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«mieux» or «meilleur»

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Most Common French Words

Let’s start with some essential vocabulary that you’ll end up using a lot in French conversations:

Bonjour ! — Hello / Good morning!
Bonsoir ! — Good evening!
Oui — Yes
Non — No
Excusez-moi — Excuse me
Je suis désolé / Je suis désolée — I’m sorry (with an extra e if you’re female)
S’il vous plaît — Please
Merci — Thank you
À bientôt — See you soon
Bonne soirée — Good night (when saying goodbye)
Bonne nuit — Good night (when you’re about to sleep)
Au revoir — Goodbye

Important French Verbs

Aside from the conversational words and phrases above, you’ve also got to know the absolute most common French verbs:

Être — to be
Avoir — to have
Aller — to go

These verbs are irregular, meaning they don’t follow the same rules of usage (or conjugation) that so-called regular verbs do.

Most French verbs are regular, meaning you only have to learn the endings of their group.

In French, there are three groups of so-called regular verbs, denoted by their infinitive (unconjugated) endings: -er verbs, -ir verbs and -re verbs.

Here are the most common verbs in each group:

-Er Verbs

Parler — to speak
Aimer — to like
Chanter — to sing
Danser — to dance
Fermer — to close
Demander — to ask
Étudier — to study
Regarder — to watch
Visiter — to visit (a place)
Habiter — to live
Jouer — to play
Laver — to wash
Penser — to think
Utiliser — to use
Trouver — to find
Manger — to eat

-Ir Verbs

Finir — to finish
Bâtir — to build
Choisir — to choose
Remplir — to fill
Grandir — to grow
Grossir — to gain weight
Obéir — to obey
Punir — to punish
Réfléchir — to reflect
Réussir — to succeed / pass (a test)

-Re Verbs

Vendre — to sell
Attendre — to wait
Détendre — to relax
Entendre — to hear
Fondre — to melt
Descendre — to go down / descend
Pendre — to hang
Perdre — to lose
Prétendre — to claim
Répondre — to respond

With all these different kinds of verbs, it’s handy to have a verb conjugation tool, like the one from Reverso.

Another option is to study these verbs in action with FluentU, which features authentic French videos with interactive subtitles. Click on any French verb or other word used in the video to see its definition, along with grammar notes and examples.

You can then add new words to flashcards and take personalized quizzes to grow your French vocabulary.

The language learning program is also available on iOS and Android, so you can take your French study with you wherever you go.

French Question Words

Looking for directions? Do you want to know the price of something?

Whatever you do on your trip to France, you’re definitely going to need to ask for help or direction at some point.

Here are some common expressions to help you get around:

Où ? — Where?
Qui ? — Who?
Quoi ? — What?
Quand ? — When?
Comment ? — How?
Pourquoi ? — Why?
Combien ? — How much? / How many?

Of course, the beauty of learning language is to be able to communicate with native speakers, which means people might also ask you questions!

Key phrases:

Comment vous appelez-vous ? — What’s your name?
Je m’appelle… — I’m called…

Quel âge avez-vous ? — How old are you?
J’ai…ans — I’m… years old
Vous venez d’où ? — Where are you from?
Je suis… — I am…

des États-Unis — from the United States

du Royaume-Uni — from the United Kingdom

d’Espagne — from Spain

d’Allemagne — from Germany

du Canada — from Canada

d’Australie — from Australia

Are you from a country that’s not included on this list? Take a look at this map of the world to learn your country’s name.

French Household Words

It’s crucial to learn the French words that describe the places where we live.

Check out the following common words that denote specific rooms and spaces in our households.

