[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-article-local-why-you-should-learn-french":3,"$fHZsWYl_LcdVZ5GxKwtR-ZqvCZbbUdo2_Fi6R_GQKiQM":568,"blog-article-cms-why-you-should-learn-french":570,"article-hreflang-why-you-should-learn-french":571,"blog-article-related-why-you-should-learn-french":926},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":548,"extension":549,"meta":550,"navigation":561,"path":562,"rawbody":563,"seo":564,"stem":565,"__hash__":566,"timestampUnix":551,"slug":552,"h1":553,"image":554,"tags":559,"timestamp":567,"locale":-1},"content\u002Farticle\u002Flanguage-fun\u002Fgeneral-french-why.md","Why learn French? Here Are 8 Compelling Reasons.",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":533},"minimark",[9,13,27,30,33,36,41,44,47,50,54,57,60,67,75,78,104,110,117,120,123,127,130,139,158,161,164,168,171,174,177,180,206,209,216,220,238,241,251,255,266,273,276,280,283,298,311,324,337,350,408,415,417,421,436,439,446,453,480,483,486,489,497,503,506,511,513,517,526],[10,11,12],"p",{},"Thinking about learning a language, or perhaps adding another to your repertoire? Let me make a case for French.",[10,14,15,16,26],{},"Whether you’re (understandably) captivated by ",[17,18,22],"a",{"href":19,"rel":20},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=qPU8mENUBXk",[21],"nofollow",[23,24,25],"em",{},"la vie en rose"," or are just looking to boost your career, the French language offers a world of benefits, from expanding your horizons to giving you an edge in the global economy of the future. In this article, I’ll walk through 8 reasons why I think you should learn French.",[10,28,29],{},"Let’s dive in!",[31,32],"toc",{},[34,35],"hr",{},[37,38,40],"h2",{"id":39},"_1-french-opens-up-doors-around-the-world","1. French opens up doors around the world",[10,42,43],{},"When it comes to picking a second language, French has a lot going for it.",[10,45,46],{},"Not only is it one of the most widely spoken languages worldwide, with over 300 million speakers, but it’s also recognized as an official language in dozens of countries and is used in key international organizations like the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee.",[10,48,49],{},"With French, you’re learning more than a language—you’re opening up connections with people in Europe, Africa, the Americas, and even parts of Asia. In a sense, the language gives you a passport to communicate with people all around the world.",[37,51,53],{"id":52},"_2-it-just-might-give-your-career-a-boost","2. It just might give your career a boost",[10,55,56],{},"French is one of the main languages used in the European Union, the African Union, and even in Canada’s professional landscape, particularly in Quebec. Additionally, the language’s association with high culture, diplomacy, and multinational companies makes it incredibly useful for careers in business, international relations, and more.",[10,58,59],{},"With France being one of the world’s largest economies, knowing French opens up numerous career paths—whether in tech, luxury fashion, or international development.",[10,61,62,63,66],{},"(You ",[23,64,65],{},"know"," this, but it's boring and every single blog post says the same thing, so I'm not going to say anything more about that. Yes, French is a marketable skill.)",[37,68,70,71,74],{"id":69},"_3-youll-learn-how-to-really-learn","3. You'll learn how to ",[23,72,73],{},"really"," learn",[10,76,77],{},"Learning Japanese (French is new to me, too!) taught me a lot about learning in general. For example:",[79,80,81,85,88,91,94,97],"ul",{},[82,83,84],"li",{},"I'm more likely to stick to a habit if I attach it to a concrete event, like lunch or laying down in bed",[82,86,87],{},"Mistakes are part of learning, and nothing to be ashamed about",[82,89,90],{},"My memory is actually pretty good if I review regularly in small pockets (a few minutes) throughout the day, rather than one evening per week",[82,92,93],{},"Sometimes the problem is with a textbook's explanation, not with me",[82,95,96],{},"I'm motivated by seeing things come together",[82,98,99,100,103],{},"I actually really enjoy