«small (plural)» in French
petits
Summary
The French translation for “small (plural)” is petits.
Pronounced the same
Examples of «small» in use
There are 6 examples of the French word for «small» being used:
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- Inflections of ‘small‘ (adv):
-
- smaller
- adv comparative
-
- smallest
- adv superlative
- Inflections of ‘small‘ (adj):
-
- smaller
- adj comparative
-
- smallest
- adj superlative
WordReference English-French Dictionary © 2023:
| Principales traductions | ||
| Anglais | Français | |
| small adj | (not big in size) | petit adj |
| He used a small spoon to stir his coffee. | ||
| Il utilisa une petite cuillère pour remuer son café. | ||
| small adj | (modest in scale) | petit adj |
| We’re thinking of a small product launch, not a national campaign. | ||
| Nous pensons faire un petit lancement de produit plutôt qu’une campagne nationale. | ||
| small adj | (not significant) | petit adj |
| That investment only gave a small return; we should invest elsewhere. | ||
| Cet investissement n’a rapporté qu’un petit profit ; nous devrions investir ailleurs. | ||
| small adj | (letter: lowercase) (lettre) | minuscule adj |
| Many people forget to capitalize some names and write them all in small letters. | ||
| Beaucoup de gens oublient de mettre en majuscule certains noms et les écrivent en lettres minuscules. | ||
| small adj | (slight) | petit, faible adj |
| There is only a small chance of rain this afternoon. | ||
| Il n’y a qu’une petite probabilité de pluie cette après-midi. | ||
| small adj | figurative (unimportant) | petit, modeste adj |
| He was just a small country baker, but he was well-respected. | ||
| C’était juste un petit (or: modeste) boulanger de campagne mais il était très respecté. | ||
| small adv | (into small pieces) | menu adv |
| You need to cut up the meat small for the stew. | ||
| Tu dois hacher menu la viande pour le ragoût. | ||
| the small npl | (people without wealth) | les pauvres nmpl |
| This government does not seem to care about the small. |
| Traductions supplémentaires | ||
| Anglais | Français | |
| smalls npl | UK (underwear) | sous-vêtements, dessous nmpl |
| Have you seen her smalls on the washing line? All red and silky! | ||
| Est-ce que t’as vu ses sous-vêtements (or: dessous) rouges et soyeux sur l’étendoir ? |
WordReference English-French Dictionary © 2023:
| Formes composées small |
||
| Anglais | Français | |
| a small percentage n | (relatively small quantity of [sth]) | un petit pourcentage, un faible pourcentage nm |
| une petite part nf | ||
| a small percentage n | (relatively few) | un faible taux, un faible pourcentage nm |
| Competition for positions at the school is fierce; the university accepts only a small percentage of applicants each year. | ||
| La concurrence pour entrer dans cette école est rude : l’université n’accepte qu’un faible pourcentage des candidats chaque année. | ||
| calorie, gram calorie, small calorie n |
(unit of energy) | calorie nf |
| In science, heat is measured in calories. | ||
| En sciences, la chaleur est mesurée en calories. | ||
| extra small, extra-small adj |
(clothing size: XS, smallest) (anglicisme) | xs adj |
| J’ai essayé ce pull en s mais il est trop grand. Avez-vous le même en xs ? | ||
| the fine print, the small print n |
figurative (terms and conditions) (figuré) | petits caractères nmpl |
| If only I’d read the fine print, I wouldn’t have lost so much money. | ||
| Si seulement j’avais lu les petits caractères, je n’aurais pas perdu autant d’argent. | ||
| fine print, small print n |
(text printed in small font) | petits caractères nmpl |
| texte en petits caractères nm | ||
| The fine print’s too hard for me to read due to my bad eyesight. | ||
| Les caractères sont trop petits pour que je puisse les lire avec ma mauvaise vue. | ||
| in a small way adv | (slightly, somewhat) | dans une faible mesure loc adv |
| légèrement adv | ||
| Being suspended from school has actually improved his behaviour in a small way. | ||
