The 9 Best Books to Learn French Fast

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Books are a traditional way to learn French but they’re also one of the best ways to start studying the language. In this guide, I’ll tell you why you should include books in your study routine and show you the 9 best books to learn French. To make things easier, I’ll also tell you how you can choose the best one for you. After you read this guide, you’ll be ready to start learning (and reading!) in French.

How We Picked the Best Books to Learn French

For any language learning products we’ve tested or researched, we follow a strict methodology to make sure our experts make the same considerations and evaluate based on the same criteria. Here are the factors we looked at when testing French books specifically:

• Structure and Topics: We considered the layout and overall organization of the books, then we examined which topics each book covered and how in-depth and relevant the explanations were.
• Quality of Content: We read several chapters of each book to gauge the quality of the content, including the example texts, exercises, and explanations. It’s important that each book contains clear and easy-to-understand content in addition to practical and useful study materials.
• Value for Money: We took the two previous factors and compared them to the price of the book to determine if it offers a good value for the cost.

While the books on this list were carefully picked to help you choose the best resources, other factors can influence how long it will take you to learn French. If you want a personalized answer, you can use our Fluency Calculator to see how long it will take you to reach your desired level of French.

Our Top Books to Learn French

There are so many ways to learn French, but finding one that fits your needs will make studying easier and more enjoyable. Using a book you find engaging will help you stay focused and want to continue studying. But, just like other types of French resources, all books offer something different. 

1. Best Overall: Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French All-in-One

Who Should Use This Book: Complete Beginner to Intermediate

Why This Book is Helpful:

• This book combines 7 workbooks into 1 to help you practice all the language skills you need to communicate at a beginner to intermediate level.
• The “French in Conversation” chapters show you how to apply the vocabulary and grammar you learned in daily life scenarios and give you tips to sound more natural.
• Includes a mobile app to help you practice what you learn in the books.

The Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French All-in-One book is the best overall to learn French because it includes a huge amount of study material. This book combines 7 different workbooks into one comprehensive source. It covers topics ranging from masculine and feminine nouns to the passé composé tense and even verb transfers and prepositions. There are also chapters that focus completely on conversational French (with topics like meeting people in French-speaking countries, making plans, and asking for help).

This is more of a traditional language textbook because each section follows a defined structure: an introduction to the topic, example phrases and sentences, a list of relevant vocabulary, and finally some practice exercises. The explanations are in English so it makes them approachable and easier to understand, especially if you’re just starting to learn French. If you’re a beginner or intermediate learner, this is a comprehensive option to start your studies. You can read more about it here.

2. Best for Beginners: French All-in-One for Dummies

Who Should Use This Book: Complete Beginner to Pre-Intermediate

Why This Book is Helpful:

• It introduces you to conversational topics in the first chapters, preparing you to start speaking French as soon as possible.
• Its lighthearted and concise explanations make understanding essential French grammar easy.
• There is plenty of additional material like mini dictionaries, visual exercises, and games to help you practice and test your knowledge.

I’m a big fan of the “For Dummies” series and French All-in-One for Dummies is no exception. This is the best option for beginners because it’s a comprehensive resource that starts at zero and guides you through different French topics. It focuses on teaching you how to navigate a variety of everyday situations, like shopping at a store, talking about money, and enjoying a night on the town.

Each of the 6 books included in this compilation covers a different topic. For example, Book 1 covers speaking in everyday conversations, Book 3 focuses on building a solid foundation in grammar, and Book 6 has verb conjugation tables, mini dictionaries, and even a couple of French games you can play to practice your skills. All topics are explained in a lighthearted and straightforward way and include formal and informal conversation practice. You can learn more about the book here.

3. Best for French Grammar: Easy French Step-by-Step

Who Should Use This Book: Complete Beginner to Intermediate

Why This Book is Helpful:

• This book breaks down French grammar into chapters so you start with the essential topics like the verbs “être” and “avoir” before moving on to more advanced ones.
• Every chapter includes a reading comprehension exercise that shows you how to apply the grammar, so you can practice what you learned
• It introduces 300 French verbs in order of frequency and teaches you how to use them in daily life conversations to help you start communicating quickly.

While using the word “easy” when talking about French grammar might sound crazy, Easy French Step-by-Step makes understanding French grammar a breeze. This is the best book to improve your French grammar because it follows a progressive structure that constantly expands what you previously learned. Every chapter has an explanation of the topic followed by key vocabulary and a reading comprehension exercise, which helped me see how to use each tense correctly. 

This book starts with basic French grammar topics: nouns, articles, and adjectives. Then, it teaches you about “être” and “avoir” as well as the tenses you need to talk about the past, present, and future. In later lessons, it guides you through more advanced topics like indefinite adjectives and pronouns and the subjunctive tense. This progression makes the topics easier to understand and logically introduces the next French grammar topic you’ll need to communicate. You can check it out here.

