Are you learning French?
Would you love to chat to French speakers with ease, without stumbling over your words?
Getting to a decent level in any language takes time because there’s lot of vocabulary you need to learn.
But, one big shortcut you can use at the beginning is to work out which words and expressions you are likely to need right from the start and focus on those.
And the good news is you don’t have to worry about it doing it for yourself – because I’ve done it for you!
Here’s my list of the 79 essential French phrases you need to start speaking right away.
Thanks to these common French phrases, you’ll know exactly what to say in your first conversations with native speakers.
They’ll serve you for your first interactions and well into the future.
Pro Tip
By the way, if you want to learn French fast and have fun while doing it, my top recommendation is French Uncovered which teaches you through StoryLearning®.
With French Uncovered you’ll use my unique StoryLearning® method to learn French naturally through story… not rules. It’s as fun as it is effective.
If you’re ready to get started, click here for a 7-day FREE trial.
Anyway, back to our common French phrases…. let’s discover what they are!
Need-To-Knows About French To Use These Common French Phrases
Before we dive into the phrases themselves, there are a couple of need-to-knows about French that’ll help you make the most of this list of common French phrases.
French Pronunciation
I’ve included an approximate guide for how to pronounce each of the phrases in this post based on phonetic English. Although this is no substitute for listening to recordings or native speakers pronouncing the words, it’ll help you get started.
I’ve used ‘j’ to represent the French ‘j’ sound. But be aware that in French, it has a soft pronunciation, not like the English ‘j’ in ‘John’.
For a more detailed look at dive into pronunciation, you can check out my comprehensive French pronunciation guide.
A Note On Tu And Vous
French, like many other languages, has two ways to say “you” depending on your level of familiarity with the person you are speaking to.
The basic rule is:
- When you’re speaking to strangers, especially people who are older than you, you should use vous.
- When you’re speaking to someone you are on familiar terms with or when you speak to children, you can use tu.
In my list, I’ve given the form you are most likely to need for that each phrase. Where you might need either, I’ve included both.
Finally, in very informal spoken French, tu es and tu as can be abbreviated to t’es and t’as respectively.
While this might not be considered strictly ‘correct’, it is quite common.
So I’ve used this form in my list for a couple of the more informal expressions to show where you might come across it.
By the way, if you’re interested in informal language, you can also check out this post on 23 colloquial French phrases for impressing the locals.
Common French Greetings You Already Know
First, let’s look at the basic greetings in French. These are fairly simple. And you no doubt already know at least some of them.
- #1 Bonjour ! – Hello! (the standard greeting in French)
- (bon jour)
- #2 Bonsoir ! – Good evening! (replaces bonjour in the evening)
- (bon swah)
- #3 Salut ! – Hi! (a more informal greeting)
- (sa loo)
- #4 Enchanté(e) ! – Nice to meet you! (a standard expression when meeting someone for the first time)
- (on shon tay)
Common French Phrases For Continuing The Conversation
After greeting someone, you’ll want to move the conversation on with some small talk. Here are a few of the standard questions and answers.
- #5 Ça va ? – How are you? (the basic way to enquire how someone is)
- (sa va)
- #6 Ça roule ? – How’s it going? (a much more informal way to ask the same question, to be used with people you are on very informal terms with)
- (sa rule)
- #7 Comment vas-tu/comment tu vas ? Comment allez-vous ? – How are you? (a slightly more elegant version of ça va ? in both the formal and informal forms)
- (komon va too, komon too va, komon tallay voo) – the ‘n’ is nasal and not pronounced strongly
- #8 Ça va/je vais bien – I’m well (the first version is the same as the question but with different intonation. The second is another way to say it)
- (sa va/juh vay byan)
- #9 Et toi ? – And you?
- (ay twah)
- #10 Ça va le travail/le boulot/le taf ? – How’s work? (boulot and taf are much more informal words for “work” that you may hear)
- (sa va luh tra vai, luh boo low, luh taff – the last syllable of travail rhymes with “eye”)
- #11 Comment va ton père ? Ton père va bien ? – How’s your father? (two ways to express this)
- (komon va ton pair, ton pair va byan)
- #12 Tu fais quoi comme travail/c’est quoi ton travail ? – What’s your job?/What work do you do? (can also be used with the vous form)
- (too fay kwah kom tra vai/say kwah ton tra vai)
Must-Know French Phrases For Being Polite
Next, here are the basic expressions of courtesy that you need to know right from the start.
- #13 Merci – Thank you (the standard word for this)
- (mair see)
- #14 Merci bien – Thank you (the bien adds some extra politeness or friendliness to the expression)
- (mair see byan)
- #15 Merci beaucoup – Thank you very much (when you want to express extra gratitude)
- (mair see bo coo)
- #16 De rien – It’s nothing (the standard reply to merci)
- (duh ryan)
- #17 Il n’y a pas de quoi – It’s nothing/don’t mention it (another, perhaps stronger, way to respond to merci)
- (ill nee ah pah duh kwah)
- #18 Excusez-moi/pardon – Excuse me, sorry (both can be used to apologise or when trying to get past)
- (eh skyoo zay mwah/pah don)
- #19 Excusez-moi ?/Comment ? – Sorry? Excuse me? Pardon? (used when you don’t hear what someone says. Note that the French word pardon shouldn’t be used for this)
- (eh skyoo zay mwah/komon)
- #20 Je suis désolé(e) – I’m sorry (a stronger apology than excusez-moi/pardon)
- (juh swee dehsolay/ pah don)
- #21 Vas-y, Allez-y – Go on, go ahead (a way to tell somebody to advance, move forward; also to tell someone they can do something: vas-y, sers-toi ! “Go ahead, help yourself!”)
- (va zee, allay zee, sair twah)
Basic French Phrases For Dealing With Problems
Another situation you might find yourself in is one where you have to deal with a problem. Here are some important questions and expressions to use when you are having difficulties or when everything is not going according to plan.
- #22 Pouvez-vous… ? – Can you…? (can be combined with a range of other verbs)
- (poo vay voo)
- #23 Pouvez-vous parlez plus lentement s’il vous plaît ? – Can you speak more slowly please?
- (poo vay voo parlay ploo lon tuh mon sih voo play)
- #24 Pouvez-vous le répéter s’il vous plaît ? – Can you repeat it please?
- (poo vay voo luh reh peh tay sih voo play)
- #25 Pouvez-vous m’aider s’il vous plaît ? – Can you help me please!
