Learning French phrases is a good way to speak the language more confidently. Beginners can start having conversations by mastering a handful of basic phrases and everyday expressions. Use these phrases as building blocks, and you can start navigating real-life situations in French.
Key Takeaways
- Learning basic French phrases is one of the fastest ways to start speaking confidently, even as a complete beginner.
- Mastering greetings, introductions, travel expressions, and everyday questions helps you communicate naturally in real-life situations.
- France relies heavily on polite language, so expressions like s’il vous plaît, merci, and pardon are essential when speaking with locals.
- Many common French phrases have multiple meanings depending on context, especially in casual or colloquial conversation.
- Idiomatic expressions such as du coup, bref, avoir le cafard, and laisse tomber appear everywhere in spoken French and deepen your cultural understanding.
- Travel-friendly phrases for directions, cafés, and transport make navigating France much easier and reduce communication misunderstandings.
- Talking about dates, hours, and appointments helps you manage schedules, plan meetings, and interact in everyday practical situations.
- With consistent practice and exposure to native speech, you can recognise and use these phrases more naturally and confidently.
Basic French Phrases Every Beginner Should Learn
Before you even start looking at complex French grammar, you can benefit a lot from simple, practical expressions. These are the basic French phrases you can use to start learning French as a foundation for everyday communication. Memorise them and you'll soon master greetings, introductions, and polite expressions.
Learning basic French phrases helps you understand rhythm, pronunciation patterns, and natural sentence flow. Focus on short everyday expressions first so you can start speaking quickly and confidently.
Essential French Greetings and Polite Expressions
- Bonjour — hello (literally “good day”)
- Bonsoir — used when leaving in the evening; closer to “goodnight”
- Bonne nuit — good night (only before going to bed)
- Au revoir — goodbye (literally “until we see each other again”)
- Bon voyage — have a good trip
- S’il vous plaît — please (formal)
- Merci — thank you
- Merci beaucoup — thank you very much
Basic French Phrases for Introductions
- Comment allez-vous ? — how are you? (formal)
- Ça va ? — how’s it going? (informal)
- Allez-vous bien ? — are you well?
- Quel est votre nom ? — what is your name? (formal)
- Comment t’appelles-tu ? — what’s your name? (informal)
Everyday French Conversation Starters
- Pardonnez-moi, parlez-vous anglais ? — excuse me, do you speak English?
- Où puis-je trouver… ? — where can I find…?
- Combien cela coûte-t-il ? — how much does it cost? (formal)
- Combien ça coûte ? — how much is it? (informal)
- Est-ce qu’il s’arrête à… ? — does this stop at…?
- Je suis perdu(e) — I am lost
- Est-ce que vous pourriez me montrer où je suis ? — can you show me where I am?
- Avez-vous une carte anglaise ? — do you have an English menu/map?
Common French Phrases Used in Real Conversations
If you need to learn French fast, here are the French phrases you can use for real conversations. Talk about times, dates, and appointments, which is more common than you might think. These are the expressions you'll use to organise your day, plan meetings, and understand instructions.
Useful French Phrases You’ll Hear in France
- C’est vrai ? — really? / is that true?
- Pas de souci — no problem
- À tout à l’heure — see you later
- À demain — see you tomorrow
French Expressions With Multiple Meanings
- Du coup — so / as a result
- Quand même — still / honestly / after all
- Et puis — and also / what’s more
Everyday Colloquial French You Don’t Learn in Class
- Bref — in short
- Ça roule ? — all good?
- Comme d’hab — as usual
- Ça te dit ? — do you feel like it? (literally “does it speak to you?”)
- N’importe quoi — nonsense / rubbish (literally “whatever/anything”)
French speakers worldwide.
French Travel Phrases for Getting Around in France
Travelling is when most people will use their language skills. Use these expressions in streets, cafés, and on public transport. Ask for directions, order food, and understand key information during a trip to a French-speaking country. Boost your learning with some fun French language games.
Asking for Directions and Navigating French Cities
- À gauche — to the left
- À droite — to the right
- Tout droit — straight ahead
Most people in France appreciate polite language. Adding “s’il vous plaît” or “pardon” makes a big difference when asking for help, ordering food, or navigating busy cities.
Phrases for Cafés, Restaurants, and Shops
- Je voudrais… — I would like…
- L’addition, s’il vous plaît — the bill, please
- Est-ce que vous avez… ? — do you have… ?
- C’est combien ? — how much is it?
- Un café, s’il vous plaît — a coffee, please
- Vous prenez la carte ? — do you take card payments?