learning, when it's self-directed and bringing me closer to something ",[23,101,102],{},"I"," want to do",[10,105,106,107],{},"And then, ten years after graduating from high school, a weird thought struck me: ",[23,108,109],{},"What if I don't hate math... I just hated how Mr. So-and-so taught math?",[10,111,112,113,116],{},"It turns out that math is actually pretty cool, and that I ",[23,114,115],{},"can"," learn it.",[10,118,119],{},"Personally, learning languages has taught me many valuable lessons about learning itself, which I've been able to apply to the pursuits that matter to me, such as music, math, piano, chess, and cooking.",[10,121,122],{},"Learning French will help you do the things you love better.",[37,124,126],{"id":125},"_4-french-is-a-gateway-to-the-other-romance-languages","4. French is a gateway to the other Romance languages",[10,128,129],{},"French is a Romance language, meaning that it came from Latin. The Romance language family also includes Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian. These languages have a lot in common, just as siblings from real families do.",[10,131,132,133,138],{},"For example, ",[17,134,137],{"href":135,"rel":136},"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FLexical_similarity#Indo-European_languages",[21],"89% of French vocabulary overlaps with Italian vocabulary",", and the \"they\" form of Italian verbs features an \u002Fn\u002F sound just like the \"they\" form of French verbs does.",[79,140,141,144,152],{},[82,142,143],{},"EN: They speak.",[82,145,146,147,151],{},"FR: Ils parle",[148,149,150],"strong",{},"n","t",[82,153,154,155,157],{},"IT: Loro parla",[148,156,150],{},"o",[10,159,160],{},"Similar connections exist between French and the other Romance languages.",[10,162,163],{},"With this in mind, when you learn French, you're also building a foundation that will enable you to learn several other languages much more easily, if you choose to do so.",[37,165,167],{"id":166},"_5-youll-improve-your-memory","5. You'll improve your memory",[10,169,170],{},"Seems farfetched, I know.",[10,172,173],{},"But consider this:",[10,175,176],{},"Learning French will require you to remember tens of thousands of vocabulary words and hundreds of grammar points. That's a lot.",[10,178,179],{},"This will be a struggle at first, but then you'll learn about things like:",[79,181,182,190,198],{},[82,183,184,189],{},[17,185,188],{"href":186,"rel":187},"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FForgetting_curve",[21],"The forgetting curve",", or the fact that forgetting things is inevitable, unless we take action",[82,191,192,197],{},[17,193,196],{"href":194,"rel":195},"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FSpaced_repetition",[21],"Space repetition",", or an efficient way of reviewing information to combat the forgetting curve",[82,199,200,205],{},[17,201,204],{"href":202,"rel":203},"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FMnemonic",[21],"Mnemonics",", or strategic ways to encode information into your brain to avoid forgetting",[10,207,208],{},"And, suddenly, you'll start retaining French words.",[10,210,211,212,215],{},"You'll realize that you don't have a bad memory, but rather that you'd been ",[23,213,214],{},"using"," your memory wrong... and that you can apply these same insights to other areas of your life, too.",[37,217,219],{"id":218},"_6-the-french-world-has-had-an-impact-on-virtually-all-of-the-arts","6. The French world has had an impact on virtually all of the arts",[10,221,222,223,226,227,226,234,237],{},"French culture has had an indelible impact on art, literature, and film worldwide. This means that learning French isn’t just about gaining language skills: it’s an invitation into the world of ",[23,224,225],{},"café culture",", ",[17,228,231],{"href":229,"rel":230},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.com\u002Fsearch?sca_esv=e84d3365b4113c52&q=boulangeries&udm=2&fbs=AEQNm0Aa4sjWe7Rqy32pFwRj0UkWd8nbOJfsBGGB5IQQO6L3J5_cJreBOGYq6XK4Eyx3ZWB3hvi_jfhQFvRQXOZxLbKq3Km_PBQD94QCwqDXKYNNrtX5Rheq8pceQBQnfz9lnKJGkq0deC_11pbbnfwkFJhsnBSAjcKBx49XBsuZ6M6Fusj1rIRTOc-f3xR-Uf71lVOhGqGXzMtaoSEdyIFKXasKUdnKeQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiCvdSU082JAxVpL9AFHd_yJxwQtKgLegQIHBAB&biw=714&bih=900&dpr=2",[21],[23,232,233],{},"boulangeries",[23,235,236],{},"cinéma