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About how many people speak French in the world?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: More than 396 million. More than 396 million people speak French in the world. French is spoken on all 5 continents. Source: the Ministry of the Interior sheet “Patrimoine français : la langue française dans le monde” (in French).
Sources: Sheet “Patrimoine français : la langue française dans le monde” (French), read on 21 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✗ More than one billionPlus d'un milliardThis number is too high.
- ✗ Fewer than 100 millionMoins de 100 millionsThis number is far too low.
- ✗ About 68 millionEnviron 68 millionsThis is the number of people living in France, not French speakers worldwide.
- ✓ More than 396 millionPlus de 396 millionsCorrect answer. More than 396 million people speak French in the world. French is spoken on all 5 continents.
What the source says
« Le français est la 4ème langue la plus parlée au monde avec plus de 396 millions de locuteurs. »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 21 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Environ combien de personnes parlent français dans le monde ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question is on the official list for the resident card (CR). The Ministry's wording: “Combien de personnes parlent français dans le monde ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “Patrimoine français : la langue française dans le monde” (French).
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