4. Best for Speaking and Communication: The Berlitz Self-Teacher

Who Should Use This Book: Complete Beginner to Pre-Intermediate

Why This Book is Helpful:

• It introduces essential sounds in French pronunciation so you won’t struggle with saying basic French words.
• Includes examples of simple, formal, and colloquial phrases so you can understand and participate in French conversations, regardless of the dialect.
• The book is designed to help you speak French without relying on translation.

The Berlitz Self-Teacher is the best for speaking and communication because it focuses on speaking from the start. Even though it’s a book (and a little older than the other options in this list), it shows you how to pronounce different French sounds naturally. Many English speakers have a hard time mastering French pronunciation (among other things), but this book breaks it down so you can easily start speaking from the first couple of lessons. 

As you work through the different sections, you’ll read a French conversation and see a pronunciation guide under every sentence. For example, in the first chapter, you’ll read the French sentence “Oui, monsieur, c’est le crayon.” And, underneath it, you’ll find how to pronounce it: “Wee, muss-yuh, seh luh kreh-young.” The book doesn’t follow a specific structure, but if you work through all the lessons, you’ll soon improve your pronunciation and conversation skills. Take a look at the book here.

5. Best for Self-Study: The Ultimate French Review and Practice

Who Should Use This Book: Complete Beginner to Advanced

Why This Book is Helpful:

• It introduces French grammar topics in a logical order, making them easier to understand. 
• It includes beginner to advanced grammar topics, including idioms and proverbs you’ll need to understand and speak French like a native speaker.
• Comes with a mobile app to help you practice your French vocabulary, grammar, speaking, and listening skills.

The Ultimate French Review and Practice is the best choice if you’re studying French by yourself because it’s a total grammar study program. It has 6 sections: Verbs, Nouns and Their Modifiers, Other Elements of a Sentence, Verbs in Two-Clause Sentences, Idiomatic Usage, and a final review section. I like this book because its clear explanations help you quickly learn the most important parts of French grammar

The updated edition of this book also comes with a mobile app that includes additional learning tools like flashcards, quizzes, and audio so you can hear how French is spoken. Since the content of the book is straightforward, it can be used as a reference, even as you reach more advanced levels of French. You can check out the book here.

6. Best for Traveling: French Grammar for Beginners

Who Should Use This Book: Beginner to Pre-Intermediate

Why This Book is Helpful:

• The book introduces the grammar topics you need most to travel to a French-speaking country such as greetings, articles, and the verb “être.”
• The workbook has 300+ grammar exercises that help you practice the vocabulary and grammar you’ll need to interact with French speakers.
• Includes online audio tracks you can download to practice listening to spoken French

I recommend French Grammar for Beginners for travelers because it’s meant to be a quick introduction to the language. It’s a crash course in the skills you’ll need during your next trip to a French-speaking country. The book has 30 lessons that break down grammar concepts and includes short stories and an essential phrases section. It takes a straight-to-the-point approach to help you understand the basics in 30 days (you’re supposed to complete one lesson per day). 

I enjoyed this book because of its concept: 1 lesson that covers 1 different topic each day. It’s easy to stay on track with this simple structure. It covers practical topics like the difference between “en” and “y”  and explains how to use “il y a” correctly. There’s also an embedded workbook and online audio to practice everything you learn. You can check it out here.

7. Best for Pronunciation: Exercises in French Phonics

Who Should Use This Book: Beginner to Pre-Intermediate

Why This Book is Helpful:

• Each chapter focuses on a specific French sound and includes examples and exercises to help you master it.
• Includes a guide that teaches you how to read French phonetic symbols and their English equivalents to make pronunciation clearer.
• The book also explains how to pronounce groups of letters English speakers struggle with like the liaison, diaresis, and silent letters that are not in final position.

If you want to master French pronunciation, Exercises in French Phonics is the best option because it packs all the essential pronunciation rules into one resource. This book only has 79 pages, but it covers topics such as nasal sounds, silent letters, and letters pronounced irregularly. There’s also a whole section on how and when to pronounce the liaison between words, which is something I always struggled with.

This book strictly focuses on pronunciation and each chapter teaches one specific sound. There’s a chapter dedicated to the AI and AY sounds, the GN sound, the opened and closed O, and more. Note that this book works best for serious students and it’s not meant for a casual learner looking to pick up a few words and phrases. So, if you’re a motivated learner looking to improve your pronunciation, you can grab your copy here.

8. Best for Verb Conjugations: La Conjugaison Pour Tous

Who Should Use This Book:  Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate

Why This Book is Helpful:

• There are 105 conjugation tables that illustrate French conjugation rules in a way that’s clear and easy to understand.
• It explains the grammar patterns of French verbs so you can conjugate them in every tense.
• The mind maps and diagrams make remembering the purpose of tenses and conjugations easier than other methods.