- (poo vay voo mayday sih voo play)
- #26 Je ne comprends pas – I don’t understand
- (juh nuh compron pah)
- #27 Je n’ai rien compris ! – I didn’t understand anything/I haven’t understood anything
- (juh nay rien compree)
- #28 Je ne parle pas (beaucoup) français – I don’t speak (much) French
- (juh nuh pahl pah bo coo duh fron say)
- #29 Je suis perdu – I’m lost
- (juh swee pair doo)
- #30 Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ? – What does that mean?
- (kess kuh sa vuh deer)
- #31 Parlez-vous français/anglais ? – Do you speak French/English?
- (parlay voo fron say/ong glay)
- #32 Je ne me sens pas très bien – I don’t feel very well
- (juh nuh muh son pah tray byan)
- #33 Je suis malade – I’m ill/sick
- (juh swee ma lad)
- #34 J’ai envie de vomir – I’m going to vomit (literally, “I feel like vomiting”)
- (jay onvee duh vomeer)
- #35 Attention ! Fais/faites attention ! – Careful! Be Careful!
- (ah ton sion, fay/fet ah ton sion)
- #36 Au secours ! – Help!
- (oh suhcoor)
French Question Words
Learning the basic question words can get you a long way, even if you don’t know much else of the language. Here they are in French:
- #37 Quoi ? – What?
- (kwah)
- #38 Quand ? – When?
- (kon)
- #39 Qui ? – Who?
- (kee)
- #40 Comment ? – How?
- (komon)
- #41 Combien ? – How many?
- (kom byan)
- #42 Où ? – Where?
- (oo)
- #43 Pourquoi ? – Why?
- (pour kwah)
- #44 Quel(le) ? – Which? (this question word agrees with the noun. The four possible forms are quel, quelle, quels, quelles – but they are all pronounced exactly the same)
- (kell)
Check out this post on forming questions in French for more details on how to ask questions correctly.
Common French Questions
Ok, so now you know the essential French question words. But what about using them to form real questions? Here are some of the most common French questions you’re likely to ask or be asked.
- #45 Comment tu t’appelles ? (tu t’appelles comment ?) – What’s your name? (the first one, you are more likely to find in a textbook – the second is more likely in spoken French)
- (komon too tappel, too tappel komon)
- #46 Quel âge as-tu ? (t’as quel âge ?) – How old are you? (the same here – the first version is the “textbook” form, the second is more common in informal spoken French)
- (kel aj ah too, too ah kel aj)
- #47 Quelle heure est-il ? (il est quelle heure ?) – what’s the time (both forms are possible, the second is more common in informal spoken French)
- (kel er et ill/ill ay kell er)
- #48 C’est combien ? Ça coûte combien ? – How much is it? How much does that cost?
- (say kom byan, sa coot kom byan)
- #49 Tu viens d’où ?/t’es d’où ? – Where do you come from?/where are you from?
- (too vyen doo/tay doo)
- #50 Tu comprends ? – Do you understand? (make the question with intonation)
- (too kom pron)
- #51 Tu parles anglais/français ? – Do you speak English/French? (spoken, informal version – make the question with intonation)
- (too pahl ong glai/fron say)
- #52 Parlez-vous anglais/français ? – Do you speak English/French? (formal, polite version)
- (parlay voo ong glai/ fron say)
- #53 Où est la salle de bains ?/Où sont les toilettes ? – Where is the toilet?
- (oo ay lah sal duh ban/oo son lay twah let)
Important Answers In French
Here are some indispensable expressions for giving information about yourself as well as answering some other basic questions in French.
- #54 Je m’appelle… – My name’s… (the standard expression)
- (juh mappel)
- #55 Je suis (Roger/Irlandais(e)/professeur) – I’m Roger/Irish/a teacher (can be used to give your name, nationality, job or many others)
- (juh swee roh jay/ear lon day/ear lon days/proh feh suhr)
- #56 J’ai 30 ans – I’m 30 (literally, “I have 30 years” – and note that you must not omit ans at the end or the sentence won’t make sense)
- (jay tront on)
- #57 Je viens d’Écosse/je suis d’Écosse – I come from Scotland/I am from Scotland
- (juh vyen dekoss/juh swee duh lekoss)
- #58 Oui – Yes
- (wee)
- #59 Non – no
- (noh)
- #60 Peut-être – Maybe
- (puh tetr)
- #61 Tout le temps/tous les jours – All the time/every day
- (too luh ton/too lay jour)
- #62 Parfois, des fois – sometimes
- (pah fwah, day fwah)
- #63 Jamais – Never
- (ja may)
- #64 Bien sûr – Of course
- (byan sure – pronounced with an ‘s’ sound and not a ‘sh’)
Simple French Phrases For Special Occasions
If you’re lucky and make some French friends, you may even be invited to some special occasions in France. Here are the phrases you’ll need for those situations.
- #65 Amuse-toi bien ! Amusez-vous bien ! – Have fun!
- (ah myooz twah byan, ah myoozay voo byan)
- #66 Bon voyage ! – Have a good trip!
- (bon voyaj)
- #67 Bonnes vacances ! – Have a good holiday!
- (bonn vah konce)
- #68 Bon appétit ! – Bon appétit! (note that the final ‘t’ is not pronounced in French – and nor should it be in English for that matter!)
- (bon appuh tee)
- #69 Félicitations ! – Congratulations!
- (fay liss ee tah sion)
- #70 Bienvenue ! – Welcome!
- (byan vuh noo)
- #71 Joyeux anniversaire ! – Happy birthday!
- (jway uh zannee ver sair)
- #72 Joyeux Noël ! – Happy/merry Christmas!
- (jway uh no ell)
- #73 Bonne année ! – Happy New Year!
- (bonn annay)
Essential French Expressions For Saying Goodbye
Finally, here are a few useful phrases for saying goodbye.
- #74 Au revoir ! – Good bye! (the standard phrase)
- (oh ruh vwah)
- #75 Bonne journée ! – Good day! (the feminine form of bonjour is used at the end of a conversation)
- (bonn jour nay)
- #76 Bonne soirée ! – Good evening! (again, the feminine form of bonsoir is used)
- (bonn swah ray)
- #77 Bonne nuit ! – Good night!
- (bonn nwee)
- #78 À bientôt ! – See you soon!
- (ah byan toe)
- #79 À demain ! – See you tomorrow!
- (ah duh man)
Never Get Lost For Words In French Again
So there you are! 79 common French phrases to help you take your first steps in your new language.
You’ll be amazed by how far these greetings, questions and basic courtesy phrases will get you in your first conversation with a French speaker.
With this list, you’ll be able to greet a French speaker politely, introduce yourself, get to know them better and deal with any problems that might come up.