français",", and literary giants like Sartre and Descartes. France also hosts internationally renowned events like the Cannes Film Festival and the Paris Fashion Week.",[10,239,240],{},"Of course, understanding French allows you to appreciate the nuances of French literature, French cinema, and the unique aspects of French history in their original language. There are a lot of good French>English translators, but there was only one Voltaire. Translations usually just don't compare.",[10,242,243,250],{},[23,244,245],{},[17,246,249],{"href":247,"rel":248},"https:\u002F\u002Fmath.mit.edu\u002F~shor\u002FSaadi.html",[21],"(While we're here, here's a bilingual edition of my favorite French poem. It's beautiful.)",".",[37,252,254],{"id":253},"_7-learning-french-will-help-you-understand-and-appreciate-english","7. Learning French will help you understand (and appreciate) English",[10,256,257,258,261,262,265],{},"English has taken significant influence from French due to the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century and French's history as a prestige language. This is particularly notable in our vocabulary: words like ",[23,259,260],{},"rendezvous"," and ",[23,263,264],{},"apostrophe","—and thousands more—come straight from French. (This is part of why English's spelling is such a mess.)",[10,267,268,269,272],{},"Additionally, learning French will require you to learn about concepts like verb tenses and conjugations—things you've learned naturally in English, but may never have put a name to. Why is \"would of\" incorrect where as \"would have\" is OK? Why do we talk about past experiences by saying we ",[23,270,271],{},"have"," done something, anyway?",[10,274,275],{},"At first you'll think that you're learning French, but sometime down the road, it'll occur to you that English now makes more sense, too.",[37,277,279],{"id":278},"_8-french-literature-is-incredible","8. French literature is incredible",[10,281,282],{},"I'm just some random guy on the internet, but just look at these quotes:",[284,285,286],"blockquote",{},[10,287,288,289,292,294,295],{},"“All grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it.” ",[290,291],"br",{},[290,293],{},"\n― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, ",[23,296,297],{},"The Little Prince",[284,299,300],{},[10,301,302,303,305,307,308],{},"“My life was hurrying, racing tragically toward its end. And yet at the same time it was dripping so slowly, so very slowly now, hour by hour, minute by minute. One always has to wait until the sugar melts, the memory dies, the wound scars over, the sun sets, the unhappiness lifts and fades away.” ",[290,304],{},[290,306],{},"\n― Simone de Beauvoir, ",[23,309,310],{},"The Woman Destroyed",[284,312,313],{},[10,314,315,316,318,320,321],{},"“What Is Love? I have met in the streets a very poor young man who was in love. His hat was old, his coat worn, the water passed through his shoes and the stars through his soul” ",[290,317],{},[290,319],{},"\n― Victor Hugo, ",[23,322,323],{},"Les Misérables",[284,325,326],{},[10,327,328,329,331,333,334],{},"“Likewise and during every day of an unillustrious life, time carries us. But a moment always comes when we have to carry it. We live on the future: “tomorrow,” “later on,” “when you have made your way,” “you will understand when you are old enough.” Such irrelevancies are wonderful, for, after all, it’s a matter of dying. Yet a day comes when a man notices or says that he is thirty. Thus he asserts his youth. But simultaneously he situates himself in relation to time. He takes his place in it. He admits that he stands at a certain point on a curve that he acknowledges having to travel to its end. He belongs to time, and by the horror that seizes him, he recognizes his worst enemy. Tomorrow, he was longing for tomorrow, whereas everything in him ought to reject it. That revolt of the flesh is the absurd.”",[290,330],{},[290,332],{},"\n― Albert Camus, ",[23,335,336],{},"The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays",[284,338,339],{},[10,340,341,342,344,346,347],{},"“But for what purpose was the earth formed?