Learning the beautiful French language can be an incredibly rewarding experience, whether you’re looking to travel to a French-speaking country, study in a French-speaking environment, or simply gain a deeper appreciation for the language and culture.
As a beginner, you may get caught up in a never-ending cycle of memorizing grammar rules and get overwhelmed. At Proficient in French, we are huge proponents of speaking first, making mistakes, then learning the rules later. This article will cover the basic French words and phrases every beginner should learn. With these words and phrases, you can hold a basic conversation straightaway.
Using the basic French words and phrases in this guide, you can achieve a conversational level of French even without knowing a single grammar rule. We’ve also thrown in some slang and colloquial expressions used by natives in everyday conversation. Keep reading and find a mock conversation at the end of the article that uses most of these words and phrases.
So, let’s dive in!
Greetings (Les Salutations)
One of the first things you will need to learn when speaking French is how to greet people. Here are the most common greetings in French:
Bonjour: Good morning/hello/. Bonjour is the most common French greeting with two meanings: When used in the morning/early in the day, it translates to “good morning,” and when used during the rest of the daytime up to late afternoon, it means “hello.”
For example; Bonjour tout le monde!: Hello Everybody!
Salut: Hi. Salut is a less formal/more casual version of Bonjour and is used in less formal situations or when friends greet each other. The English equivalent is Hi. You can also use Salut to say goodbye to people you know well, like friends and family.
Coucou: Coucou is a French expression used informally to greet someone in a friendly or affectionate way. It can be translated to “hi” or “hey” in English.
Allô: Hello (When answering the phone)
Bon après-midi: Good afternoon. Bon après-midi is not necessarily used as a salutation, but it is said when bidding farewell/wishing someone a nice afternoon.
Bonsoir: Good evening. Just like Bon après-midi, Bonsoir can be used to wish someone a good evening in addition to greeting them.
Bonne nuit: Good night.
Comment ça va?: How are you?
Ça va?: How are you?/How’s it going?
Ça va bien, merci: I’m good, thank you
Et vous/toi?: What about you?
Comment allez-vous? : How are you? Please note that Comment allez-vous? is the more formal way to ask “How are you?” and is typically used when speaking to someone you don’t know well, to someone older or in a position of authority, or in a professional setting. It is also used when addressing a group of people, regardless of familiarity.
Comment vas-tu? Is the informal way to ask “How are you?” and is used when speaking to someone you know well, someone younger than you, or someone of equal status or familiarity. It is also used when addressing a single person, as opposed to a group.
Je vais bien, et vous/toi?: I am well, and you?
Ça fait longtemps: It’s been a long time.
Monsieur/ Madame/ mademoiselle: Mister/ Madam/ Miss
Merci/ Merci beaucoup: Thank you/ Thank you very much.
De rien: You’re welcome/It was nothing. De rien is a common expression that means “you’re welcome” or “it was nothing” in response to someone thanking you. It is typically used in informal situations.
Je vous en prie: Je vous en prie is a French phrase often used as a polite way of saying “you’re welcome” or “don’t mention it.” It can also be translated as “I beg of you” or “I implore you,” but in the context of responding to someone’s thanks or gratitude, it is commonly used as a polite way of acknowledging the gratitude and indicating that it was not a problem to help or assist in some way.
Excusez-moi: Excuse-me.
Pardon: Pardon has several use cases:
- To apologize: Pardon can be used as a polite way to apologize for something, such as bumping into someone or interrupting them.
2. To ask for clarification: Pardon can also be used to ask someone to repeat what they said or to ask them to speak more slowly or clearly.
3. To get someone’s attention: Pardon can also be used to get someone’s attention, similar to saying “Excuse me” in English.
À plus!: a casual way of saying “See you later!” or “See you soon!” in French. It can be used between friends or acquaintances.
Au revoir: Goodbye. Au revoir is a more common and casual way of saying “goodbye” in French. It is used in formal and informal situations and between friends, acquaintances, or in professional settings. It is a more general way of saying goodbye, indicating that you will see the other person again.
