Who doesn't like to be on the couch under a plaid and spend the day watching TV shows? Especially in times of lockdown!
Today, I would like to share with you the top 10 of my favorite French series and how they can help you in your learning.
Of course, this is the topic we will be talking about at Ohlala French Coffee, so if you want to talk and share your favorite series, you can join us in this French conversation group, the link in the description.
My favorite French series to learn French :
10. Plus belle la vie :
The more beautiful life is a soap opera. It's the show I watched when I was little, and it still exists!
It's a series with short episodes between 20 and 30 minutes which deals with the daily life of the inhabitants of a district of Marseille, called the Mistral.
This series is interesting, because you will find vocabulary of everyday life. The series also integrates aspects of French news, so you will be able to follow the daily life of French people living in the south of France.
It's still a fiction, there are twists and turns and sometimes a little exaggerated.
You can find some episodes on YouTube. The series is broadcasted on France TV5 monde or on France TV (accessible with a VPN if you are not in France).
9. Un gars, une fille :
It is not a recent series, but it is the one that made Jean Dujardin known.
It's a series composed of very short episodes which stages the life of a very funny and sparkling French couple.
We follow their life in different adventures: on vacation, in the car, at friends' homes, in restaurants, etc.
It is then an excellent series to learn the vocabulary of everyday life in very specific life situations. You will find a rather familiar language here.
You can find some episodes on YouTube.
8. La forêt :
La forêt is a very captivating French thriller.
We follow the investigation of the disappearance of a young girl with twists, mystery and suspense.
The series takes place in the French and Belgian Ardennes, where you will discover beautiful landscapes. The vocabulary that you will find in this series and current.
This series has only one season, it is a mini-series. You can find this series on Netflix.
7. Kaamelott :
Kaamelott is a cult series that all France knows.
It follows the daily life of King Arthur and the knights of the round table in search of the Grail.
It is a funny, comical and subtle series. The language you will hear in this series is both familiar and ancient. Yes, because it is from the time of King Arthur.
You can find episodes on YouTube
6. Un village français :
If you want to learn French while learning more about the History of France, especially during the period of the German occupation.
A French village is the perfect series for that. You will follow the daily life of several French families living under the German occupation.
The vocabulary in this series is common, it can sometimes be technical. You can find this series on Amazon Prime.
5. Plan cœur :
Do you want to learn French slang and familiar vocabulary? Then the Plan cœur series is perfect for you!
In this series you will follow the lives of three Parisian friends in their rather crazy adventures. You can find this series on Netflix.
4. Scènes de ménages :
Another funny and refreshing series! Scènes de ménages is a series with short episodes that follow the daily life of French couples of different generations.
This series is great if you want to learn familiar everyday life vocabulary. You can watch episodes of the series on YouTube.
3. Clem :
Clem is a French television series that follows the daily life of Clem who becomes pregnant at 16 years old. We then follow his journey and that of his family. There are currently 11 seasons so we can see the actors grow and evolve in their lives.
In this series you will find everyday vocabulary and familiar language of everyday life. You can find episodes on YouTube and Dailymotion.
2. Le secret d’Élise :
I put this series in second place in my favorite French series because I really loved it!
It's a one-season mini-series, but it's very catchy. When you start an episode, you want to watch all the episodes at once.
We follow three different eras, all three connected through Élise.
I won't tell you more. You can find this series on Amazon Prime.
1. Dix pour cent :
I couldn't finish this top without mentioning of course Dix pour cent which is my favorite French series.
It's one of the best known French series in the world. I find it really well directed, the actors are very talented and endearing.
You also discover a little known world, the other side of the world of celebrities. In this series, you will learn familiar vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.
Bonus : Connasse :
You thought it was over? No, I'm giving you a bonus.
A mini-series that I like very much with one of the actresses from Ten Percent. I warn you that in this series it's going to be very familiar and vulgar language. Even the title of this series is vulgar, because it's called: Connasse (which is an insult in French).
It's a peculiar series because it's in the form of a hidden camera where you follow the actress behaving like a "connasse" and you see the reaction of people who are not at all aware that it's a hidden camera.
You can find this series on YouTube.
TV series vocabulary :
TV series :
- The credits
- The character
- A understudy
- A special effect
- A close-up
- An episode
- A video on demand platform
Verbs :
- To watch
- To play
- To realize
- To start
- To pause
- To finish
The genres :
- Comedy
- Thriller
- Action
- Documentary
- Science fiction
- Suspense
- Animation
- Dramatic
- Fantasy
The adjectives :
- Funny
- Sad
- Moving
- Boring
- Original
- Violent
- Interesting
- Fascinating
- Scary
The professions :
- An actor
- A screenwriter
- An editor
- A director
- A cameraman
- A sound engineer
Now it's your turn to tell me what is your favorite French series, write it down as a comment!
See you soon for new adventures, in French of course! 🇫🇷