So now, all that remains is for you to go find someone to talk to in French. Armed with this list, you’ll never be lost for words again.
And maybe, it might just be the start you need to go on to learn to speak French fluently!
If you’re at beginner or false beginner level in French and want to learn to speak the language confidently, then I recommend my French Uncovered course.
It’s a complete beginner programme that teaches you through the power of story. So you not only will you improve your French quickly, you’ll have fun doing it!
Unlike traditional methods where you learn through grammar rules, in French Uncovered, you immerse yourself in a story and learn as you read and listen.
It’s the same method I used to learn Italian in 3-months from home. Find out more and try it out by clicking here.
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June 22, 2021 -
Classic Mistakes, French Conversation, French Culture, French Lifestyle, Insider Tips for Francophiles, Slang & Swearing, Speaking French, Writing & Spelling
Basic French Conversations can be as simple as:
Bonjour ! Ça va ?
Ça va, et toi ?
Ça va. Au revoir !
These few lines make the start of many French conversations. You should learn them!
How can you make your own easy French conversations? With friends, with shopkeepers, with strangers ?
Let’s learn French together!
Index:
1. Basic French conversation: Greetings and first questions
2. Basic French conversation with a shopkeeper: La Boulangerie
3. Basic French conversation: Leaving
Want all the vocabulary of the lesson ?
1. Basic French conversation: Greetings and first questions
Start your conversation with a greeting, like:
- Bonjour (= Hello during the day),
- Coucou ! (= Hi! for friends, it’s informal and cute.)
Then we usually trade some:
- Ça va ? (= How are you doing?)
- Ça va, et toi? (= I’m fine, and you?)
“Ça va” is both a question and an answer! Notice how you can use et toi ? (= and you? What about you?) to ask any question back. It can help a conversation flow better!
Next questions tend to be simple and common, such as:
- Quoi de neuf ? = What’s new? What’s up?
- Tu fais quoi dans la vie ? = What do you do for a living?
- Tu viens d’où ? = Where are you from?
- Comment tu t’appelles ? = What’s your name?
- C’est quoi ton nom ? = What’s your name? (informal, everyday spoken French)
Prepare your own answers to that basic French conversation! Like:
- Je suis prof. = I’m a teacher.
- Je suis retraitée. = I’m retired….
- Je suis américaine. = I’m an American (woman)
- Je suis australien. = I’m an Australian (man)
- Je viens de Pologne. = I’m from Poland…
- Je m’appelle [Géraldine]. = My name is [Géraldine]. / I’m [Géraldine].
Beyond these first basic questions, you can go with slighly more complex ones:
- Vous partez pour les vacances ? = Are you going somewhere, for the holidays?
- Tu fais quoi ce week-end ? = What are you doing this week end?
How can you answer?
Well, to talk about your near future: use aller or le futur proche = aller + infinitif.
- Je vais à la plage. = I’m going to the beach.
- Je vais voir de la famille. = I’m going to see my family.
Click here to get a whole lesson on “le futur proche.”
To talk about your past: use le passé composé. Like:
Je suis allée au marché. = I went to the market.
That tense is not as difficult as it seems, but it’s still beyond basic French, I’m afraid.
When in doubt, just be positive: C’était super ! = It was great!
2. Basic French Conversation with a shopkeeper: La Boulangerie
The French conversation with un commerçant / une commerçant (= a shopkeeper), is very codified!
In many small shops, you need to talk to the attendant to buy what you want.
So on the one hand, you need to learn the basic conversation if you want to fit in.
On the other hand, it’s really easy!
a – Greetings is politeness 101. When entering any shop where there’s an attendant, we always say Bonjour. Or Bonsoir if it’s the evening.
b – Order with “je voudrais.” In a small shop where you need to talk to the shopkeeper, like une boulangerie (= a bakery) or une pâtisserie (= a pastry shop), you can order with:
“Je voudrais…” = I would like…
That can also give you time to choose what delicious thing to pick!
Je voudrais… une baguette et un pain au chocolat, s’il vous plaît.
= I’d like… a baguette and a pain au chocolat, please.
→ Don’t forget s’il vous plaît = please! (with “vous”, as they’re not your friend)
c – Ce sera tout ?
After preparing your order, they’ll probably add:
(Et avec ceci ?) Ce sera tout ? = (And with this,) will it be all that you want ?
You can answer:
- Non, je vais aussi prendre [un croissant.] = No, I’ll also have a croissant (or anything else that you want.)
- Oui merci. / Oui merci ce sera tout. = Yes, thank you, that will be all.
Don’t forget to say merci !
d – Paying and leaving
– Ça fera deux euros. = It will be two euros.
– Voilà. Merci, bonne journée, au revoir ! = Here it is. Thank you, have a good day, goodbye!
Don’t forget to say goodbye, or you’ll seem cold for no reason. (And don’t forget to pay! That’s… that’s the law.)
3. Basic French Conversation: Leaving
Au revoir ! is the basic sentence when leaving someone or when leaving a conversation. You might need to excuse yourself first with something like Je dois y aller. (= I have to go), if need be.
Au revoir is fine for most situations. But if you want, you can learn better sentences. Like:
À tout de suite ! = See you in a minute.
À tout à l’heure ! / À plus tard ! = See you later in the same day. (Never when it’s for a different day!)
À bientôt ! = See you soon (especially when it’s not the same day.)
À plus ! = “See ya” (it’s an informal goodbye, for friends. It’s cute and fun.)
“À toute !” = See you later (short for “à tout à l’heure.”)
Salut ! → Salut means both “Hi” and “Goodbye” with friends.
(Funnily enough, le salut also means “Salvation.” I spent my childhood thinking that L’Armée du Salut, the Salvation Army, were a bunch of soldiers greeting each other all the time.)
Anyway. You can always add Allez before any of these!
Allez, à bientôt ! = OK, see you soon!
Click on the links to learn more about:
- How to (and why) use “Allez” in French conversations
- Practice your French Greetings
- What not to do: a breakdown of a scene from Emily in Paris
I made full lessons on each of these.
Click on the link to get to the next lesson!
À tout de suite.
I’ll see you in the next video!
Allez, salut !
→ If you enjoyed this lesson (and/or learned something new) – why not share this lesson with a francophile friend? You can talk about it afterwards! You’ll learn much more if you have social support from your friends 🙂
→ Double your Frenchness! Get my 10-day “Everyday French Crash Course” and learn more spoken French for free. Students love it! Start now and you’ll get Lesson 01 right in your inbox, straight away.
Click here to sign up for my FREE Everyday French Crash Course
Join the conversation!
C’est incroyable! Ca a vraiment aidé! Merci beaucoup!
