French language

Pronunciation[fʁɑ̃sɛ] or [fʁɑ̃se]
Native toFrance
RegionFrancophonie (French-speaking world)
(geographical distribution below)
EthnicityFrench people and Francophones
Native speakers
76.8 million worldwide (2012)[1]
Early forms
Latin (French alphabet)
French Braille
Signed French
(français signé)
Official status
Official language in

Regulated byAcadémie française (French Academy) (France)
Language codes
fra (T)
ISO 639-3fra
New-Map-Francophone World.svg
  Regions where French is the main language
  Regions where it is a second language
  Regions where it is a minority language


French is an official language in 29 countries across multiple different continents,[4] most of which are members of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the community of 84 countries which share the official use or teaching of French. It is spoken as a first language (in descending order of the number of speakers) in France, Canadian provinces of Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick as well as other Francophone regions, Belgium (Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region), western Switzerland (cantons of Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Jura, Neuchâtel, Vaud, Valais), Monaco, parts of the United States (Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont), partly in Luxembourg and in northern Italy (region of Aosta Valley), and by various communities elsewhere.[5] In 2015, approximately 40% of the francophone population (including L2 and partial speakers) lived in Europe, 35% in sub-Saharan Africa, 15% in North Africa and the Middle East, 8% in the Americas, and 1% in Asia and Oceania.[6] French is the fourth most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union,[7] Of Europeans who speak other languages natively, approximately one-fifth are able to speak French as a second language.[8] French is the second most taught foreign language in the EU.[9] French is also the 18th most natively spoken language in the world, 6th most spoken language by total number of speakers and the second most studied language worldwide (with about 120 million current learners).[10]


French is estimated to have about 76 million native speakers and about 235 million daily, fluent speakers[12][1][13] and another 77 to 110 million secondary speakers who speak it as a second language to varying degrees of proficiency, mainly in Africa.[14] According to the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), approximately 300 million people worldwide are "able to speak the language",[15] without specifying the criteria for this estimation or whom it encompasses.[2] According to a demographic projection led by the Université Laval and the Réseau Démographie de l'Agence universitaire de la francophonie, the total number of French speakers will reach approximately 500 million in 2025 and 650 million by 2050.[16] OIF estimates 700 million by 2050, 80% of whom will be in Africa.[6]


Geographic distribution


Knowledge of French in the European Union and candidate countries[18]







  Countries usually considered part of Francophone Africa.
Their population was 422 million in 2018,[25] and it is forecast to reach between 848 million[26] and 883 million[25] in 2050.
  Countries sometimes considered as Francophone Africa

The majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa. According to the 2007 report by the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, an estimated 115 million African people spread across 31 Francophone countries can speak French as either a first or a second language.[11] This number does not include the people living in non-Francophone African countries who have learned French as a foreign language.[11] Due to the rise of French in Africa, the total French-speaking population worldwide is expected to reach 700 million people in 2050.[27] French is the fastest growing language on the continent (in terms of either official or foreign languages).[28][29] French is mostly a second language in Africa, but it has become a first language in some urban areas, such as the region of Abidjan, Ivory Coast[30] and in Libreville, Gabon.[31] There is not a single African French, but multiple forms that diverged through contact with various indigenous African languages.[32]

Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where the French language is most likely to expand, because of the expansion of education and rapid population growth.[33] It is also where the language has evolved the most in recent years.[34][35] Some vernacular forms of French in Africa can be difficult to understand for French speakers from other countries,[36] but written forms of the language are very closely related to those of the rest of the French-speaking world.







French is the official language of both French Guiana on the South American continent,[43] and of Saint Pierre and Miquelon,[44] an archipelago off the coast of Newfoundland in North America.

