Looking for useful French phrases for France? Begin with bonjour (hello), merci (thank you), s’il vous plaît (please), excusez-moi (excuse me) and je voudrais (I would like). Put those five into a real exchange before studying an enormous vocabulary list.
Here are 50 essential French words and phrases for daily life in France. They cover greetings, asking for help, restaurants, rail journeys, shopping and small practical needs. Unlike a travel-writing vocabulary list in English, these are expressions you can say directly to a French speaker.
Choose vous when speaking politely to someone you do not know. Open with a greeting, then ask a clear question. If an allergy, health concern or legal matter is involved, seek accurate written explanations rather than depending on a beginner phrasebook.
Quick answer: eight phrases to learn first
- Hello — bonjour
- Good evening — bonsoir
- Thank you — merci
- Please — s’il vous plaît
- Excuse me — excusez-moi
- I would like — je voudrais
- Where is? — où est?
- The bill, please — l’addition, s’il vous plaît
Find what you need: 50 useful phrases · Real conversations · Common mistakes · Seven-day practice plan · FAQs.
The language behind the phrases
Begin with bonjour. In a shop, office, bakery or neighbourhood conversation, a greeting is a practical courtesy. A short ‘Bonjour, excusez-moi…’ is often a better opener than speaking only the noun you need.
Understand vous and tu. French uses vous for the plural and as a polite form of address. Tu is familiar. The phrases below use polite forms so they are suitable for strangers and many professional interactions.
Spelling is not pronunciation. Many final letters are silent, accented letters matter and words join together in speech. Listen to complete phrases in a native recording and imitate them; do not sound out French letter by letter as though it were English.
The 50 words and phrases by real-life situation
Read each phrase, notice its use, cover the English meaning and try recalling it without looking. Grouping vocabulary by situation makes it easier to find the words later. If you are short of time, begin with greetings, questions and help.
Polite greetings and basic replies — 1–10
| # | French | English meaning | Real use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bonjour | Hello / good day | Open a daytime conversation |
| 2 | Bonsoir | Good evening | Open an evening conversation |
| 3 | Merci | Thank you | Respond to help |
| 4 | Merci beaucoup | Thank you very much | Express stronger gratitude |
| 5 | S’il vous plaît | Please | Make a polite request |
| 6 | Excusez-moi | Excuse me | Interrupt politely |
| 7 | Pardon | Pardon / sorry | Pass or apologise |
| 8 | Oui | Yes | Confirm something |
| 9 | Non | No | Decline or correct |
| 10 | Au revoir | Goodbye | End a conversation |
The first ten expressions open and close an interaction. Practise saying them to an imaginary colleague, neighbour or shopkeeper.
Ask questions and repair a conversation — 11–20
| # | French | English meaning | Real use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Parlez-vous anglais ? | Do you speak English? | Check language options |
| 12 | Je ne comprends pas | I do not understand | Explain confusion |
| 13 | Je parle un peu français | I speak a little French | Set expectations |
| 14 | Pouvez-vous répéter ? | Can you repeat? | Request repetition |
| 15 | Plus lentement, s’il vous plaît | More slowly, please | Ask for slower speech |
| 16 | Comment dit-on … en français ? | How do you say … in French? | Learn a word |
| 17 | Qu’est-ce que c’est ? | What is this? | Identify an object |
| 18 | Où est … ? | Where is …? | Ask for a location |
| 19 | Je cherche … | I am looking for … | Explain your goal |
| 20 | J’ai besoin d’aide | I need help | Ask for assistance |
If you cannot understand someone, ask for repetition or slower speech instead of guessing. That skill is useful in nearly every language.
At a bakery, café or restaurant — 21–30
| # | French | English meaning | Real use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | L’eau | Water | Read a menu |
| 22 | Une carafe d’eau | A jug of water | Ask for water |
| 23 | La carte | The menu / list of dishes | Choose something to order |
| 24 | Une table pour deux | A table for two | Ask about seating |
| 25 | Je voudrais … | I would like … | Make an order |
| 26 | L’addition, s’il vous plaît | The bill, please | Finish a meal |
| 27 | C’est combien ? | How much is it? | Ask a price |
| 28 | Sans gluten | Without gluten | Explain an ingredient restriction |
| 29 | Sans noix | Without nuts | Explain an ingredient restriction |
| 30 | C’est délicieux | It is delicious | Respond to food |
For shopping and food, pointing to a word can help, but ingredient restrictions and health matters need careful, explicit confirmation.
Trains, platforms and finding your way — 31–40
| # | French | English meaning | Real use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | La gare | Railway station | Find a train station |
| 32 | La station de métro | Metro station | Find city trains |
| 33 | Le train | Train | Discuss rail travel |
| 34 | Le billet | Ticket | Check ticket information |
| 35 | Le quai | Platform | Find the correct platform |
| 36 | La correspondance | Connection / transfer | Change lines |
| 37 | L’entrée | Entrance | Read a sign |
| 38 | La sortie | Exit | Find the way out |
| 39 | À droite | On the right | Follow directions |
| 40 | À gauche | On the left | Follow directions |
Read sign vocabulary as well as spoken vocabulary. Being able to recognise an entrance or exit solves a real problem even when you cannot form a complete sentence.