Je suis tanzanien
C’est Fantastique. Super!! It’s my first time on your page Geraldine. And I really enjoyed the lesson. Trés bien.
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Prince Fiamordzi
December 17, 2022
C’est Fantastique. Super!! It’s my first time on your page Geraldine. And I really enjoyed the lesson. Trés bien.
Enchantè
Bonjour, je m’appelle Aileen, Je suis une chinoise et je veux apprendre à parler le franc,ais avec toi.
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Bienvenue à toi Aileen!
Fabien
Comme Une Française Team -
June 6 2022
Bonjour, je m’appelle Azmera.Je suis une chinoise et je veux apprendre à parler le franc,ais avec toi
Sudais Khan
Je vais tres bien
Hi, I love the way you are teaching French on You Tube. I would like to hear more conversation so that I could learn more from you. I do live in India and wish to read and write French properly.
I relocated to another country and I have been taking french course close 7 months now.
My short coming is i don’t speak much… I am to nervous to speak and also i am a little on the introverted side. I want to be able to hold conversations for progress. Any idea will be much appreciated💡
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Try talking to yourself in French using what you already know, Benita, so you keep your knowledge fresh and realise what’s missing.
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Metoo
Hi my name is Saitoti from Tanzania
super simple.i love it
très bien!!
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salut
Merci beaucoup Géraldine cet leçon est très utile
Bonne journée
Merci beaucoup Géraldine cet leçon est très utile
Bonne journée
Anne
Merci Géraldine. C’est encore ce dont les francopliles ont besoin. Restez en bonne santé, vous et les vôtres.
Si l’on doit demander à quelqu’un son nom, son travail ou d’où il vient, on ne le connaît pas et on ne le tutoie pas? Alors ne devrait-on pas demander:
Vous faites quoi dans la vie ? = What do you do for a living?
Vous venez d’où ? = Where are you from?
Comment vous vous appelez ? = What’s your name?
C’est quoi votre nom ? = What’s your name?
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Tout à fait, Miles ! Bravo.
Fabulous content, as always. Merci, Géraldine!
Le langage du quotidien. On dit ça ?
Assez souvent ce sont les petites choses
où on fait des erreurs. Alors, très important
qu’on apprend les bonnes expressions.
Toujours on ajoute quelque chose d’utile
à la compréhension ici ~ merci.
Ah, je ne savais pas exactement comment dire que je suis retraitée…les dictionnaires disent tous “je suis à la retraite”…
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hello christopher i am huge fan of your work good jobe
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For most of us, learning French (or any language) comes with a few ultimate goals. One of them is to have a conversation with a native speaker. Luckily, this isn’t a difficult goal to accomplish. Even if your conversational French is at beginner level, with a few key words and phrases, you can have a meaningful exchange with a French speaker.
Here are some essential words and phrases you need to know to have a basic conversation in French. Good news: You probably know a lot of them – maybe even all of them – already!
Essential conversational words and phrases to have meaningful exchanges with locals
Before we begin….
Just a quick note before we start this list. The words and phrases included here are intended to be the simplest and most basic options that remain polite and are in standard (not literary, overly formal, slang, etc.) French.
This means that if you’re a more advanced student, you’ll probably know other ways to express many of these phrases in French. It also means that these phrases may not always be the most eloquent choice. The goal here is to show beginners that it is possible to have a conversation in French with a limited amount of vocabulary.
As you continue in your French learning journey, you will learn more vocabulary and find many other ways to say most of the phrases on our list. But those included here are perfectly valid ways to get started.
Remember that the most important thing about French conversation is…speaking! If you’re too caught up in using advanced vocabulary and unfamiliar phrases, you won’t be natural and have a conversation. Hopefully, when you know that what you know is already enough to talk to someone in French, you’ll begin doing that and will learn even more along the way!
And now, without further ado, here are our essential words for a simple French conversation, divided into categories:
Greetings and goodbyes
Bonjour – Hello
This is the most common way to say “Hello” in French and can be used in formal and informal situations.
Bonsoir – Hello (Good evening)
Although “Good evening” is polite (or gives vampire vibes) in English, it’s actually a very common way for French people to greet one another in the evening or nighttime hours. Don’t worry: You don’t have to use Bonsoir if you draw a blank – Bonjour works 24 hours a day.
Salut – Hi
Au revoir – Goodbye
À bientôt – See you soon
Bonne journée/Bonnne après-midi/Bonne soirée – Have a nice day/Have a nice afternoon/Have a nice evening/night.
French people often use these time-related “goodbyes”, but if you blank, remember that au revoir works at any time of the day or night.
Je dois y aller. – I have to go.
You can say Désolé(e) (Sorry) before this to be more polite.
Want more options? Feel free to check out our articles on how to say “Hello” in French and “Goodbye” in French.
Best wishes
Bon voyage – Have a nice trip
Bon appétit – Have a nice meal
Bonnes vacances – Have a nice vacation/holiday (UK)
Joyeux Noël/Bonne année/Joyeuses fêtes – Merry Christmas/Happy New Year/Happy Holidays
For more options, feel free to have a look at our article on French holiday greetings.
French conversation example:
– Bonjour Charles.
– Bonjour Thomas. Joyeux Noël !
– Merci, Joyeux Noël et Bonne année à toi aussi !
–Bonne soirée !
– À bientôt !
How are you?
Ça va ? How are you?
Literally, “It goes?”, Ça va is an easy and very common way to ask how someone is doing in everyday, informal French)
Ça va. – I’m all right./I’m fine.
You can add merci” to the end, for “thanks (for asking)”, if you want to be polite.
Ça va bien. – I’m doing really well/I’m doing good.
As with the previous example, you can also add merci to the end, for “thanks (for asking)”, if you want to be polite.
Ça ne va pas. – I’m not doing well/Things aren’t going well. Note that in informal French conversations, this is often shortened to Ça va pas.
Interestingly, native French speaker Benjamin points out that it could be seen as impolite to say that things aren’t going well if the exchange is meant to be a casual one with someone you don’t know well.
Comment allez-vous ? – How are you doing?
This is a somewhat more formal alternative to Ça va ?.
Très bien merci et vous ?/Très bien merci et toi ? – Very well, and you?
Want more options? Feel free to check out our article on how to say “How are you?” in French!
French conversation example:
– Salut Jeanne, ça va ?
– Ça va bien, merci. Et toi ?
– Ça va.
Introductions
Je m’appelle…. – My name is….
Je suis…. – I’m….
This phrase can be used in many ways in a conversation. One way is as an informal, less common alternative to Je m’appelle….