La maison — the house
La salle — the room
La cuisine — the kitchen
La salle à manger — the dining room
Le bureau — the office
Le salon — the living room
La chambre — the bedroom
La salle de bain — the bathroom (may not include a toilet)
Les toilettes — the bathroom (includes a toilet, sometimes exclusively)
Le sous-sol — the basement
Le grenier — attic
La porte — the door
La fenêtre — the window
Le couloir — the hall
L’escalier — the stairs
Le mur — the wall
Le sol — the floor
Le plafond — the ceiling

Common words associated with rooms in the house:

Le bureau — the desk
L’ordinateur — the computer
L’étagère — the bookshelf
Le livre — the book
La télévision — the television
Le canapé / Le sofa — the couch
La chaise — the chair
La lampe — the lamp
Le rideau — the curtain
Le réfrigérateur — the fridge
Le four — the oven
La cuisinière — the stove
L’évier — the sink
La table — the table
Le lit — the bed
L’oreiller — the pillow
La commode — the dresser
L’horloge — the clock
La baignoire — the bathtub
La douche — the shower
Les toilettes — the toilet
La brosse à dents — the toothbrush
Le dentifrice — the toothpaste
Le tapis — the rug
Le miroir — the mirror
Le téléphone — the telephone

French Words for Food & Drinks

Hungry or thirsty? Check out the most common French words for food and drinks.

Le restaurant — the restaurant
Le café — the cafe / coffee
Le thé — the tea
Le jus — the juice
Le lait — the milk
Le vin — the wine
La bière — the beer
L’eau — water
Le fruit — the fruit
La pomme — the apple
La banane — the banana
L’orange — the orange
La fraise — the strawberry
Le raisin — the grape
Les légumes — the vegetables
La salade — the salad
La carotte — the carrot
La pomme de terre — the potato
La tomate — the tomato
La laitue — lettuce
Le champignon — mushroom
La viande — meat
Le poisson — fish
Le poulet — chicken
Le bœuf — beef
Le petit-déjeuner — breakfast
Le déjeuner — lunch
Le dîner — dinner
Le repas — the meal
Le goûter — the snack
L’assiette — the plate
Le couteau — the knife
La fourchette — the fork
La cuillère — the spoon
La tasse — the cup

French Words for School or Work

Headed to a French-speaking region for employment or to study? Then the following words are essential!

L’école — the school
Le crayon — the pencil
Le stylo — the pen
Le cahier — the notebook
La salle de classe — the classroom
La calculatrice — the calculator
La matière scolaire — the school subject
L’histoire — history
La géographie — geography
La musique — music
Les sciences — the sciences
Les mathématiques — mathematics
Le sport — sports
Le français — French
L’anglais — English
Les notes — grades (marks)
Le professeur / la professeure — the teacher
L’étudiant(e) / L’élève — the student

The following are common words associated with jobs and work:

L’entreprise — the company
L’emploi — the job
Le travail — the work
Le dentiste — the dentist
L’écrivain — the writer
Le médecin — the doctor (medical)
Le serveur / la serveuse — the waiter / waitress
L’avocat — the lawyer
Le caissier / la caissière — the cashier
L’ingénieur(e) — the engineer
Le mécanicien / la mécanicienne — the mechanic
Le plombier / la plombière — the plumber
Le pompier / la pompière — the firefighter
Le policier / la policière — the police officer
L’architecte — the architect
Le travailleur / la travailleuse — the worker
Le boulanger / la boulangère — the baker
Le boucher / la bouchère — the butcher
Le coiffeur / la coiffeuse — the hairdresser

French Words for Making Descriptions

The following are common words that can be used to describe yourself, others or inanimate things.

Grand(e) — big
Petit(e) — small
Chaud(e) — hot
Froid(e) — cold
Intelligent(e) — smart
Fâché(e) — angry
Triste — sad
Heureux / heureuse — happy
Drôle — funny
Jeune — young
Vieux / vieille — old
Nerveux / nerveuse — nervous
Beau / belle — beautiful
Facile — easy
Difficile — hard
Effrayé(e) — scared
Ennuyé(e) — bored
Ennuyeux / ennuyeuse — boring
Étrange — strange
Fort(e) — strong
Possible — possible
Impossible — impossible
Sportif / sportive — athletic

Keep in mind that some adjectives change genders depending on the gender of the noun it describes.