Adieu: Adieu is a more formal and solemn way of saying “goodbye” in French. It is typically used when the speaker doesn’t expect to see the other person again or when they want to express a sense of finality. Adieu can carry a more emotional weight than au revoir and may be used to say a final farewell or goodbye.
Bonne journée!: Have a good day!
Enchanté(e): Pleasure meeting you.
Introducing Yourself
When introducing yourself in French, you can use the phrase Je m’appelle… followed by your name. For example: “Je m’appelle Marie” means “My name is Marie.”
Je m’appelle…: My name is…
You can also get to know other people’s names by asking them:
Comment tu t’appelles?: What is your name?
Remember the popular song Coupé Bibamba by Congolose musician Awilo Longomba featuring Jocelyne Béroard. Here goes a snippet:
Comment tu t’appelles?: What’s your name?
Je m’appelle..: My name is…
Comment tu t’appelles?: What’s your name?
Dis-moi…: Tell me..
Je m’appelle Coupé Coupé Bibamba: My name is Coupé Coupé Bibamba.
You can also use the expression Quel est votre nom?: What is your name?
Je viens de…I come from
Je suis Chinoise: I am Chinese
In addition to greetings, there are many common expressions and phrases that you should know when starting to learn French. Here are some of the most important ones:
Common Expressions and Phrases
S’il vous plaît/S’il te plaît (informal): Please
Merci: Thank you
De rien: You’re welcome
Excusez-moi: Excuse me
Pardon: Sorry
Oui: Yes
Non: No
Comment?: How?
Quand?: When?
Où?: Where?
Quoi?: What?
Pourquoi?: Why?
Qui?: Who?
Je suis désolé (e): I’m sorry.
Je t’aime: I love you
Mon amour: My love.
Tu me manques: I miss you.
Joyeux anniversaire: Happy birthday
Numbers
Knowing how to count in French is essential, and it’s a great place to start when learning the language. Here are the French numbers from 1 to 1000:
Un: One
Deux: Two
Trois: Three
Quatre: Four
Cinq: Five
Six: Six
Sept: Seven
Huit: Eight
Neuf: Nine
Dix: Ten
Onze: Eleven
Douze: Twelve
Treize: Thirteen
Quatorze: Fourteen.
Quinze: Fifteen.
Seize: Sixteen.
Dix-sept: Seventeen.
Dix-huit: Eighteen.
Dix-neuf: Nineteen.
Vingt: Twenty.
Trente: Thirty.
Quarante: Forty.
Cinquante: Fifty.
Soixante: Sixty.
Soixante-dix (literally “sixty-ten”; this is how the number 70 is expressed in French)
Quatre-vingts (literally “four-twenties”; this is how the number 80 is expressed in French)
Quatre-vingt-dix (literally “four-twenties-ten”; this is how the number 90 is expressed in French)
Cent: One hundred.
Deux cents: Two hundred.
Trois cents: Three hundred.
Quatre cents: Four hundred.
Cinq cents: Five hundred.
Six cents: Six hundred.
Sept cents: Seven hundred.
Huit cents: Eight hundred.
Neuf cents: Nine hundred.
Mille: One thousand.
Un million: One million:
Un milliard: One billion:
Un billion: One trillion: (Note: In French, the word “billion” means “trillion” in English. The French word for “billion” in English is “milliard.”)
Once you have these numbers down, you can say any figure by combining them. For example, the year 1999 becomes mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-neuf, literally 1000+900+80+19.
I know it sounds like some unnecessary math, but that’s how the French prefer it!
