Before anything else: bonjour
If there is one thing to take from this entire guide, it is this: say bonjour before you say anything else. Every time. Without exception.
French culture places genuine weight on the greeting. Walking into a boulangerie and asking for a baguette without first saying bonjour is considered dismissive — the equivalent of interrupting someone mid-sentence. It costs you nothing and changes everything about how you are received. Staff in tourist areas hear it so rarely from English-speaking visitors that it immediately marks you out as someone worth helping.
Bonjour (daytime) or Bonsoir (evening) opens every interaction. Merci and Au revoir close it. Everything in between is details.
At a restaurant or café
Eating out in France is one of the great pleasures of travel there — and one of the most anxiety-inducing moments for French learners. The good news is that restaurant French follows very predictable patterns. Learn these exchanges and you will handle nearly every table situation comfortably.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît. | ün TAH-bluh poor duh, seel voo PLAY | A table for two, please. |
| La carte, s'il vous plaît. | lah KART, seel voo PLAY | The menu, please. |
| Je voudrais… | zhuh voo-DRAY | I would like… (use this to order anything) |
| Qu'est-ce que vous recommandez ? | kes-kuh voo ruh-koh-MON-day | What do you recommend? |
| C'est quoi, exactement ? | say KWAH, eg-zakt-MON | What exactly is this? |
| Je suis allergique à… | zhuh swee ah-lair-ZHEEK ah | I am allergic to… |
| C'était délicieux. | say-TAY day-lee-SYUH | That was delicious. |
| L'addition, s'il vous plaît. | lah-dee-SYON, seel voo PLAY | The bill, please. |
| On paie séparément. | on PAY say-pah-RAY-mon | We're paying separately. |
How it sounds in practice — ordering at a bistro
Asking for une carafe d'eau gets you free tap water, which is perfectly fine to drink in France. If you just say de l'eau, you may be brought bottled water and charged for it. The distinction is worth knowing.
Asking for directions
Getting lost is part of travel. Getting un-lost in French is a surprisingly achievable skill, even at beginner level — because directions use a small, predictable vocabulary that repeats in every city.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Excusez-moi… | ex-kü-zay MWAH | Excuse me… (always open with this) |
| Où est… ? | oo AY | Where is…? |
| Comment aller à… ? | koh-MON ah-LAY ah | How do I get to…? |
| C'est loin ? | say LWAN | Is it far? |
| À gauche / À droite / Tout droit | ah GOHSH / ah DRWAHT / too DRWAH | Left / Right / Straight ahead |
| Au coin de la rue | oh kwaN duh lah rü | At the street corner |
| À combien de minutes à pied ? | ah kom-byaN duh mee-NÜHT ah pyay | How many minutes on foot? |
| Pouvez-vous répéter plus lentement ? | poo-vay voo ray-pay-TAY plü lon-MON | Can you repeat more slowly? |
Pouvez-vous répéter plus lentement, s'il vous plaît ? — "Can you repeat more slowly, please?" Learn this phrase well. Native speakers talk fast and will not automatically slow down. Asking them to is completely acceptable and they will.
Transport — trains, Metro, and buses
France has excellent public transport, and navigating it in French is very achievable. The vocabulary is consistent across cities — whether you're on the Paris Métro, a regional TER train, or a city bus.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Un billet pour [destination], s'il vous plaît. | uN bee-YAY poor… seel voo PLAY | A ticket to [destination], please. |
| Aller simple / Aller-retour | ah-LAY saNPL / ah-LAY ruh-TOOR | One-way / Return |
| À quelle heure part le prochain train ? | ah kel UHR par luh pro-shaN traN | What time does the next train leave? |
| Le train est à l'heure ? | luh traN ay tah LUHR | Is the train on time? |
| C'est quel quai ? | say kel KAY | Which platform is it? |
| Est-ce que ce train s'arrête à [ville] ? | es-kuh suh traN sah-RET ah | Does this train stop at [city]? |
| Je dois changer où ? | zhuh DWAH shon-ZHAY oo | Where do I change? |
| Cette place est libre ? | set PLAS ay LEE-bruh | Is this seat free? |
At the hotel
Most hotel staff in France speak some English, but making the effort in French — even imperfectly — tends to be met with warmth. These phrases cover check-in, common requests, and the situations that occasionally go wrong.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| J'ai une réservation au nom de… | zhay ün ray-zair-VAH-syon oh NOM duh | I have a reservation under the name of… |
| À quelle heure est le petit-déjeuner ? | ah kel UHR ay luh puh-tee day-zhuh-NAY | What time is breakfast? |
