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À l’avance vs En avance These two French expressions look similar, but they don’t mean exactly the same thing. They both relate to the idea of doing something before the expected time, but the nuance is different. You can download a PDF of this lesson guide in my private French

Sortir vs Partir vs Quitter vs Laisser The verbs sortir, partir, quitter, and laisser can all be translated as “to leave” in English, but they’re not interchangeable in French. Each verb expresses a different type of leaving, and they also carry additional meanings. You can download a PDF of this

Plan vs Projet Both plan and projet can translate as “plan” in English, but their meanings are different. Knowing when to use each word will make your French clearer and easier to understand. You can download a PDF of this lesson guide in my private French Grammar Library. 1. Des

Ça vs Que vs Cette In English, the word that can mean many different things: that idea, I think that…, that book. In French, there’s no single word that fits all those uses. French uses ça, que, and cette (plus ce and cet) depending on what “that” refers to. Once

Deuxième vs Second Both deuxième and second mean “second” in English, but they don’t always carry the same nuance in French. Here’s how to tell them apart, and when you can use either one. You can download a PDF of this lesson guide in my private French Grammar Library. 1.

Neuf vs Nouveau The French adjectives neuf and nouveau both mean “new,” but they don’t describe the same kind of “new.”One is used for something that’s never been used before, and the other for something that’s simply new or different in a given context. You can download a PDF of

Qu’on vs Que l’on Qu’on and que l’on mean exactly the same thing:  that one, that we, or that people (in general), depending on context. The difference is not grammatical but phonetic and stylistic. You can download a PDF of this lesson guide in my private French Grammar Library. 1.

Poser vs Demander Both poser and demander can sometimes be translated as “to ask,” but they’re not interchangeable.Understanding the difference is all about what you’re asking: a question or a favor/information. You can download a PDF of this lesson guide in my private French Grammar Library. 1. Poser – To

Près de vs Proche de Both près de and proche de are used to indicate closeness or proximity, but they are not interchangeable, and their grammatical roles are different. You can download a PDF of this lesson guide in my private French Grammar Library. 1. Près de – Adverb of

Tant pis vs Tant mieux These two tiny expressions pop up constantly in French conversations. They are ways to react quickly when something goes wrong (tant pis) or when things turn out well (tant mieux). You can download a PDF of this lesson guide in my private French Grammar Library.