In this list, the masculine forms are given first, with the feminine forms being either those with an added -e or the second form of the adjective.

Interested in more adjectives? Check out how to say common colors in French as well!

French Words for Animals & Nature

The following are common French words that can be used to describe animals or nature.

Le chien — the dog
Le chat — the cat
Le lapin — the rabbit
Le lion — the lion
Le cheval — the horse
La vache — the cow
Le requin — the shark
Le singe — the monkey
Le cochon — the pig
L’oiseau — the bird
La souris — the mouse
La tortue — the turtle
Un canard — the duck
Un crapaud — the toad
Une grenouille — the frog
Le soleil — the sun
La pluie — the rain
Le vent — the wind
La neige — the snow
Le nuage — the cloud
L’éclair — the lightning
Le tonnerre — the thunder
L’orage — the storm
La montagne — the mountain
La plage — the beach
La forêt — the forest
La terre — soil / the earth
La colline — the hill
Le lac — the lake
L’océan — the ocean
La météo — the weather forecast
Quel temps fait-il ? — What’s the weather?
Il fait chaud — It is hot
Il fait froid — It is cold

And just like that, you have 250+ words to bring your French to the next level. Practice these words often and watch your French comprehension and production vastly improve!

Bonne chance ! (Good luck!)

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(EL) Mr President, Madam President-in-Office of the Council, Mr President of the Commission, Commissioner Barnier, ladies and gentlemen, I, too, should like to start by congratulating the two rapporteurs, Mr M�ndez de Vigo and Mr […] Leinen, for their sterling […] work and the manner in which they have conducted themselves, for want of a better word, from start to finish in order to include as many ideas and […] views of the Members […] of the European Parliament in their reports as possible. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu	(EL) Monsieur le Pr�sident, Monsieur le Pr�sident en exercice du Conseil, Monsieur le Pr�sident de la Commission, Monsieur le Commissaire Barnier, chers coll�gues, je tiens tout d’abord, � mon tour, � f�liciter les deux […] rapporteurs, M. M�ndez de Vigo […] et M. Leinen, pour le travail remarquable qu’ils ont pr�sent� mais aussi pour la mani�re dont ils se comport�s, du d�but jusqu’� ce jour, afin d’int�grer […] r�ellement dans […] leur rapport le plus d’id�es et de vues possible de membres du Parlement europ�en. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu
This is where the privacy aspects come in and that is why I […] support that for professional use, for want of a better word, 92 years is a good time. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca	C’est pourquoi je […] soutiens que, pour un usage professionnel, si je puis dire, 92 ans est une bonne dur�e. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca
In the early days of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the United […] States was worried that […] maquiladoras-industrial parks, for want of a better word—would spring up all along […] the U.S. border. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca	Rappelons qu’� l’aube de la signature de l’Accord de libre-�change nord-am�ricain, les �tats-Unis craignaient ce qu’on appelle les […] maquiladoras, c’est-�-dire les parcs […] industriels�-�par manque d’un meilleur terme�-��tablis le long de la fronti�re […] am�ricaine. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca
Mr. Speaker, if that rationale or […] that excuse, for want of a better word I guess, is to […] be used, I wonder if you could provide some guidance on that. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca	Monsieur le Pr�sident, si nous pouvons […] invoquer cette raison ou cette […] excuse, � d�faut d’un meilleur terme, j’aimerais que vous […] nous disiez dans quelle mesure nous le pouvons. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca
Part of this package, for want of a better word, is the construction […] of an icebreaker. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca	Ce programme, faute d’un meilleur mot, pr�voit, entre autres, […] la construction d’un brise-glace, le Diefenbaker. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca
It has, actually, only followed the […] Council’s orders‘, for want of a better word. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu	Elle n’a fait que suivre les […] �ordres��- � d�faut d’un autre mot�- du Conseil. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu
Whilst they have managed to resolve it — […] partly at least — and they have made good […] headway with Obama’s victory, the scandal — for want of a better word — still persists in Europe. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu	Alors que ces derniers sont parvenus � la r�soudre, du […] moins en partie, et […] qu’ils sont en bonne voie gr�ce � la victoire d’Obama, le scandale — faute de terme meilleur — persiste […] en Europe. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu
I call this […] group «Islamists» not because of their religious beliefs, but for want of a better word. cpcca.ca cpcca.ca	Je n’appelle pas ce groupe des � […] islamistes � en raison de leurs croyances religieuses; c’est plut�t faute d’un meilleur terme. cpcca.ca cpcca.ca
