★ Free & Quick FRENCH Lessons | Common Words & Phrases for Beginners ★
Learn French Fast Online - For Work or Pleasure
French is a language which most of us learn throughout school, then never look at ever again. However, along with Italian, French is on my bucket list under 'things to learn before I die', so I thought I'd try to help anyone else who wants to learn by collecting the best internet resources together on one page.
If you are serious about learning French, I would definitely suggest you buy a CD/audio course, because pronunciation is key and this is an extremely hard thing to learn from just books (although owning a relevant book or 2 is necessary for learning spelling and the more technical aspects).
However, if you just want to learn the most useful French words and phrases to get by on your holiday in France, then this page should be all you need! I hope it proves useful :-)
French Lessons for Beginners
Top Books for Self-Teaching French
Why do you want to learn French?
Common French Words & Phrases
Yes/No = Oui/Non
"wee/noh"
Please = S'il vous plaît
"seel-voo-play"
Thank you = Merci
"mare-see"
Yes, please / No, thank you = Oui, s'il vous plaît / Non, merci
"wee, seel-voo-play / noh, mare-see"
You're welcome = Il n'y a pas de quoi
"eel nyah pah der kwah"
Pardon? = Comment?
"kom-mohn"
Here is/are... = Voici...
"vwah-see"
Hello (ma'am/sir) = Bonjour (madame/monsieur)
"bohn-zhoor, (mah-dahm/mer-syer)"
Hello = Salut (informal)
"sah-loo"
Good morning/afternoon = Bonjour
"bohn-zhoor"
Good evening = Bonsoir
"bohn-swahr"
Goodbye = Au revoir
"oh rer-vwahr"
Good night = Bonne nuit
"bonn nwee"
How are you? = Comment allez-vous?
"kom-mohn tah-lay voo"
Very well, thanks = Très bien, merci
"treh bee-ehn, mare-see"
What is your name? (polite/formal) = Comment vous appelez-vous?
"kom-mohn voo-za-peh-lay voo"
What is your name? (casual/informal) = Comment t'appelles-tu?
"kom-mohn tah-pell too"
My name is... = Je m'appelle ....
"juh mah-pell"
Nice to meet you = Enchanté(e) (has the extra 'e' at the end if you are female)
"ohn-shahn-tay"
Excuse me = Excusez-moi
"ex-koo-zay mwah"
Do you speak English? = Est-ce que vous parlez anglais?
"essker voo pahr-lay ahng-glay"
Can you help me? = Est-ce que vous pouvez m'aider?
"essker voo poovay may-day"
I don't understand = Je ne comprends pas.
"juh ner kohn-pron pah"
I don't know = Je ne sais pas
"juh ner say pah"
Sorry = Désolé(e)
"day-zoh-lay"
Where's the toilet? = Où sont les toilettes?
"Oo son lay twalet"
What time is it? = Quelle heure est-il?
"kel euhr ay-teel"
Where? = Où?
"oo"
When? = Quand?
"kohn"
How? = Comment?
"kom-mohn"
Why? = Pourquoi?
"poor-kwah"
Who? = Qui?
"kee"
Which? = Lequel?/Laquelle?
"ler-kell / lah-kell"
Where is...? = Où est...?
"oo ay"
How much/many? = Combien?
"kombee-an"
What's that? = Qu'est-ce que c'est?
"kessker say"
Where is the tourist information office? = Où est l'office de tourisme?
"oo ay loh-fees duh too-rees-muh?"
Where can I change some money? = Où est-ce que je peux changer de l'argent?
"oo es-kuh juh puh shongjay duh large-ohn"
I'm lost = Je suis perdu.
"juh swee pair-doo"
I'd like... = Je voudrais...
"juh voodray"
I want... = Je veux...
"juh ver..."
OK/Agreed. = ça va/d'accord.
"sah vah / da-korr"
That's fine. = C'est bien
"say bee-an"
Pouvez-vous répéter cela, s'il vous plaît?
Could you repeat that please?
Basic French Lessons
Learn French Online
- French Video Lessons
Many useful videos on different topics. - Basic Words & Phrases
Perfect for holidaymakers and tourists. - Wikipedia Guide
French lessons, info and exercises. - French Essentials
For people traveling to France. - Start Learning French
Includes grammar, spelling and vocab. - Brilliant BBC Videos
'Talk French' series of videos. - Basic French Phrases
With audio help. - More Basic Phrases
With pronunciation and audio clips. - Learn French Together
Brilliant blog which is written by a beginner, so you learn at a gradual pace.
