Assimil - French Phrasebook

© Assimil 2013
EAN numérique : 9782700560725

ISBN papier : 978-2-7005-0574-0
Graphic design : Atwazart
Réalisation de l’ePub : Prismallia

Contrôle de l’ePub : Céladon éditions
French
Estelle Demontrond-Box
B.P. 25
94431 Chennevières-sur-Marne cedex
France
This phrasebook doesn’t claim to be a substitute for a language course, but
if you devote a bit of time to reading it and learning a few useful phrases,
you’ll quickly find that you’re able to participate in basic exchanges with
French speakers, enriching your travel experience.
A word of advice: don’t aim for perfection! Those you’re speaking to will
forgive any mistakes and appreciate your efforts to communicate in their
language. The main thing is to leave your inhibitions behind and speak!
INTRODUCTION
How to use this book
France: facts & figures
A bit of history
The French language

➚ How to use this book
Section 1: Getting started in French
Can you spare a half an hour a day? Do you have three weeks ahead of you
before your trip? In that case, jump in with the mini-lessons specially
developed to familiarize you with French in just 21 days. These mini-
lessons are aimed at beginners with no prior knowledge of French and will
give you the basics you need to understand and address people in all sorts
of situations.
• Discover the day’s lesson, using the phonetic transcriptions to help you
read the French out loud. Repeat it as many times as you wish!
• Check the translation in everyday English, as well as the word-for-word
translation, which will help you get used to the structure of the language.
• Read the notes that follow the lesson – these explain key linguistic points
so you can apply them in other contexts.
• Finally, do the short exercise to consolidate what you’ve learned.
The next day, move on to the following lesson! Taking the time to do a little
French each day is the most effective way to learn and remember it.
Section 2: Conversing
This section gives you the tools you’ll need for dealing with a variety of
situations in which you might find yourself during your trip. It provides
useful vocabulary and expressions that you can use in a range of contexts.
The French is accompanied by a translation, as well as a phonetic
transcription that will help you pronounce it. This ready-to-use ‘survival
kit’ is all you need to be an independent traveller!
➚ France: facts & figures
Surface area 551,500 km2
(Continental
France and
Corsica)
Population 65,630,692 (2012 est.)
Capital Paris
Overseas Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion,
departments, Mayotte, French Polynesia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon,
territories and Wallis and Futuna, St Martin, St Barthélemy, New
collectivities Caledonia
Land Andorra, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg,
boundaries Monaco, Spain, Switzerland
Sea boundaries English Channel, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea
Languages French; regional languages and dialects including
Provençal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Occitan, Catalan,
Basque
Government Republic governed by a president and a bicameral
parliament called the Assemblée Nationale; France is
divided into 27 régions and 101 départements
National 14 July (Fête Nationale – commemorates the
holiday anniversary of the storming of the Bastille and the
overthrow of the monarchy)
France is the largest country in the European Union in area, and boasts
diverse landscapes, from the mountain chains of the Alps in the east and the
Pyrenees in the southwest to low-lying river basins such as the Rhône,
which empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Mont Blanc (4,810 m) in the
Alps is the highest point in Western Europe. France is often referred to as
L’Hexagone because of its shape.
The fifth largest economy in the world, the country has an advanced
industrial economy and is also a major agricultural producer. It is at the
political heart of Europe and is a leading member of international bodies
such as NATO and the UN.
France is a secular country, though the predominant religion has historically

been Roman Catholicism. It also has the largest Jewish community in
Europe, as well as the largest Muslim community, at 5–10% of the
population.
Today’s France is multicultural, with immigrants principally coming from

other European countries, North Africa, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Apart
from Paris, its major cities include Marseille and Lyon, both with over 1.5
million people, followed by Lille, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Nice.
France is a very popular destination for tourists, making it the most visited
country in the world!
➚ A bit of history
Although archaeological finds indicate that the first modern humans arrived
in France 40,000 years ago (and earlier ancestors were present long before
that), the history of what we know now as France really begins with the
region the Romans called Gaul, in reference to the Celtic Gauls who were
the main group in the area. In the first millennium BC, colonies were
established there by Greeks and Romans, and by 51 BCE Gaul had been
conquered by Rome.
In the later stages of the Roman Empire, Germanic Franks increased their
dominance, and in 486 CE the Frankish King Clovis I united Gaul under his
rule. The Franks ruled for hundreds of years, reaching their fullest extent
under Charlemagne. The western part of Charlemagne’s empire, West
Francia, became the Kingdom of France, and by 987 CE the French
monarchy was established. The next centuries saw a succession of religious
and political conflicts, but France grew in power and by the 16th century
had started a colonial empire.
In 1789, the French Revolution overthrew the monarchy, an event that

