French phrasebook

French (français) is a Romance language, and one of the most widely spoken languages in the world: 220 million people speak French, including 115 million native speakers. The French language originated in France, but in the modern day it is spoken all over the world; it is an official language of 29 different countries, an important business, cultural, or minority language in dozens of other countries and regions, and is used officially by scores of international organisations including the United Nations, the European Union, and the International Olympic Committee. Although it's been largely supplanted by English these days, French was the main international lingua franca well into the 20th century, and at one point, French was the language spoken in most of the royal courts of Europe. To this day, it remains de rigueur for educated people in many societies around the world to have some level of basic French ability.

French speaking areas

Aside from France itself, French is widely spoken in many other parts of Europe, including the southern half of Belgium (Wallonia and Brussels), western Switzerland, Monaco and Luxembourg. A significant number of speakers are also found on most of the Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, and Sark but not Alderney, where the local Francophone community died out some time after the Second World War), the tiny Pyrenean country of Andorra, and the Aosta Valley of northwestern Italy.

Like Spanish and German, but unlike English, the French language is governed by an official regulator - L'Académie française. Headquartered in Paris (shown here), the Académie issues guidance and recommendations on good French, and its occasional spelling reforms are often controversial.

In the Americas, French is spoken primarily in the Canadian provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, the northern and eastern parts of Ontario and around the Winnipeg area of Manitoba. Although Canada is an officially bilingual nation and there are Francophone enclaves in almost every province, outside these four provinces, it's quite rare to encounter anyone in Canada who speaks more than a few words of French without hunting down those off-the-beaten-track French-speaking communities. French is also spoken in a few parts of the United States, namely parts of Louisiana and northern Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. French is also the official language of Haiti, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the northern half of Saint Martin, and French Guiana, all of which are, or used to be, French colonial possessions.

Elsewhere, French is an official language of many former colonies in Africa. It is an important administrative and cultural language in the former French Southeast Asian possessions of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. In Oceania, French is the sole official language of New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna, which remain overseas departments of France today, as well as one of the official languages of Vanuatu.

The varieties of French which are spoken in Belgium and Switzerland differ slightly from the French spoken in France, though they are similar enough to be mutually intelligible. In particular, the numbering system in French-speaking Belgium and Switzerland has some slight peculiarities that are significantly different from the French spoken in France. Nevertheless, all French-speaking Belgians and Swiss would have learned standard French in school, so they would be able to understand you even if you used the standard French numbering system.

There are many differences between the French spoken in Quebec and that spoken in France. The two main differences are that Quebec has retained many 18th- & 19th-century French words, while in France the language has incorporated many English words. Nevertheless, all Francophone Canadians, including Quebecois, learn standard French in school. This means that while you may not understand conversation among locals, they will be able to converse with you in standard French if required.

Aside from Europe & Canada, many French-speaking regions have incorporated the words of local languages and on occasion have formed distinctive dialects or languages known as Creoles.

The French Wikivoyage has a page that can help you locate French-speaking regions.

Grammar

French verbs conjugate differently according to tense, mood, aspect and voice. This means that there are many more possible conjugations for French verbs than English verbs, and learning how to conjugate each verb in different scenarios can be a challenge for English speakers.

French nouns are divided into 2 different genders: masculine and feminine. Unlike in English, all inanimate objects have a gender assigned to them (eg. pain (bread) is masculine; comédie (comedy) is feminine), and the article of each noun depends on its gender: le (m), la (f) or l' (before words starting with h or a vowel, regardless of gender). The plural definite article is les, for all genders. Similarly, third person pronouns also depend on the grammatical gender of the subject: il (m) or elle (f), with ils and elles being the masculine and feminine plurals, respectively. When there are groups of mixed-gender people or objects, ils is always used. The grammatical gender of nouns denoting persons generally follows the person's natural gender (eg. mère (mother) is feminine, père (father) is masculine), though some nouns are always of the same gender regardless of the natural gender of the person they are referring to (e.g. maire (mayor) is always masculine even if referring to a female mayor, personne is always feminine even if the person in question is a man).

In French, there are two equivalents of the English word "you". In informal situations, and when addressing children or pets, the word to use will be tu, while in formal situations, or when addressing a group of people regardless of circumstance, the word to use will be vous. It is important to know the distinction, as while addressing a pet dog with the vous form would sound ridiculous and be likely to amuse, using tu in a formal situation would be inappropriate and may offend the person whom you are addressing. After initially using the vous form, a person may say to you "On peut se tutoyer"; this is a polite invitation for you to use the tu form with them.

The default title used when addressing a man is monsieur, while a woman would be addressed as madame. Mademoiselle was traditionally used to address young, unmarried women, but this is now controversial and arguably sexist, so unless the other person tells you otherwise, it is best to default to madame. The respective plurals are messieurs and mesdames, so the French equivalent of "ladies and gentlemen" would be "mesdames et messieurs".

Pronunciation

French is often called the "language of Molière". The Parisian playwright is celebrated in stone on the city hall of his hometown.

Like that of English, and unlike almost all the other Romance languages, French spelling is not very phonetic. The same letter used in two different words can make two different sounds, and many letters are not pronounced at all. The good news, though, is that French generally has more regular pronunciation rules than English. This means that with sufficient practice, one can generally pronounce written French fairly accurately. However, the large number of homophones and silent letters make it such that attempting to write down spoken French often results in spelling mistakes, even for native speakers.

The final consonants of a word are usually dropped: allez (go) is pronounced al-AY, not al-AYZ; tard (late) is pronounced tar, not tard. But if the next word begins with a vowel, the consonant may be pronounced; this is called liaison. A final 'e' is also usually silent if the word has more than one syllable, except in parts of southern France, especially Toulouse.

Stress is fairly even in French, but the stress almost always falls on the last syllable.