Food and Drink
When traveling to a French-speaking country or ordering food in a French restaurant, it’s important to know the names of common food and drink items. Here are some of the most important ones:
Du Pain: Bread
Du Lait: Milk
De l’eau: Some water
Du Vin: Wine
Un Café: Coffee
Du Thé: Tea
Du Jus: Juice
Des Oeufs: Eggs
Du Poulet: Chicken
Du Steak: Some Steak
Le Poisson: Fish
Les Légumes: Vegetables
(Le) Petit déjeuner: Breakfast
(Le) Déjeuner: Lunch
(Le) Dîner: Dinner
Une omelette: An omelet
Du jambon: Ham
Du fromage: Cheese
Une salade: A salad
Une pizza: A pizza
Une pomme: An apple
Une banane: A banana
Du café: Coffee
Du thé: Tea
Du lait: Milk
Please note that French nouns must be accompanied by articles to make sense when used in a sentence. For example, if you would like to order bread, you will say: Je voudrais du pain s’il vous plait, meaning I’d like some bread, please. Or un café s’il vous plaît to mean “a (cup of) coffee please.”
We will discuss more about French articles in a future article.
Restaurant Terms
In France or any French-speaking country, you will definitely walk into a restaurant or a hotel to order something. So, how do you do it? By using the expression above and some of the basic French words and phrases below:
Le menu, s’il vous plaît: The menu, please.
Je prendrai: I’ll have/I’ll take. For example, saying “Je prendrai un steak-frites” to a waiter or waitress means “I will have a steak and fries.” You can use je prendrai or je voudrais to order anything on the menu.
C’est trop/très bon!: This is so good
C’est délicieux/C’est savoureux: It’s delicious.
L’addition, s’il vous plaît: The bill, please.
Travel-Related Vocabulary
When traveling to a French-speaking country, it’s essential to know some basic French words and phrases related to travel. Here are some of the most important words and phrases:
L’hôtel: the hotel
l’aéroport: Airport
Le train: The train
Le bus: the bus
Arrêt de bus: Bus stop
Un taxi: a taxi
Un Billet: the ticket
Le Métro: Subway
Un Avion: Airplane
Une Voiture: Car
La gare: Bus/ train station
Aller: To go
Venir: To come
Partir: To leave
Days of the week
Lundi (Monday)
Mardi (Tuesday)
Mercredi (Wednesday)
Jeudi (Thursday)
Vendredi (Friday)
Samedi (Saturday)
Dimanche (Sunday)
Months of the year:
Janvier (January)
Février (February)
Mars (March)
Avril (April)
Mai (May)
Juin (June)
Juillet (July)
Août (August)
Septembre (September)
Octobre (October)
Novembre (November)
Décembre (December)
Everyday Life Vocabulary
When living in a French-speaking country or interacting with French speakers, you must know some basic French words and phrases related to everyday life. While it’s impossible to list everyday life vocabulary, below are a few important ones:
Une Maison: a House
Une Télévision: Television
Un Téléphone: Telephone
Un Ordinateur: Computer
Un Livre: Book
La Musique: Music
Le Sport: Sport
Du Temps: Weather
Le Travail: Work
La Famille: Family
Fille: girl
Garçon: boy
Femme: woman
Homme: man
Amour: love
Beau: handsome
Belle: beautiful
Une belle femme: a beautiful woman
Un chat: a cat
Un chien: a dog
Places and Directions
When asking for directions, giving directions, or talking about your location, you will need to know the names of common places. Here are some of the most important ones in French:
La rue: Street
L’hôtel: Hotel
Le café: Café
La banque: Bank
La pharmacie: Pharmacy
Le supermarché: Supermarket
Ici: Here
Là-bas: There
C’est loin/près d’ici?: Is it far/close by?
Tout droit: Straight ahead.
À gauche: To the left.
À droite: To the right.
Où sommes-nous?: Where are we?
À côté de: next to
Près de: near
Devant = in front of
Derrière = behind
En face de = across from
C’est loin: it’s far
La gare: Train station
Le musée: Museum
Le parc: Park
Le cinéma: Cinema
Nord: North
Sud: South
L’Est: East
L’Ouest: West
L’entrée: The entrance.
La Sortie: The exit
Asking for Help in French
You may find yourself stuck somewhere and need some bailing out. So, how do you ask for help in French? Use some of these phrases:
Aidez-moi: Help me
Est-ce que vous pouvez m’aider?: Can you help me?