| Son expulsion du lycée a légèrement amélioré son comportement. | ||
| in small doses adv | figurative (a little at a time) (figuré) | à petite dose loc adv |
| I don’t mind opera as long as it’s in small doses. | ||
| Je supporte l’opéra, mais à petite dose. | ||
| in the wee hours, in the wee small hours adv |
(very early in the morning) | au petit matin loc adv |
| little slam, small slam n |
(cards) (bridge) | petit chelem nm |
| make small talk v expr | (chat, converse about trivial subjects) | parler de la pluie et du beau temps loc v |
| parler de choses et d’autres, discuter de choses et d’autres, causer de choses et d’autres loc v | ||
| causer de tout et de rien loc v | ||
| I’m no good at making small talk at parties. | ||
| échanger des banalités loc v | ||
| bavarder⇒ vi | ||
| of small stature, of short stature adj |
(short) | de petite taille loc adj |
| on a small scale adv | (in miniature) | à (une) échelle réduite loc adv |
| en miniature loc adv | ||
| The model showed New York City on a small scale. | ||
| La maquette représentait la ville de New York à échelle réduite. | ||
| on a small scale adv | (not extensively) | à petite échelle loc adv |
| He started selling watches on a small scale, then increased his business. | ||
| Il a d’abord vendu des montres a petite échelle, et puis son entreprise a grandi. | ||
| small amount n | (little bit) | petite quantité nf |
| You should only eat a small amount of salt per day. | ||
| Il ne faudrait manger qu’une petite quantité de sel par jour. | ||
| small arm n | (handgun) | arme de poing nf |
| small arms n | (handguns) | armes légères, armes de poing nfpl |
| The gang carrying small arms terrorised the crowd. | ||
| small barrel n | (keg for holding liquid) | tonnelet nm |
| The small barrels contain the most expensive wine. | ||
| Les tonnelets contiennent le vin le plus cher. | ||
| small bedroom n | (spare or guest room) | chambre d’appoint nf |
| chambre d’amis nf | ||
| I’ll make up the bed in the small bedroom for you. | ||
| Je vais faire le lit dans la chambre d’appoint pour toi. | ||
| small beer, small ale n |
(weak beer) | petite bière nf |
| small beer n | UK, figurative, uncountable, slang ([sth] or [sb] of little importance) (figuré, familier) | pipi de chat nm |
| (familier, vieilli) | roupie de sansonnet, petite bière nf | |
| (Can, familier) | pinottes nfpl | |
| (personne) | menu fretin nm | |
| small boy n | (young male child) | petit garçon nm |
| The small boy gazed at the toy display. | ||
| Le petit garçon fixait le rayon des jouets. | ||
| garçonnet nm | ||
| small business n | (company with few employees) | petite entreprise, petite société nf |
| (France) | TPE, très petite entreprise nf | |
| (France) | micro-entreprise, auto-entreprise nf | |
| Small businesses are allowed special loan rates. | ||
| Les petites entreprises (or: les petites sociétés) se voient octroyer des taux de crédit spéciaux. | ||
| small businessman n | (male owner of small company) | petit patron nm |
| petit entrepreneur nm | ||
| dirigeant de petite entreprise nm | ||
| Small businessmen have been very hard hit by the slump. | ||
| Les petits patrons ont été durement touchés par la récession. | ||
| small businesswoman n | (female owner of small company) | dirigeante de petite entreprise nf |
| small capital n | (printing: small upper-case letter) (Imprimerie) | petite capitale nf |
| small chance n | (little probability) | peu de chances nfpl |
| faible probabilité nf | ||
| Maybe you’ll win in lottery — it’s really a small chance, but it’s still a chance. | ||
| Tu gagneras peut-être au loto – il y a peu de chances, mais c’est tout de même possible. | ||
| Tu gagneras peut-être au loto – c’est une faible probabilité, mais c’est tout de même possible. | ||
| small change n | (loose coins) | petite monnaie nf |
| Deux euros, c’est trop ; il me faudrait de la petite monnaie pour le parcmètre. | ||
| small change n | figurative (inconsequential amount of money) (somme insignifiante) | bagatelle nf |