\" asked Candide. \"To drive us mad,\" replied Martin. ",[290,343],{},[290,345],{},"\n― Voltaire, ",[23,348,349],{},"Candide",[284,351,352],{},[10,353,354,355,357,359,360,362,364,365,367,369,371,372,374,376,377,379,381,382,384,386,388,389,391,393,394,396,398,399,401,403,404,407],{},"This morning, I wanted to bring roses to you,",[290,356],{},[290,358],{},"\nBut I filled my sashes with the garden entire,",[290,361],{},[290,363],{},"\nAnd the knots stretched too tight, since I took so many. ",[290,366],{},[290,368],{},[290,370],{},"\nThe strained knots burst apart, and the roses all flew;",[290,373],{},[290,375],{},"\nSnatched away by the wind, into the sea they went,",[290,378],{},[290,380],{},"\nWhere they followed the tide, and so were lost to me.",[290,383],{},[290,385],{},[290,387],{},"\nThe waves turned bright crimson, as though they were on fire.",[290,390],{},[290,392],{},"\nThis evening, my dress is still drenched in their scent—",[290,395],{},[290,397],{},"\nCome to me and inhale their fragrant memory.",[290,400],{},[290,402],{},"\n—Marceline Desbordes-Valmore, ",[23,405,406],{},"The Roses of Saadi"," (translated by Peter Shor)",[10,409,410,411,414],{},"Learning French opens you up to ",[23,412,413],{},"books"," full of stuff like this.",[34,416],{},[37,418,420],{"id":419},"how-can-migaku-help-you-learn-french","How Can Migaku Help You Learn French?",[10,422,423,424,427,428,431,432,435],{},"Whereas most language learning apps force you to learn French by following a curriculum that ",[23,425,426],{},"they"," think is important, Migaku instead equips you with the tools you need to jump right into French and learn as you go. I personally like reading, and I personally want to read things like ",[23,429,430],{},"Around the World in 80 Days"," by Victor Hugo and ",[23,433,434],{},"The Stranger"," by Albert Camus in French—so that's what I'm doing.",[10,437,438],{},"Here's the French version of that quote from Simone de Beauvoir:",[440,441],"img",{"src":442,"width":443,"height":444,"alt":445},"\u002Fassets\u002Fblog\u002Fmigaku-french-quote.jpeg",1900,1502,"A screenshot of a quote from Simone de Beauvoir's _La Femme Rompue_, as displayed in Migaku's language learning software.",[10,447,448,449,452],{},"As you can see, I know most of the words, but there's several that I'm not familiar with. With Migaku, that's not a problem. Simply clicking on ",[23,450,451],{},"coupure"," (break\u002Fcut\u002Fshift) brings up reference information about it. I've personally chose to see an AI breakdown of what the word means in context, but Migaku also can show you:",[79,454,455,460,465,468,471,474],{},[82,456,457,458],{},"Recordings of native speakers saying ",[23,459,451],{},[82,461,462,463],{},"Photos of ",[23,464,451],{},[82,466,467],{},"Dictionary definitions of what it means",[82,469,470],{},"Example sentences",[82,472,473],{},"AI breakdowns of the sentence it appears in",[82,475,476,477,479],{},"Links to ",[23,478,451],{}," in online dictionaries",[10,481,482],{},"And all of that is available at the press of a button.",[10,484,485],{},"So I just read stuff I'm interested in, click words I don't know, and click the orange button you see in the top-right corner of the popup dictionary to turn those words into flashcards. As I consume things I enjoy in French, I improve in French. It's fun, and it works.",[10,487,488],{},"On the off chance that you're not a bookworm, know that you can use Migaku with pretty much any sort of content that has copyable text, such as the subtitles of videos or comments on X (Twitter).",[10,490,491,492,250],{},"For example, here's a screenshot of ",[17,493,496],{"href":494,"rel":495},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=zeF_yUWN_TQ",[21],"a podcast that I'm listening to on YouTube",[440,498],{"src":499,"width":500,"height":501,"alt":502},"\u002Fassets\u002Fblog\u002Fmigaku-french-youtube.jpeg",1866,1452,"A screenshot of a an episode of