Où est/Où sont: Where is/where are
Je suis perdu: I am lost.
Je recherche/Je cherche: I’m looking for
J’ai perdu: I lost
Je ne sais pas: I don’t know.
Maintaining a Conversation in French
While it is difficult to maintain a conversation in a new language, use some of these French phrases to make conversation with a friend or even with yourself:
Je ne parle pas français: I don’t speak French.
Je parle un peu français: I speak a little French
Je ne comprends pas: I don’t understand
Je ne sais pas: I don’t know
Répétez, s’il vous plaît: Please repeat.
Parlez lentement, s’il vous plaît: Please speak slowly
Let’s Talk Money!
La devise/la monnaie: Currency.
L’argent: Money.
Billets d’argent: Notes
Les pièces de monnaie: coins.
Ça coûte combien?Combien ça coûte?: How much does this cost?
C’est trop cher: It is too expensive
C’est abordable: It’s affordable.
La banque: The bank
Slang and Colloquial Expressions
Colloquial expressions and slang are similar in that they are both informal ways of communicating that are commonly used in everyday speech. However, there are some differences between the two.
Colloquial expressions are words and phrases used in casual conversation and are often specific to a particular region or group. They may be informal, but they are generally considered acceptable in most settings. Examples of colloquial expressions in English include “y’all,” “gonna,” and “wanna.” Below are some examples of colloquial expressions used by French natives in everyday speech:
Salut, ça va? (Hi, how are you?)
Je suis crevé(e) (I’m exhausted)
C’est trop cool! (That’s so cool!)
Ça roule (All good / Everything’s fine)
On se fait un truc ce soir? (Let’s do something tonight?)
Je suis à la bourre (I’m running late)
T’as vu le temps qu’il fait? (Have you seen the weather?)
C’est nul à chier (It sucks)
Je suis au bout du rouleau (I’m at the end of my rope)
Je suis claqué(e) (I’m tired / exhausted)
J’ai la flemme de faire ça (I don’t feel like doing that)
Il faut que je file (I have to go / run)
C’est pas mal du tout (It’s not bad at all)
Je suis en train de bosser (I’m working right now)
Je suis en mode relax (I’m in relaxation mode)
Ça me fait plaisir (That makes me happy)
J’ai besoin d’un coup de main (I need a hand)
Ça me casse les pieds (That’s annoying / bothersome)
Je suis à sec (I’m broke)
Je me sens bien (I feel good)
Slang, on the other hand, is more informal and often includes words and phrases considered vulgar or offensive. Slang can also be specific to a particular group or subculture and may not be widely understood outside of that group. Examples of slang in English include “lit,” “dope,” and “fam.” Some examples of slang used by native speakers of French every day include:
C’est chelou (That’s weird/sketchy)
T’es un ouf toi (You’re crazy / wild)
J’ai kiffé grave (I really enjoyed it)
Ouais: “yeah” or “yes.” It is an informal way of saying “oui,” the formal way to say “yes” in French.
C’est un truc de ouf (That’s insane / crazy)
J’me casse (I’m outta here / I’m leaving)
T’es en train de me prendre pour un jambon (Are you taking me for a fool?)
Je me suis fait niquer (I got screwed/ripped off)
Il est trop relou (He’s so annoying)
T’es vraiment trop chou (You’re really sweet / cute)
Je suis trop à l’ouest (I’m totally spaced out)
J’ai la dalle (I’m starving)
Ça déchire (That’s awesome / amazing)
Je suis en kiffe (I’m really into it)
C’est un plan foireux (That’s a bad plan)
Il est canon ce mec (That guy is hot)
Je suis trop vénère (I’m really angry)
Je vais me casser une patte (I’m going to break a leg / try hard)
J’ai grave besoin de fric (I really need money)
C’est mort (It’s hopeless / it’s not going to happen)
Ça pue du cul (That stinks / it’s disgusting)
Quoi de neuf: “What’s new?” or “What’s up?”. It is a common way to ask someone how they are doing or if anything new or interesting is happening in their life. It can be used as a greeting or as a conversation starter.