For many French words, it is impossible to write something which, when pronounced as English, sounds like the French word. Use the transliteration as a guide to liaison and the French spelling to pronounce the vowels.

Vowels

Vowels in French can have accent marks, which generally have no noticeable impact on pronunciation, but they often distinguish between homophones in writing (ou, meaning or, and où, meaning where, are pronounced the same). The only really important one is é, which is always pronounced "ay", and changes the meaning of the word.

a, à, â 

like "a" in "father" (U.S. English) or "cat" (UK English); (IPA: a)

e 

in most cases a central neutral vowel ("schwa") like "a" in "about", sometimes not pronounced at all, sometimes like "é" or "è"

é, ai, -er, -es, -ez, -et 

é is similar to "ay" in "day" (IPA: e) but shorter

è, ê 

more nasal, like the e in "set" (IPA: ɛ)

i, î 

like "ee" in "see" but shorter and tenser (IPA: i)

o, ô, au, eau 

generally like "oa" in "boat" but never with a "w" sound at the end (IPA: o)

u, ù 

like a very tight, frontal "oo" sound (purse your lips as if to say "oo" as in "soon" but try to say "ee") - (IPA: y), uu in transcriptions, similar to the German ü

ou 

like "oo" in "food", but rounder (IPA: u)

y 

like "ee" in "see" (IPA: i) ; also sometimes used as a consonant, pronounced the same as in English (in 'yes' for example) (IPA: j)

eu 

between "ew" in "dew" and "u" in "burp"; written eu in transcriptions (IPA: ø)

Semi-vowels

oi 

like "wa" in "walk"

oui 

like "wee" in "week"

ui 

like "wee" in "week", but with a French u instead of the w

œ 

a bit like "eu" but more "open". The distinction between œ and "eu" is very subtle and often irrelevant.

Consonants

Most final consonants are silent except for c, q, f, l, and r (except in the combination "-er", normally found in verb infinitives). Sometimes, final consonants that are normally silent would be pronounced if followed by a word which starts with a vowel, a phenomenon known as liaison (eg. mes amis would be pronounced MEH-ZAH-MI). The plural ending "-ent" for verbs is never pronounced, though it is pronounced in other words.

b 

like bed (IPA: b)

c 

like skill (before "a", "o", and "u" or before a consonant, IPA: k), like sun (before "e", "i", and "y", IPA: s)

ç 

like second pronunciation of c (this letter can only be written before "a" ,"o", or "u")

d 

like dawn but pronounced with the tongue touching the teeth (IPA: d)

dj 

like jump; rare (IPA: d͡ʒ)

f 

like fun (IPA: f)

g 

like go (before "a", "o", and "u" or before a consonant, IPA: ɡ), like sabotage (before "e", "i" and "y" , IPA: ʒ)

gu 

like the first pronunciation of g (before "e", "i", "y"); if the u is to be pronounced, it will be written with a diaresis (e.g. aigüe)

gn 

like canyon. This is particularly difficult when followed by oi, as in baignoire (beh-NYWAR) "bathtub". (IPA: ɲ)

h 

silent, but may sometimes prevent a liaison with the former word

j 

like the second pronunciation of g

k 

like kill (only used for loanwords, IPA: k)

l, ll 

like like (IPA: l); some exceptions for "ll" in the combination "ille" (pronounced ee-yuh)

m 

like me (IPA: m)

n 

like nurse (but see Nasals below, IPA: n)

p 

like spill (IPA: p), never like pill

ph 

like f

q(u) 

most of the time k (not like quick); in some words like quick (generally before an "a") or the same but with a French u (generally before an "i")

r 

guttural (similar to a German "ch", IPA: ʁ)

s 

like second pronunciation of c

ch 

like bush (IPA: ʃ); sometimes like k (in words of Greek origin mostly)

t, th 

like stick (IPA: t), never like the, thin, or tick; in Quebec, like bits (IPA: t͡s)

tch 

like chat, very rare (IPA: t͡ʃ)

v 

like value (IPA: v)

w 

only in foreign words, mostly like wise (IPA: w) and sometimes like v (in particular, "wagon" is "vagon" and "WC" is "VC"!)

x 

either ks, gz or s

z 

like zero (IPA: z)

Nasals

an, en, em 

nasal a (not always pronounced as a nasal, especially if the n or m is doubled: emmental is pronounced as a normal "emm" sound) (IPA: ɑ̃)

on 

nasal o - distinguishing between this and "an" is tricky, it's a deeper, more closed sound (IPA: ɔ̃)

in, ain 

nasal è (IPA: ɛ̃)

un 

nasal eu (sometimes pronounced the same as 'in') (IPA: œ̃)

oin 

nasal "wè" (thus, coin is a nasalised "cwè")

Diphthongs

ail 

like "i" in "fight"

ill 

either literally, or like "y" in "three years", with some exceptions (ville is veel, fille is fiy)

Exceptions

• When there is an accent mark on "e", it prevents diphthongs. Letters should be pronounced separately, following the rule for the accented letter. Example: énergumène, (rowdy character), réunion (meeting).
• A diaeresis (¨) may also be used to prevent diphthongs on "e", "u" and "i". Example: maïs (Indian corn or maize).
• In the combinations "gue" and "gui", the "u" should not be pronounced: it is there only to force the prononciation of "g" as in "go". If the "u" is pronounced, a diaeresis is added on the 2nd vowel in older texts (eg. aiguë (sharp)), or on the u in official texts after 1990 (eg. aigüe).
• In the combination "geo", the "e" should not be pronounced, it is only there to force the prononciation of "g" as in "sabotage" (in the case the "e" should be pronounced, it is indicated with an accent mark as in géologie).