Let’s consider two things: the first thing is […] the sheer […] determination on the part of this regime, for want of a better word, the sheer determination that […] they have to have this done. projectavalon.net projectavalon.net	Prenons deux �l�ments en consid�ration: tout d’abord la […] d�termination absolue de la part de ce r�gime, pour ne pas dire autre chose, la d�termination […] totale qu’ils ont � r�aliser tout ceci. projectavalon.net projectavalon.net
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As a resident, I also want to point out that whatever dialogue occurs and whatever solutions, for lack of a better word, come about, […] they have to be fair and equitable for everyone. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca	A titre de r�sidente, je tiens aussi � signaler que tout dialogue et toute solution, faute d’un mot plus pr�cis, doit �tre juste […] et �quitable pour tout le monde. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca
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I was hoping that the hon. member could give a little more detail and comment on […] how lower income Canadians have been abandoned with the […] introduction of, for lack of a better word, what I would […] call Liberal-like programs introduced by the Conservative Party. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca	J’esp�rais que le d�put� pourrait en dire davantage et expliquer comment les Canadiens � faible […] revenu ont �t� abandonn�s du fait de l’introduction par les conservateurs de programmes que je […] qualifierais, faute d’un meilleur terme, de programmes ressemblant […] � ceux des lib�raux. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca
We are going to have to teach the people how to […] embrace this new freedom, for lack of a better word. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca	Nous devrons enseigner aux gens comment profiter de leur […] nouvelle libert�, � d�faut de trouver un meilleur mot. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca
It also has been suggested that by promising the jewellers that it […] would be eliminated but […] then not doing so, it would keep them on the hook as a potential political funding source, for lack of a better word. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca	D’autres disent que le fait de promettre aux bijoutiers la suppression de cette taxe sans pour autant le […] faire permettait de les […] fid�liser en tant que source de financement politique �ventuelle, � d�faut d‘un meilleur terme pour d�crire la situation. www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca
Going back to last fall, what were the practices of […] the suppliers to you guys when it came to stocking your shelf, for lack of a better word? www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca	Pour revenir � l’automne dernier, quelles �taient […] les pratiques des fournisseurs � […] votre �gard pour ce qui est du stockage de vos �talages, � d�faut d‘un meilleur terme? www2.parl.gc.ca www2.parl.gc.ca
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Following the initiative of the […] six Presidents for the 2007 session, […] this year again, for want of anything better, we are repeating […] the experience of having thematic debates […] on all the items on the agenda of our Conference. daccess-ods.un.org daccess-ods.un.org	Suite � l’initiative des six Pr�sidents de la session de 2007, nous […] r�it�rons cette ann�e, faute de mieux, l’exp�rience des d�bats […] th�matiques sur […] l’ensemble des points inscrits � l’ordre du jour de notre Conf�rence. daccess-ods.un.org daccess-ods.un.org
They want a better future for their children and are willing to take enormous risks for the sake of their families. amnesty.org amnesty.org	Elles souhaitent que leurs enfants vivent mieux et sont pr�tes � affronter de graves dangers pour l‘avenir de leur famille. amnesty.org amnesty.org
Who could ignore the fact that, […] finally, the foundations […] have been laid for a common immigration policy based on generously opening up our territory to those people who legitimately want a better life, as well as effectively combating the illegal and outrageous trafficking of human beings? europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu	Qui serait capable d’ignorer que l’on a finalement […] jet� les bases d’une […] politique commune d’immigration fond�e sur l’ouverture g�n�reuse de notre territoire � tant de personnes qui souhaitent l�gitimement une vie meilleure, tout en combattant efficacement le trafic ill�gal et monstrueux d’�tres humains�? europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu
What has happened in the past week, is that the discussion on this report has not […] focused on the content I have […] just outlined for you, but on the question of what label this desired situation should bear, in other words, of what word we want to use in order […] to describe this optimal situation following independence. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu	Ce qui s’est pass� la semaine derni�re, c’est que la discussion de ce rapport ne s’est pas […] concentr�e sur les points que je viens de vous […] exposer, mais sur la question de l’�tiquette � donner � la situation souhait�e, autrement dit le mot que nous voulons utiliser pour d�crire cette situation […] optimale apr�s l’ind�pendance. europarl.europa.eu europarl.europa.eu

