France is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Millions of holidaymakers from all corners of the world flock to sample the delights of the City of Lights, descend the snow-clad slopes of the Alps, top up the tan on the Mediterranean beaches, or, for the more adventurous, discover the less well-trodden paths of the magnificent French interior. And wherever the tourists go, you can hear the old complaint, 'Great country, shame the locals were so rude!' But it needn't be so. In fact, in many cases a little linguistic effort will go a great way towards breaking the Gallic ice. Indeed, a few well chosen words in the vernacular will often meet with a reception warm enough to melt it altogether. So, without further ado, here are a selection of those phrases that, judiciously employed, may seriously improve your holiday!
You may also find the entry on French pronunciation helpful.
Everyday Phrases
| English | French |
|---|
| Yes | Oui |
| No | Non |
| Please | S'il vous plaît |
| Thank you | Merci |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moi |
| Sorry (apology AND request to repeat previous phrase) | Pardon |
| Hello | Bonjour |
| Goodbye | Au revoir |
| How are you? | Comment allez-vous? |
| I'm very well, thankyou. | Ça va bien, merci. |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais? |
| I don't understand. | Je ne comprends pas. |
| Could you speak slowly and clearly, please. | Pourriez-vous parler lentement et clairement, S'il vous plaît. |
| Could you repeat that please? | Pouvez-vous répéter cela, s'il vous plait? |
| Good evening (arriving or leaving) | Bonsoir |
| See you later. | A plus tard. |
| See you soon. | A bientôt. |
| Goodnight | Bonne nuit |
Introductions
| English | French |
|---|
| Delighted to meet you. | Enchanté de faire votre connaissance. |
| As a shorter alternative you can simply say: | Enchanté. |
| What is your name? | Comment vous appellez-vous? |
| My name is... | Je m'appelle... |
| There follows a series of nationalities given in the masculine form. | For the female form an 'e' is added to the end of the word, which affects the pronunciation. |
| Are you French? | Etes-vous français(e)? |
| I am ... | Je suis ... |
| ... English. | ... anglais(e). |
| ... American. | ... americain(e). |
| ... Irish. | ... irlandais(e). |
| ... Scottish. | ... écossais(e). |
| ... Welsh. | ... gallois(e). |
| ... Canadian | ... canadien(ne). |
| ... Australian. | ... australien(ne). |
| ... a New Zealander | ... néo-zélandais(e). |
| ... South African | ... sud-africain(ne). |
| ...German. | ... allemand(e). |
Mealtimes
| English | French |
|---|
| A meal | Un repas |
| Breakfast | Le petit déjeuner |
| Lunch | Le déjeuner |
| Dinner | Le diner |
| To order | Commander |
| To eat | Manger |
| To drink | Boire |
| The menu | La carte |
| A set menu | Un menu |
| Today's special | Plat du jour |
| Toasted cheese and ham sandwich | Croque-monsieur |
| The bill (US; the check) | L'addition |
| Is the tip included? | Est-ce que le service est compris?1 |
| Wine | Le vin |
| A glass/A bottle of red/white wine | Un verre/Une bouteille de vin rouge/blanc |
| A jug of wine | Un pichet de vin |
| A beer (usu 25cl draught lager) | Une bière (or 'un demi') |
| A large beer (50cl) | Un sérieux2 |
| A (small) coffee (usu an espresso) | Un (petit) café |
| A large white coffee (as compared to espresso) | Un grand café au lait |
| A cup of tea (tea comes black as standard, you'll need to specify if you want milk) | Un thé (au lait) |
| Bread | Du pain |
| An orange juice | Un jus d'orange |
| A jug of water | Une carafe d'eau |
| A bottle of (flat/fizzy) water | Une bouteille d'eau (plate/gazeuse) |
Questions
| English | French |
|---|
| I'm sorry to bother you, but... | Je suis désolé de vous déranger, mais... |
| Who | Qui |
| What | Quoi (or 'que' in many questions) |
| What is it? | Qu'est-ce que c'est? |
| When | Quand |
| What time is it? | Quelle heure est-il? |
| Where | Où |
| Where is the railway station? | Où est la gare? |
| Where is the tourist information office? | Où est l'office de tourisme? |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes? |
| Where can I find a city plan? | Où est-ce qu'on peut trouver un plan de la ville? |
| Where can I change some money? | Où est-ce que je peux changer de l'argent? |
| Where are the nearest public toilets? | Où se trouvent les toilettes publiques les plus près d'ici? |
| Which way is the town centre from here? | Il faut prendre quelle direction, pour aller vers le centre ville? |
| Why? | Pourquoi? |
| How much? | Combien? |
| How many? | Combien? |
| What are you doing? | Que faîtes-vous? |
| Is it allowed? | Est-ce permis? |
| Is it forbidden? | Est-ce interdit? |
Emergency
| English | French |
|---|
| Excuse me! | Excusez-moi! |
| Help! | Au secours! |
| Help me, please! | Aidez-moi, je vous prie! |
| I'm lost. | Je suis perdu. |
| Stop! | Arretez! |
| Police | La police |
| Ambulance | Le Samu |
| Fire-service | Les pompiers |
| Forbidden | Interdit |
Numbers
| English | French |
|---|
| one | un |
| two | deux |
| three | trois |
| four | quatre |
| five | cinq |
| six | six |
| seven | sept |
| eight | huit |
| nine | neuf |
| ten | dix |
| eleven | onze |
| twelve | douze |
| thirteen | treize |
| fourteen | quatorze |
| fifteen | quinze |
| sixteen | seize |
| seventeen | dix-sept |
| eighteen | dix-huit |
| nineteen | dix-neuf |
| 20 | vingt |
| 42 | Quarante-deux |
| 50 | Cinquante |
| 100 | cent |
| 1000 | mille |
| 10000 | dix mille |
| 74,357 | Soixante-quatorze mille, trois cent cinquante-sept |
1 In 99% of cases it will be.
2 This may vary from region to region
Home