Phrase list

Basics

Common signs OPEN  Ouvert (oo-VAIR) CLOSED  Fermé (FEHR-may) OPENING HOURS  Horaires d'ouverture (Oh-RAIR doo-VAIR-tuur) ENTRANCE  Entrée (AHN-tray) EXIT  Sortie (sor-TEE) PUSH  Poussez (POO-say) PULL  Tirez (TEE-ray) TOILET  Toilettes (twah-LET) MEN  Hommes (om) WOMEN  Femmes (fam) DISABLED  Handicapés (on-dee-KAP-ay) EMERGENCY EXIT  Sortie de secours (sor-TEE duh suh-COOR) FORBIDDEN  Interdit, Défendu (ehn-tair-DEE, day-fahn-DUU) NO PARKING  Stationnement interdit (STAH-syonn-mon an-tair-DEE) YIELD / GIVE WAY  Cédez le passage (SAY-day luh pah-SAHZH) STOP  Arrêt (Ah-RAY) / Stop (stop)

Hello. (formal)

Bonjour. (bawn-ZHOOR)

Hello. (informal) 

Salut. (sah-LUU)

How are you? (formal) 

Comment allez-vous ? (koh-moh t-AH-lay VOO)

How are you? (informal) 

Comment vas-tu ? (koh-mahng va TUU); Comment ça va ? (koh-moh sah VAH)

Fine, thank you. 

Bien, merci. (byang, merr-SEE)

What is your name? 

Comment vous appelez-vous ? (koh-moh vooz AHP-lay VOO?); lit. "How do you call yourself?"

What is your name? 

(informal) Comment t'appelles-tu ? (koh-moh tah-pell TOO?)

My name is ______ . 

Je m'appelle ______ . (zhuh mah-PELL _____)

Nice to meet you. 

Enchanté(e). (ahn-shan-TAY)

Please. (formal) 

S'il vous plaît. (seel voo PLEH); Je vous prie. (zhuh vous PREE)

Please. (informal) 

S'il te plaît. (seel tuh PLEH)

Thank you. 

Merci. (merr-SEE)

You're welcome. 

De rien. (duh RYEHNG)

Yes. 

Oui. (WEE)

No. 

Non. (NOH)

Excuse me. 

Pardon. (pahr-DOHN); Excusez-moi. (ehk-SKEW-zay MWAH)

(I am) Sorry. 

(Je suis) Désolé(e). (zhuh swee DAY-zoh-LAY); Je m'excuse. (zhuh mehk-SKEWZ)

What's the time? 

Quelle heure est-il ? (kel euhr et-EEL?);

Goodbye 

Au revoir. (oh ruh-VWAHR)

Goodbye (informal) 

Salut. (sah-LUU)

I can't speak French [well]. 

Je ne parle pas [bien] français. (zhuh nuh PAHRL pah [byang] frahn-SEH )

Do you speak English? 

Parlez-vous anglais ? (par-lay VOO ahng-LEH?)

Is there someone here who speaks English? 

Est-ce qu'il y a quelqu'un ici qui parle anglais ? (ess keel-ee-AH kel-KUHN ee-see kee PAHRL ahng-LEH)/ Y a-t-il quelqu'un ici qui parle anglais ? (ee yah-TEEL kel-KUHN ee-see kee PAHRL ahng-LEH)

Help! 

Au secours ! (oh suh-KOOR)

Look out! 

Attention ! (ah-tahn-SYONG)

Have a nice day

Bonne journée (bon zhoor-NAY)

Good day / good morning 

Bonjour (bong̠-ZHOO(R))

Good evening. 

Bonsoir. (bng-SWAHR)

Good night. 

Bonne nuit. (bon NWEE)

Sweet dreams 

Faites de beaux rêves (FEHT duh bo REV)

I don't understand. 

Je ne comprends pas. (zhuh nuh KOHM-prahn pah)

Where is the toilet? 

Où sont les toilettes ? (OOH sohn leh twah-LET?)

How do you say _____ in French / in English? 

Comment dit-on _____ en français / en anglais ? (koh-moh dee-TONG _____ ahn frahn-SEH / ahn ahng-LEH ?)

What is this/that called? 

Comment appelle-t-on ça ? (koh-moh ah-pell-TONG SAH?)

How is that spelt? 

Comment ça s'écrit ? (koh-moh sah SAY-cree?)

Good 

Bon (m.) (bo(n)) / Bonne (f.) (bon)

Bad 

Mauvais (MO-vay) / Mauvaise (f.) (MO-vez)

Big 

Grand (m.) (gro(n)) / Grande (f.) (grond)

Small 

Petit (m.) (puh-TEE) / Petite (f.) (puh-TEET)

Hot 

Chaud (m.) (sho) / Chaude (f.) (shode)

Cold 

Froid (m.) (frwah) / Froide (f.) (frwahd)

Slow 

Lent (m.) (lo(n)) / Lente (f.) (lont)

Expensive 

Cher (m.) (shair) / Chère (f.) (shairr)

Cheap 

Bon marché (both genders) (bo(n) mar-SHAY)

Rich 

Riche (both genders) (reesh)

Poor 

Pauvre (both genders) (pov-ruh)

Problems

Leave me alone. 

Laissez-moi tranquille ! (lay-say mwah trahn-KEEL!)

Buzz off. 

Dégage ! (day-GAHZH!) / Va t'en ! (va TAHN)

Don't touch me! 

Ne me touchez pas ! (nuh muh TOOSH-ay PAH!)

I'm calling the police. 

Je vais appeler la police. (zhuh VAYZ a-pell-AY la poh-LEES)

Police! 

Police ! (poh-LEES)

Stop! Thief! 

Arrêtez ! Au voleur ! (ah-reh-TAY! oh vo-LEUR!)

Stop! Rapist! 

Arrêtez ! Au viol ! (ah-reh-TAY! oh vee-YOL!)

Help! 

Au secours ! (oh suh-KOOR!)

Fire! 

