German?

Yes, though simpler in one sense — French has two genders (masculine, feminine) with no neuter, compared to German's three, but agreement still applies across articles, adjectives, and some participles.

What is the subjunctive mood in French?

A distinct set of verb conjugations used after expressions of doubt, emotion, necessity, or desire ("il faut que tu viennes") — genuinely separate from everyday indicative verb forms, and a notable grammar milestone for learners.

What's the difference between 'tu' and 'vous' in French?

Tu is informal, used with friends, family, and peers; vous is formal, used with strangers, elders, and professional contexts (and also serves as the plural "you").

Will grammar lessons be part of the future French course?

Yes, expected to build gender agreement and eventually the subjunctive progressively, following Tarc's existing course structure.

Get notified when French launches on Tarc →

See also: French Verbs · French Vocabulary · Learn French