Please note that while some of these expressions are commonly used in informal conversation, others may be considered vulgar or offensive, so use them with caution and only in appropriate settings.
Here’s a mock conversation between two native speakers using some of the basic phrases and expressions:
Pierre : Salut Amélie, ça va ?
Amélie : Ça va, et toi ?
Pierre : Ça va bien. Quoi de neuf ?
Amélie : Rien de spécial. Hier soir, j’ai adoré le concert. C’était trop cool!
Pierre : Ah bon? Qui a joué?
Amélie : Un groupe de rock, Les Rats Noirs. Ils sont trop forts.
Pierre : Wow, c’est cool ! T’as pu prendre une photo avec le chanteur?
Amélie : Non, j’ai pas osé. Mais j’ai parlé avec lui après le concert.
Pierre : T’es un peu folle ! Moi, j’ai travaillé tout le week-end. C’était ennuyeux.
Amélie : Ah bon ? Pourquoi?
Pierre : J’ai besoin d’argent. Je cherche un nouveau boulot.
Amélie : Bonne chance pour ça. Tu cherches quoi comme travail?
Pierre : J’aimerais trouver un boulot dans l’informatique. Mais c’est pas facile.
Amélie : Ouais, c’est vrai. Et toi, tu fais quoi cette semaine?
Pierre : Rien de spécial. Mais peut-être qu’on pourrait sortir ce week-end?
Amélie : Oui, bonne idée ! On se tient au courant.
Pierre : OK, à plus tard!
Amélie : Salut!
Here’s the conversation between Pierre and Amélie in English:
Pierre: Hi Amélie, how are you?
Amélie: I’m good, how about you?
Pierre: I’m doing well. What’s new?
Amélie: Nothing much. I went to a concert last night, and it was amazing!
Pierre: Really? Who played?
Amélie: A rock band called Les Rats Noirs. They were awesome.
Pierre: Wow, that’s cool! Did you get a photo with the lead singer?
Amélie: No, I didn’t ask. But I got to talk to him after the concert.
Pierre: You’re crazy! I worked all weekend. It was boring.
Amélie: Why did you work all weekend?
Pierre: I need money. I’m looking for a new job.
Amélie: Good luck with that. What kind of job are you looking for?
Pierre: Something in IT. But it’s not easy.
Amélie: Yeah, I know. What are your plans for this week?
Pierre: Nothing special. Maybe we could do something this weekend?
Amélie: Yeah, that’s a good idea. Let’s keep in touch.
Pierre: OK, see you later!
Amélie: Bye!
Pro tip #1: Get a Dictionary
You can access so many more basic French words and phrases and their meanings using paid dictionaries such as the Collins-Le Robert Concise French-English Dictionary or free dictionary apps like Word Reference French English Dictionary.
Pro tip #2: Sign up for Forvo
We understand that it’s difficult to pronounce these words, phrases, and expressions. After all, what good are they if you can’t pronounce them correctly and use them in conversations? That’s where Forvo comes in.
Forvo is a website and app that provides user-generated pronunciations of words and phrases in various languages. It allows users to listen to how native speakers pronounce words and phrases, and it can be a helpful tool for language learners and anyone looking to improve their pronunciation.
Users can search for a word or phrase on the Forvo website or app and listen to audio recordings of native speakers pronouncing it. The recordings can be played back at different speeds, and users can also leave comments and ratings on the quality of the pronunciation.
Just sign up for a free account and listen to how native speakers pronounce words and phrases to up your pronunciation game.
These are some of the most essential and basic French words and phrases every beginner should learn. Of course, there is much more to the language, but by starting with these basics, you will quickly become comfortable speaking simple French and be able to communicate effectively in a variety of everyday situations. Remember to practice regularly and immerse yourself in the language as much as possible, and you’ll be on your way to fluency in no time!
So, what basic French word or phrase would you like to learn? Comment below, and let’s build our vocabulary together.
This is a nice one