Comment vous appelez-vous ?/Comment t’appelles-tu ? – What is your name?
https://frenchtogether.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/enchante.mp3Enchanté(e) – Pleased to meet you/Delighted to meet you.
When you say it, it won’t matter whether or not you include the extra “e” at the end, since it’s pronounced the same either way. But when writing this word, be sure it agrees with the gender of the person saying it.
Enchanté(e) may seem fancy but it’s used in both formal and informal conversations. For some other options, have a look at our article on ways to say “Nice to meet you” in French.
French conversation example:
– Bonjour. Je m’appelle Alysa. Comment vous appelez-vous ?
– Bonjour, Alysa. Enchantée. Je m’appelle Laure.
Giving and getting information
Où habitez-vous ?/Où habites-tu ? – Where do you live?
J’habite à… – I live in…
Note that the preposition can change depending on the gender and number of the place name. For instance: J’habite à Paris, J’habite aux États-Unis, J’habite au Maroc.
Quel âge avez-vous ?/Quel âge as-tu ? – How old are you?
Depending on how the person or people you’re talking feel about getting older, this could be a loaded or inappropriate question. It’s typically best to use it with kids or teenagers, or with someone who is in your own age group, and only if it’s necessary.
J’ai ___ ans. – I’m ___ years old.
Est-ce que vous aimez…?/Est-ce que tu aimes…? – Do you like…?
A good go-to question, this can be used with nouns and verbs alike. For example: Est-ce que tu aimes les films de Tim Burton ? (Do you like Tim Burton’s movies?) or Est-ce que tu aimes aller au cinéma ? (Do you like going to the movies?)
If you’re having trouble remembering the question phrase Est-ce que, you could use intonation and just ask Tu aimes… or Vous aimez… instead, but this is much less formal.
Qu’est-ce que vous faites comme travail ?/Qu’est-ce que tu fais comme travail ? – What do you do for work?
Remember that in France, it’s considered rude to ask/talk about how much money someone makes at their job.
Qu’est-ce que vous aimez faire pendant votre temps libre ?/Qu’est-ce que tu aimes faire pendant ton temps libre ? – What do you like to do in your free time?/What are your hobbies?
French conversation example:
– Bonjour, je m’appelle Arsène.
– Bonjour, Arsène. Enchanté. Je m’appelle Julien.
– Bonjour Julien. J’habite à Paris, et vous ?
– J’habite à Paris aussi ! Je suis prof d’anglais. Qu’est-ce que vous faites comme travail ?
– Je travaille dans une banque mais j’aime cuisiner pendant mon temps libre. Et vous, qu’est-ce que vous aimez faire pendant votre temps libre ?
– J’aime jouer aux jeux vidéos.
Est-ce que vous aimez les jeux vidéos ?
– Oui, je joue un peu.
Polite conversational phrases
Don’t listen to stereotypes! The French are actually very polite, even in informal speech and situations, so knowing these phrases are a must.
Merci – Thank you/Thanks
This is the standard, go-to way to thank someone in French. It can be used in formal and informal situations. If you’d like some additional options, check out our article on other ways to say “Thank you” in French.
De rien. – You’re welcome.
This is one of MANY ways to say “you’re welcome” in French. De rien is very common and slightly informal but could still be used in a formal situation by non-fluent French speakers without seeming rude. If you’d like to find another way to show your gratitude, feel free to check out our article on ways to say “You’re welcome” in French.
Pardon – Excuse me/Pardon me
As in English, this can be used in a physical way (trying to get past someone, etc.) or to get someone’s attention. It’s slightly more formal than Excusez-moi.
Excusez-moi – Excuse me
This is usually used in a physical context (moving past someone, apologizing for bumping into someone, etc., or to get someone’s attention.
s’il vous plait/s’il te plait – please
Although this is a mouthful, it’s the most common way to say “please” in French, and works in both formal and informal situations.
Désolé(e). – Sorry.
Good news: regardless of agreement (an extra “e” at the end, etc.), this word is always pronounced the same way. Désolé(e) is fine for most contexts and situations. But if you want to make it more formal, you could add Je suis in front of it: Je suis désolé(e).
I don’t understand/Please repeat
There’s no reason to have to apologize if you don’t understand something someone said, but if you feel more comfortable doing that, note that you can add Désolé(e) (Sorry) before most of these sentences.
Je ne comprends pas. – I don’t understand.
Pouvez-vous répéter s’il vous plait ?/Peux-tu répéter s’il te plait ? – Could you repeat that, please?
If you’re absolutely stuck and can’t remember the entire phrase, you could manage with Répétez, s’il vous plait or Répète, s’il te plait. These aren’t particularly eloquent or ideal, but they will get your meaning across.
Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement, s’il vous plait ?/Peux-tu parler plus lentement, s’il te plait ? – Could you speak more slowly, please?
If you’re stuck and can’t remember the entire phrase, you could say Plus lentement, s’il vous plait or Plus lentement s’il te plait. It’s not particularly eloquent and it’s best to use the full phrase, of course, but it can help if you absolutely can’t remember the rest.
Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ? – What does that/this mean?
If you want to clarify, you could repeat the word or phrase you’re wondering about. For instance: Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire, <<navette>> ? (What does “navette” mean?)
Note that in extremely formal situations it’s best to replace ça with cela (Qu’est-ce que cela veut dire ?) But of course, if you’re a non-native speaker asking this question, people aren’t likely to judge you for a subtle word choice like that.
French conversation example:
– Désolé, je ne comprends pas. Peux-tu répéter, s’il te plait ?
– Oui, bien sûr! Je disais que j’aime la chocolatine.
– Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire, <<chocolatine>> ?
– C’est une pâtisserie. C’est comme un croissant avec du chocolat au milieu. On l’appelle aussi un pain au chocolat.
Conversational French phrases and words to express a reaction
Waouh/Wow ! – Wow
C’est dommage. – That’s a shame.
Make sure you say this with a neutral or sad inflection; otherwise it may seem sarcastic or flippant, as “Too bad” can sound in English.
C’est triste. – That’s sad.
Quelle horreur ! – That’s terrible/How awful/It’s bad/awful!
This is a very common expression in everyday French, and is often used in an exaggerated way. For instance: Tu as vu sa robe? Quelle horreur! (Have you seen her dress? It’s awful!)
Super ! – Great!
Génial ! – Great/Nice/Cool !
Cool ! – Cool!
A very common anglicism, Cool is used in informal conversations with young and young-ish people.
Oh là là ! – Wow/Oh no!/Nice!/Oh my God!