Common French Words and Phrases
Useful French Vocab
French Lessons & Advice
- French Assistant
Beginner, intermediate and more advanced lessons. - Complete BBC French
Many different types of lesson to help you learn. - French Tutorial
16 chapters of tutorials. - e Language School
Huge lists of phrases sorted into categories. - My Happy Planet
Learn French from a native speaker. - French Pod 101
Lots of free videos. - Busuu
Interactive language lessons. - Babbel
Enjoy learning online. - Live Mocha
Largest language learning community. - The Corner French Bistro
Many beginner and intermediate video lessons.
Traveller's Survival French
Un verre de vin rouge/blanc"
A glass of red/white wine
Basic French For Your Holiday
Do you have...? = Vous avez...?
"voo za-vay..."
A room = Une chambre
"oon shaum-br"
A room with a double bed = une chambre avec un grand lit
"oon shaum-br ah-vehk uhn grawn lee"
A room for two people / one person = une chambre pour deux personnes / une personne
"oon shaum-br pour douh pair-sohn / oon pair-sohn"
The bathroom = La salle de bains
"lah sahl duh bahn"
From... to... = De... à ...
"duh... ah..."
Your name? = Votre nom?
"voh-truh nohm"
3 stars = Trois étoiles
"twos eh-twal"
I'd like a room with a bathroom = Je voudrais une chambre avec une salle de bain
"juh voo-dray oon shaum-br avek oon sahl duh bahn"
For 2 nights = pour deux soirs
"pour douh swa"
Do you have a table? = Vouz avez une table?
"voo-zavay oon ta-bler"
Are you ready to order? = Vous avez choisi?
"voo-zavay shwa-zee"
What is it? = Qu'est-ce que c'est?
"kes kuh say"
I'll take/have... = Je prends...
"juh pron"
The day's special = Le plat du jour
"luh pla duh zhoor"
And to drink? = Et comme boisson?
"ay kohm bwo-sohn?"
A tea = Un thé
"uhn tay"
A coffee = Un café
"uhn ka-fay"
With milk = Au lait
"oh lay"
A beer = Une bière
"oon byehr"
A jug of water = Une carafe d'eau
"oon karaaf doe"
The bill, please = L'addition, s'il vous plaît
"la-deeshon, seel voo play"
Is there/Are there...? = Il y a...?
"eel ee ah...?"
Near here = Près d'ici
"pray dee-see"
A bakery = Une boulangerie
"oon boo-lahn-zure-ree"
A grocer's = Une épicerie
"oon eh-pee-suree"
A chemist's = Une pharmacie
"oon farm-assee"
I would like... = Je voudrais...
"juh voo-dray..."
A kilo = Un kilo
"uhn kee-loh"
A bottle of... = Une bouteille de...
"oon boo-tayuh duh..."
How much is it? = C'est combien?
"say cohm-bee-an?"
That's all = C'est tout
"say too"
A ticket = Un billet
"uhn bee-yeh"
A single = Un aller simple
"uhn ah-leur sam-pluh"
A return = Un aller-retour
"uhn ah-leur reh-tour"
Where is it? = C'est où?
"say oo"
Here = Ici
"issee"
Straight ahead = Tout droit
"too dwah"
That way = Par la
"par lah"
Is it far? = C'est loin?
"say luh-wah"
To/on the right = À droite
"ah dwaht"
To/on the left = À gauche
"ah gawshe"
Opposite = En face
"ohn fass"
Breakfast = Le petit déjeuner
"luh puh-tee day-zhuh-nay"
Lunch = Le déjeuner
"luh day-zhuh-nay"
Dinner = Le diner
"luh deenay"
The menu = La carte
"lah kahrte"
Wine = Le vin
"luh van"
A glass / A bottle of red/white wine = Un verre / Une bouteille de vin rouge/blanc
"uhn vehr / oon boo-tayuh duh van rooje/blon"
A jug of wine = Un pichet de vin
"uhn pee-sheh duh van"
An orange juice = Un jus d'orange
"uhn joo d'orohnj"
A bottle of (still/fizzy) water = Une bouteille d'eau (plate/gazeuse)
"oon boo-tayuh doe (plaht/gah-zuhz)"
The Louvre Museum, Paris
