French - Habits

Lesson 34 of 159

Learner practicing French phrases about daily habits and routines.

Goal: Talk about routines, frequency and what you usually do

Free French lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Ready to talk about what you do every day (or never)? This short lesson will help you describe habits and ask how often someone does something. Let's yak about routines — just a little!

Level A2: In this lesson you'll practice common French phrases to say what you usually do, how often you do it, and whether something happens sometimes or never. You'll hear short phrases, try a quick conversation, and practice asking and answering frequency questions. (CEFR-aligned phrasing.)

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Use key A2 phrases to describe daily and weekend habits.
  • Ask and answer questions about frequency (how often).
  • Practice saying these phrases out loud to build speaking confidence.
Two friends talking about their weekend and daily routines in French — practicing frequency words.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

D'habitude, je ___ le matin.

I usually ___ in the morning.

Meaning: I usually ___ in the morning.

When to use: Use this frame to say what you generally do in the morning; add a verb phrase after « je ».

D'habitude, je prends un café le matin.
I usually have a coffee in the morning.
D'habitude, je fais du sport le matin.
I usually exercise in the morning.

Je ___ tous les jours.

I ___ every day.

Meaning: I ___ every day.

When to use: Use this to state that you do an activity every day; put a conjugated verb after « Je ».

Je lis tous les jours.
I read every day.
Je marche tous les jours.
I walk every day.

Tu ___ à quelle fréquence ?

How often do you ___?

Meaning: How often do you ___?

When to use: Use this informal question with friends to ask about frequency; insert a verb conjugated for « tu ».

Tu regardes la télé à quelle fréquence ?
How often do you watch TV?
Tu vas à la piscine à quelle fréquence ?
How often do you go to the pool?

Ça t'arrive de ___ ?

Do you ever ___?

Meaning: Do you ever ___?

When to use: Use this spoken question to ask whether someone sometimes does an activity; put an infinitive in the blank.

Ça t'arrive de manger devant la télé ?
Do you ever eat in front of the TV?
Ça t'arrive de travailler le week-end ?
Do you ever work on weekends?

En général, je ___ pas.

I don't usually ___.

Meaning: I don't usually ___.

When to use: Use this spoken form without « ne » to say something is not part of your usual routine; place « pas » after the conjugated verb.

Tip: Don't put « pas » too far from the verb—place it after the conjugated verb in spoken French.

En général, je mange pas.
I don't usually eat (in the morning).
En général, je sors pas le soir.
I don't usually go out in the evening.

Parfois, je ___.

Sometimes I ___.

Meaning: Sometimes I ___.

When to use: Use to describe an occasional habit; add a verb conjugated with « je ».

Parfois, je prends le bus.
Sometimes I take the bus.
Parfois, je travaille tard.
Sometimes I work late.

Le week-end, en général, je ___.

On weekends, I usually ___.

Meaning: On weekends, I usually ___.

When to use: Use this to describe what you generally do on weekends; add a verb phrase after « je ».

Le week-end, en général, je reste à la maison.
On weekends, I usually stay at home.
Le week-end, en général, je rends visite à ma famille.
On weekends, I usually visit my family.

Je ___ toujours avant de ___.

I always ___ before I ___.

Meaning: I always ___ before I ___.

When to use: Use this to describe a sequence in your routine: the first blank is a conjugated verb with « je », the second is an infinitive.

Tip: Remember: the second action must be an infinitive after « avant de ». Don't conjugate it.

Je prends toujours une douche avant de partir.
I always take a shower before leaving.
Je mange toujours avant de travailler.
I always eat before working.

J'essaie de ___ plus.

I'm trying to ___ more.

Meaning: I'm trying to ___ more.

When to use: Use this to describe a new or desired habit; the blank takes an infinitive after « J'essaie de ».

Tip: Don't forget the preposition « de » after « J'essaie ». The verb that follows stays in the infinitive.

J'essaie de dormir plus.
I'm trying to sleep more.
J'essaie de lire plus.
I'm trying to read more.

Ça dépend des jours.

It depends on the day.

Meaning: It depends on the day.

When to use: Use this phrase to explain that your routine changes depending on the day.

Ça dépend des jours : parfois je fais du sport, parfois non.
It depends on the day: sometimes I exercise, sometimes not.
Mon emploi du temps change, ça dépend des jours.
My schedule changes, it depends on the day.

Je ___ souvent après ___.

I often ___ after ___.

Meaning: I often ___ after ___.

When to use: Use this to say that an activity regularly happens after another time or event; first blank is conjugated, second can be a noun or activity.

Je mange souvent après le travail.
I often eat after work.
Je me repose souvent après le cours.
I often rest after class.

Je ___ rarement ces temps-ci.

I rarely ___ these days.

Meaning: I rarely ___ these days.

When to use: Use this to say that something happens only rarely now; add a conjugated verb after « Je ».

Je sors rarement ces temps-ci.
I rarely go out these days.
Je regarde rarement la télé ces temps-ci.
I rarely watch TV these days.

Je ne ___ jamais la nuit.

I never ___ at night.

Meaning: I never ___ at night.

When to use: Use to say that an action is not part of your routine at night; the blank takes a conjugated verb with « je ».

Je ne travaille jamais la nuit.
I never work at night.
Je ne mange jamais après minuit la nuit.
I never eat after midnight.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Friends compare weekend and daily habits

Anna and David discuss how often they exercise and what they usually do on weekends in French.

What are Anna and David mainly talking about?

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Le week-end, en général, je fais du sport et je me repose.

On weekends, I usually exercise and rest.

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Ça dépend des jours. Parfois, je vais à la salle, parfois je reste chez moi.

It depends on the day. Sometimes I go to the gym, sometimes I stay home.

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Tu vas à la salle à quelle fréquence ?

How often do you go to the gym?

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

J'essaie de faire du sport tous les jours, mais en général, je sors pas le soir.

I try to exercise every day, but generally I don't go out in the evening.

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Ça t'arrive de courir la nuit ?

Do you ever run at night?

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Non, je ne cours jamais la nuit.

No, I never run at night.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which phrase means "Sometimes I ___."?

Which phrase asks "How often do you ___?" in an informal way?

Which phrase means "I never ___ at night."?

Which phrase means "I'm trying to ___ more."?

On weekends, I usually ___.

On weekends, I usually ___.

How often do you ___?

How often do you ___? — ___.

I don't usually go out.

I don't usually go out. — ___.

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

D'habitude, je ___ le matin.

I usually ___ in the morning.

Say this phrase out loud:

Je ___ tous les jours.

I ___ every day.

Say this phrase out loud:

Tu ___ à quelle fréquence ?

How often do you ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

Ça t'arrive de ___ ?

Do you ever ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

En général, je ___ pas.

I don't usually ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Parfois, je ___.

Sometimes I ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Le week-end, en général, je ___.

On weekends, I usually ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Je ___ toujours avant de ___.

I always ___ before I ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

J'essaie de ___ plus.

I'm trying to ___ more.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ça dépend des jours.

It depends on the day.

Say this phrase out loud:

Je ___ souvent après ___.

I often ___ after ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Je ___ rarement ces temps-ci.

I rarely ___ these days.

Say this phrase out loud:

Je ne ___ jamais la nuit.

I never ___ at night.