| (familier) | clopinettes nfpl | |
| small claims court n | (hears claims for small sums) (équivalent) | tribunal d’instance nm |
| small firm n | (company with few employees) | petite entreprise nf |
| Ours is a small firm with only 4 employees. | ||
| small flat n | UK (little apartment) | petit appartement nm |
| We would’ve liked a house but we could only afford a small flat. | ||
| Nous aurions aimé une maison mais nous n’avons pu nous permettre qu’un petit appartement. | ||
| small fry interj | slang, figurative (child) (familier) | gamin nm |
| Hello, small fry, what did you do at school today? | ||
| Salut, gamin, t’as fait quoi à l’école aujourd’hui ? | ||
| small fry n | slang, figurative ([sb], [sth] unimportant) (personne, familier) | menu fretin nm |
| That big company doesn’t have time to waste on small fry like us. | ||
| Cette grande entreprise n’a pas de temps à perdre avec du menu fretin comme nous. | ||
| (personne) | minus nm | |
| (personne) | petites gens nfpl | |
| (chose) | broutille nf | |
| (chose) | bricole nf | |
| (personne) | compter pour du beurre loc v | |
| small game | (animals hunted for sport) | petit gibier nm |
| small hours npl | (pre-dawn) | petit matin nm |
| ⓘCette phrase n’est pas une traduction de la phrase originale. Ils sont partis à la pêche au petit matin. | ||
| small intestine n | (upper part of the gut) | intestin grêle nm |
| A tumor was removed from the wall of the small intestine. | ||
| ⓘCette phrase n’est pas une traduction de la phrase originale. Le rôle de l’intestin grêle dans l’absorption des nutriments est primordial. | ||
| small of your back n | (lower part of the back) | creux des reins nm |
| reins nmpl | ||
| She was hurting in the small of her back, just above the tailbone. | ||
| Elle avait mal dans le creux des reins, juste au-dessus du coccyx. | ||
| Elle avait mal aux reins, juste au-dessus du coccyx. | ||
| small potatoes n | figurative, slang ([sth] insignificant) (figuré, familier) | pipi de chat nm |
| (familier, vieilli) | roupie de sansonnet nf | |
| (Can, familier) | pinottes nfpl | |
| Compared to what you did last week, this is just small potatoes. | ||
| Par rapport à ce que tu as fait la semaine dernière, ça, c’est du pipi de chat. | ||
| small print n | (text in a small font) | petits caractères nmpl |
| texte écrit en petits caractères nm | ||
| The small print on this packet is difficult to read. | ||
| Les petits caractères sur cet emballage sont difficiles à lire. | ||
| small print n | figurative (terms and conditions) (figuré : termes d’un contrat) | petits caractères nmpl |
| Make sure you read the small print before you sign the contract. | ||
| Assurez-vous de lire les petits caractères avant de signer le contrat. | ||
| small screen n | (television) | petit écran nm |
| small size n | (small dimensions) | petite taille nf |
| small size n | (clothing: smaller cut) (vêtements) | petite taille nf |
| small stuff n | (nautical: thin rope) (Nautique : petite corde) | merlin nm |
| small stuff n | informal (trivial concerns) (familier) | petit truc nf |
| small talk n | (chitchat, trivial conversation) | banalités nfpl |
| bavardage nm | ||
| There’s no time for small talk — we have important business to discuss! | ||
| Trêve de banalités, passons aux choses sérieuses ! | ||
| parler de la pluie et du beau temps loc v | ||
| parler de choses et d’autres, discuter de choses et d’autres, causer de choses et d’autres loc v | ||
| causer de tout et de rien loc v | ||
| Nous avons mieux à faire que de parler de la pluie et du beau temps. Nous devons parler d’affaires sérieuses ! | ||
| small world n | (theory of interconnectedness) | Le monde est petit ! expr |
| Comme le monde est petit ! expr | ||
| small-boned adj | (person: petite) | à l’ossature fine, à l’ossature délicate loc adj |
| small-minded adj | (petty, insular) | à l’esprit étroit loc adj |
| mesquin adj | ||
| small-scale adj | (limited scope) | à petite échelle loc adj |
