9 Common Mistakes French Speakers Make in English
Publié le 5 août 2026
These nine errors show up constantly — in emails, in meetings, even from advanced speakers — because they come from patterns that are correct in French but wrong in English. Here's each mistake and the fix.
1. "Actually" instead of "currently"
❌ I am actually working on the report.
✅ I am currently working on the report.
"Actually" means "in fact" (en fait), not "in the present moment". It's the classic false friend for "actuellement".
2. "I have 30 years" instead of "I am 30 years old"
❌ I have 30 years.
✅ I am 30 years old.
French uses "avoir" (to have) for age; English uses "to be". A direct translation here is a very recognizable non-native pattern.
3. "Depends of" instead of "depends on"
❌ It depends of the budget.
✅ It depends on the budget.
English prepositions don't map directly onto French ones. "Depend" always pairs with "on" in English.
4. "I am agree" instead of "I agree"
❌ I am agree with you.
✅ I agree with you.
"Agree" is a verb in English, not an adjective — so it doesn't need "am" before it, unlike "je suis d'accord".
5. "Since 3 years" instead of "for 3 years"
❌ I've worked here since 3 years.
✅ I've worked here for 3 years.
Use "for" with a duration (3 years, 2 months) and "since" with a starting point (2021, last March).
6. "Eventually" instead of "possibly / maybe"
❌ We could eventually change the date.
✅ We could possibly change the date.
"Eventually" means "in the end, after some time" — not "possibly". Another very common false friend from "éventuellement".
7. "Informations" and "advices" (uncountable nouns)
❌ I need some informations. / Some good advices.
✅ I need some information. / Some good advice.
"Information" and "advice" are uncountable in English and never take an "-s", even though "des informations" is normal in French.
8. Wrong word order with adverbs
❌ I like very much this idea.
✅ I like this idea very much. / I really like this idea.
English adverbs of degree usually go at the end of the clause or before the main verb, not between the verb and the object.
9. "Normally" used for "usually"
❌ Normally, I take the bus to work.
✅ Usually, I take the bus to work.
Not wrong, exactly, but "normally" in English carries a slight implication that something unusual is coming. "Usually" is the neutral choice for habits, closer to "d'habitude".
You won't unlearn these overnight by reading a list. The fastest fix is noticing them in your own speech or writing and correcting yourself in the moment — which is exactly what a placement test and targeted grammar practice can surface.
To see which of these patterns still show up in your own English, Speakora's free placement test is a quick way to check.