French Canadian for Real Life
Like Duolingo, but for French Canadian for Real Life. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
94 levels across 8 sections, about 188 minutes end to end, roughly 38 days at five minutes a day. It moves through First Steps in Quebec, The Quebec Sound, Local Vocabulary, The Grammar of the Street, Social Dynamics, The Soul of the Language, Cultural Context, and Advanced Fluency. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android

Key ideas in French Canadian for Real Life
- Montreal is a bilingual hub where service starts in both languages
- The greeting is an invitation to choose the language you are most comfortable with
- Responding in either French or English is socially acceptable
- In Quebec, 'Bienvenue' is used as 'You're welcome'
- This differs from European French where 'De rien' or 'Je vous en prie' are standard
- It is a direct translation of the English 'You're welcome' structure
- Recognizing the cultural context of the 'Bonjour-Hi' greeting in Montreal
- Distinguishing the Quebec-specific use of 'Bienvenue'
- Ça va functions as both 'How are you?' and 'I'm fine'
- Quebec culture leans toward 'Tu' (tutoiement) much faster than in France
- Tone and context distinguish the question from the statement
- Using 'Vous' in casual, peer-to-peer settings can feel overly stiff or distant
- Using 'Ça va' as both a question and an answer
- Interactions must always start with a greeting (Bonjour)
- S'il vous plaît is mandatory for requests to avoid appearing rude
- Deciding between 'Tu' and 'Vous' based on social proximity
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives French Canadian for Real Life the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
What is the clerk actually doing when they use the 'Bonjour-Hi' greeting?
Get it right to open this lesson and 93 more in the app.
Where French Canadian for Real Life takes you
Master the unique rhythm, vocabulary, and cultural soul of Quebec French. Move beyond textbook phrases to speak with the warmth and authenticity of a local.
- 1
First Steps in Quebec
- Your First Conversation
- The Informal Spirit
- 2
The Quebec Sound
- The Sizzling T and D
- The Musical Vowels
- Swallowing Sounds
- 3
Local Vocabulary
- Words You Won't Find in Paris
- The English Influence
- At the Dépanneur
- 4
The Grammar of the Street
- Asking Questions the Quebec Way
- The Power of On and Y
- Negation Without the Ne
- 5
Social Dynamics
- Work and Office Talk
- Dating and Friendship
- Expressing Emotion
- 6
The Soul of the Language
- Understanding Sacres
- Weather and Seasons
- Family and Home Life
- 7
Cultural Context
- The History of the Accent
- Quebec Media and Music
- Regional Variations
- 8
Advanced Fluency
- Idioms and Québécismes
- Professional Quebec French
- Navigating Bureaucracy
- Telling Stories and Jokes
8 sections · 24 units · 94 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
French Canadian for Real Life is taught in the The Professor style: clear, structured, thorough. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start French Canadian for Real Life today.
Download Tomo, search French Canadian for Real Life, and play your first lesson in under a minute.