InnerFrench's podcast on YouTube, as enhanced by Migaku's software.",[10,504,505],{},"To see how Migaku lets you turn these things into personalized learning materials, click the button below.",[507,508],"prose-button",{"href":509,"text":510},"\u002F","See Migaku in action",[34,512],{},[37,514,516],{"id":515},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[10,518,519,520,525],{},"Yes, French is worth learning. The people, the movies, the books—and we didn't even talk about ",[17,521,524],{"href":522,"rel":523},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=l9fX2JmtFII",[21],"the music","!",[10,527,528,529,532],{},"The ",[23,530,531],{},"real"," question to be asking is how you're going to learn French.",{"title":534,"searchDepth":535,"depth":535,"links":536},"",2,[537,538,539,541,542,543,544,545,546,547],{"id":39,"depth":535,"text":40},{"id":52,"depth":535,"text":53},{"id":69,"depth":535,"text":540},"3. You'll learn how to really learn",{"id":125,"depth":535,"text":126},{"id":166,"depth":535,"text":167},{"id":218,"depth":535,"text":219},{"id":253,"depth":535,"text":254},{"id":278,"depth":535,"text":279},{"id":419,"depth":535,"text":420},{"id":515,"depth":535,"text":516},"Why learn French, you ask? Discover 8 compelling reasons to learn French, a widely spoken language that opens doors globally.","md",{"timestampUnix":551,"slug":552,"h1":553,"image":554,"tags":559},1732063339333,"why-you-should-learn-french","8 Reasons to Learn French: Why French is the Language to Learn Now",{"src":555,"width":556,"height":557,"alt":558},"\u002Fassets\u002Fblog\u002Fmigaku-reasons-to-learn-french.webp",7360,4912,"A woman holding a French flag standing in front of the Eiffel Tower.",[560],"discussion",true,"\u002Farticle\u002Flanguage-fun\u002Fgeneral-french-why","---\ntitle: 'Why learn French? Here Are 8 Compelling Reasons.'\ndescription: 'Why learn French, you ask? Discover 8 compelling reasons to learn French, a widely spoken language that opens doors globally.'\ntimestampUnix: 1732063339333\nslug: 'why-you-should-learn-french'\nh1: '8 Reasons to Learn French: Why French is the Language to Learn Now'\nimage:\n  src: '\u002Fassets\u002Fblog\u002Fmigaku-reasons-to-learn-french.webp'\n  width: 7360\n  height: 4912\n  alt: 'A woman holding a French flag standing in front of the Eiffel Tower.'\ntags:\n  - discussion\n---\n\nThinking about learning a language, or perhaps adding another to your repertoire? Let me make a case for French.\n\nWhether you’re (understandably) captivated by [_la vie en rose_](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=qPU8mENUBXk) or are just looking to boost your career, the French language offers a world of benefits, from expanding your horizons to giving you an edge in the global economy of the future. In this article, I’ll walk through 8 reasons why I think you should learn French.\n\nLet’s dive in!\n\n\u003Ctoc>\u003C\u002Ftoc>\n\n---\n\n## 1. French opens up doors around the world\n\nWhen it comes to picking a second language, French has a lot going for it.\n\nNot only is it one of the most widely spoken languages worldwide, with over 300 million speakers, but it’s also recognized as an official language in dozens of countries and is used in key international organizations like the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee.\n\nWith French, you’re learning more than a language—you’re opening up connections with people in Europe, Africa, the Americas, and even parts of Asia. In a sense, the language gives you a passport to communicate with people all around the world.\n\n## 2. It just might give your career a boost\n\nFrench is one of the main languages used in the European Union, the African Union, and even in Canada’s professional landscape, particularly in Quebec. Additionally, the language’s association with high culture, diplomacy, and multinational companies makes it incredibly useful for careers in business, international relations, and more.\n\nWith France being one of the world’s largest economies, knowing French opens up numerous career paths—whether in tech, luxury fashion, or international development.