Источник

From please and thank you to good morning and good night you’ll have what you need to be polite and win a smile for trying.

French word list for everyday conversation

Here’s a list of common French phrases that will help you communicate whilst travelling in France. Your trip will be much more enjoyable if you have a basic French vocabulary and the locals will appreciate your efforts.

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How to pronounce letter combinations

The following examples show you how to pronounce French letter combinations. The italic examples are the English equivalents.

Measurement Translations

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Colors (US) / Colours (UK)

The below English French translations show a list of colors and there pronunciation with links to French lessons by Lya and FrenchPod101. You can watch all the French videos here: French Colors | Tutorial Videos.

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Learn French — French Color Vocabulary

2 minutes 43 second tutorial

FrenchPod101 have also created this great French colors vocabulary lesson which shows you how to say 17 colors with pictures.

Time to talk

At some point you will need to know the time or will be asked for the time. These words & phrases will teach you the basics and the lessons below will have you conversing in no time!

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What Time Is It? — part 1

10 minutes 31 seconds tutorial

Words & phrases for telling the time

Join Alexa in «What Time Is It? — part 1». Alexa will teach you the basics about how to tell time in French.
What Time Is It? — part 2

14 minutes 5 second tutorial

Time Pronunciation

Once you have learnt the basics you can move on a more difficult lesson «What Time Is It? — part 2». Alexa will now show you how to build a sentence for telling the time.
Choosing a Delivery Time in France

2 minutes 14 second listening exercise

French Listening Exercise

Now that you have learnt some vocabulary, how about testing yourself with this listening exercise.

Words you may use when talking about the weather

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Free French Lessons

Here are 30 French language lessons that teach you basic french words & phrases.

Источник

Do you know how many words there are in the French language? Come on, have a guess.

Most French dictionaries list around 60,000. But Le Grand Robert, one of the most prominent resources, gathers more than 100,000 words for a total of 350,000 different meanings.

Sounds overwhelming? Keep in mind that even native French speakers know merely a fraction of that! To start having basic conversations, you only need a few hundred basic French words for beginners.

Further down the line, you’ll be considered “proficient” in French upon reaching around 5,000 words. That’s only about 5% of the whole collection.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves! In this article, we’ll list all of the French beginner words that will allow you to handle many everyday situations, whether you want to talk, listen, or both.

You only need a few words to start a conversation and make friends.

Table of Contents

Pronouns
Verbs
Numbers
Nouns
Conjunctions
Adjectives
Adverbs
Le mot de la fin

1. Pronouns

Let’s start our list of beginner French words with the most useful pronouns you should learn as you begin your studies.

At first, all you’re gonna need are the personal subject pronouns (“she,” “you,” “we,” and so on). As you move forward, you’ll quickly add some more to your arsenal.

→ To learn all about this topic, from the general rules to the 10 main categories of French pronouns, make sure to visit our complete guide on FrenchPod101.com.

1 – Personal Subject Pronouns

Personal subject pronouns replace the subject of a sentence.

Sophie parle français. (“Sophie speaks French.”)
Elle parle français. (“She speaks French.”)