Au feu ! (oh FEUH!)

Help me, please!. 

Aidez-moi, s'il vous plaît ! (aih-day MWAH, SEEL voo PLEH!)

It's an emergency. 

C'est urgent ! (seh toor-ZHAHN)

I'm lost. 

Je me suis perdu(e). (ZHUH muh swee pehr-DOO)

I've lost my bag. 

J'ai perdu mon sac. (zhay pehr-DOO mon SAK)

I've lost my wallet. 

J'ai perdu mon portefeuille. (zhay pehr-DOO mon POHR-tuh-fuhye)

My things have been stolen. 

On m'a volé mes affaires. (o(n) ma vo-LAY may-zaf-FAIR)

Someone / This man / This woman is harassing me 

Quelqu'un / Cet homme / Cette femme me harcèle (kel-ku(n) / set om / set fam muh ar-SELL)

I'm sick. 

Je suis malade. (zhuh swee mah-LAHD)

I've been injured. 

Je me suis blessé. (zhuh muh swee bleh-SAY)

I need a doctor. 

J'ai besoin d'un médecin. (zhay buh-ZWAHN doon may-TSAN)

Can I use your phone? 

Puis-je utiliser votre téléphone ? (PWEEZH oo-tee-lee-ZAY vot-ruh tay-lay-FUN)

Call an ambulance. 

Appelez une ambulance. (ah-puh-lay oon OM-boo-lo(n)ss)

Call the fire brigade. 

Appelez les pompiers. (ah-puh-lay lay pom-PEE-ay)

Call the police. 

Appelez la police. (ah-puh-lay la poh-LEES)

Call the coastguard. 

Appelez les gardes-côtes. (ah-puh-lay lay garde cot)

What is it? 

Qu'est-ce que c'est ? (KES-kuh-SAY)

Numbers

0 

zéro (zairro)

1

un/une (uhn)/(uun)

2 

deux (deu)

3 

trois (trwah)

4 

quatre (kahtr)

5 

cinq (sihnk)

6 

six (sees)

7 

sept (set)

8 

huit (weet)

9 

neuf (neuf)

10 

dix (deece)

11 

onze (onz)

12 

douze (dooz)

13 

treize (trayz)

14 

quatorze (kat-ORZ)

15 

quinze (kihnz)

16 

seize (says)

17 

dix-sept (dee-SET)

18 

dix-huit (dee-ZWEET)

19 

dix-neuf (deez-NUF)

20 

vingt (vihnt)

21 

vingt-et-un (vihng-tay-UHN)

22 

vingt-deux (vihn-teu-DEU)

23 

vingt-trois (vin-teu-TRWAH)

30 

trente (trahnt)

40 

quarante (kar-AHNT)

50 

cinquante (sank-AHNT)

60 

soixante (swah-SAHNT)

70 

soixante-dix (swah-sahnt-DEES) or septante (sep-TAHNGT) in Belgium and Switzerland

80 

quatre-vingts (kaht-ruh-VIHN); huitante (weet-AHNT) in Belgium and Switzerland (except Geneva); octante (oct-AHNT) in Switzerland

90 

quatre-vingt-dix (katr-vihn-DEES); nonante (noh-NAHNT) in Belgium and Switzerland

100 

cent (sahn)

200 

deux cents (deu sahng)

300 

trois cents (trrwa sahng)

1000 

mille (meel)

2000 

deux mille (deu meel)

1,000,000 

un million (ung mee-LYOHN) (treated as a noun when alone: one million euros would be un million d'euros.

1,000,000,000 

un milliard

1,000,000,000,000 

un billion

number _____ (train, bus, etc.) 

numéro _____ (nuu-may-ROH)

half 

demi (duh-MEE), moitié (mwah-tee-AY)

less 

moins (mwihn)

more 

plus (pluus) / no more : plus (pluu) so this time, the "S" is mute

Time

now 

maintenant (ment-NAHN)

later 

plus tard (plew TAHR)

before 

avant (ah-VAHN)

after 

après (ah-PREH)

morning 

le matin (luh mah-TAN)

in the morning 

dans la matinée (dahn lah mah-tee-NAY)

afternoon 

l'après-midi (lah-preh-mee-DEE)

in the afternoon 

dans l'après-midi (dahn lah-preh-mee-DEE)

evening 

le soir (luh SWAHR)

in the evening

dans la soirée (dahn lah swah-RAY)

night 

la nuit (lah NWEE)

in the night 

pendant la nuit (pehndahn lah NWEE)

Clock time

The French use the 24-hour clock, with midnight being 0h00 (except on digital clocks, in France an 'h' is used as a separator between hours and minutes as opposed to a colon in many other countries). However, the 12-hour clock is making some inroads and saying 1-11 in the afternoon or evening will be understood.

hour 

heure (er)

minute 

minute (mee-NUUT)

From 1 minute past to 30 minutes past the hour

[hour] + [number of minutes]

Example: 10.20 or "twenty past ten" = 10h20; "dix heures vingt" (deez er va(n))

For 31 minutes past to 59 minutes past the hour 

[next hour] + moins (mwa(n))

Example: 10.40 or "twenty to eleven" = 10h40; "onze heures moins vingt" (onz er mwa(n) va(n))

quarter past 

[hour] et quart (ay kahr)

Example: 7.15 or "quarter past seven" = 7h15; "sept heures et quart" (set er eh kahr)

quarter to 

[hour] moins quart (mwa(n) kahr)

Example: 16.45 or "quarter to five" = 16h45; "dix sept heures moins le quart" (dee-set er mwan luh kahr)

half-past 

et demie (eh duh-MEE); et demi (after 12 midnight or 12 noon, eh duh-MEE)

Example : 10.30 or "half past ten" = 10h30; "dix heures et demie" (deez er eh duh-MEE)

