Essential French Phrases

Sometimes you don't have time to learn long lists of words and phrases. All you want to know are the bare essentials for communicating to get what you need, or where you need to go.

Here are the bare minimum of French words and phrases you need to know to survive.

Learn the Top 10 Phrases if you only have time for the barest minimum. If you need or want more, then take a look at the Top 20 Phrases, Top 30 Phrases and the Extra Phrases.

If you need help with pronunciation,
please see the Pronunciation Guide below.

Pronunciation help is provided in grey under each phrase .
A tilde (˜) over a vowel indicates a nasal vowel.
ə is a weak e as in brother.
ʀ is used for r to remind you that the r is pronounced in the back of the throat.
er is pronounced as in herd
ü is pronounced as u but forward in the mouth (see the Pronunciation Guide)

Here are ten easy phrases to get you started ...

The Top 10 ...

Bonjour.
bõzhuʀ.

Hello.
Au revoir.
o ʀvwaʀ.
Goodbye.
Parlez-vous anglais ?
paʀle vu ãngle?
Do you speak English?
Je ne comprends pas.
zhə nə kõpʀã pa.
I don't understand.
Un peu.
ẽ per.
A little.
Oui. Non.
wi. nõ.
Yes. No.
C'est combien ?
se kõbiẽ?

How much is it?
Trop cher. D'accord.
tʀo sheʀ. dakoʀ.
Too expensive. OK.
S'il vous plaît.
si vu ple.
Please.
Merci (beaucoup).
meʀsi (boku).
Thank you (very much).

Here are ten more phrases that will help you make new friends and ask for directions ...

The Top 20 ...

Comment vous appelez-vous ?
komã vu zaple vu?
What is your name?
Je m'appelle ...
zhə mapel ...
My name is ...
Comment allez-vous ?
komã tale vu?
How are you?
Bien. Et vous ?
biẽ. e vu?
Fine. And you?
Où est ...?
u e ...?
Where is ...?
Où sont les toilettes ? Messieurs/Dames
u sõ le twalet? mes-yer/dam
Where is the toilet? Men/Women
Pardon. Excusez-moi.
paʀdõ. eksküze mwa.
Sorry. Excuse me.
Pas de problème.
Sans problème.
pad pʀoblem.
sã pʀoblem.
No problem.
Je veux ...
zhə ver ...
I want ...
Je ne veux pas ...
zhə nə ver pa ...
I don't want ...

Here are another ten phrases to help you make a little more conversation and to get around ...

The Top 30 ...

Vous venez d'où ?
vu vəne du?
Where are you from?
Je viens d'Australie.*
zhə viẽ dostʀali.
I am from Australia.
L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
ladisiõ, si vu ple.
The bill, please.
Je suis perdu. (man)
Je suis perdue. (woman)
zhə swi peʀdü.
I am lost.
Arrêtez-vous ! Attendez !
aʀete. atãde.
Stop! Wait!
Ici, là, là-bas.
isi. la. laba.
Here, there, over there.
Taxi. Hôtel. Aéroport. Gare.
taksi. otel. a-eʀopoʀ. gaʀ.
Taxi. Hotel. Airport. Station.
J'aime ...
zhem ...
I like ...
Je n'aime pas ...
zhə nem pa ...
I don't like ...

un**, deux, trois, quatre, cinq.
ẽ. der. tʀwa. katʀ, sẽk.
one, two, three, four, five.
six, sept, huit, neuf, dix.
sis, set, wit, nerf, dis.
six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

** Use un before a masculine noun.
Use une before a feminine noun.

*Or choose your country:
d'Amérique - from America
dameʀik
du Canada - from Canada
dü kanada
d'Angleterre - from England
dãgləteʀ
d'Irlande - from Ireland
diʀlãd
de Nouvelle-Zélande - from New Zealand
də nuvel zelãd

Here are some extra words and phrases you might find useful, especially if you have dietary needs or allergies ...

Useful Extras ...

À votre santé !
À la vôtre !
Santé!
a votʀə sãte!
a la votʀ!
sãte!
Cheers!

bon / mauvais
bõ / move
good / bad
grand / petit
grã / pəti
big / small
proche / loin
pʀosh / lwẽ
near / far
moins / plus
mwẽ / plü(s)
less / more
encore un / assez
ãkoʀ ẽ / ase
another / enough

Je suis végétarien. (man)
Je suis végétarienne. (woman)
zhə swi vezhetaʀi-ẽ.
zhə swi vezhetaʀi-en.
I am vegetarian.
Je ne mange pas de viande.
zhə nə mãzh pad viãd.
I don't eat meat.
... poulet.
... pule.
... chicken.
... poisson.
... pwasõ.
... fish.

Je suis allergique aux noix.
Je suis allergique aux fruits secs.
zhə swi aleʀzhik o nwa.
zhə swi aleʀzhik o fʀwi sek.
I am allergic to nuts.
... aux cacahuètes.
... o kakawet.
... to peanuts.
... au poisson.
... o pwasõ.
... to fish.
... aux fruits de mer.
... o fʀwi de meʀ.
... to seafood.
... aux œufs.
... o zer.
... eggs.

Pronunciation Guide

Vowels:
ai is pronounced as e, like an Italian e (IPA e)
ais and ait are pronounced as e as in pet (ɛ)
an is pronounced as a nasal a (ɑ̃)
au is pronounced as o as in note (IPA o)
unstressed e is pronounced as e as in brother (ə)
é is pronounced as e, like an Italian e (IPA e)
ê is pronounced as e as in pet (ɛ)
eau is pronounced a o as in note (IPA o)
en when at the end of a word is pronounced as a nasal ɛ (ɛ̃)
but the word en is pronounced as ã
eu and œu are pronounced as ir as in bird (ø)
er at the end of a word is usually pronounced as e, like an Italian e, the r is silent
eur is pronounced as ur as in hurt (œʁ)
ill is prononounced as i + y (IPA ij)
in is pronounced as a nasal ɛ (ɛ̃)
oi is pronounced as wa
on is pronounced as a nasal ɔ (ɔ̃)
ou is pronounced as u as oo as in pool (IPA u)
u is pronounced as German ü, ie. an i with rounded lips (IPA y)
un is pronounced as a nasal ɛ (ɛ̃) or as a nasal œ by some speakers (œ̃)

Consonants:
ch is pronounced as sh as in shop (ʃ)
gn is pronounced as ny as in canyon (ɲ)
j is pronounced as s as in pleasure (ʒ)
r is pronounced as a voiced uvular fricative as in Portuguese (ʁ)
r at the end of a word is usually pronounced,
eg. bonjour = bɔ̃ʒuʁ, see er above

Consonants at the end of a word (not followed by a vowel) are usually silent,
eg. d'accord = dakɔʁ
parlez-vous anglais? = paʁle vu ɑ̃glɛ?
je ne comprends pas = ʒə nə kɔ̃pʁɑ̃ pa
c'est combien? = se kɔ̃biɛ̃?
merci beaucoup = mɛʁsi boku
où est ... ? = u e ... ?

Please note that when words are combined final silent consonants may be sounded as
part of the next word if it begins with a vowel, this is called ellision,
eg. comment allez-vous? = komɑ̃ tale-vu?
comment vous appelez-vous? = komɑ̃ vu zaple vu?

Please note:
en is pronounced as ɑ̃
the final consonants are sounded in bonjour, cher, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix, plus (when used an adverb at the end of a sentence when used in the sense of "more", but not when used in the sense of "no longer")