Person	French pronoun	English
1st person sg.	*je, j’*	I
2nd person sg.	*tu / vous*	you (casual / formal)
3rd person sg.	*il, elle, on*	he, she, one
1st person pl.	*on / nous*	we (casual / formal)
2nd person pl.	*vous*	you
3rd person pl.	*Ils, elles*	they

2 – Impersonal Pronouns

When a sentence doesn’t have a clear subject, let’s stay vague and impersonal:

ça, ce, c’ (“it”)

Ça fait mal. (“It hurts.”)
Ce n’est pas vrai. (“It is not true.”)
C’est important. (“It is important.”)

il (“it”)

Il est temps. (“It’s time.”)
Il pleut. (“It’s raining.”)

3 – Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are used with reflexive verbs. For example:

se lever (“to stand up”)
se promener (“to stroll”)
s’habiller (“to get dressed”)

Person	French pronoun	Example
1st person sg.	*me, m’*	*Je me lève.* (“I stand up.”)
2nd person sg.	*te, t’*	*Tu te lèves.* (“You stand up.”)
3rd person sg.	*se, s’*	*Elle s’habille.* (“She gets dressed.”)
1st person pl.	*nous*	*Nous nous préparons.* (“We’re getting ready.”)
2nd person pl.	*vous*	*Vous vous rasez.* (“You shave.”)
3rd person pl.	se	*Ils se promènent.* (“They are strolling.”)

4 – Interrogative Pronouns

Qui ? (“Who?”)
Qui est là ? (“Who’s there?”)

Où ? (“Where?”)
Où es-tu ? (“Where are you?”)

Quand ? (“When?”)
On commence quand ? (“When do we start?”)

Quoi ? (“What?”)

On fait quoi ce soir ? (“What are we doing tonight?”)

Pourquoi ? (“Why?”)

Pourquoi tu ris ? (“Why are you laughing?”)

5 – Indefinite Pronouns

tout (“everything”)
rien (“nothing”)
quelque chose (“something”)

tout le monde (“everybody”)
personne (“nobody”)
quelqu’un (“somebody”)

Elle se réveille. (“She wakes up.”)

2. Verbs

Here’s a list of the 50 most useful French verbs for beginners. Of course, depending on whether you’re studying, visiting, or working in France, you might have different needs. But this is a good place to start in any case!

→ For all the information you’ll need on regular verb groups (-ER and -IR), irregular verbs, and reflexive verbs, be sure to have a look at our full article on FrenchPod101.com.

être

to be

avoir

to have

aller

to go

vouloir

to want

pouvoir

to be able to / can

devoir

to have to / must

falloir

to be necessary

This verb is only conjugated in the third person, with the impersonal pronoun il (“it”). In this case, it means “it is necessary that.”

Il faut partir à l’heure. (“We must leave on time.”)
Il faut que je parte. (“I have to go.”)

faire

to do

dire

to say / to tell

parler

to talk / to speak

aimer

to like / to love

mettre

to put / to place

remettre

to put back

poser

to put down / to ask

prendre

to take / to catch / to capture

donner

to give

savoir

to know

entendre

to hear

voir

to see

demander

to ask / to request

répondre

to answer / to reply

chercher

to look for

trouver

to find / to discover

retrouver

to regain / to meet up

rendre

to return / to give back / to make

venir

to come

passer

to pass / to go / to come

croire

to believe / to think

montrer

to show

commencer

to begin / to start

continuer

to continue / to keep going

penser

to think

comprendre

to understand / to include

rester

to stay / to remain

attendre

to wait

partir

to leave

arriver

to arrive / to happen

suivre

to follow

revenir

to come back

connaître

to know

compter

to count

permettre

to permit / to allow

s’occuper

to take care of

sembler

to seem

lire

to read

écrire

to write

devenir

to become / to turn into

décider

to decide

tenir

to hold

porter

to carry / to wear

Just add a few tenses and you can talk about anything!