Everyday practical needs — 41–50
| # | French | English meaning | Real use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Les toilettes | Toilets / restroom | Find facilities |
| 42 | La pharmacie | Pharmacy | Find a pharmacy |
| 43 | L’hôpital | Hospital | Find medical care |
| 44 | Une urgence | An emergency | Recognise an urgent situation |
| 45 | La carte bancaire | Bank card | Ask about payment |
| 46 | Les espèces | Cash | Read payment information |
| 47 | La réservation | Reservation | Discuss bookings |
| 48 | Ouvert | Open | Read an opening sign |
| 49 | Fermé | Closed | Read a closing sign |
| 50 | Est-ce que je peux prendre une photo ? | May I take a photograph? | Ask permission |
Keep this group available as a written reference. It can be important when you need help rather than simply making conversation.
Real conversations: put vocabulary to work
A word is easier to remember when it has a job. Each scene below shows an opening, the request and the next useful step. Actual responses and levels of formality will vary.
Ordering something simply
- Bonjour. — Hello.
- Je voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît. — I would like a coffee, please.
- Merci beaucoup. — Thank you very much.
Greeting, clear request, thanks: that pattern works beyond France’s cafés. A useful phrase is one you can adjust by replacing a single item, not one you can only recite in a fixed script.
Finding the correct platform
- Bonjour. Où est le quai ? — Hello. Where is the platform?
- À droite. — On the right.
- Merci. — Thank you.
A station sign may give the platform and the connection. Learn to read quai, billet and correspondance, then verify the destination and current departure information.
When you do not understand
- Excusez-moi, je ne comprends pas. — Excuse me, I do not understand.
- Pouvez-vous répéter ? — Can you repeat?
- Plus lentement, s’il vous plaît. — More slowly, please.
This is a language-learning skill, not merely a travel trick. It allows a beginner to keep a conversation alive without pretending to understand a complicated response.
Five common mistakes to avoid
- Do not skip a greeting when you approach somebody with a request. ‘Bonjour’ or ‘Bonsoir’ makes the opening clearer and more polite.
- Do not assume tu is right for every stranger. Vous is safer until the relationship and situation are clear.
- Do not confuse billet (a ticket) with addition (a restaurant bill).
- Do not assume sans noix or sans gluten guarantees an allergen-free meal. Ingredients, preparation and cross-contact need explicit confirmation.
- Do not pronounce every written consonant. Listen, repeat and check the whole phrase.
A seven-day learning and memory plan
Practise for ten to fifteen minutes a day. Do not merely reread the list: close the page, recall the expression, check the original and then put it into a sentence. The aim is usable recall, not collecting highlighted words.
- Day 1: Speak the eight quick-start phrases without looking at the translations.
- Day 2: Practise starting and ending three different conversations politely.
- Day 3: Use the food and shopping phrases in an imagined order.
- Day 4: Find and recognise the words for station, entrance, exit and directions.
- Day 5: Practise asking for help, repetition and slower speech.
- Day 6: Write five original mini-dialogues using words from two groups at once.
- Day 7: Recall all 50 meanings and phrases; review the ones you missed tomorrow.
How to tell whether the vocabulary is really helping
Ask yourself a practical question: could you greet someone, explain that you did not understand, ask where a place is, recognise a sign and thank the person who helped you? Those five abilities are a stronger test than reciting words in numerical order. Next, try changing the scene from a café to a shop or from a station to an office. Reusing a phrase in a new setting is evidence of learning.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say hello in French?
Bonjour is a common hello or good day; bonsoir is an evening greeting.
How do you say thank you in French?
Merci means thank you; merci beaucoup means thank you very much.
How do you say please in France?
S’il vous plaît is a polite way to say please.
How do you ask for the bill in France?
Say L’addition, s’il vous plaît.
How do you ask where the restroom is?
Say Où sont les toilettes, s’il vous plaît ?
Is this page only for tourists?
No. It teaches language for everyday encounters, neighbours, appointments, public transport and routine purchases.
What should I learn after these 50 expressions?
Practise pronunciation, present-tense verbs and the difference between formal and informal address. Then create your own short dialogues.
Continue reading and learning
To understand the country more broadly, open the country overview. To build language knowledge beyond a phrasebook, use the separate learning guide. You can also compare how everyday expressions work across other countries in this series.
- Everything About France
- How to Learn French Quickly and Correctly
- Top 200 Vocabulary Words for Visiting France — English vocabulary
- Vocabulary for Japan
- Vocabulary for South Korea
- Vocabulary for Thailand
Sources and editorial accuracy
Primary language-learning and official tourism sources informed this guide. Transliteration conventions and usage vary. Always use current native-speaker audio to check pronunciation; for food allergies, medical care or emergencies, obtain dependable written interpretation and suitable assistance.
Reviewed: November 2026. This is an educational language guide, not live travel advice or professional interpretation.