- Je regarde seulement — I’m just looking
- C’est ouvert jusqu’à quelle heure ? — until what time are you open?
- Vous pouvez recommander quelque chose ? — can you recommend something?
Transport-Related French Phrases
- Dix-sept heures — 5 PM (literally “17 hours”)
- Un quart d’heure — a quarter of an hour
- Une demi-heure — half an hour
- Un billet pour Paris, s’il vous plaît — a ticket to Paris, please
- Où est la gare ? — where is the train station?
- Ce bus va où ? — where does this bus go?
- C’est quelle ligne ? — which line is it?
- Je descends ici — I’m getting off here
- À quelle heure part le train ? — what time does the train leave?
- Est-ce que ce train est direct ? — is this a direct train?
- Où est l’arrêt de bus ? — where is the bus stop?
French Phrases for Telling Time, Dates, and Daily Activities
Talking about routines and daily routines is a great way to start using language skills. Here's some key French vocabulary for times, dates, and appointments. The great thing about these expressions is that you can use them whether you're visiting a French-speaking country or living there and you'll hear them a lot in French movies and on TV!
Days of the Week and Times of Day
- Lundi — Monday (Moon day)
- Mardi — Tuesday (Mars’ day)
- Mercredi — Wednesday (Mercury’s day)
- Jeudi — Thursday (Juno’s day)
- Vendredi — Friday (Venus’ day)
- Samedi — Saturday (Sabbath day)
- Dimanche — Sunday (Lord’s day)
Useful Phrases for Making Appointments
- Je suis en retard — I’m running late
- Nous commençons à quelle heure ? — what time are we starting?
- On se voit quand ? — when shall we meet?
- C’est urgent — it’s urgent
- Ce n’est pas pressé — no rush
- Vous êtes disponible quand ? — when are you available?
- On peut fixer un rendez-vous ? — can we set an appointment?
- À quelle date ? — on what date?
Fun and Idiomatic French Expressions You’ll Actually Hear
These may be tricky for absolute beginners, but they're fun to throw into conversation. Impress some French-speaking friends with a niche idiomatic expression. These expressions are also a gateway to French-speaking culture, and you'll see them in popular media like French newspapers, TV shows, and magazines.
French idioms rarely translate word-for-word into English. Learning them helps you understand humour, cultural references, and informal conversations you’ll hear in everyday French life.
Colourful French Idioms Explained
- À la Saint-Glinglin — never
- Les mouettes ont pied — the glass is empty (literally “the seagulls can stand”)
- J’en mettrais ma main au feu — I swear it / I’m certain (literally “I’d put my hand in the fire”)
- Haut comme trois pommes — very small child (literally “as tall as three apples”)
French Phrases for Frustration and Emotion
- Ça me gonfle — I’m so annoyed (literally “it inflates me”)
- Ça m’énerve — it annoys me
- Ras-le-bol — I’ve had enough (literally “bowl full to the brim”)
- J’en ai marre — I’m fed up
- Avoir le cafard — to feel blue (literally “to have the cockroach”)
- Avoir la moutarde qui monte au nez — getting angry (literally “mustard rising to the nose”)
- Mêle-toi de tes oignons — mind your own business (literally “mind your onions”)
- Laisse tomber — forget it / let it go (literally “let it fall”)
- Revenons à nos moutons — let’s get back on topic (literally “back to our sheep”)
words in French.