Example : 12.30 or "half past twelve" = 12h30; "douze heures et demi" (dooz er eh duh-MEE)

one o'clock AM, 1.00 

1h00; une heure du matin (uun er duu ma-TAN)

two o'clock AM, 2.00 

2h00; deux heures du matin (dooz er duu ma-TAN)

noon, 12.00 

12h00; midi (mee-DEE)

one o'clock PM, 13.00 

13h00; treize heures (traiyz er)

une heure de l'après-midi (uun er duh la-preh-mee-DEE)

two o'clock PM, 14.00 

14h00; quatorze heures (KAH-torz er)

deux heures de l'après-midi (duz er duh la-preh-mee-DEE)

six o'clock PM, 18.00 

18h00; dix-huit heure (deez-weet ER)

six heures du soir (seez er duu SWAR)

half past seven PM, 19.30 

19h30; sept heures et demi (SET er eh duh-MEE)

dix-neuf heures trente (DEE-znuf er TRAHNT)

midnight, 0.00 

0h00; minuit (mee-NWEE)

Duration

_____ minute(s) 

_____ minute(s) (mee-NOOT)

_____ hour(s) 

_____ heure(s) (er)

_____ day(s) 

_____ jour(s) (zhoor)

_____ week(s) 

_____ semaine(s) (suh-MEN)

_____ month(s) 

_____ mois (mwa)

_____ year(s) 

_____ an(s) (ahng), année(s) (ah-NAY)

hourly 

horaire (oh-RAIR)

daily 

quotidien / quotidienne (ko-tee-DYAN / ko-tee-DYEN)

weekly 

hebdomadaire (eb-doh-ma-DAIYR)

monthly 

mensuel / mensuelle (mang-suu-WEL)

yearly 

annuel / annuelle (ah-nuu-WEL)

How long is your vacation? 

Combien de temps restez-vous en vacances ? (com-bee-AN duh ton res-TAY voo on VAH-kons);

I am in France for ten days 

Je reste en France pendant dix jours. (zhuh rest on frons pon-don dee zhoor)

How long is the journey? 

Combien de temps le voyage dure-t-il ? (com-bee-AN duh ton luh vwoi-YAHZH dyoor-TEEL)

It takes an hour and a half 

Cela dure une heure et demie. (suh-LAH dyoor oon er ay duh-MEE)

Days

Unlike English, the names of days are not capitalised in French:

today 

aujourd'hui (oh-zhoor-DWEE)

yesterday 

hier (yare)

tomorrow 

demain (duh-MAN)

this week 

cette semaine (set suh-MEN)

last week 

la semaine dernière (lah suh-MEN dehr-NYAIR)

next week 

la semaine prochaine (lah suh-MEN pro-SHEN)

French calendars normally start on Monday.

Monday 

lundi (luhn-DEE)

Tuesday 

mardi (mahr-DEE)

Wednesday 

mercredi (mehr-kruh-DEE)

Thursday 

jeudi (juh-DEE)

Friday 

vendredi (vahn-druh-DEE)

Saturday 

samedi (sahm-DEE)

Sunday 

dimanche (dee-MAHNSH)

Months

Unlike English, the names of months are not capitalised in French:

January 

janvier (ZHO(N)-vee-yeh)

February 

février (FEH-vree-yeh)

March 

mars (mars)

April 

avril (av-REEL)

May 

mai (meh)

June 

juin (zh-WA(N))

July 

juillet (zh-WEE-eh)

August 

août (oot)

September 

septembre (sep-TOMBR)

October 

octobre (oc-TOBR)

November 

novembre (no-VOMBR)

December 

décembre (deh-SOMBR)

Colour

Like in other Romance languages, nouns in French are either "masculine" or "feminine"; adjectives vary accordingly.

For instance, a lady may be « blonde » or « brunette » while a gentleman with hair of the corresponding hue is « blond » or « brunet ».

black 

noir/noire (nwahr)

white 

blanc/blanche (blahng/blahnsh)

gray 

gris/grise (gree/greez)

red 

rouge (roozh)

blue 

bleu/bleue (bluh)

yellow 

jaune (zhawn)

green 

vert/verte (verre/vehrt)

orange 

orange (oh-RAHNZH)

purple 

violet/violette (vee-oh-LEH/vee-oh-LET)

brown 

brun/brune (bruh/bruhn); marron (MAH-rohn)

pink 

rose (roz)

Transportation

Bus and Train

How much is a ticket to _____? 

Combien coûte le billet pour _____ ? (kom-BYAN koot luh bee-YEH poor)

One ticket to _____, please. 

Un billet pour _____, s'il vous plaît. (ung bee-YEH poor ____ seel voo pleh)

Where does this train/bus go? 

Où va ce train/bus ? (OO va suh trahn/boos?)

Where is the train/bus to _____? 

Où est le train/bus pour _____ ? (OO eh luh trahn/buus poor ____)

Does this train/bus stop in _____? 

Ce train/bus s'arrête-t-il à _____ ? (suh trahn/buus sah-reh-tuh-TEEL ah _____)

When does the train/bus for _____ leave? 

Quand part le train/bus pour _____? (kahn par luh trahn/buus poor _____)

When will this train/bus arrive in _____? 

Quand ce train/bus arrivera à _____ ? (kahn suh trahn/buus ah-ree-vuh-RAH ah _____)

the/this shuttle 

la/cette navette (lah/set nah-VET)

a one-way ticket

un aller simple (uhn ah-LAY SAM-pluh)

a round trip ticket

un aller-retour (uhn ah-LAY ruh-TOOR)

Directions

Where is / are _____? 

Où se trouve / trouvent _____ ? / (oo suh tr-OO-v _____)

...the train station? 

...la gare ? (lah gahr)

...the bus station? 

...la gare routière ? (lah gahr roo-TYEHR)

...the nearest metro / subway / underground station? 