| Le wifi fonctionne-t-il ? | luh wee-fee fonk-SYON-teel | Is the wifi working? |
| Il y a un problème avec… | eel yah uN pro-BLEM ah-vek | There is a problem with… |
| Pouvez-vous m'appeler un taxi ? | poo-vay voo mah-play uN tak-SEE | Can you call a taxi for me? |
| Je voudrais prolonger mon séjour. | zhuh voo-DRAY pro-lon-ZHAY mon say-ZHOOR | I would like to extend my stay. |
| À quelle heure faut-il libérer la chambre ? | ah kel UHR foh-teel lee-bay-RAY lah SHOM-bruh | What time is check-out? |
Shopping
From a market stall in Provence to a patisserie in Lyon, shopping interactions in France are short but structured. Knowing how to ask about price, size, and availability will get you through the vast majority of situations.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je regarde, merci. | zhuh ruh-GARD, mehr-SEE | I'm just looking, thank you. |
| C'est combien ? | say kom-BYAN | How much is it? |
| Avez-vous ça en [taille / couleur] ? | ah-vay voo sah on [TY / koo-LUHR] | Do you have this in a [size / colour]? |
| Est-ce que je peux essayer ? | es-kuh zhuh PUH es-say-YAY | Can I try this on? |
| Je le prends. | zhuh luh PRON | I'll take it. |
| Vous acceptez la carte ? | voo zak-sep-TAY lah KART | Do you accept card? |
| Un sac, s'il vous plaît. | uN SAK, seel voo PLAY | A bag, please. |
Emergencies and essential help
You may never need these. But if you do, knowing them cold matters. Read through this section and commit the top few phrases to memory — not just to a notes app.
The emergency number in France is 15 (medical — SAMU), 17 (police), and 18 (fire). The pan-European emergency number 112 also works from any phone, including mobiles with no SIM.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Au secours ! | oh suh-KOOR | Help! |
| Appelez la police ! | ah-play lah poh-LEES | Call the police! |
| Appelez une ambulance ! | ah-play ün om-bü-LONS | Call an ambulance! |
| J'ai besoin d'un médecin. | zhay buh-ZWAN duN med-SaN | I need a doctor. |
| On m'a volé mon sac. | on mah voh-LAY mon SAK | My bag has been stolen. |
| J'ai perdu mon passeport. | zhay pair-DÜ mon pas-POR | I have lost my passport. |
| Je ne me sens pas bien. | zhuh nuh muh son pah byaN | I don't feel well. |
| Où est la pharmacie la plus proche ? | oo ay lah far-mah-SEE lah plü PROSH | Where is the nearest pharmacy? |
Four phrases that open every door
Beyond situation-specific vocabulary, there are four meta-phrases that help in virtually any encounter. They show goodwill, buy you time, and invite patience from the people you're speaking with.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je parle un peu français. | zhuh PARL uN puh fron-SAY | I speak a little French. |
| Je ne comprends pas très bien. | zhuh nuh kom-PRON pah tray byaN | I don't understand very well. |
| Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement ? | poo-vay voo par-LAY plü lon-MON | Can you speak more slowly? |
| Parlez-vous anglais ? | par-lay voo on-GLAY | Do you speak English? |
There is a right and wrong way to ask this. The wrong way is to ask it first, before attempting any French at all — which reads as an assumption that your language takes priority. The right way is to try in French, acknowledge your limitations with je ne comprends pas très bien, and then — if genuinely stuck — ask Parlez-vous anglais ? At that point, most people are happy to switch.
Quick-reference: 20 phrases to know before you go
Screenshot or print this before your trip.
From memorising phrases to having conversations
There is a gap between knowing a phrase and being able to use it in the moment — under a little pressure, with a real person responding in real time. That gap is closed through practice, not more reading.
The challenge with travel French specifically is that you rarely get the opportunity to practise before you go. By the time you're standing in a Parisian brasserie, it's not the moment to be testing phrases for the first time.
The most effective thing you can do between now and your trip is to have real French conversations — ordering, asking directions, checking in, making requests — in a low-stakes environment where getting it wrong doesn't matter. That is precisely what sessions with Clara are designed for.
Real French, learned through
real conversation.
French language confidence begins with a single conversation. Clara guides you through natural, adaptive sessions — no drills, no grammar tables, no pressure. Each session is built entirely around you and your progress. Grow from uncertain beginner to confident speaker, one short session at a time.
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