You don't need thousands of words to get by in French — you need the right phrases, ready to go. Here are the essentials, grouped by situation. Learn them as whole chunks and you'll sound natural fast.
Greetings & politeness
- Bonjour — Hello / Good morning
- Bonsoir — Good evening
- S'il vous plaît — Please
- Merci (beaucoup) — Thank you (very much)
- Excusez-moi / Pardon — Excuse me / Sorry
- Parlez-vous anglais ? — Do you speak English?
Getting around
- Où est... ? — Where is...?
- Je voudrais aller à... — I'd like to go to...
- C'est combien ? — How much is it?
- Je ne comprends pas. — I don't understand.
Eating out
- Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît. — A table for two, please.
- L'addition, s'il vous plaît. — The bill, please.
- Je voudrais... — I'd like...
In an emergency
- Au secours ! — Help!
- J'ai besoin d'un médecin. — I need a doctor.
Learn phrases, not just words. "L'addition, s'il vous plaît" is more useful than ten isolated nouns.
Learn the full set in context
Our French course teaches these phrases in real situations, with live pronunciation correction. Start free or see pricing.