...la station de métro la plus proche ? (lah stah-syon duh MAY-tro lah ploo prosh)

...the airport? 

...l'aéroport ? (lehr-oh-POR?)

...the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy? 

...l'ambassade américaine/australienne/britannique/canadienne ? (lahm-bah-SAHD a-may-ree-KEN/ka-na-DYEN/os-trah-lee-EN/ahn-GLEZ)

...the (nearest) hotel? 

...l'hôtel (le plus proche) ? (loh-tel luh ploo prosh)

...the town / city hall? 

...l'hôtel de ville ? (loh-tel duh veel)

...the police station? 

...le commissariat de police ? (luh com-mee-SAHR-ee-ah duh po-LEES)

...the tourist information centre? 

...le syndicat d'initiative ? (luh SAN-dee-kah dee-NEE-sya-teev) // l'office du tourisme ? // (Quebec) le bureau touristique?

...the nearest bank / ATM / automated teller? 

...la banque la plus proche ? (lah bonk lah ploo prosh) / le distributeur de billets le plus proche ?(luh dees-tree-buu-TEUR duh bee-YAY luh ploo prosh) / le guichet automatique? (In or near Quebec « la caisse » may refer to a credit union, « la caisse populaire » is the Désjardins group of credit unions specifically.)

...the market? 

...les halles ? (city or large town) / le marché ? (small town or village) (lay AL-uh / luh MAR-shay)

...the beach? 

...la plage ? (lah plaazh)

...the best bars? 

...les meilleurs bars ? (leh meh-YUHR bah)

...the best restaurants? 

...les meilleurs restaurants ? (leh meh-YUHR res-toh-RO(N))

Please could you show me it on the map? 

S'il vous plaît, pourriez-vous me l'indiquer sur la carte ? (SEE-voo-PLEH POO-ree-yeh-voo muh la(n)-DEE-keh syoor la cart

Is it far? 

C'est loin ? (seh lwa(n))

No, it's quite close. 

Non, c'est tout proche. (No(n) seh too prosh)

Straight on 

Tout droit (too drwah)

Turn right 

Tournez à droite (TOOR-neh a drwaht)

Turn left 

Tournez à gauche (TOOR-neh a gohsh)

Towards the... 

Vers le / la / les... (vehr luh)

Past the... 

Après que vous passiez le / la / les... (ap-REH kuh voo PASS-see-yeh luh / la / leh)

Before the... 

Avant que vous arriviez au / à la / aux (av-O(N) kuh vooz-a-REEV-ee-yeh o / a la / o)

Next to the... 

À côté du / de la / des (a COH-teh doo / duh la / deh)

Opposite the... 

En face du / de la / des (o(n) fass doo / duh la / deh)

The north 

le nord (luh nor)

The east 

l'est (lest)

The south 

le sud (luh suud)

The west 

l'ouest (loo-WEST)

Road 

Route (root)

Street 

Rue (ruu)

Intersection 

Carrefour (car-FOOR)

Traffic lights 

Feux (fuh) de circulation

Roundabout 

Rond-point (ro(n)-pwa(n))

Motorway 

Autoroute (oh-to-ROOT)

Railway 

Chemin de fer (shuh-MA(N) duh fehr)

Taxi

Taxi! 

Taxi ! (tahk-SEE!)

Take me to _____, please. 

Déposez-moi à _____, je vous prie. (DAY-poh-zay-MWAH ah _____, zhuh voo PREE)

How much does it cost to get to _____? 

Combien cela coûte-t-il d'aller à _____ ? (kahm-BYENG suh-LA koo-TEEL dah-LAY ah _____?)

Take me there, please. 

Amenez-moi là, je vous prie. (ah-MEHN-ay-mwah LAH, zhuh voo PREE)

Money

Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? 

Acceptez-vous les dollars américains/australiens/canadiens ? (ahk-sep-tay VOO leh doh-LAHR ah-may-ree-KANG/aws-trah-LYAHNG/kah-nah-DYAHNG?)

Do you accept British pounds? 

Acceptez-vous les livres Sterling ? (ahk-sep-tay VOO leh leevr stehr-LING?)

Do you accept credit cards? 

Acceptez-vous les cartes de crédit ? (ahk-sep-tay VOO leh kahrt duh kray-DEE?)

Can you change it (the money) for me? 

Pouvez-vous me le faire changer ? (poo-vay-VOO muh luh fehr SHAHNZHAY?)

Where can I get it (the money) changed? 

Où puis-je le faire changer ? (oo PWEEZH luh fehr SHAHNZHAY?)

Can you change a traveler's check for me? 

Pouvez-vous me faire le change sur un chèque de voyage ? (poo-vay-VOO muh fehr luh SHAHNZH suur ung shek duh vwoy-AHZH?)

Where can I get a traveler's check changed? 

Où puis-je changer un chèque de voyage ? (oo PWEEZH shahng-ZHAY ung shek duh vwoy-AHZH?)

What is the exchange rate? 

Quel est le taux de change ? (KELL eh luh TAW duh SHAHNZH?)

Where can I find a cash point / ATM? 

Où puis-je trouver un distributeur de billets ? (oo PWEEZH troo-VAY ung dees-tree-buu-TEUR duh bee-YAY?)

Eating

fixed-price meal 

menu (muh-NUU) à prix fixe

à la carte 

à la carte (ah lah KAHRT)

breakfast 

France: petit-déjeuner (ptee-day-zheu-NAY); Switzerland/Belgium/Canada: déjeuner (day-zheu-NAY)

lunch 

France: déjeuner (day-zheu-NAY); Switzerland/Belgium/Canada: dîner (dee-NAY)

tea (meal) 

thé (tay)

dinner/supper 

France: dîner (dee-NAY); Elsewhere: souper (soo-PAY)

I would like _____. 

