How can I learn to "think" in French?

Question

I always just translate back and forth between French and English in my head. I can't force myself into thinking my thoughts in French; I always start with English, translate to french in my head, and then speak.

Answer 1

It takes a long time to do that, you have to be completely fluent and usually surrounded by French...I would suggest moving to France for a year...I was like you...after a year I was talking, reading, writing, thinking and even dreaming in French, but once I moved back I started thinking and dreaming back in English. You are usually always going to think of what you want to say in the first language you learned...try moving to France...it works wonders for your French.

Answer 2

Not much point, since they speak 'Canadian' french, not 'France' french. You don't say where you are living, so that makes it a bit difficult to suggest courses of study. If you are in Canada, almost every night school course, correspondence course or other classroom-style course, will teach the Canadian version of French. If you buy a Rosetta Stone or something similar, you will get the European version of french. If you are not living in Canada, you may have no option but to learn European french. It is still understandable - the Quebecois version of french is like a dialect - so there are some differences, but you can get along okay.

Answer 3

It is something that will come in time. I took French for several years, and was thinking in French. After a few years of non-usage, I reverted back to English thinking. I learned to speak in Spanish, and find at times I will think in Spanish now.

Answer 4

I wa the same way for me, when I first began to speak english, but with time, about 1 year for me I began to think in english without having to translate everything in my head.

Just give yourself time, and read, listen to and speak as much french as you can.

Answer 5

You wont like the answer.. but practise practise practise. I felt exactly the same way, then one day i was like.... hang on.. im totally thinking in French! Yay!

Try immersing yourself as much as possible, watch movies, listen to French music, try reading some french books (or childrens books if your not at the adult level).. even when you watch regular movies on DVD, put the French subtitles on so you can always glance at it... stuff like that

Answer 6

You think French by knowing how to speak French first. You do not translate words literally...you translate by knowing how to say what you want to say in that language. Ex. Comment allez-vous? Means: "How are you?", and not literally, "How are you going?" To say: What's going on?... or what's happening? You say: Qu'est ce passe? Ca va? Which means, "What's up, or How's it going?" It does not mean: "Is that going?" like a car or a machine. Which is" "Ca marche?" or is it working? Which is not to say "Est-ce que c'est travaille, si? Which means: "Is that work?" Which you would then need to know to ask a question with the word "si" and not "oui" for a confirmation of yes or no. See how it works? Comprenez?

Answer 7

Try listening to French and understanding WITHOUT translating. Once you have mastered that, you will find you are thinking too

Answer 8

I was having the same problem when I just came to the U.S. I couldn't think in English. When I visited home last year, I couldn't even find my words in French as I was thinking in English.

Bonne chance!

Answer 9

It is difficult for almost everyone to not think in your native language because is the one that you speak the most , spanish is my native language and sometimes when someone tells me something i need to think first in spanish before answering back .....

But why you want to think in french anyways???

Answer 10

I'm told that total immersion is the best method. Better start planning that trip to Paris!