Yes, French people actually use this (very useful!) phrase all the time in informal everyday language. It can be used to react to something good or bad, so intonation is important.
Other helpful conversational words and phrases
Oui – Yes
Non – No
…,non ? – …isn’t it?/don’t you?/isn’t that so?/right?
Adding non ? to the end of a statement is a very easy way to form a question. For instance, Tu aimes les chats, non ? (You like cats, right?)
peut-être – maybe
d’accord – all right/okay
This is probably the most popular way to show agreement in French. It can be used in both formal and informal situations. If you want more options, feel free to check out our article on ways to say “yes” in French.
okay/O.K. – okay/O.K.
This anglicism is used frequently in informal spoken or online French. But if you’re in a formal or professional situation, or if you just want to sound more French, it’s best to go with the previous entry on our list, d’accord, unless you completely blank and can’t think of anything but this.
bien sûr – of course
alors – so/then
Voici… – Here is/This is….
Voilà – There is…/That’s it/Here it is.
In many cases, this word is used the same way it is in English.
mais – but
aussi – also, too
…et vous ?/…et toi ? – …and you?
This can be used to repeat back a question someone’s asked you. In a conversation, it’s a good idea to include it from time to time to show that you care about the person you’re talking to. Example: J’aime le foot, et toi ? (I like football (soccer), and/do you?)
monsieur/madame – sir/madam, ma’am
The French are so polite that they rarely address a stranger without adding “sir” or “ma’am”. There are some exceptions – for instance in a very informal situation or with children – but generally, if, say, I see someone has dropped something, I would get their attention by saying, Pardon, madame or Pardon, monsieur.
You may be wondering about mademoiselle. This title is no longer used in official French government communications and is only used in everyday life with a little girl or if you’re trying to flatter/chat up someone…and they may not like it.
Où est…/Où sont – Where is…/Where are…
If you’re asking this to a stranger, be sure to preface it with Pardon (Excuse me/Pardon me).
Qu’est-ce que c’est ? – What is it/this/that?
If you absolutely blank during a conversation, you could use the phrase C’est quoi ? instead, but this one comes off as very informal, possibly even rude, depending on the context/company, so use it with caution and try to memorize Qu’est-ce que c’est ?
Puis je…? – Can/May I…? This is a slightly formal phrase, but that means it will work in formal situations and it’s always better to seem a bit formal and polite when asking permission, than the opposite. If you’d like more options, see our article about asking for permission using the verb pouvoir.
Je peux ? – Can/May I do this?
This informal phrase is a good quick one to use when asking permission – but only when it’s clear what you’re asking permission for. For instance, if I point at a light switch and ask Je peux ? the person I’m talking to would understand that I want to turn on/off the light. But if I just asked it without making any kind of physical gesture, they would be confused.
This phrase is informal and comes with a slight connotation that you are probably going to be allowed to do what you’re asking, so use it carefully.
Je ne sais pas. – I don’t know.
Je voudrais…. – I would like….
Comment dire ____en français ? – How do you say ___ in French?
Example: Comment dire <<book>> en français ? (How do you say “book” in French?)
Combien ça coûte ? – How much does this cost?
There are many ways to say this phrase, but this is the most basic. You can add s’il vous plait at the end to make it even more polite. On some lists of simple French conversation phrases, you may see the even simpler C’est combien ? This does work if you really can’t remember anything else, but Combien ça coûte ? is more polite.
French conversation example:
– Salut Manon.
– Salut Denis.
– Qu’est-ce que c’est ?
– Je ne sais pas.
– Voici Ashley. Ashley, qu’est-ce que c’est ?
– C’est une…comment dire <<sculpture>> en français?
– Ah, c’est une sculpture !
– Oui.
– Voici Brandon ! Bonsoir Brandon.
– Bonsoir. Ashley, j’aime cette sculpture. Combien ça coûte ?
Are there other ways to say these things?
As I explained at the beginning of this article, this list is made up of the most basic, essential words and phrases you’d need for simple conversations in French.
This means that in many (though not all!) cases, there are a number of other ways to say the words and phrases on the list, but they are more subtle or complicated.
As you get more familiar with French, you’ll probably end up having your own personal preferences or feel more comfortable using different, alternative phrases in different situations.
In fact, if you feel ready to take things to the next level in terms of your French conversation, you may want to have a look at our article on French conversation starters, which is intended for intermediate, advanced, and even fluent French speakers.
How can I improve my French conversation skills?
There are two major ways to improve your French conversation skills:
Increase your French vocabulary.
This doesn’t just mean studying or memorizing vocabulary lists for different topics, although that can certainly be helpful. It also means feeling at ease with how different words and phrases are used in everyday French. Being familiar with them will make it easier to use them when you’re talking to a French person.
So, in addition to studying French vocabulary, you should also read, listen to, and watch things in French as much as you can.
Studying French conversational skills in particular is, of course, also a big help. We don’t like to toot our own horns on this blog, but to be honest, we’re pretty excited about the new French Together app. It features audio recordings of conversations by native French speakers that you can play at regular speed or slowed down. You can also read along with a transcript or get help by clicking on a translation.
Talk to native French speakers.
If you don’t live in a French-speaking country, don’t worry: there are lots of websites where you can find French conversation partners, often for free.
If you are in a place where you can talk to actual French speakers, whether you’re there for a short visit or a long-term stay, don’t be afraid to try to strike up a conversation!
You can start simply and, if you don’t understand something or need someone to repeat what they’ve said, remember the phrases on our list that will let you express this.
If you’re worried that the person you’re speaking to might be mean if you make mistakes, don’t worry – most people anywhere in the world are happy if someone is trying to speak their native language and making an effort to be friendly. It may be tricky or intimidating at first, but trust me: the more you speak with French-speaking people, the more you’ll feel at ease with having a conversation in French.
Have you ever had a conversation in French? How did it go? Feel free to share in the comments!
Are you thinking about learning French but find yourself struggling to find resources that help you start speaking?
When I started out, I certainly did.
Many of the tools that I found when I started learning French were grammar-heavy textbook style resources and they didn’t offer me a lot in terms of day-to-day conversation. Rather than learning how to say “what did you do last weekend?” I had memorized a bunch of rules involving the genders of words or how to use tenses and I was no where near conversing with my fellow French speakers.
So I decided to put something together on my own so that I could feel more confident engaging in language exchanges.
And today, I’d like to share it with you.
In this post you’ll find a short selection of the 100+ conversational phrases and words in French I have available as part of a downloadable PDF that you can get by entering your email in the box below.
Happy French language learning!