Areas of French Colonization


Southeast Asia


Middle East



A former French mandate, Lebanon designates Arabic as the sole official language, while a special law regulates cases when French can be publicly used. Article 11 of Lebanon's Constitution states that "Arabic is the official national language. A law determines the cases in which the French language is to be used".[48] The French language in Lebanon is a widespread second language among the Lebanese people, and is taught in many schools along with Arabic and English. French is used on Lebanese pound bank notes, on road signs, on Lebanese license plates, and on official buildings (alongside Arabic).

Today, French and English are secondary languages of Lebanon, with about 40% of the population being Francophone and 40% Anglophone.[49] The use of English is growing in the business and media environment. Out of about 900,000 students, about 500,000 are enrolled in Francophone schools, public or private, in which the teaching of mathematics and scientific subjects is provided in French.[50] Actual usage of French varies depending on the region and social status. One third of high school students educated in French go on to pursue higher education in English-speaking institutions. English is the language of business and communication, with French being an element of social distinction, chosen for its emotional value.[51] On social media, French was used on Facebook by just 10% of Lebanese in 2014, far behind English (78%).



United Arab Emirates and Qatar


Oceania and Australasia

A 500-CFP franc (€4.20; US$4.70) banknote, used in French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna.

French is an official language of the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu, where 45% of the population can speak it.[55] In the French special collectivity of New Caledonia, 97% of the population can speak, read and write French[56] while in French Polynesia this figure is 95%,[57] and in the French collectivity of Wallis and Futuna, it is 84%.[58]


