Learn French in Bordeaux
Bordeaux mixes a historic wine trade with a fast-growing city centre, and both run in French. Here you'll find how the language is used locally, the south-west words that set Bordeaux apart, and where to sit an official exam.
French in Bordeaux
Bordeaux had 267,991 residents on 1 January 2023 (INSEE), and its population has grown every year on average since 2012. French is the official language and the language of daily life. The city lies in the historical area of Gascon, a variety of Occitan, and some everyday words used across south-west France reflect that regional past. Bordeaux's eighteenth-century centre, known as the Port of the Moon, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007. The city's centuries-old wine trade with Britain and northern Europe means English is familiar in some export offices, but the working language of the region is French.
Why people in Bordeaux learn French
Wine is one reason: châteaux, négociants and cooperatives around Bordeaux do most of their business in French, and harvest work, tastings and trade fairs are easier with the vocabulary. People who relocate to Bordeaux from abroad soon need French for school enrolment, the town hall and local clubs. Students at the Université de Bordeaux and Université Bordeaux Montaigne mostly study in French. And day trips to Saint-Émilion or the Arcachon basin are more rewarding when you can talk to the people who live and work there.
The French you'll hear
Bordeaux speaks standard French with a light southern accent, but a few word choices mark you as local. A pain au chocolat is a chocolatine here, and at the bakery you may be offered une poche, the south-west word for a bag. Té is a common interjection, a bit like tiens or hey. Younger speakers use gavé as an intensifier, much like très. These words are informal, so use them in shops and with friends rather than in an interview or a letter.
- Une chocolatine, s'il vous plaît.A pain au chocolat, please.
- Vous voulez une poche ?Would you like a bag?
- Je prends le tram jusqu'aux Chartrons.I'm taking the tram to Les Chartrons.
- On fait une dégustation à Saint-Émilion samedi ?Shall we do a tasting in Saint-Émilion on Saturday?
- Ce vin vient de quelle appellation ?Which appellation does this wine come from?
French exams in Bordeaux
The Alliance Française Bordeaux Nouvelle-Aquitaine offers the DELF and DALF, the TCF IRN and TCF Tout Public, the TEF Canada and the civic exam. The TEF Canada is handy if you live in Bordeaux but are planning a move to Canada, where immigration authorities accept it as proof of French. For a French residence card or naturalisation, check with the Gironde prefecture which certificate it expects before you register.
Check dates and fees with the exam centre directly; they change every session.
Where to start in the course
French Ultimate is an online course, so you can follow it from Bordeaux or anywhere else. These topics are the most useful here:
Questions about learning French in Bordeaux
Do I need French to work in the Bordeaux wine trade?
For most jobs, yes. Some export and wine tourism roles use English, but vineyard teams, cellar work and local suppliers operate in French, and contracts are written in French. Wine vocabulary is specialised, so a solid B1 base plus regular reading of French wine material is an efficient way to get there.
Is chocolatine correct French?
Yes. Chocolatine is a regional word used across south-west France, including Bordeaux, for what Parisians call a pain au chocolat. Both are correct French. In a Bordeaux bakery, asking for a chocolatine is simply the local way to order, and nobody will mind if you say pain au chocolat instead.
Can French Ultimate replace classes in Bordeaux?
French Ultimate is an online course, not a school in Bordeaux. Some learners use it on its own, others alongside local conversation groups. It covers A1 to C2 with video lessons, speaking practice, graded stories and DELF/DALF mock exams. It cannot register you for an official exam, which you take at an accredited centre.
Learn French from Bordeaux, at your own pace
Animated video lessons that stop for your answers, speaking practice, graded stories and DELF/DALF mock exams, from A1 to C2. Start with the free placement test to see where you are.
Take the placement test