Get your free PDF with 100+ Conversational French Words and Phrases
Greetings
| English | French |
| Hey | Salut |
| Hello/Good day | Bonjour |
| How are you? | Comment ça va ? / Comment allez-vous ? (form.) |
| I’m good, thanks. | Ça va bien, merci. |
| Long time no see. | Ça fait longtemps. |
Basic & Polite Phrases
| English | French |
| Please | S’il vous plaît (form.) |
| Thank you so much | Merci beaucoup |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moi (form.) |
| I’m sorry | Je suis desolé(e). |
| Thank you for your time. | Merci pour votre temps. (form.) |
Get the Conversation Rolling
| English | French |
| What’s new? | Quoi de neuf ? |
| What are you plans this weekend? | Quels sont vos plans ce week-end ? (form.) |
| How is your family? | Comment ça va votre famille ? (form.) |
| I heard that… | J’ai entendu que … |
| Tell me what you think. | Dites-moi ce que vous pensez. (form.) |
Getting a Bit of Clarification
| English | French |
| How do you say that in French? | Comment dire ça en français ? |
| I don’t understand. | Je ne comprends pas ? |
| What are you talking about? | Vous parlez de quoi ? (form.) |
| I don’t know. | Je ne sais pas. |
| Can you please write that down? | Est-ce que vous pouvez l’écrire, s’il vous plaît ? (form.) |
Words About Time
| English | French |
| Every day | Tous les jours |
| Sometimes | Parfois |
| Now | Maintenant |
| Later | Plus tard |
| Plenty | Assez |
Exclamations & Transition Words to Take Your Speaking to the Next Level
| English | French |
| Don’t worry! | Ne vous inquiétez pas ! (form.) |
| Excellent | Excellent |
| Impossible | Impossible |
| Look | Regardez (form.) |
| How horrible! | Quelle horreur ! |
| No problem! | Pas de problème ! |
| That’s good! | C’est bien ! |
| Wow! | Waouh ! Wow ! |
| Exactly | Exactement |
| That’s a good question. | C’est une bonne question. |
Conversation Closers
| English | French |
| I enjoyed speaking with you. | J’ai beaucoup aimé parler avec vous. (form.) |
| I must go. | Je dois y aller. |
| Keep in touch! | Restez en contact ! (form.) |
| Goodbye | Au revoir |
| I’ll be right back. | Je reviens tout de suite ! |
*Please note that most of the above examples use formal language, assuming that you’re getting to know the person that you’re speaking with. I have included both the formal and familiar forms of the above phrases in the download PDF for your reference.
Get your free PDF with 100+ Conversational French Words and Phrases
Are you learning French? What are some phrases that you’ve found useful in your target language? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
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Shannon Kennedy
My name is Shannon Kennedy and I’m the language lover, traveler, and foodie behind Eurolinguiste. I’m also the Resident Polyglot at Drops and the Head Coach of the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge.
By
Last updated:
April 7, 2022
French fluency can only be achieved with loads of great conversation practice with native speakers.
But why is conversational French so important? And how can you start?
You can start right here, with 38 conversational French phrases that’ll come in handy in everyday conversations.
Contents
- How Conversational French Phrases Improve Your French
- How and Where to Practice Your New French Phrases
-
- Websites and Apps
-
- Babbel (application available):
- FluentU (app available):
- Busuu (app available):
- Bravolol (only available in app form):
- WordPower (only available in app form):
- Language Exchange
- Traveling
- French Greetings and Introducing Yourself
-
- Greetings
- Introducing yourself
- Introducing someone else
- French Conversational Pleasantries
- Asking for Help
- At the Doctor’s Office or the Pharmacy
- The Slang You Need to Know
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
How Conversational French Phrases Improve Your French
As language learners, we have a tendency to underestimate the power of speaking, often falling back into our old school habits of keeping our noses in books. I can assure you that this is not the best way to learn to speak French. As someone who’s now bilingual, I’m a great believer in speaking right from the start of your language learning journey.
As it turns out, speaking is key to learning French (or any language) because that’s how your brain synthesizes its linguistic knowledge.
All those things you’ve read about and heard on French talk radio programs? They’ll fly right out of your head again if you don’t put them to good use.
Now, practicing speaking can understandably be intimidating at first. So, the best solution to calm those nerves and get talking is to learn more conversational French phrases and vocabulary. This will help you feel prepared when the time comes to speak. Plus, by learning a good selection of conversational French phrases you’ll open the door to a world of new opportunities.
Acquiring basic phrases is the first stepping stone in learning a new language. It’ll help any learner speak more fluently and more naturally. As a result, you’ll quickly become more confident in yourself and feel more at ease when speaking.
By learning how to express yourself in French and also knowing how to ask for clarification and help understanding or explaining something, you open up a whole new dimension of language learning. Armed with these phrases, every native speaker you encounter is a potential tutor, encouraging you to speak more and teaching you even more phrases and expressions.
How and Where to Practice Your New French Phrases
The internet offers unlimited access to websites and downloadable applications that can help you learn and practice phrases. Some even let you record your voice and compare your recording with the voice of a native speaker, a great tool for improving pronunciation.
Websites and Apps
Babbel (application available):
Babbel has everything you need to learn French, focusing on learning vocabulary first and having you pick up grammar as you go along. It has a large number of lessons for people of different skill levels in French.
You’ll find that a number of lessons are free in each category but only the first lesson is free. After that, you’ll have to pay for a membership to download the other lessons. With a membership, you’ll also gain access to a learner’s community that can help make your adventure a little more social.
FluentU (app available):
This app immerses you in authentic French language and culture through a diverse selection of French videos with interactive captions. Through videos like movie trailers and news clips, you’ll get a sense of the type of French that’s used in media that French speakers actually consume.
Each video has subtitles in French and English that you can toggle on or off, and you can hover over any word as the video plays to see its definition. Personalized quizzes make sure you stay on top of those words and contextual learning makes it easier to know exactly when and how to use new vocabulary words in your own conversations.
Busuu (app available):
Busuu is the world’s largest social network for language learning and offers courses for you to follow. The courses consist of speaking exercises, writing assignments and multiple choice questions. You can use it for free as an ordinary member or upgrade to premium to have more options and choices (the premium prices are very similar to Babbel).
Bravolol (only available in app form):
A quirky method of learning French which focuses on giving you a phrasebook to learn commonly used French phrases and vocabulary. The categories for vocabulary include greetings, eating, health, hobbies, travel, directions, weather, the time and many more! This app is free and fabulous for beginners.
WordPower (only available in app form):
A phrasebook-based learning method that’s free of charge and offers over 100 French words to use in daily life, as well as sample sentences and free audio lessons, all for free.
