Season 2 is finally here! In today’s episode, we’re tackling one of the trickiest yet most commonly used words in French: "me." Whether it’s acting as an object pronoun or appearing in reflexive verbs, its pronunciation shifts dramatically in real speech. Plus, if you’re translating directly from English, you might be using it wrong!
We’ll break it all down, including:
Pronunciation of "Me" in Spoken French
In formal speech, "me" is pronounced as [mə] (like "muh"), but in fast speech, it almost disappears, becoming just [m’]:
"Me" in Reflexive Verbs
When "me" is part of a reflexive verb, meaning you’re doing something to yourself, it follows the same pattern:
In real speech, these contractions happen all the time, making it essential to train your ear!
Common Mistakes: "Me" vs. "Moi"
English interference can lead to unnatural sentences like:
❌ "Me, I love it!" → WRONG: "Me, j’adore ça!"
✅ CORRECT: "Moi, j’adore ça!"
Another classic mistake:
❌ "Il a dit me" → WRONG
✅ CORRECT: "Il m’a dit."
Listening Practice: Real-Life Reductions
Time to train your ear! In this section, you’ll hear how "me" changes in casual vs. formal speech.
Masculine Examples:
Feminine Examples:
Final Thoughts & Recap
Homework & Challenge
Try listening for "me" reductions in TV shows, movies, and conversations. The more you expose yourself to real spoken French, the more natural it will sound!
Thanks for listening—send in your questions, and see you next time!