Even if you’re just starting to study French, believe it or not, you’ve already got a pretty extensive vocabulary!
The reason for this is over 10,000 English words come from French. Many others come from Latin, the language from which French originated.
This means that a significant number of English words have either exact French counterparts or very similar equivalents in French.
That’s something to celebrate! But, you might be wondering, just how did all of these French words get into English? How many French words are there in English? Let’s take a look at the French influence on the English language, and how it can help you with French vocabulary today!
When were French words borrowed into English?
In order to understand the way French influenced the English language, you have to know a little bit of history.
In antiquity, Celtic languages were spoken in the British Isles. Then, around 50 CE, most of the territory was invaded by the Romans. “Britannia” became a part of the Roman Empire, and Latin became the language of political and administrative life.
In the 5th and 6th centuries CE, Germanic tribes, including the Angles and the Saxons, invaded Britain, bringing their language with them.
But Latin remained a strong presence, since it was the language of the powerful and far-reaching Catholic Church (the Germanic tribes had quickly converted to Catholicism).
All religious services and texts were in Latin. This led to words commonly heard during masses and in religious parables becoming a part of everyday vocabulary.
Some of the Latin words that began to infiltrate the language of British people at this time include “devil” (Latin: diabolus) and “angel” (Latin: angelus).
Like its fellow Romance languages, French is a form of Vulgarized (that is, spoken by the people and influenced by previously existing local dialects) Latin. This is one of the reasons why there are so many similar words in French and Latin-influenced English. But it’s not the only reason why – not by far.
The main reason for the large number of French words in English can be chalked up to another invasion: the Norman Invasion of 1066, when William the Conqueror (Guillaume le Conquerant in French) staked his claim to the British throne and won it in the Battle of Hastings.
If you’re an art person, rather than a linguistics or history person, this battle may sound familiar – it’s immortalized on the Bayeux Tapestry.
After William’s accession to the throne, the royal court was made up of Norman (from Normandy) nobility, who spoke French.
Old English and French coexisted, often quite separately, since most people in Britain never had contact with nobility.
But over time, French words began to creep into English.
These were mainly in areas like law, administration, and, unsurprisingly, food. For example, this excellent (and very funny) video about the history of English points out that while words like “pig” and “sheep” have Germanic roots, their food forms– “pork” (porc) and “mutton” (mouton) – come from French.
A few other French words that entered the English language in this era include sovereign (souverain), justice (justice), and counsel (conseil).
As the centuries went by, English continued to evolve, and and became recognized in its own right. It was used in the daily life of the upper classes and clergy, as well as the commoners. Latin did make a comeback, though. During the Renaissance, cultured people spoke it, and later, in the Age of Enlightenment, Latin was used again when classifying scientific discoveries and phenomena.
Over the course of its tumultuous history, and English has borrowed from and been influenced by many different languages. But French and Latin have had the most influence. French and Latin words make up 58 % of modern English vocabulary today. On their own, purely French words make up 29% of English.
It’s generally thought that around 10,000 words have been borrowed into English from French. Of those, according to this source, there are over 1,700 “true cognates” – that is, words that not only look the same or similar, but have exactly the same meaning in both languages.
Why is the French (and Latin) influence on English important to French learners?
Sure, etymology is fascinating, and sure, what you’ve just read might make for some fun party conversation (well, depending on what kind of parties you go to…). But is all of this really important? After all, even if you can speak English, that doesn’t mean you can speak French.
But in fact, knowing this tie to French can help you. For one thing, you may have already experienced reading something in French and realizing that you understood more than you’d expected, because some of the words are the same in both languages. And on an even more helpful scale, since certain lexical features like suffixes can be the same in French and English, you may be able to guess how to say certain French words.
Six suffixes that are the same in French and English
With that in mind, let’s look at six fairly common suffixes that are the same in both languages.
Before we do that, though, remember that a suffix is an ending that gives a particular meaning when it’s tacked onto a word. For example, -ly is a suffix in English that indicates a word is an adjective or adverb (examples: lovely, quietly).
Like English, French has many suffixes. A number of these come from Latin. These include:
- -ation. Examples: nation/la nation ; information/l’information
- -tion. Examples: acceleration/l’accélération ; attention/attention
- -ssion. Examples: mission/une mission ; passion/la passion
- -able. Examples : capable/capable ; table/la table ; adorable/adorable
- -isme. Examples: Impressionism/l’impressionnisme ; racism/le racisme
- -if/ive. Examples: furtive/furtif/furtive; creative/créatif/créative
As you can see, not all of these words are identical down to the letter. But knowing that root words in both languages can have these suffixes added to them can be helpful, especially in French conversation. Personally, this rule was one of the things that made speaking French a lot easier for me. If I knew a word in English that had one of these suffixes, there was a good chance that it was the same or similar in French.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you’ll no longer have to memorize vocabulary for words with these endings. After all, there are some that don’t follow the rule. Take “vacation” – in French, it’s les vacances. Still, these common suffixes are good to keep in mind.
