Essential French Phrases
These are the French phrases travelers actually use — grouped by situation, with a simple pronunciation guide and English meaning. This is a free preview; get the full set with native-speaker audio to hear every phrase correctly.
French for Tourists - Essential Travel Phrases
The French phrases travelers to France use most — greetings, getting around, ordering food, shopping, numbers, and emergencies — each with natural French, easy phonetic pronunciation, a usage example, and native-speaker audio.
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Greetings
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bonjour | bohn-ZHOOR | Hello / Good morning |
| Bonsoir | bohn-SWAHR | Good evening |
+ 5 more in the full deck
Basic Phrases
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Merci | mehr-SEE | Thank you |
| Merci beaucoup | mehr-SEE boh-KOO | Thank you very much |
+ 8 more in the full deck
Directions
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Où sont les toilettes ? | oo sohn lay twah-LET | Where are the toilets? |
| à droite | ah DRWAHT | to the right / on the right |
+ 3 more in the full deck
Transportation
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| le train | luh TRAN | the train (m.) |
| le bus | luh BEWS | the bus (m.) |
+ 4 more in the full deck
Food & Drink
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| l'eau | LOH | the water (f.) |
| le café | luh kah-FAY | the coffee / the café (m.) |
+ 5 more in the full deck
Shopping
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Combien ça coûte ? | kohn-bee-AHN sah KOOT | How much does it cost? |
| C'est trop cher | say troh SHEHR | It's too expensive |
+ 1 more in the full deck
Numbers
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| un | UHN | one |
| deux | DUH | two |
+ 8 more in the full deck
Emergency
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Au secours ! | oh suh-KOOR | Help! |
| un médecin | uhn mayd-SAN | a doctor (m.) |
+ 3 more in the full deck
Hear every phrase with native audio
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Frequently asked questions
How many French phrases do I need as a traveler?
A core of about 30 to 50 phrases — greetings, please and thank you, directions, ordering food, and numbers — covers most everyday situations in France.
Is French pronunciation hard for English speakers?
French has nasal vowels, a distinctive R, and many silent final letters, so it takes practice. The respellings here get you close; native audio is the fastest way to sound natural.
Do people in France speak English?
In tourist areas and big cities you will find some English, but starting every interaction with Bonjour and a few French phrases is expected and makes a real difference.
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