3. Numbers

As a beginner, you really won’t need much as far as counting and numbers go. In most situations, you can get by with only small numbers; I’d not go further than 1 to 10 for now.

→ Should you need more digits, you could check out our article on French numbers. You’ll find everything you need to count from zero to infinity! It’s available for free on FrenchPod101.com.

0 Zéro
1 Un
2 Deux
3 Trois
4 Quatre
5 Cinq
6 Six
7 Sept
8 Huit
9 Neuf
10 Dix

4. Nouns

As a beginner, your basic French vocabulary arsenal should consist of the most common nouns in various categories. Knowing these alone will allow you to communicate basic ideas in a pinch.

French nouns can be masculine or feminine, and you can generally determine which gender a word is based on the ending. However, because you don’t want to think about it in the middle of a conversation or get tricked by exceptions, the best way to learn nouns is to always use the article.

~~Train~~ Un train (“A train”)
~~Voiture~~ Une voiture (“A car”)

In the following list, I’ll mention the article for each word. In case the plural is irregular, I will include that as well. For every other word, the general rules apply.

Un train, des trains (“Train, trains”)
Une voiture, des voitures (“Car, cars”)
Un mois, des mois (“Month, months”)

For more information on the gender and plural of French nouns, we just happen to have a detailed article on FrenchPod101.com.

1 – Time

une heure

an hour

une minute

a minute

un jour

a day

un mois

a month

un an / une année

a year

An is mainly used with numbers, as in:

J’ai 20 ans. (“I’m 20 years old.”)
Deux fois par an (“Twice a year”)

Année is used in most other cases:

L’année prochaine (“Next year”)
Chaque année (“Every year”)

un lundi

Monday

un mardi

Tuesday

un mercredi

Wednesday

un jeudi

Thursday

un vendredi

Friday

un samedi

Saturday

un dimanche

Sunday

un matin

morning

un midi

noon

un après-midi

afternoon

un soir

evening

une nuit

night

2 – Places

un monde

world

un pays

country

un endroit

place

une mer

sea

une forêt

forest

une montagne

mountain

un magasin

shop

3 – Technology & Internet

un téléphone

phone

un écran

screen

un ordinateur

computer

internet

internet

4 – Home

une maison

house

une porte

door

une fenêtre

window

une cuisine

kitchen

une chambre

bedroom

des toilettes

toilets / restroom

5 – City & Transport

une voiture

car

un bus

bus

un train

train

un avion

plane

un taxi

taxi / cab

un vélo

bicycle

une ville

city

une rue

street

une avenue

avenue

une route

road

6 – People

une mère

mother

un père

father

Maman

Mom

Papa

Dad

une femme

woman / wife

un homme

man

un mari

husband

un frère

brother

une sœur

sister

une famille

family

une copine

girlfriend

un copain

boyfriend

un fils

son

une fille

daughter

un ami

friend

7 – Body

une tête

head

un œil / des yeux

eye / eyes

une bouche

mouth

un nez

nose

une oreille

ear

des cheveux

hair

un bras

arm

une main

hand

8 – Food

une table

table

une assiette

plate

un verre

glass

de l’eau

water

un fruit

fruit

un légume

vegetable

un café

coffee

du pain

bread

9 – Work & Studies

un étudiant

student

une école

school

un docteur

doctor

un vendeur

salesman / vendor / seller

un professeur

professor

10 – Conversation

une question

question

une réponse

answer

un mot

word

une phrase

phrase / sentence

une idée

idea

There is always a bit of time to review vocabulary lists.

5. Conjunctions

There’s a LOT to say and explain about conjunctions, but luckily, you don’t need to use many of them when you start learning French.

→ Later on, though, have a look at our complete guide on French conjunctions to learn everything about how to list things, express conditions, state consequences, and much more.

et (“and”)
Un chat et un chien (“A cat and a dog”)

ou (“or”)
De l’eau ou du vin (“Water or wine”)

si (“if”)

Si tu veux venir (“If you want to come”)

parce que (“because”)

Je mange parce que j’ai faim. (“I eat because I’m hungry.”)

mais (“but”)
Un peu mais pas trop (“A bit, but not too much”)

pour (“for” / “to” / “so that”)
J’apprends le français pour voyager. (“I learn French to travel.”)