For more information on applications and websites you can use check out our blog about online French lessons.
Language Exchange
Whether you live in the UK, the US or Europe, finding a language exchange partner is fairly simple. I dabbled in language exchange when I first moved to Paris five years ago and can highly recommend it. Even though I was living in a French city, I didn’t necessarily have the opportunity to practice a lot. Many people spoke English and I also worked for an American company with a lot of native English speakers.
So there I was, in Paris, struggling to speak French and wondering how best to learn the basic French phrases. That’s when I turned to languageexchange.com. There are a number of websites you can use to set up language exchanges, but italki is probably the best one!
The italki platform is an amazing thing, as it can help you find a suitable language exchange partner or private French tutor. The best way to improve is to have someone to practice with, so language exchange or one-on-one tutoring is the perfect solution! The private tutoring I can’t recommend enough—not only will you guarantee yourself some excellent immersion time and quality feedback, but a tutor can guide you through all of your French learning experience and really boost your progress.
Traveling
When you’re on vacation in a French-speaking country, you have an excellent opportunity to practice the language. You can practice your speaking skills, listening skills and reading skills in a number of different situations. The most important thing is to practice your basic phrases before you begin your trip and make sure that you have a good phrasebook to take with you! I highly recommend “The Lonely Planet French Phrasebook,” it’s a great book for traveling!
Lonely Planet at large is an incredible destination for information on the French language wherever it’s spoken. There are French phrasebooks from Lonely Planet dedicated to all major French-speaking regions, along with straightforward travel guides that will clue you into culture and etiquette. All of this is great for students looking to pick up conversational French phrases.
You can also take a look at more basic phrases for survival in a French-speaking country here.
Now that you know how and where you can practice your phrases you need to learn some! Let’s start with the basics and go from there.
French Greetings and Introducing Yourself
It’s imperative that you learn how to introduce yourself and someone else in French because if you can’t do this confidently, it’ll be difficult to continue a conversation. It’s also important that you know what to say at different times during the day, as this is an important part of French etiquette. First and foremost let’s look at French greetings.
Greetings
Bonjour — “Hello” or “Good morning,” used in the morning and afternoon.
Bonsoir — “Hello” or Good evening,” used in the late afternoon and evening.
Introducing yourself
Je m’appelle — “My name is…,” used to introduce yourself.
Je suis — This literally translates to “I am,” but it can also be used to say “my name is” when you introduce yourself. For example, “Je suis Jennifer” or “Je m’appelle Jennifer” means “My name is Jennifer.”
Introducing someone else
Je vous présente Fabienne, ma femme. (I’d like to introduce you to Fabienne, my wife.)
Voici Fabienne, mon épouse. (This is Fabienne, my wife.)
Voici Philippe, mon époux. (This is Philippe, my husband.)
French Conversational Pleasantries
After you’ve got the basic greetings under your belt, you can then approach the essential phrases needed when speaking French on a daily basis and at a variety of events and occasions.
Learning how to say “have a nice day,” “enjoy your meal” and “how are you?” are just a few examples of everyday phrases that you have to know. The French say “have a nice day” to anyone to whom they say “goodbye.” If you don’t say it, it’s considered rude, so it’s an essential phrase!
The French also love to eat and really savor their food, so saying “enjoy your meal” is an obligation before every meal. There are many more phrases to learn to start your learning journey, so let’s get going!
Joyeux anniversaire / Bon anniversaire — “Happy birthday!” These two phrases are the most traditional ways to say “happy birthday” in France.
Bon appétit — “Enjoy your meal!” This phrase is often shortened to “bon app!” when spoken.
Bonne journée — Have a good day
Comment allez-vous? / Ça va? / Comment ça va? – These three phrases are used to say “how are you?” They differ depending on who you’re speaking to. Comment allez-vous is the formal way of saying “how are you?” whereas ça va and comment ça va are informal, used for friends, family and people you know well.
Enchanté(e) — Nice to meet you. This beautiful phrase is literally translated as “enchanted to meet you!”
Que faites-vous dans la vie? — What do you do?
D’où venez-vous? Je viens de… — Where are you from ? I’m from…
Voulez-vous un verre? — Would you like a drink?
Voulez-vous aller manger? — Would you like to eat something?
Je reviens toute suite! — I’ll be right back!
Asking for Help
It’s essential to be able to ask for help in a number of situations in French. Maybe you don’t understand and need the person to repeat. Or maybe you need help because you’ve gotten yourself lost or can’t find something. Regardless of the situation, you’ll always need to know how to ask for help.
For this purpose, it’s also important to learn the vous form in French (the polite form) as most often when you ask for help you’re asking people you don’t know. French etiquette demands that the vous form be used with strangers. Knowing how to ask for help can really assist you when you’re traveling in French-speaking countries.
Est-ce que vous pourriez m’aider? — Could you help me please?
Aidez-moi s’il vous plaît! — Please help me!
Je ne comprends pas, pouvez-vous répéter s’il vous plaît? — I don’t understand, could you repeat please?
J’ai besoin d’aide — I need help
Où est-ce que je peux trouver la gare, s’il vous plaît? — Where can I find the train station, please?
At the Doctor’s Office or the Pharmacy
It’s happened to all of us once in our lives:Your vacation finally comes around and you get sick. When this happens to you in a French-speaking country, you’ll find yourself in a foreign place trying to explain your symptoms to a doctor in a language you’re only just learning.
You need to learn some of the more basic expressions so that, if this happens, you can explain how you feel. It’s crucial that you know these phrases so that you can get the correct medical care when you’re abroad. It’s also important when speaking to French people so you can understand their symptoms and give them some advice or help.
J’ai une toux — I have a cold
J’ai un rhume — I have a cold
J’ai mal à la gorge — I have a sore throat
J’ai de la fièvre — I have a fever
J’ai mal à la tête — I have a headache
J’ai mal au ventre — I have stomachache
J’ai une douleur au bras/à l’oreille — My arm/ear is painful
The Slang You Need to Know
Some slang words are now used every day in the daily life of French people and have become part of the French culture and vocabulary.
It’s important to know certain popular slang terms that you’ll often hear when speaking with native speakers. Understanding slang will help you to understand more of a conversation and will advance your French speaking skills. Here are just a few examples to get you started:
Ciné — Cinema
Resto — Restaurant
Boulot — Work
Balle — Euro; franc
Une clope — A cigarette
Relou — Annoying
So, now you’re fully equipped with an array of conversational French phrases. Start practicing them!
You’ll soon see how quickly your French language skills will improve and how much you can learn from a few basic phrases.
Start your journey today!
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