French circumflex words and English
Unlike English, the French language involves a lot of diacritical marks. While most accents in French words are used to indicate things like pronunciation, verb tense, or gender, one of them, the circumflex, is basically just a historical marker.
Most French words that have a circumflex once had an “s” after the accented letter. So, for example, the word château was once chasteau. The word forêt was once forest.
That “once” is a time when French words were being borrowed into English, and so, interestingly enough, many French circumflex words have English counterparts that are very similar, with an “s”. You may already know or have guessed the English equivalents of château and forêt, for example – castle and forest.
(Before we continue, yes, I know château is also “chateau” in English, but that word has a very specific connotation and isn’t used as a general term the way château is in French.)
As you can see with château/castle, not all French circumflex words have remained exactly the same in the two languages. And in some cases, like être , there’s no similar English word at all. So, while the tie between French circumflex words and English could be helpful to keep in mind in some cases (forêt/forest; hôtel/hotel; hôpital/hospital; théâtre/theatre, etc.), it isn’t a constant.
But for etymology fans like myself, it is a pretty neat tie to history, at the very least.
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False cognates – and why they exist in the first place
Some English and French words are written the same way or very similarly but have evolved to have very different meanings.
One of the most notorious of these faux amis is préservatif, which does not mean “preservative” in French, but…condom. Misusing this word is one of the most awkward French mistakes you can make!
So, the moral here is to still learn your vocabulary. But if you’re in a bind, you have a good chance of being able to find an equivalent French word if it contains one of those six suffixes I mentioned, or is related to a French circumflex word.
You may be wondering why faux amis exist at all, since English borrowed words directly from French and Latin. The answer is, it’s simply because of how language evolves. Even in English itself, certain words have changed meaning over time or have additional connotations than they previously did. A very interesting example of this – in both languages – is the word “gay”.
“Gay” was borrowed into English from the French gai (joyful, flashy). Over the 20th century, it came to have an additional meaning in English: homosexual. Today, this is the dominant connotation that comes to mind for most English-speakers. The English “gay” has been borrowed back into French, where it also means “homosexual.” The French word gai(e) still means “happy” in French, although some francophones, including those in Quebec, also use this spelling instead of “gay”.
One of the most important things that etymology can teach us is that words are always evolving. While they’re being spoken and used by human beings, languages are living things. Faux amis aside, that’s pretty cool.
French words that are the same in English
Still, there are many words in English and French that are the same or very similar, both in spelling and meaning. Here’s a list of some of the most common. If you want to go further, at the end of this article, you’ll find a link to an extremely long and thorough alphabetical list.
French food and dining words that are the same in English
Many English food-related words originally came from French, but a majority of these have changed a bit over the centuries, to be pronounced and written in a more Anglophone way.
A good example of this are the words derived from the French word and verb dîner, which include dinner, diner, and dinette, as well as the verb “to dine”.
You’ll notice, first of all, that all of these words are pronounced differently than their French ancestors. You’ll also notice that their meanings have expanded from these two original borrowed words: “dinner” and “to dine” are the counterparts of le dîner and dîner, respectively, but a diner and dinette are types of restaurant.
Interestingly, “dinette” is also a French word, but it’ s a classic example of a faux ami. In French, une dinette in French is a child’s tea party set or set of plastic food toys. (It can also mean a light, late evening meal, although I’ve personally never heard it used that way, for what it’s worth.)
This being said, there are other French words related to food and dining whose meaning and spelling have remained more or less the same in French and English. A number of these were borrowed into English in recent centuries, when French cooking became a hallmark of class for Anglophones.
Here are some of the most common food- and dining -related words that are the same (or extremely similar) in French and English:
- à la carte : when you want to order individual dishes which are not part of a pre-established sequence of courses.
- menu
- apéritif
- café (a type of restaurant)
- picnic
- salade
- soupe
- omelette
- bon appétit
- hors d’œuvre
- vinaigrette
- restaurant
- alcool (This word was originally borrowed into French from Arabic, by way of Latin)
- chef (This means boss in French and not only “cook”.)
British English speakers also often use some common French food words, including:
- cornichon
- gateau
- courgette
- aubergine
French fashion and appearance words that are the same or similar in English
Every culture has its trends, fashions, and notions of beauty, but France has an international reputation for expertise in this area. It’s no wonder, then, that so many French words related to fashion and appearance have been borrowed into English. Here’s a list of some of the most common -including one that’s a very recent addition to the English language:
- prêt-à-porter
- chic
- couture
- silhouette
- petite
- faux (usually used to describe synthetic fur (faux fur), as opposed to fur from an animal)
- sans fard – If you’re a fan of pop culture and celebrity gossip, you’ve probably come across this term in recent years. “Sans fard” (sometimes written “sans fards”) means “without makeup” and describes a photo where a person is wearing no makeup, and may not even be groomed in a glamorous way (for example, unbrushed hair, etc.). Of course, sans fard photos aren’t always truthful – many celebrities have been called out for abusing the term, since they are wearing at least very basic makeup and have their hair done in the shot.