Other Languages
Адыгэбзэ: Фрэнджыбзэ
адыгабзэ: Францыбзэ
Afrikaans: Frans
አማርኛ: ፈረንሳይኛ
Ænglisc: Frencisc sprǣc
العربية: لغة فرنسية
aragonés: Idioma francés
asturianu: Idioma francés
Avañe'ẽ: Hyãsiañe'ẽ
Aymar aru: Phransiya aru
azərbaycanca: Fransız dili
تۆرکجه: فرانسه دیلی
bamanankan: Faransekan
Bahasa Banjar: Bahasa Parancis
Bân-lâm-gú: Hoat-gí
башҡортса: Француз теле
беларуская: Французская мова
беларуская (тарашкевіца)‎: Француская мова
Bikol Central: Tataramon na Pranses
български: Френски език
Boarisch: Franzesisch
bosanski: Francuski jezik
brezhoneg: Galleg
català: Francès
Чӑвашла: Франс чĕлхи
Cebuano: Prinanses
čeština: Francouzština
Cymraeg: Ffrangeg
davvisámegiella: Fránskkagiella
ދިވެހިބަސް: ފަރަންސޭސި
Diné bizaad: Dáághahii bizaad
dolnoserbski: Francojska rěc
Ελληνικά: Γαλλική γλώσσα
emiliàn e rumagnòl: Francés
español: Idioma francés
Esperanto: Franca lingvo
estremeñu: Luenga francesa
euskara: Frantses
eʋegbe: Fransegbe
Fiji Hindi: French bhasa
føroyskt: Franskt mál
français: Français
Frysk: Frânsk
Fulfulde: Faransinkoore
Gaeilge: An Fhraincis
Gaelg: Frangish
Gàidhlig: Fraingis
ГӀалгӀай: Ференгий мотт
贛語: 法語
客家語/Hak-kâ-ngî: Fap-ngî
한국어: 프랑스어
Hausa: Faransanci
հայերեն: Ֆրանսերեն
Արեւմտահայերէն: Ֆրանսերէն
hornjoserbsce: Francošćina
hrvatski: Francuski jezik
বিষ্ণুপ্রিয়া মণিপুরী: পর্তুগীজ ঠার
Bahasa Indonesia: Bahasa Prancis
interlingua: Lingua francese
ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ/inuktitut: ᐅᐃᒍᐃᕐᒥᐅᖅ
isiZulu: IsiFulentshi
íslenska: Franska
italiano: Lingua francese
עברית: צרפתית
kalaallisut: Franskisut
Kapampangan: Amanung Pranses
къарачай-малкъар: Француз тил
ქართული: ფრანგული ენა
kaszëbsczi: Francësczi jãzëk
қазақша: Француз тілі
kernowek: Frenkek
Kinyarwanda: Igifaransa
Kiswahili: Kifaransa
Kongo: Kifalanse
Kreyòl ayisyen: Lang franse
Кыргызча: Француз тили
لۊری شومالی: زڤون فرانساْیی
latviešu: Franču valoda
Lëtzebuergesch: Franséisch
lietuvių: Prancūzų kalba
Limburgs: Frans
lingála: Falansé
Lingua Franca Nova: Franses (lingua)
Livvinkarjala: Frantsien kieli
la .lojban.: fasybau
lumbaart: Lengua francesa
македонски: Француски јазик
Malagasy: Fiteny frantsay
Māori: Reo Wīwī
მარგალური: ფრანგული ნინა
مازِرونی: فرانسوی زوون
Bahasa Melayu: Bahasa Perancis
Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄: Huák-ngṳ̄
монгол: Франц хэл
မြန်မာဘာသာ: ပြင်သစ်ဘာသာစကား
Dorerin Naoero: Dorerin Prant
Nederlands: Frans
Nedersaksies: Fransk
Nēhiyawēwin / ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ: ᐱᔥᑎᑯᔮᐤ ᐊᔨᒧᐎᓐ
नेपाल भाषा: फ्रेञ्च भाषा
日本語: フランス語
Napulitano: Lengua franzese
Nordfriisk: Fransöösk spriak
Norfuk / Pitkern: French
norsk: Fransk
norsk nynorsk: Fransk
Nouormand: Fraunceis
Novial: Fransum
occitan: Francés
олык марий: Француз йылме
oʻzbekcha/ўзбекча: Fransuz tili
Pangasinan: Salitan Français
Papiamentu: Frances
Patois: French
Перем Коми: Франсуз кыв
ភាសាខ្មែរ: ភាសាបារាំង
Picard: Frinsé
Piemontèis: Lenga fransèisa
Tok Pisin: Tok Frens
Plattdüütsch: Franzöösche Spraak
português: Língua francesa
Qaraqalpaqsha: Frantsuz tili
qırımtatarca: Frenk tili
reo tahiti: Reo farāni
română: Limba franceză
rumantsch: Lingua franzosa
Runa Simi: Ransis simi
русиньскый: Французькый язык
саха тыла: Француз тыла
Gagana Samoa: Fa'afarani
संस्कृतम्: फ्रेञ्चभाषा
Sesotho: Sefora
Sesotho sa Leboa: Sefora
Setswana: Sefora
sicilianu: Lingua francisa
Simple English: French language
SiSwati: SíFulentji
slovenčina: Francúzština
slovenščina: Francoščina
словѣньскъ / ⰔⰎⰑⰂⰡⰐⰠⰔⰍⰟ: Франкїискъ ѩꙁꙑкъ
ślůnski: Francusko godka
Soomaaliga: Af-Faransiis
српски / srpski: Француски језик
srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски: Francuski jezik
Basa Sunda: Basa Perancis
svenska: Franska
Taqbaylit: Tafrensist
tarandíne: Lènga frangese
татарча/tatarça: Француз теле
Türkçe: Fransızca
Türkmençe: Fransuz dili
удмурт: Француз кыл
українська: Французька мова
ئۇيغۇرچە / Uyghurche: ڧرانسۇز تىلى
Vahcuengh: Vah Fazgoz
vepsän kel’: Francijan kel'
Tiếng Việt: Tiếng Pháp
Volapük: Fransänapük
文言: 法蘭西語
West-Vlams: Frans
Winaray: Frinanses
Wolof: Wu-faraas
吴语: 法文
ייִדיש: פראנצויזיש
Yorùbá: Èdè Faransé
粵語: 法文
Zazaki: Fransızki
Zeêuws: Frans
žemaitėška: Prancūzu kalba
中文: 法语