SHARE

Common French Words
and Phrases

French is a beautiful language, and being fluent can open up innumerable doors with regard to travel, cultural immersion, and relationships. Yet, just knowing the basics, like how to say hello and goodbye and ask for directions, or having a handle on certain vocabulary words can go a long way in making a trip to France more rewarding, even if you are not yet fluent. Take a look at these top tips before you go:

A few general rules to remember about French:

• The letter H exists in words, but is not pronounced.
• The letter S is often silent.
• The consonant on the end of many words is silent.
• Unlike English, there is no stress on one syllable over another when pronouncing words.
• While Americans pronounce the letter R using the front of the mouth, in French the R is pronounced much further back and it does not affect the pronunciation of the vowel that comes before it.
• French divides nouns into masculine and feminine categories. Le is masculine and La is feminine when these words come before a noun.

When traveling to France, some of the most important words and phrases to know are those which can help you during your journey.

Here are a few key words and phrases to keep handy:

• Hello! – Bonjour ! Salut ! (Informal)
  
• Goodbye! – Au revoir !
  
• It is nice to meet you. – Enchantée.(If you are a female) Enchanté. ( If you are a male)
  
• How are you? – Comment allez-vous ?
  
• Yes. – Oui.
  
• No. – Non.
  
• Please. – S'il vous plaît.
  
• Thank you. – Merci.
  
• Good morning. – Bonjour.
  
• Good night. – Bonsoir.
  
• What time is it? – Quelle heure est-il ?
  
• What is your name? – Comment vous appelez-vous ?
  
• Let me introduce myself... – Je me présente...
  
• My name is... – Je m'appelle...
  
• I don't understand. – Je ne comprends pas.
  
• Happy birthday! – Joyeux Anniversaire !
  
• Merry Christmas! – Joyeux Noël !
  
• Happy new year! – Bonne année !
  
• Where is...? – Où est … ?
  
• I need help. – J'ai besoin d'aide.
  
• I don't speak French. – Je ne parle pas français.
  
• I speak a little French. – Je parle un peu français.
  
• Do you speak English? – Parlez-vous anglais ?
  
• Where is the restroom? – Où sont les toilettes ?
  
• I would like a glass of water. – Je voudrais un verre d'eau.
  
• I'm not well. – Je ne me sens pas bien.
  
• I live in the United States. – Je vis aux Etats-Unis.
  
• I live in Canada. – Je vis au Canada.
  
• I am on vacation. – Je suis en vacances.
  
• I am lost. – Je suis perdu. ( If you are a male) – Je suis perdue. ( If you are a female)
  
• I can't find my passport. – Je ne trouve pas mon passeport.
  
• Taxi. – Le taxi.
  
• Bus. – Le bus.
  
• Train. – Le train.
  
• Airplane. – L'avion.
  
• Car. – La voiture.
  
• Where can I catch a taxi (a bus)? – Où puis-je prendre un taxi(un bus) ?

Common French Phrases of Love

French is a romance language, so it is befitting to learn the language of love!

• I love you. – Je t'aime.
  
• You are beautiful. – Tu es belle.
  
• You are handsome. – Vous êtes beau.
  
• Would you like to go out with me? – Voulez-vous sortir avec moi ?
  
• Would you like to have dinner with me? – Voulez-vous dîner avec moi ?
  
• You have beautiful eyes. – Vous avez de beaux yeux.
  
• Will you marry me? – Veux-tu m'épouser ?

How to Say Numbers in French

One of the most basic sets of words in any language is numbers. We rely on numbers so much every day, and sometime we don't even realize how important they are on a daily basis. Knowing the basics can help immeasurably in shopping, communicating, and getting around town.

• One. – un.
  
• Two. – deux.
  
• Three. – trois.
  
• Four. – quatre.
  
• Five. – cinq.
  
• Six. – six.
  
• Seven. – sept.
  
• Eight. – huit.
  
• Nine. – neuf.
  
• Ten. – dix.
  
• Twenty. – vingt.
  
• Thirty. – trente.
  
• Forty. – quarante.
  
• Fifty. – cinquante.
  
• Sixty. – soixante.
  
• Seventy. – soixante-dix.
  
• Eighty. – quatre-vingt.
  
• Ninety. – quatre-vingt-dix.
  
• One hundred. – cent.
  
• One thousand. – cille.

How to Say Days in French

When you learn French words, the basics are important, like days of the week and months of the year. These following French words can be very helpful when traveling or making social plans:

• Monday. – lundi.
  
• Tuesday. – mardi.
  
• Wednesday. – mercredi.
  
• Thursday. – jeudi.
  
• Friday. – vendredi.
  
• Saturday. – samedi.
  
• Sunday. – dimanche.

How to Say Months in French

• January. – janvier.
  
• February. – février.
  
• March. – mars.
  
• April. – avril.
  
• May. – mai.
  
• June. – juin.
  
• July. – juillet.
  
• August. – août.
  
• September. – septembre, 7bre.
  
• October – octobre, 8bre.
  
• November – novembre, 9bre.
  
• December – décembre, 10bre, Xbre.