| small-screen recreation n | (leisure time spent watching TV) | heures passées devant la télé nfpl |
| small-time adj | informal (minor, amateur) | à la petite semaine loc adj |
| Although he had big dreams, Alan was just a small-time crook. | ||
| Bien qu’il ait de grands rêves, Alan n’était qu’un escroc à la petite semaine. | ||
| small-time crook n | (minor thief, robber) | petit escroc nm |
| escroc à la petite semaine nm | ||
| escroc de petite envergure nm | ||
| Hugh was just a small-time crook until he met Pete. | ||
| Hugh n’était qu’un petit escroc avant de rencontrer Pete. | ||
| small-town adj | pejorative (provincial, unenlightened) (péjoratif) | provincial adj |
| des petites villes loc adj | ||
| small-town Canada : les petites villes du Canada nfpl | ||
| to a small degree adv | (slightly, a little) | un peu loc adv |
| Cette situation m’énerve un peu. | ||
| légèrement adv | ||
| Je me sens légèrement agacée par cette situation. | ||
| to a small extent adv | (slightly, a little) | dans une faible mesure loc adv |
| I am to a small extent sympathetic to their problems. | ||
| un peu loc adv | ||
| Je compatis un peu à leurs problèmes. |
Un petit mot, un diminutif, une expression LOL.
Such a small word with such immense consequence for all of us.
Un tel petit mot avec une immense conséquence pour nous tous.
Delivery rather fast with a small word of preparation expert, super cute.
Livraison plutôt rapide avec un petit mot de la préparatrice, super mignon.
Thus, he will have every day a small word of love to discover.
Il aura ainsi chaque jour un petit mot doux à découvrir.
A small word, a little nothing, and this little nothing rocks the world.
Un tout petit mot, un
petit
rien, et ce
petit
rien fait vaciller le monde.
4L de course pour prononcer ce petit mot qui va les unir….
It’s quite a small word, but a lot of people don’t know what it means.
est d’apprendre à RESPECTER, un petit mot dont beaucoup ne connaissent pas le sens….
They are just three small words, but together they mean so much.
Ils ne sont que trois petits mots, mais ensemble, ils signifient beaucoup.
he was deeply moved by some small words a Japanese school principal
il est profondément ému par quelques petits mots d’un directeur d’école
It’s much easier to say, with small words that it’s»pointless» rather than to take
C’est beaucoup plus simple de dire avec des petits mots que c’est nul plutôt
They will be proposing a small wording change to the bylaw on term
Il proposera une modification mineure du libellé
du
règlement administratif sur la durée des mandats
Or rather, I have three very small words… but they are most deeply felt.
Ou plutôt, j’ai à dire trois petits mots que je pense sincèrement.
cause humanity with the invention of those two small words.
l’humanité par l’invention de ces deux misérables petits mots.
humanity grew addicted to these two small words and converted them into the basis of all its moral codes.
tout au long de l’histoire, ces deux petits mots vicièrent l’humanité qui en fit le fondement de tous ses codes moraux.
so if you could help me and pick out some small words and explain to me exactly how
sans ampleur. Alors, si vous pouviez faire simple, avec des petits mots pour m’expliquer comment vous compter protéger-
Press the Set button once; the small word“MENU” will appear above the frequency.
Appuyez sur
la
touche Set: le mot”MENU” apparaît, en petit, au-dessus de
la
fréquence.
That’s a small word for what you have been having.
C’est peu dire, pour ce que vous avez vécu.
No, Miss Thing, but I got a couple of small words for you.
Non, Mme machin chose, mais j’ai d’autres mots pour vous.
I will explain… and I will use small words so that you will be sure
Je vous l’expliquerai. Et j’utiliserai de petits mots pour que vous compreniez bien… sale gueule
de
phacochère.
Results: 865,
Time: 0.1993
English
—
French
French
—
English
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!)
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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.