La Conjugaison Pour Tous is the best choice to learn French verbs because it carefully explains the rules of conjugation. The book is divided into 4 parts that classify the French verbs into three types (-er, -ir, and -re) and uses diagrams to help you remember the conjugations. It also provides mind maps, which I haven’t seen in other books, and made the verb tenses easier to understand.

It’s a highly useful book but it may be a little difficult for beginners because it’s completely in French. The mind maps, diagrams, and the use of colors are excellent memory tools that make conjugations become second nature. Learn more about the book here.

9. Best for Creating a Study Plan: Fluent in French

Who Should Use This Book: Beginner to Advanced

Why This Book is Helpful:

• It focuses on giving you the strategies you need to learn the language effectively
• The book includes a long list of resources you can use to immerse yourself in French.
• You’ll find tips to improve all language skills such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Fluent in French isn’t your typical French textbook. It’s a guide that shows you how to learn French and how to create your own study plan. This book gives you tips and tricks to learn French as well as helpful techniques to increase your fluency. From breaking the myths of language learning to common mistakes in French and how to fix them, this book is all about creating the perfect strategy that helps you learn French.

Every language learner eventually hits a plateau where it seems impossible to move forward. This book gives you actionable advice (you can even find a chapter on this topic!) to help you continue on the path to fluency. I want to make it clear that this book is a supplement to your other French resources – it’s not going to teach you the language itself. However, the strategies it shows you will save you time, energy, and a lot of frustration as you continue making progress. You can pick up this book here.

Other Types of Books to Practice French

French language books can teach you all you need to know about vocabulary and grammar, but there’s no better way to put your knowledge to the test than reading a book in French. Now, this might sound complicated if you’ve never tried it before, but it doesn’t have to be! There are different types of French books and you can start with whichever ones make you feel most comfortable. These are some books every French learner should read:  

Easy French Novels

Even if you’re a beginner, you can start reading French with easy and popular titles. Reading in French can quickly increase your vocabulary and is a useful way to test and develop your skills. You can start with books like Le Petit Prince or Madeleine. Both are classic French books and very short reads so you won’t feel overwhelmed. If you’re ready for something new (and fun) you can try reading Le Petit Nicolas. 

Bilingual Books

With bilingual books you can have the best of both worlds: you can practice reading in French while having the English translation at hand if you need help understanding the story. While this might feel like cheating to some learners, it can be a useful way to learn new vocabulary while you test your reading skills. You can try Bilingual Fairy Tales to start with stories you’re likely to have heard before or, if you’re feeling more confident, you can read the bilingual version of The Secret Garden. If you’re at an intermediate or upper-intermediate level, I recommend you pick up Short Stories in French.

Comic Books

Comic books are entertaining and an amazing way to practice reading French. Because they are very visual, it’s easy for French learners to associate the language with the actions and events in the story. If you’re at a pre-intermediate level, you can try reading Asterix and Obelix or The Adventures of Tintin for an interesting reading experience. And, if you’re at an upper-intermediate or advanced level, you might enjoy reading Persepolis.

Why Learn French With Books?

Books have been popular ways to learn a new language for years, and there’s a reason why. There are many reasons why you should learn French, whether you’re a complete beginner or more advanced. These are some benefits of using books to learn French:

You can take them wherever you go

Books are convenient if you’re someone who’s constantly on the go. With books, you don’t need to worry about having to charge a battery, Wi-Fi, or even electricity available. All you need to do is have your French book at hand whenever you want to review your French vocabulary or grammar. If you’re traveling, having a French book can be a lifesaver.

Choose what to study next

This is one of the most convenient parts of using a book to learn French because it gives you freedom in your studies. You don’t have to start studying the language with lesson 1 if you already know how to say “Comment ça va?” (How are you doing?) or “Je m’appelle…” (My name is…). Instead, you can skip ahead to the topics that interest you. Some of the better French apps also let you do this, but it’s easier to flip a page in a book than click through an app to find what you’re looking for.

Plenty of examples and exercises

One of the reasons why books have always been popular for learning new languages is the amount of examples and exercises they offer. Books often have many examples to teach you how to apply French, but you’ll also find many exercises to help you practice what you learned. 

You only have to pay once

If you’re not a big fan of subscriptions, books are an ideal option. Once you purchase a book, you never have to worry about paying for it again. This is a one-time investment–and a worthy one when it comes to learning French! Some of the best French courses also follow this model, and it usually turns out to be a lot cheaper than a subscription.

Find the Best Ways to Learn French with Langoly

With this list, you can find the right book for you, putting you one step ahead in your French journey. If you’re looking for effective learning tools, our French hub has many French resources to help you study on your own.

To become fluent, you can use a combination of resources such as French YouTube videos to develop your listening comprehension or download a language app for short study sessions. Choosing resources that you enjoy using will make learning French easier and help you stay on track to French fluency.

Best French Books FAQ