Je voudrais _____. (zhuh voo-DREH _____)

I would like a dish containing _____. 

Je voudrais un plat avec _____. (zhuh voo-DREHZ ung plaht ah-VEK _____)

chicken 

du poulet (duu poo-LEH)

beef 

du bœuf (duu BUFF)

turkey 

de la dinde (duh lah DAND)

venison 

du cerf (duu SEHR)

veal 

du veau (duu vo)

duck 

du canard (duu can-AR)

rabbit

du lapin (duu lap-ANG)

fish 

du poisson (duu pwa-SONG)

salmon 

du saumon (duu saw-MONG)

tuna 

du thon (duu TONG)

whiting 

du merlan (duu mehr-LANG)

cod 

de la morue (duh lah moh-RUU)

seafood 

des fruits de mer (deh frwee duh MEHR); literally: "fruits of the sea"

dulse 

de la dulse (duh lah DUULS)

lobster 

du homard (duu oh-MAR), de la langouste (duh lah lan-goost) (rock lobster)

clams 

des palourdes (deh pah-LOORD)

oysters 

des huîtres (dez WEETR)

mussels 

des moules (deh MOOL)

snails 

des escargots (dez es-car-GOH)

frogs 

des grenouilles (deh gruh-NOOEY)

ham 

du jambon (duu zhahng-BONG)

pork 

du porc/cochon (dü POHR/dü coh-SHONG). cochon is much less formal.

boar 

du sanglier (dü sahng-GLYAY)

sausage 

des saucisses (deh saw-SEESS)

cheese 

du fromage (duu froh-MAHZH)

eggs 

des œufs (dehz UH)

one egg 

un œuf (un UF)

salad 

une salade (uun sah-LAHD)

(fresh) vegetables 

des légumes (frais) (deh lay-guum FREH)

(fresh) fruit 

des fruits (frais) (frwee (freh))

bread 

du pain (pang)

toast 

rôtis (roh-TEE)

coffee 

du café (doo kah-FAY)

tea (drink) 

du thé (doo tay)

juice 

du jus (doo zhuu)

fresh / sparkling water 

de l'eau plate / gazeuse (duh loh PLAT / gah-ZUHZ)

Note: If you ask for "water", you will get mineral water. To specify "tap water", say "eau du robinet" (OH doo roh-bee-NEH) or ask for a carafe of water "une carafe d'eau" (OON cahr-AHF doh).

beer 

de la bière (duh lah byehr)

red / white wine 

du vin rouge / blanc (doo vang roozh/blahng)

May I have some _____? 

Puis-je avoir du _____ ? (pweezh ah-VWAHR duu)

salt 

sel (sel)

black pepper 

poivre (pwavr)

garlic 

ail (aigh)

butter 

beurre (bur)

Excuse me, waiter / waitress? 

S'il vous plaît, monsieur / madame ? (seell voo PLEH mong-SYUH/ma-DAHM)

Note: "garçon" (boy) is offensive and should be avoided.

I'm finished. 

J'ai terminé. (zhay TAIRH-mee-NAY)

It was delicious. 

C'était délicieux. (seh-tay de-li-SYUH)

Can you please clear the plates? 

Pouvez-vous débarrasser la table, s'il vous plaît ? (poovay voo DEH-bahr-a-seh lah tah-bluh seel voo play)

The check (bill), please. 

L'addition, s'il vous plait. (lah-dee-SYOHN seel voo play)

Dietary requirements

I am _____. 

Je suis _____. (zhuh swee)

...vegan 

végétalien (vey-zhey-tal-YENG) (m); végétalienne (vey-zhey-tal-YEN) (f)

...vegetarian 

végétarien (vey-zhey-tar-YENG) (m); végétarienne (vey-zhey-tar-YEN) (f)

I do not eat eggs, milk, or cheese. 

Je ne mange pas d'œufs, de lait ni de fromage. (zhuh nuh monzh pah dehz, duh lay nee duh froh-MAHZH)

I do not eat meat, chicken, or pork. 

Je ne mange pas de viande, de poulet, ni de porc. (zhuh nuh monzh pah duh vee ahnd duh poo-LEH nee duh pohr)

I do not eat _____. 

Je ne mange pas_____. (zhuh nuh monzh pah)

...honey. 

de miel. (duh mee ehl)

...animal products. 

de produits animaux. (duh pro dwee ah nee mo)

...dairy. 

de laitage. (duh lay tazh)

...wheat. 

de blé. (duh blay)

...seafood. 

de fruits de mer. (duh frwee duh MEHR)

I do eat _____. 

Je mange _____. (zhuh monzh)

...grains. 

des céréales. (deh say-ray-ahl)

...vegetables. 

des légumes. (deh lay-guum)

...beans. 

des fèves. (deh fehv)

...fruits. 

des fruits. (deh frwee)

I only eat kosher / halal food. 

Je ne mange que de la nourriture kasher (casher, cachère) / halal. (zhuh nuh monzh kuh duh la noo-ri-toor CASH-eh / alal)

Bars

Do you serve alcohol? 

Servez-vous des boissons alcoolisées ? (sair-vay VOO day bwa-songz al-co-ol-ee-SAY)

Is there table service? 

Est-ce que vous servez à la table ? (Ess-kuh voo ser-VAYZ ah lah TAHBL?)

A beer/two beers, please. 

Une bière/deux bières, s'il vous plait. (...)

A glass of red/white wine, please. 

Un verre de vin rouge/blanc, s'il vous plait. (...)

A quarter liter of beer, please 

Un demi, s'il-vous-plaît. (...)

A pint, please. 

Une pinte, s'il vous plait. (oon peent, seel-voo-PLEH)

A bottle, please. 

Une bouteille, s'il vous plait. (...)

_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please. 

