You are starting from zero or very little French. You are beginning to recognise basic words and sounds. Listening feels new, and you are building your first familiarity with how French sounds. You are not yet forming sentences.

You can use the present tense, form negative sentences, and start asking simple questions in French.

You can understand very slow, clear speech when supported by context, but need repetition and visual support to follow conversations.

You are familiar with the passé composé, imparfait and futur, but still need practice to use them confidently.

You can follow simple conversations on familiar topics when speech is clear and structured, but may miss key details at natural speed.

You are comfortable using the conditional and most tenses, though you still need support to build sentences naturally and fluently.

You can understand most everyday French conversations, but may struggle with fast speech, reduced forms, or complex instructions.

You are comfortable using all major tenses, including the subjonctif, though complex structures may still need refinement.

You have strong listening comprehension and can understand natural, fast French, including detailed conversations.