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 |
| Merci beaucoup | Thanks 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 |
| Bonne nuit | Goodnight |
| Bonne soirée! | Have a good evening! |
| Bonne fin de soirée! | Enjoy the rest of the evening! |
| À plus! | See you! |
| Salut! | Bye (informal) |
| À bientot! | 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 (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 |
| ce n'est rien or Ça ne fait rien | It's OK |
Making yourself understood
| Vous parlez français? | Do you speak French? |
| 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? | Please speak more slowly |
| Pourriez-vous me l'écrire, s'il vous plaît? | Please write it down |
| Pourriez-vous répéter cela, s'il vous plaît? | Could you please repeat that? |
| 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 |
| Toilettes | Toilets |
| WC | WC |
| Hommes | Gentlemen |
| Dames | Ladies |
| Libre | Vacant |
| Occupé | Occupied |
| Hors service | Out of order |
| Interdiction de fumer | No smoking |
| Privé | Private |
| Entrée interdite | No entry |