_____ et _____, s'il vous plait. (...)

whiskey 

whisky (...)

vodka 

vodka (...)

rum 

rhum (...)

water 

de l'eau (duh loh)

club soda 

soda (...)

tonic water 

Schweppes (...)

orange juice 

jus d'orange (joo d'or-AHNJ)

Coke (soda) 

Coca (koh-KAH)

One more, please. 

Un/une autre, s'il vous plait. (oon OH-truh, seel-voo-PLEH)

Another round, please. 

Un autre pour la table, s'il vous plait. (...)

When is closing time? 

À quelle heure fermez-vous ? (ah kell ER fer-MAY voo)

Shopping

Do you have this in my size? 

Avez-vous ceci dans ma taille ? (AH-veh-VOO say-SEE dan sma THAI)

How much (is this)? 

Combien (ça) coûte ? (COMM-bee-yen (SAH) coot)

That's too expensive. 

C'est trop cher. (say-TRO-shair)

Would you take _____? 

Pourriez-vous accepter _____ ? (poor-yay-VOOZ ahk-sep-TAY)

expensive 

cher (shehr)

cheap 

bon marché (bong mar-SHAY) (not declined. Elles sont bon marché.)

I can't afford it. 

Je n'ai pas les moyens. (zhe nay pah leh mwah-YAHNG)

I don't want it. 

Je n'en veux pas. (zhe nahng veu pah)

You're cheating me. 

Vous essayez de m'arnaquer. (vooz ess-ey-YE duh mahr-na-KAY)

I'm not interested. 

Je ne suis pas intéressé. (zhen swee pahz-ann-tay-ress-SAY)

OK, I'll take it. 

D'accord, je le/la prends. (dah-kor zhe luh/lah prahn)

Can I have a bag? 

Pourrais-je avoir un sac ? (poo-REHZH ah-VWAR ung sahk)

Do you ship (overseas)? 

Livrez-vous (outre-mer/à l'étranger) ? (leev-ray-VOO ootr-MEHR/ah lay-trahn-ZHAY)

I need... 

J'ai besoin... (zhay buh-ZWAHN)

...toothpaste. 

...de dentifrice. (duh dahn-tee-FREESS)

...a toothbrush. 

...d'une brosse à dents. (duun bross ah DAHN)

...tampons. 

...de tampons. (duh tahm-POHN)

...soap. 

...de savon. (duh sah-VOHN)

...shampoo. 

...de shampooing. (duh shahm-PWAHN)

...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen) 

...d'un analgésique (aspirine, ibuprofène);. (dun ah-nal-zhay-ZEEK (ahs-pee-REEN/ee-buu-proh-FEN))

...cold medicine. 

...d'un médicament pour le rhume. (dung may-dee-kah-MAHNG poor luh RUUM)

...stomach medicine. 

...d'un remède pour l'estomac. (dung ray-MED poor less-toh-MAHK)

...a razor. 

...d'un rasoir. (dung rah-ZWAR)

...batteries. 

...de piles. (duh PEEL)

...an umbrella. (rain) 

...d'un parapluie. (doon pah-ra-ploo-ee)

...an umbrella. (sun) 

...d'une ombrelle. (doon ohm-brehl-ee)

...sunblock lotion. 

...de crème solaire. (deh crehm so-LEHR)

...a postcard. 

...d'une carte postale. (doon kahrt post-AL)

...postage stamps. 

...de timbres. (duh TAHM-burs)

...writing paper. 

...de papier à lettres. (duh pap-YEH ah LEH-TR)

...a pen. 

...d'un stylo. (doon STEE-loh)

...English-language books. 

...de livres en anglais. (duh LEE-vruhs ehn ahngh-LEH)

...English-language magazines. 

...de revues en anglais. (duh REH-voos ehn ahngh-LEH)

...an English-language newspaper. 

...d'un journal en anglais. (doon zhoar-NAL ahn ahng-LEH)

...a French-English dictionary. 

...d'un dictionnaire français-anglais. (uhn deect-shee-ohn-AIR frahn-SEH ahng-LEH)

Authority

I haven't done anything wrong. 

Je n'ai fait rien de mal. (zhuh nay fay ree-AHN duh MAL)

It was a misunderstanding. 

C'est une erreur. (set uhn air-UR)

Where are you taking me? 

Où m'emmenez-vous ? (ooh mehm-en-EH voo)

Am I under arrest? 

Suis-je en état d'arrestation ? (SWEEZH ahn EH-tah dahr-es-ta-SYONG)

I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. (m) 

Je suis un citoyen américain/australien/britannique/canadien. (zhuh sweez uhn see-twa-YEN a-may-ree-CAN/os-trah-LYEN/bree-tah-NEEK/ka-na-DYEN)

I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. (f) 

Je suis une citoyenne américaine/australienne/britannique/canadienne. (zhuh sweez uhn see-twa-YEN a-may-ree-CAN/os-trah-LYEN/bree-tah-NEEK/ka-na-DYEN)

I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy or consulate. 

Je veux parler à l'ambassade ou au consulat américain/australien/britannique/canadien. (ZHUH vuh pahr-LAY ah lahm-ba-SAHD oo oh kon-soo-LAHT a-may-ree-CAN/os-trah-lee-AHN/ahn-GLEH/ka-na-DYAN)

I want to talk to a lawyer. 

Je voudrais parler à un avocat. (ZHUH vood-RAY par-lehr ah uhn AH-vo-caht)

Can I just pay a fine now? 

Pourrais-je simplement payer une amende ? (poo-RAYZH sampl-MANG pay-AY yn ah-MAHND)

[offering bribe] Will you accept this in place of my fine? 

Acceptez-vous ceci au lieu de mon amende ? (accept-eh voo suh-see oh LOO duh mon ah-MAND)

Note: Only consider attempting this in third world countries. Do not try to do this in European Francophone countries or in Canada as it will get you in worse trouble!