Learn Spanish from French at PBC Languages
Free 30/30 exchanges with native Spanish speakers, plus small group classes with native teachers. Built for French speakers, not a generic course.
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If you speak French, Spanish gives you an unfair head start on vocabulary: thousands of words share the same Latin root, so -ción/-tion and -dad/-té pairs (información/information, ciudad/cité) click almost instantly. Reading Spanish news or menus feels easier than it should, and that carries you fast through the first few months.
What trips people up is pronunciation and a handful of grammar habits carried over from French. The rolled Spanish 'rr' (perro, carro) doesn't exist in French and takes real practice, not just listening. Spanish vowels are also short and fixed - no nasal drift like in French 'un' or 'on' - so words like 'pan' or 'son' get distorted if you let French vowel habits slide in. Stress is another trap: French always lands on the last syllable, but Spanish stress moves and changes meaning (hablo vs habló, termino vs terminó), and that shift isn't optional.
Grammatically, the big one is ser vs estar - French only has 'être', so French speakers default to one verb and mix up permanent versus temporary states (es cansado vs está cansado). The subjunctive also gets triggered in different situations than in French, so 'quiero que vengas' feels odd at first even though French has its own subjunctive. None of this is fatal - it's just where a native teacher correcting you in real time saves months of repeating the same mistake.
Words you will actually hear
| Here | Elsewhere | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| embarazada | embarrassée | Looks identical to the French word for 'embarrassed' but means 'pregnant' in Spanish - a classic mix-up, say 'avergonzada' instead. |
| constipado | constipé | In Spanish it means 'having a cold', in French it means 'constipated' - different problem entirely. |
| salir | salir | Same spelling, opposite feel: in Spanish it means 'to go out/leave', in French it means 'to get dirty'. |
| largo | large | Spanish 'largo' means 'long', not 'wide' - for wide you need 'ancho'. |
| la leche | le lait | Same word, opposite gender: feminine in Spanish, masculine in French - trips up article agreement constantly. |
| el nombre | le nombre | Spanish 'nombre' means 'name'; French 'nombre' means 'number' - for number in Spanish you want 'número'. |
| molestar | molester | Spanish 'molestar' just means 'to bother/annoy'; French 'molester' is much stronger, closer to physical assault. |
| posible | possible | Nearly identical spelling and meaning - an easy, reliable cognate to lean on early. |
| problema | problème | Same word, same meaning, but Spanish keeps it masculine ('el problema') despite the -a ending - a common gender slip. |
Classes coming up
Times in your own time zone. This list changes every day.
Exchanges looking for a partner
How it works here
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Sign up and say your level
Two minutes. If you do not know your level, we place you in the first class.
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Pick a class or an exchange
Classes are led by a native teacher. An exchange is with another member: half the time in their language, half in yours.
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Join by video, nothing to install
From your phone or your computer. If you cannot make it, cancel and get your place back.
Questions about this
How long does it take a French speaker to hold a conversation in Spanish?
Vocabulary overlap means French speakers often build a working sense of Spanish faster than speakers of unrelated languages. Pronunciation (the rolled r, vowel purity, stress placement) still needs dedicated practice separate from vocabulary. Most people get real traction once they combine a structured group class with regular one-to-one exchanges, rather than relying on either alone.
Is the one-to-one exchange with a native speaker actually free?
Yes - the exchange itself has no cost, because you're trading time: half an hour in Spanish, half an hour in French, with a native speaker of the other language. The group classes with native teachers are paid, but the exchange slot isn't.
What level do I need before joining a group class or an exchange?
For exchanges, a basic functional level (roughly A2) helps, otherwise the conversation turns into translation instead of practice. Group classes with a native teacher can take you from zero, since the teacher structures the session around your level.
How exactly is the 30/30 time split handled in the exchange?
You and your partner agree on the order before starting - usually half an hour in Spanish first, then you switch to French for the second half. During each half, the native speaker corrects and helps while you do most of the talking in their language.
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