C’est pour toi. (“It’s for you.”)

par (“by” / “out of” / “with” / “using” / “through”)
Je suis aidé par un expert. (“I’m helped by an expert.”)
Je passe par Paris et Bordeaux. (“I go through Paris and Bordeaux.”)

Un chat et un chien (“A cat and a dog”)

6. Adjectives

French adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. In this table, you’ll find both genders in the format [ Masculine – Feminine ], as they can get quite irregular. If you see only one, it just means that the masculine and feminine forms are identical.

Plurals, on the other hand, are rather predictable and follow the general rules of the French plural.

→ You might want to check out a more detailed article on French adjectives for more grammar info and examples.

bon – bonne

good / right / correct

mauvais – mauvaise

bad / wrong / incorrect

facile

easy

difficile

difficult / hard

nouveau – nouvelle

new

cher – chère

expensive

grand – grande

large / big / tall / great / major

gros – grosse

big / fat

petit – petite

small / little

long – longue

long

court – courte

short

rapide

fast / quick

lent – lente

slow

chaud – chaude

hot / warm

froid – froide

cold

premier – première

first

dernier – dernière

last / final / latest

même

same

autre

other

différent – différente

different

seul – seule

only / alone / lonely

meilleur – meilleure

best / better

pire

worst

beau – belle

handsome / beautiful

moche

ugly

fort – forte

strong / high / important

gentil – gentille

nice / kind

fou – folle

crazy / mad

content – contente

glad

malade

sick / ill

important – importante

important

noir – noire

black

blanc – blanche

white

bleu – bleue

blue

rouge

red

sucré – sucrée

sweet

salé – salée

salty

délicieux – délicieuse

delicious

Cette tarte est délicieuse ! (“This tart is delicious!”)

7. Adverbs

If you need a reminder on what adverbs are, how they’re formed, and where to place them in a sentence, I would recommend a pit stop at our extensive article on French adverbs.

1 – When

tard

late

tôt

early

bientôt

soon

hier

yesterday

aujourd’hui

today

demain

tomorrow

avant

before

après

after

2 – How Often

jamais

never

trop

too much

souvent

often

toujours

always

peut-être

maybe

aussi

as well / too / also

3 – Where

ici

here

là

there

partout

everywhere

dedans

inside

dehors

outside

4 – How

bien

well

mal

badly / poorly

vite

quickly

5 – How Much

vraiment

truly / really

tout

all / everything

rien

nothing

beaucoup

many / much / a lot

seulement

only

peu

little / few

très

very / really

plus

moins

less

Il a très faim ! (“He’s really hungry!”)

8. Le mot de la fin

In this guide, you’ve learned more than 200 of the most useful French words for beginners: pronouns, verbs, nouns, adjectives, and all that jazz. As you keep learning French, you might find it handy to have them all conveniently gathered in one place.

Can you think of any more words you might need to know as you start your language learning journey? Let us know in the comments and we’ll get back to you!

Make sure to explore FrenchPod101.com, as we have plenty of free resources to help you practice your grammar and learn more basic French words and structures. Our vocabulary lists are another great way to learn and review the pronunciation of new words.

Remember that you can also use our Premium PLUS service, MyTeacher, to get personal 1-on-1 coaching with your own private teacher. They can help you practice with beginner words and more. In addition to providing you with assignments, personalized exercises, and recorded audio samples, your teacher will review your work and help improve your pronunciation.

Happy learning on FrenchPod101!

About the Author: Born and bred in rainy Northern France, Cyril Danon was bouncing off various jobs before he left everything behind to wander around the wonders of the world. Now, after quenching his wanderlust for the last few years, he’s eager to share his passion for languages.

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