Where Is the Mistake in 'Parlez-Vous Français ?'

What's wrong with Parlez-vous Français ? That's an easy one: It contains a spelling error. It should be written: Parlez-vous français ? with a lowercase f in français. Here's why.

The French word français has three English equivalents: two nouns (French the language and French the nationality or person) and French the adjective. All three are capitalized in English.

Language Names Are Lowercased in French

In French, however, français is only capitalized when it is used as a noun identifying a nationality: Les Français aiment le vin (The French like wine).

When français is used as an adjective or refers to the language, the f is lowercase, not capitalized: J'aime le vin français (I like French wine).

Many beginning French students make this mistake, as do many Francophones who speak English well. They capitalize français, espagnol, and the like, whether the word is a noun, adjective, or language because nationalities and languages are always capitalized in English.

To review, Parlez-vous Français ? contains a spelling error. In French, français the language should be written with a lowercase f: Parlez-vous français ? Likewise, the names of all languages are lowercase, as with l'anglais, le portugais, le chinois, l'arabe, l'allemand, le japonais, le russe, etc.

For French nationalities, the proper noun and adjective are spelled exactly the same, but the proper noun is capitalized, while the adjective is not capitalized. Thus, in French we write:

un type américain (adjective) > an American guy
BUT un Américain (noun identifying nationality) > an American
Elle aime la cuisine espagnole. (adjective) > She likes Spanish food / cuisine.
BUT Elle s'est mariée avec un Espagnol. (noun identifying nationality) > She married a Spaniard.
J'ai vu un animal mignon australien. (adjective) > I saw a cute Australian animal.
BUT J'ai vu un Australien. (noun identifying nationality) > I saw an Australian.

Usage and Meanings

Un Français > a Frenchman
Une Française > a French woman
Les Français > the French people, the French OR Frenchmen
Les Françaises > French woman
Le Français n'aime pas... > The average Frenchman or French person doesn't like ...
Le français > the French language
parler français > to speak French
en bon français > in proper French
le français courant > fluent French
Il parle français couramment. > He speaks French fluently.
à la française > French or French-style; (in) the French way
Territoire français des Afars et des Issas > French Territory of Afars and Issas
le français seconde langue > French as a second language
un leçon de français > a French lesson
un cours de français > a French course
une faute de français > a grammatical mistake in French
écorcher le français > to speak terrible French
chez les Français > among the French
faire du français (...en s'amusant, ...en maternelle, etc) > to do French or the French way (...in having fun, ...in nursery school, etc.)
le mal français > main issues of French society, problems of France