Here are some basic French phrases which you can use in everyday conversation, as well as some common words you will see on signs.
| oui | yes |
| non | no |
| peut-être | maybe |
| s'il vous plaît | please (polite) |
| merci | thanks, thank you |
| merci beaucoup | thank you very much |
The following are some polite ways you can reply to someone who thanks you:
| je vous en prie | you're welcome (polite) |
| de rien | not at all |
Saying hello and goodbye
Here are some different ways to greet people:
| salut | hi (informal) |
| bonjour | hello (used during the morning and afternoon) |
| bonsoir | good evening (used after 6pm) |
The following expressions, on the other hand, are some different things you can say when saying goodbye:
| au revoir | goodbye |
| bonsoir | good evening |
| bonne nuit | goodnight |
| bonne soirée or bonne fin de soirée | have a good evening |
| à plus! | see you! |
| salut! | bye (informal) |
| à bientôt! | see you soon! |
| à plus tard! or à tout à l'heure! | see you later! (when you expect to see someone later in the day) |
| à demain! | see you tomorrow! |
| bonne journée! | have a nice day! |
| bon weekend! | have a good weekend! |
Getting someone's attention and apologising
| excusez-moi | excuse me (polite) (can be used to get someone’s attention, to get past someone, or to apologise) |
| désolé(e) or pardon | sorry |
If someone apologises to you, you can reply using one of the following expressions:
| pas de souci | no problem |
| ce n'est pas grave | it's OK (literally: it's not serious) |
| il n'y a pas de mal | it's OK |
| ce n'est rien or ça ne fait rien | it's OK |
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Making yourself understood
| tu parles anglais? | do you speak English? (familiar) |
| vous parlez anglais? | do you speak English? (polite) |
| vous parlez français? | do you speak French? (polite) |
| je ne parle pas français | I don't speak French |
| je ne parle pas très bien français | I don't speak French very well |
| je parle un peu français | I speak a little French |
| je parle juste un peu français | I only speak very little French |
| je parle très mal français | I speak French very badly |
| pourriez-vous parler plus lentement, s'il vous plaît? | could you speak more slowly, please? (polite) |
| pourriez-vous me l'écrire, s'il vous plaît? | could you write it down for me, please (polite) |
| pourriez-vous répéter cela, s'il vous plaît? | could you please repeat that? (polite) |
| je comprends | I understand |
| je ne comprends pas | I don't understand |
Other basic phrases
| je sais | I know |
| je ne sais pas | I don't know |
| excusez-moi, où sont les toilettes? or excusez-moi, où se trouvent les toilettes? | excuse me, where's the toilet? |
Things you might see
| Entrée | Entrance |
| Sortie | Exit |
| Sortie de secours | Emergency exit |
| Poussez | Push |
| Tirez | Pull |
| Toilettes | Toilets |
| WC | WC |
| Hommes | Gentlemen |
| Dames | Ladies |
| Libre | Vacant |
| Occupé | Engaged |
| Hors service | Out of order |
| Interdiction de fumer | No smoking |
| Privé | Private |
| Entrée interdite | No entry |
| French phrase guide | |
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| Page 1 of 21 | |
← Contents |
Emergencies → |
Sound is available for all the French phrases on this page — simply click on any phrase to hear it.