shook the world. In the century that followed, the country alternated
between different forms of government – from republic, to empire (under
Napoleon Bonaparte), to monarchy, back to republic, and so on, finally
settling into a more stable republic in 1870.
In the 20th century, France was involved in both World Wars. It suffered
huge losses in World War I, which left 1.4 million French dead. In World
War II, the country was conquered by Nazi Germany, which occupied it
from 1940–44. After its liberation at the end of World War II, France’s
current form of government was established, and the country developed into
the modern power it is today.
Over its history, France has been influential in a number of fields, including
literature, philosophy, science, art, film and fashion. Not to mention
winemaking and cuisine, perhaps its most famous exports.
➚ The French language
There are an estimated 260 million French speakers in the world. French is
the second most studied foreign language after English. It is spoken in some
48 countries, not just in France and its overseas territories, but in parts of
Belgium and Switzerland, Luxembourg, Monaco, Andorra, as well as
Québec in Canada. It is also spoken in numerous African countries and in
Southeast Asia. From its previous status as the language of diplomacy, it
continues to play an important role in international institutions such as the
UN and EU.
The alphabet
The good news is that the French alphabet is the same as the English
alphabet, although the letters are pronounced differently.
a [ah], b [bay], c [say], d [day], e [uh], f [ef], g [jzay], h [ash], i [ee], j [jzee], k [kah], l
[el], m [em], n [en], o [oh], p [pay], q [kew], r [ehr], s [es], t [tay], u [ew], v [vay], w
[doobluh vay], x [eeks], y [eegrek], z [zed]
Pronunciation
Unfortunately, French is not pronounced exactly like it is written. It also
includes some sounds that don’t exist in English. The best way to pick it up
is to use the phonetic transcriptions we’ve provided and read the text aloud,
trying to put on the most exaggerated French accent you can! Don’t be
embarrassed – French people won’t think you sound silly. It’s their
language, and they will appreciate your efforts!
Here are a few of the things English speakers find trickiest:
• Silent letters : Certain letters in French words are not pronounced. This
often occurs at the end of words, such as the final consonants: for example,
salut [salew] hi. The French ‘h’ is also silent: homme [om] man.
• Liaison : Sometimes a usually silent final consonant is pronounced if the
following word starts with a vowel sound or mute ‘h’: les enfants [lay
zahnfahn]. This is called ‘liaison’.
• Nasal vowels : There are nasal vowel sounds in French that occur with
syllables ending with ‘n’ or ‘m’. The ‘n’ or ‘m’ is silent, but makes the
preceding vowel nasal. These don’t exist in English, but you can try to
approximate them by pronouncing -ng (as in song) and then stopping before
completing the g. We indicate this in the phonetic transcriptions with a
superscript ‘n’: ah n.
• The French ‘r’ : This is pronounced completely differently from the
English ‘r’ – it is a guttural sound closer to the Spanish ‘j’ or the Scottish
‘ch’ sound in Loch Ness. To pronounce it, place the base of your tongue at the
back of the throat and the tip of your tongue behind the lower teeth, as if
you were coughing up a hairball!
• The French ‘u’ : Careful! This is not the English oo sound, but closer to
the ew in few. To pronounce it, tightly purse your lips with the tongue
towards the front of the mouth, its tip resting against the lower teeth –
basically, as if you were saying ‘ee’, but with your lips pursed.
And remember: practice makes perfect!
Ready? Let’s get started!

