Learning a language just to please your partner? Spoiler alert: it won’t get you very far. Love is powerful, but it’s not enough to carry you through verb conjugations, silent letters, and that one cashier who speaks faster than the speed of light. If you want to stay motivated for the long haul, you need reasons that matter to you—reasons that work in the short, medium, and long term.

Researchers have found that the 1,000 most common French words cover about 80% of everyday speech. That’s the power of the 80/20 rule: focus on the essentials, and you’ll understand and say much more than you expect.

French spelling largely stems from how French was spoken around the 12th–13th centuries. Over the centuries, pronunciation shifted dramatically—silent letters multiplied, consonants vanished, vowels nasalized—yet spelling remained stubbornly anchored to its origins.

The good news? Yes, it’s absolutely possible to learn French on your own. The bad news? At some point, you’ll end up talking to your dog in French, sticking Post-it notes all over your apartment, and shouting at irregular verbs that refuse to cooperate. But if you do it right, it’s worth every awkward moment.

The language of love, croissants, and accidentally insulting someone because you confused poisson (fish) with poison (poison). You’re probably wondering: How long will this take me? Weeks? Months? Years? Let’s rip the Band-Aid off: it depends on your goals, how much time you invest, and whether you’re binge-watching Netflix in French or just glancing at Duolingo once a week.