| Phrase | English Meaning | Literal Translation | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonjour | Hello | Good day | Formal/Neutral |
| Bonsoir | Good evening (when leaving) | Formal/Neutral | |
| Bonne nuit | Good night | Only before bed | Neutral |
| Au revoir | Goodbye | Until we see each other again | Neutral |
| Bon voyage | Have a good trip | Neutral | |
| S’il vous plaît | Please | Formal | |
| Merci | Thank you | Neutral | |
| Merci beaucoup | Thank you very much | Neutral | |
| Comment allez-vous ? | How are you? | Formal | |
| Ça va ? | How’s it going? | Informal | |
| Allez-vous bien ? | Are you well? | Formal | |
| Quel est votre nom ? | What is your name? | Formal | |
| Comment t’appelles-tu ? | What’s your name? | Informal | |
| Pardonnez-moi, parlez-vous anglais ? | Excuse me, do you speak English? | Formal | |
| Où puis-je trouver… ? | Where can I find… ? | Formal | |
| Combien cela coûte-t-il ? | How much does it cost? | Formal | |
| Combien ça coûte ? | How much is it? | Informal | |
| Est-ce qu’il s’arrête à… ? | Does this stop at…? | Neutral | |
| Je suis perdu(e) | I am lost | Neutral | |
| Est-ce que vous pourriez me montrer où je suis ? | Can you show me where I am? | Formal | |
| Avez-vous une carte anglaise ? | Do you have an English menu/map? | Neutral | |
| C’est vrai ? | Really? / Is that true? | Neutral | |
| Pas de souci | No problem | Informal | |
| À tout à l’heure | See you later | Neutral | |
| À demain | See you tomorrow | Neutral | |
| Du coup | So / as a result | Colloquial | |
| Quand même | Still / honestly / after all | Colloquial | |
| Et puis | And also / what’s more | Neutral | |
| Bref | In short | Colloquial | |
| Ça roule ? | All good? | Colloquial | |
| Comme d’hab | As usual | Short for 'comme d’habitude' | Colloquial |
| Ça te dit ? | Do you feel like it? | Does it speak to you? | Informal |
| N’importe quoi | Rubbish / nonsense | Whatever / anything | Informal |
| À gauche | To the left | Neutral | |
| À droite | To the right | Neutral | |
| Tout droit | Straight ahead | Neutral | |
| Je voudrais… | I would like… | Polite | |
| L’addition, s’il vous plaît | The bill please | Polite | |
| Est-ce que vous avez… ? | Do you have… ? | Neutral | |
| C’est combien ? | How much is it? | Neutral | |
| Un café, s’il vous plaît | A coffee please | Polite | |
| Vous prenez la carte ? | Do you take card payments? | Neutral | |
| Je regarde seulement | I’m just looking | Neutral | |
| C’est ouvert jusqu’à quelle heure ? | Until what time are you open? | Neutral | |
| Vous pouvez recommander quelque chose ? | Can you recommend something? | Neutral | |
| Dix-sept heures | 5 PM | 17 hours | Neutral |
| Un quart d’heure | A quarter of an hour | Neutral | |
| Une demi-heure | Half an hour | Neutral | |
| Un billet pour Paris, s’il vous plaît | A ticket to Paris please | Polite | |
| Où est la gare ? | Where is the train station? | Neutral | |
| Ce bus va où ? | Where does this bus go? | Informal | |
| C’est quelle ligne ? | Which line is it? | Neutral | |
| Je descends ici | I’m getting off here | Neutral | |
| À quelle heure part le train ? | What time does the train leave? | Neutral | |
| Est-ce que ce train est direct ? | Is this train direct? | Neutral | |
| Où est l’arrêt de bus ? | Where is the bus stop? | Neutral | |
| Lundi | Monday | Moon day | Neutral |
| Mardi | Tuesday | Day of Mars | Neutral |
| Mercredi | Wednesday | Day of Mercury | Neutral |
| Jeudi | Thursday | Day of Juno | Neutral |
| Vendredi | Friday | Day of Venus | Neutral |
| Samedi | Saturday | Sabbath day | Neutral |
| Dimanche | Sunday | Lord’s day | Neutral |
| Je suis en retard | I’m running late | Neutral | |
| Nous commençons à quelle heure ? | What time are we starting? | Neutral | |
| On se voit quand ? | When shall we meet? | Informal | |
| C’est urgent | It’s urgent | Neutral | |
| Ce n’est pas pressé | No rush | Neutral | |
| Vous êtes disponible quand ? | When are you available? | Formal | |
| On peut fixer un rendez-vous ? | Can we set an appointment? | Neutral | |
| À quelle date ? | On what date? | Neutral | |
| À la Saint-Glinglin | Never | N/A (fictional saint) | Colloquial |
| Les mouettes ont pied | Your glass is empty | The seagulls can stand | Colloquial |
| J’en mettrais ma main au feu | I swear it | I’d put my hand in the fire | Colloquial |
| Haut comme trois pommes | Very small child | As tall as three apples | Neutral/Colloquial |
| Ça me gonfle | I’m so annoyed | It inflates me | Colloquial |
| Ça m’énerve | It annoys me | Colloquial | |
| Ras-le-bol | I’ve had enough | Bowl full to the brim | Colloquial |
| J’en ai marre | I’m fed up | Colloquial | |
| Avoir le cafard | To feel blue | To have the cockroach | Colloquial |
| Avoir la moutarde qui monte au nez | Getting angry | Mustard rising to the nose | Colloquial |
| Mêle-toi de tes oignons | Mind your own business | Mind your onions | Colloquial |
| Laisse tomber | Forget it / let it go | Let it fall | Informal |
| Revenons à nos moutons | Let’s get back on topic | Back to our sheep | Informal |
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