French language in Lebanon

French is a common language in Lebanon, with about 40% of the population being Francophone. A law determines the cases in which the French language is to be used within government, and is often used as a prestige language for business, diplomacy and education.

The use of the French language is a legacy of the time of the French Crusades and France's mandate in the region, including its League of Nations mandate over Lebanon following World War I; as of 2004, some 20% of the population used French on a daily basis.

French stopped being an official language in 1943. After independence, American oil companies based themselves in Lebanon, leading to the rise of English as an influential language in international commerce in Lebanon. According to the New York Times, this led to the overtaking of French by English in the commercial realm.

Formerly under French mandate, independent Republic of Lebanon designates Arabic as the sole official language, while a special law regulates cases when French can be publicly used.

Article 11 of Lebanon's Constitution states that

"Arabic is the official national language. A law determines the cases in which the French language is to be used".

The French language is used on Lebanese pound bank notes, road signs, vehicle registration plates, and on public buildings, alongside Arabic.

The majority of Lebanese people speak Lebanese Arabic, which is grouped in a larger category called Levantine Arabic, while Modern Standard Arabic is mostly used in magazines, newspapers, and formal broadcast media. Code-switching between Arabic and French is very common.