\n\n(You _know_ this, but it's boring and every single blog post says the same thing, so I'm not going to say anything more about that. Yes, French is a marketable skill.)\n\n## 3. You'll learn how to _really_ learn\n\nLearning Japanese (French is new to me, too!) taught me a lot about learning in general. For example:\n\n- I'm more likely to stick to a habit if I attach it to a concrete event, like lunch or laying down in bed\n- Mistakes are part of learning, and nothing to be ashamed about\n- My memory is actually pretty good if I review regularly in small pockets (a few minutes) throughout the day, rather than one evening per week\n- Sometimes the problem is with a textbook's explanation, not with me\n- I'm motivated by seeing things come together\n- I actually really enjoy learning, when it's self-directed and bringing me closer to something _I_ want to do\n\nAnd then, ten years after graduating from high school, a weird thought struck me: _What if I don't hate math... I just hated how Mr. So-and-so taught math?_\n\nIt turns out that math is actually pretty cool, and that I _can_ learn it.\n\nPersonally, learning languages has taught me many valuable lessons about learning itself, which I've been able to apply to the pursuits that matter to me, such as music, math, piano, chess, and cooking.\n\nLearning French will help you do the things you love better.\n\n## 4. French is a gateway to the other Romance languages\n\nFrench is a Romance language, meaning that it came from Latin. The Romance language family also includes Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian. These languages have a lot in common, just as siblings from real families do.\n\nFor example, [89% of French vocabulary overlaps with Italian vocabulary](https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FLexical_similarity#Indo-European_languages), and the \"they\" form of Italian verbs features an \u002Fn\u002F sound just like the \"they\" form of French verbs does.\n\n- EN: They speak.\n- FR: Ils parle**n**t\n- IT: Loro parla**n**o\n\nSimilar connections exist between French and the other Romance languages.\n\nWith this in mind, when you learn French, you're also building a foundation that will enable you to learn several other languages much more easily, if you choose to do so.\n\n## 5. You'll improve your memory\n\nSeems farfetched, I know.\n\nBut consider this:\n\nLearning French will require you to remember tens of thousands of vocabulary words and hundreds of grammar points. That's a lot.\n\nThis will be a struggle at first, but then you'll learn about things like:\n\n- [The forgetting curve](https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FForgetting_curve), or the fact that forgetting things is inevitable, unless we take action\n- [Space repetition](https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FSpaced_repetition), or an efficient way of reviewing information to combat the forgetting curve\n- [Mnemonics](https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FMnemonic), or strategic ways to encode information into your brain to avoid forgetting\n\nAnd, suddenly, you'll start retaining French words.\n\nYou'll realize that you don't have a bad memory, but rather that you'd been _using_ your memory wrong... and that you can apply these same insights to other areas of your life, too.\n\n## 6. The French world has had an impact on virtually all of the arts\n\nFrench culture has had an indelible impact on art, literature, and film worldwide. This means that learning French isn’t just about gaining language skills: it’s an invitation into the world of _café culture_, [_boulangeries_](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.com\u002Fsearch?sca_esv=e84d3365b4113c52&q=boulangeries&udm=2&fbs=AEQNm0Aa4sjWe7Rqy32pFwRj0UkWd8nbOJfsBGGB5IQQO6L3J5_cJreBOGYq6XK4Eyx3ZWB3hvi_jfhQFvRQXOZxLbKq3Km_PBQD94QCwqDXKYNNrtX5Rheq8pceQBQnfz9lnKJGkq0deC_11pbbnfwkFJhsnBSAjcKBx49XBsuZ6M6Fusj1rIRTOc-f3xR-Uf71lVOhGqGXzMtaoSEdyIFKXasKUdnKeQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiCvdSU082JAxVpL9AFHd_yJxwQtKgLegQIHBAB&biw=714&bih=900&dpr=2), _cinéma français_, and literary giants like Sartre and Descartes. France also hosts internationally renowned events like the Cannes Film Festival and the Paris Fashion Week.