French · Real conversations
How to respond to “Tu parles très bien.” in French
A compliment about ability can be accepted without pretending that your work took no effort.
What you might hear
Tu parles très bien.
You speak very well.
Choose a reply that fits
Merci. Je me suis entraîné / entraînée.
Thank you. I've been practicing.
Acknowledge the compliment and your practice.
Merci. J'ai encore beaucoup à apprendre.
Thanks. I still have a lot to learn.
Accept while recognizing continued learning.
Mon professeur m'a beaucoup aidé / aidée.
My teacher helped me a lot.
Credit help you actually received.
Je suis content / contente que ça ait été utile.
I'm glad it was useful.
Use when the compliment concerns a useful explanation or task.
Two short exchanges
Speaking practice
Tu parles très bien.
You speak very well.
Merci. Je me suis entraîné / entraînée.
Thank you. I've been practicing.
A clear explanation
Tu as expliqué ça très clairement.
You explained that very clearly.
Merci. J'ai encore beaucoup à apprendre.
Thanks. I still have a lot to learn.
Your turn
Credit a teacher who has helped you improve.
Reveal a sample reply
Mon professeur m'a beaucoup aidé / aidée.
My teacher helped me a lot.
This response guide in other languages
A note on speaking French
Use vous with strangers, staff, and people you address formally; use tu when that relationship is established. Je voudrais and pourriez-vous can make a request considerate. The most appropriate choice depends on the person and the situation.
Keep accents and apostrophes. A familiar spoken expression may differ from its literal English translation. Read the complete line, including the pronoun and the words that connect the request.