GETTING STARTED
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
DAY 6
DAY 7
DAY 8
DAY 9
DAY 10
DAY 11
DAY 12
DAY 13
DAY 14
DAY 15
DAY 16
DAY 17
DAY 18
DAY 19
DAY 20
DAY 21
➚ DAY 1
Je m’appelle…
My name is…
1. Bonjour ! Comment vous appelez-vous ?

bohnjzoor komahn voo zaplay voo
hello! how you(formal) call-yourself?
Hello! What’s your name?
2. Je m’appelle Alexandre. Enchanté !

jzuh mapel aleksahndruh ahnshantay
i myself-call alexandre. enchanted!
My name is Alexandre. Pleased to meet you!
3. D’où venez-vous ?
doo vuhnay voo
from-where come-you
Where are you from?
4. Je viens d’Australie. J’habite à Brisbane.

jzuh vyan dohstralee jzabeet ah breesban
i come from-australia. I-live at brisbane.
I am from Australia. I live in Brisbane.
Notes
There are two ways to say you in French: tu and vous. Tu is the informal you
when speaking to a relative, friend or child. Vous is formal and should be
used to address someone older or who you don’t know well. Vous is also
the plural you, for addressing more than one person. The formal vous should
be used virtually any time you address a stranger, along with the vous form
of the conjugated verb (the second-person plural).
Je m’appelle (‘I call myself’) is the equivalent of My name is. The verb
s’appeler to call oneself includes a reflexive pronoun, indicating that the
subject is performing the action on itself (eg, myself, yourself, himself, etc.).
These are often left out in English, but must be included in French. Here are
some various forms:
Comment t’appelles-tu ? What’s your name? (informal singular)

Tu t’appelles… Your name is … (inf. sing.)
Il/Elle s’appelle… His/Her name is …
Vous vous appelez… Your name is … (form.) / Your names are … (pl.)
In French you need to say where you ‘come’ from, rather than where you
‘are’ from: Je viens de (I come from) + the country. If the country starts with a
vowel, Je viens de becomes Je viens d’ → Je viens d’Australie.
Practice – Translate the following sentences:
1. What’s your name? (inf.)

2. Where are you from? (form.)
3. Je m’appelle Sophie.
4. J’habite à New York.
Answers:
1. Comment t’appelles-tu ?
2. D’où venez-vous ?
3. My name is Sophie.
4. I live in New York.
➚ DAY 2
Voici Hélène !
Meet Hélène!
1. Marc, je te présente Hélène, une amie.

mark jzuh tuh prayzahnt ehlen ewn amee
marc, I you(inf.) present helen, a friend
Marc, let me introduce you to my friend Helen.
2. Enchanté ! Vous êtes ici en vacances ?

ahnshahntay voo zet eesee ahn vakahns
enchanted! you(form./pl.) are here in holidays?
Pleased to meet you! Are you here on holiday?
3. Oui, je suis ici avec mon mari et mon fils.

wee jzuh swee eesee avek mohn maree eh mohn fees
yes, i am here with my husband and my son
Yes, I’m here with my husband and my son.
4. Quel âge a votre fils ?

kel ajz ah votruh fees
what age has your(form./pl.) son?
How old is your son?
5. Il a douze ans.
eel ah dooz ahn
he has twelve years
He is 12.
Notes
In French, you ‘have’ 30 years, rather than you ‘are’ 30 years old: J’ai
trente ans ! To say this, you’ll need to know how to conjugate avoir to have.
To ask someone’s age, you say:
Quel âge as-tu ? (inf.) or Quel âge avez-vous ? (form.).
When you introduce someone, you can say Voici Hélène. This is Helen. or Je
vous présente Hélène. Let me introduce you to Hélène.
avoir to have and être to be are both irregular verbs:
avoir to have être to be

j’ai I have je suis I am
tu as you have (inf. sing.) tu es you are (inf. sing.)

il/elle a he/she/it has il/elle est he/she/it is
nous avons we have nous sommes we are
vous avez you have (form./pl.) vous êtes you are (form./pl.)
ils/elles ont they have ils/elles sont they are
Every French noun has a gender: masculine or feminine. If the noun refers
to a person, it takes the person’s gender: un ami a friend (male); une amie a
friend (female). But nouns for inanimate objects also have a gender; it’s best
to memorize the gender when you learn a new noun.
1. This is Sophie.
2. I am thirty.
3. Quel âge as-tu ?
4. Il est en vacances ?
Answers:
1. Voici Sophie. / Je te/vous présente Sophie.