\n\nOf course, understanding French allows you to appreciate the nuances of French literature, French cinema, and the unique aspects of French history in their original language. There are a lot of good French>English translators, but there was only one Voltaire. Translations usually just don't compare.\n\n_[(While we're here, here's a bilingual edition of my favorite French poem. It's beautiful.)](https:\u002F\u002Fmath.mit.edu\u002F~shor\u002FSaadi.html)_.\n\n## 7. Learning French will help you understand (and appreciate) English\n\nEnglish has taken significant influence from French due to the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century and French's history as a prestige language. This is particularly notable in our vocabulary: words like _rendezvous_ and _apostrophe_—and thousands more—come straight from French. (This is part of why English's spelling is such a mess.)\n\nAdditionally, learning French will require you to learn about concepts like verb tenses and conjugations—things you've learned naturally in English, but may never have put a name to. Why is \"would of\" incorrect where as \"would have\" is OK? Why do we talk about past experiences by saying we _have_ done something, anyway?\n\nAt first you'll think that you're learning French, but sometime down the road, it'll occur to you that English now makes more sense, too.\n\n## 8. French literature is incredible\n\nI'm just some random guy on the internet, but just look at these quotes:\n\n> “All grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it.” \u003Cbr>\n> ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, _The Little Prince_\n\n> “My life was hurrying, racing tragically toward its end. And yet at the same time it was dripping so slowly, so very slowly now, hour by hour, minute by minute. One always has to wait until the sugar melts, the memory dies, the wound scars over, the sun sets, the unhappiness lifts and fades away.” \u003Cbr>\n> ― Simone de Beauvoir, _The Woman Destroyed_\n\n> “What Is Love? I have met in the streets a very poor young man who was in love. His hat was old, his coat worn, the water passed through his shoes and the stars through his soul” \u003Cbr>\n> ― Victor Hugo, _Les Misérables_\n\n> “Likewise and during every day of an unillustrious life, time carries us. But a moment always comes when we have to carry it. We live on the future: “tomorrow,” “later on,” “when you have made your way,” “you will understand when you are old enough.” Such irrelevancies are wonderful, for, after all, it’s a matter of dying. Yet a day comes when a man notices or says that he is thirty. Thus he asserts his youth. But simultaneously he situates himself in relation to time. He takes his place in it. He admits that he stands at a certain point on a curve that he acknowledges having to travel to its end. He belongs to time, and by the horror that seizes him, he recognizes his worst enemy. Tomorrow, he was longing for tomorrow, whereas everything in him ought to reject it. That revolt of the flesh is the absurd.”\u003Cbr>\n> ― Albert Camus, _The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays_\n\n> “But for what purpose was the earth formed?\" asked Candide. \"To drive us mad,\" replied Martin. \u003Cbr>\n> ― Voltaire, _Candide_\n\n> This morning, I wanted to bring roses to you,\u003Cbr>\n> But I filled my sashes with the garden entire,\u003Cbr>\n> And the knots stretched too tight, since I took so many. \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\n> The strained knots burst apart, and the roses all flew;\u003Cbr>\n> Snatched away by the wind, into the sea they went,\u003Cbr>\n> Where they followed the tide, and so were lost to me.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\n> The waves turned bright crimson, as though they were on fire.\u003Cbr>\n> This evening, my dress is still drenched in their scent—\u003Cbr>\n> Come to me and inhale their fragrant memory.