French art and culture words that are the same or similar in English
Here are some French words that you’ll often hear or come across (or use) in English.
- Art Nouveau
- avant-garde
- bas-relief
- film noir
- matinee (Note that in French, this word is most commonly used as a way to say “morning”.)
- papier mâché (For many English speakers, this is written slightly differently: papier mache)
- trompe l’oeil
In addition to artistic movements like Art Nouveau and Art Deco, which keep their French names in English, many artistic movements are written in a similar way in French and English. One of the main reasons for this is the suffix -ism/-isme. Here are a few examples:
- Impressionism/impressionnisme
- Realism/réalisme
- Surrealism/surréalisme
- Cubism/cubisme
You can find many other French words related to culture and the arts, including classical dance-related vocabulary on this excellent and extensive list.
Other common French words used in English
Some French words we use in English, like repertoire and protégé, don’t have exactly the same meaning in both languages – or at least, not the same primary meaning. For example, répertoire in French is most commonly used to describe a list of phone numbers; protégé means “protected” in French). But many other French words in English are used the same way in French, more or less. Here are some of them:
- bourgeois
- brunette
- blond(e)
- adieu
- au contraire
- chauffeur
- chic
- critique
- depot
- déjà vu
- (eau de) cologne
- eau de toilette
- en route
- entrepreneur
- fiancé (Note that while in English, this can refer to a man or a woman, in French, a female person someone is engaged to is fiancée, the word’s feminine form.)
- genre
- laissez-faire
- maître d’ (this is used in its complete form, maître d’hôtel, in French)
- joie de vivre
- toilette
- nouveau riche
- faux pas
- je ne sais quoi
- carte blanche
- voyeur
- R.S.V.P (Many English-speakers don’t realize this is an abbreviation of Répondez s’il vous plait)
- souvenir
- par excellence
- potpourri
- Bon voyage (learn more here)
- cliché (Note that in French, in addition to its most well-known meaning, cliché is another way to say “photo”)
- au pair
- femme fatale
- bouquet
- boutique
- coup
- milieu
- ménage à trois
- bon vivant
- bon mot
- coup d’état
- de rigueur
- savoir-faire
- tête à tête
- Voila (I usually see the word written without an accent in English, but remember that it’s actually written like this in French: Voilà).
- du jour
These are just the most common French words used in English, but there are many more, especially if you’re watching or reading something featuring educated, possibly pretentious characters – or spending time with them in real life. You can find a more extensive list of French words and expressions in English here.
The three kinds of French words in English – and where to find them all
The words on our lists are among the most noticeable French words in English, because they haven’t changed (or haven’t changed much) from their original spellings and meanings. But what about the thousands of other French words that are supposed to make up the English language?
Since most of these words have evolved over the centuries, they may still be very similar to their French ancestors, or quite a bit different. Take, for example, one of my favorite English words, “jaunty”, which evolved in both spelling and meaning from the French word gentil.
You can find an alphabetical list of French words in English, including these original borrowings that have evolved away from their French forms, here.
And of course, don’t forget the English words that have a counterpart in French thanks to Latin. You can see some of those on this list.
Do you have a favorite French word or expression that’s used in English? Are there any words these lists that surprised you? If so, why not try to use them today?
By
Last updated:
March 10, 2023
Learning vocabulary is one of the cornerstones of learning French.
By knowing the most common vocabulary, you’ll get better at everyday communication—which gets you closer to interacting with some of the 300 million people who speak French around the world.
In this post, we’ll get you started with more than 250 easy and common French words!
You’ll be well on your way to having a solid base in the French language in no time.
Contents
- Most Common French Words
- Important French Verbs
- French Question Words
- French Household Words
- French Words for Food & Drinks
- French Words for School or Work
- French Words for Making Descriptions
- French Words for Animals & Nature
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
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!)
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
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.
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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.
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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.
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.”
|
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.
TrainUn train (“A train”)VoitureUne 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:
|
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 | more |
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.
In other words, we wanted to offer an alternative to our clients.
En d’autre termes, nous voulions offrir une alternative à nos clients.
In other words, unless you’re clinically depressed, being unhappy.
En d’autre terme, à moins que vous soyez depressifs, être malheureux.
In other words, working the aviation racket for all it’s worth.
En autres mots, pas dans le cadre d’une assemblée scolaire.
Aucun autre mot ne peut le dire aussi sincèrement.
But you knocked all them other words right back at that dude.
Abréviation République, Ave., Décembre, et tous les autres mots.
Results: 9027,
Time: 0.0357