\u003Cbr>\n> —Marceline Desbordes-Valmore, _The Roses of Saadi_ (translated by Peter Shor)\n\nLearning French opens you up to _books_ full of stuff like this.\n\n---\n\n## How Can Migaku Help You Learn French?\n\nWhereas most language learning apps force you to learn French by following a curriculum that _they_ think is important, Migaku instead equips you with the tools you need to jump right into French and learn as you go. I personally like reading, and I personally want to read things like _Around the World in 80 Days_ by Victor Hugo and _The Stranger_ by Albert Camus in French—so that's what I'm doing.\n\nHere's the French version of that quote from Simone de Beauvoir:\n\n\u003Cimg src=\"\u002Fassets\u002Fblog\u002Fmigaku-french-quote.jpeg\" width=\"1900\" height=\"1502\" alt=\"A screenshot of a quote from Simone de Beauvoir's _La Femme Rompue_, as displayed in Migaku's language learning software.\" \u002F>\n\nAs you can see, I know most of the words, but there's several that I'm not familiar with. With Migaku, that's not a problem. Simply clicking on _coupure_ (break\u002Fcut\u002Fshift) brings up reference information about it. I've personally chose to see an AI breakdown of what the word means in context, but Migaku also can show you:\n\n- Recordings of native speakers saying _coupure_\n- Photos of _coupure_\n- Dictionary definitions of what it means\n- Example sentences\n- AI breakdowns of the sentence it appears in\n- Links to _coupure_ in online dictionaries\n\nAnd all of that is available at the press of a button.\n\nSo I just read stuff I'm interested in, click words I don't know, and click the orange button you see in the top-right corner of the popup dictionary to turn those words into flashcards. As I consume things I enjoy in French, I improve in French. It's fun, and it works.\n\nOn the off chance that you're not a bookworm, know that you can use Migaku with pretty much any sort of content that has copyable text, such as the subtitles of videos or comments on X (Twitter).\n\nFor example, here's a screenshot of [a podcast that I'm listening to on YouTube](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=zeF_yUWN_TQ).\n\n\u003Cimg src=\"\u002Fassets\u002Fblog\u002Fmigaku-french-youtube.jpeg\" width=\"1866\" height=\"1452\" alt=\"A screenshot of a an episode of InnerFrench's podcast on YouTube, as enhanced by Migaku's software.\" \u002F>\n\nTo see how Migaku lets you turn these things into personalized learning materials, click the button below.\n\n\u003Cprose-button href=\"\u002F\" text=\"See Migaku in action\">\u003C\u002Fprose-button>\n\n---\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\nYes, French is worth learning. The people, the movies, the books—and we didn't even talk about [the music](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=l9fX2JmtFII)!\n\nThe _real_ question to be asking is how you're going to learn French.\n",{"title":5,"description":548},"article\u002Flanguage-fun\u002Fgeneral-french-why","5mraX_3a1FEvTCWqCTaEgcRD7JlEzN_1mhy9qs9Jfl8","November 20, 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Options","https:\u002F\u002Fmigaku-cms-assets.migaku.com\u002Fbanking_in_argentina_as_a_foreigner_cuit_pesos_and_fintech_options_ec0477481f\u002Fbanking_in_argentina_as_a_foreigner_cuit_pesos_and_fintech_options_ec0477481f.jpg",1200,1824,[955,956,957],"culture","resources","deepdive","1780520873233",{"id":960,"documentId":961,"slug":962,"category":931,"lang":570,"title":963,"description":964,"image":965,"tags":969,"timestampUnix":970,"featured":939},9999,"yxatlhlkl0a6wdsl84n5envc","lg-u-plus-mobile-plans-for-foreigners-review-and-setup","LG U Plus Mobile Plans for Foreigners 2026","Updated June 2026 guide to prepaid and post-paid LG U+ plans for tourists, students, and long-term foreign residents. Requirements, fees, documents, and setup.",{"alt":966,"src":967,"width":968,"height":937,"previewOnly":939},"LG U Plus Mobile Plans for Foreigners: Review and Setup","https:\u002F\u002Fmigaku-cms-assets.migaku.com\u002Flg_u_plus_mobile_plans_for_foreigners_review_and_setup_5b7ab68fa1\u002Flg_u_plus_mobile_plans_for_foreigners_review_and_setup_5b7ab68fa1.jpg",1600,[956,955,941],"1780505375634"]