2. J’ai trente ans.
3. How old are you? (inf.)
4. Is he on holiday?
➚ DAY 3
Les passants
Passers-by
1. La femme est très grande !

la fam eh treh grahnd
the woman is very tall
The woman is very tall!
2. Oui, et l’homme est petit !

wee eh lom eh puhtee
yes and the-man is small
Yes, and the man is small!
3. Regarde, le chapeau bleu est vraiment joli !

ruhgard luh shapoh bluh eh vrehmahn jzolee
look, the hat blue is really pretty
Look, the blue hat is really pretty!
4. Et les enfants sont si mignons !

eh lay zahnfahn sohn see meenyohn
and the children are so cute
And the children are so cute!
Notes
Don’t forget that most final consonants in French are silent. For example, in
est the ‘st’ is not pronounced: est [eh]. Likewise, in plural words, the two
final consonants are silent: enfants [ahnfahn]. But if the final consonant is
followed by a silent e, it is pronounced: grande[grahnd].
Following the above rule, les is normally pronounced [lay]. But if a normally
silent consonant is followed by a word starting with a vowel or a mute ‘h’,
the consonant is pronounced (les enfants = [lay zahnfahn]). This is called
liaison.
Le, la, les and l’ are all forms of the definite article the. Why so many?
Because the form varies according to the gender and number of the noun: le
is used with a masculine singular noun (le chapeau); la with a feminine
singular noun (la femme); les with a plural noun (les enfants) and l’ with a
singular noun beginning with a vowel or a silent ‘h’ (l’homme). Though
articles are often missed out in English, they are always included in French.
The gender and number of the noun also changes the form of the adjective
used with it. Usually the feminine form is made by adding an -e at the end
of the adjective (l’homme est petit → la femme est petite), and the plural
form by adding an -s (l’enfant est mignon → les enfants sont mignons).
1. The children are cute.

2. The hat is small.
3. L’homme est grand.
4. La femme est jolie.
Answers:
1. Les enfants sont mignons.

2. Le chapeau est petit.
3. The man is tall.
4. The woman is pretty.
➚ DAY 4
Au café
At the café
1. Un coca et une limonade, s’il vous plaît !

an koka eh ewn leemonad seel voo pleh
a coke and a lemon-soda if-it you pleases
A coke and a lemon soda, please.
2. Avec des pailles ?

avek day pa-ee
with some straws?
With straws?
3. Oui, merci. Oh, et un café !

wee mehrsee o eh an kafay
yes, thank-you. oh and a coffee!
Yes, please. And a coffee.
4. D’accord. Et voici une chaise pour votre ami !

dakor eh vwasee ewn shehz poor votruh amee
of-agreement. and here-is a chair for your friend(masc.)
OK, and here is a chair for your friend!
Notes
The equivalent of the indefinite article a/an is un for a masculine noun and
une for a feminine noun. Des is the plural form some. In English, it is often
left out, but in French it must be included.
Unlike English, un, une or des is not used in front of a person’s occupation
(il est serveur he is a waiter), religion (elle est musulmane she is a Muslim) or
before cent a hundred and mille a thousand: 105 = cent cinq.
Most nouns add an -s to form the plural (une chaise → des chaises). The -s
is not pronounced. However, nouns ending in s, x or z do not change in the
plural: un prix a price → des prix some prices.
Note that ‘Yes, please’ is actually ‘Yes, thank you’: Oui, merci !
In a café or a bar, to get the server’s attention, just wave discreetly and say
S’il vous plaît ! Please! It is not uncommon for people to add monsieur sir,
madame madam or mademoiselle miss, which is considered a polite way to
address people in service situations. This may seem formal to English
speakers, but is viewed as considerate in France.
1. Excuse me, please.

2. Thank you, madam.
3. D’accord.
4. Voici votre café.
Answers:
1. S’il vous plaît.

2. Merci, madame.
3. Okay.
4. Here is your coffee.
➚ DAY 5
La famille et les animaux domestiques
Family & pets
1. As-tu des frères et sœurs ?

ah tew day frehr eh suhr
have-you some brothers and sisters?
Do you have any brothers and sisters?
2. Non, je suis fille unique.

nohn jzuh swee fee ewneek
no, i am daughter single
No, I am an only child.
3. Et ton mari et toi, vous avez des animaux domestiques ?

eh tohn maree eh twa voo zavay day zaneemoh domesteek
and your(inf.) husband and you(inf.), you(pl.) have some animals domestic?
And you and your husband, do you have any pets?
4. Nous avons un chat et deux chiens. Ils sont gentils !

noo zavohn an shah eh duh shyan eel sohn jzahntee
we have a cat and two dogs. they are nice!
We have a cat and two dogs. They are nice!
Notes
When you see a superscript n in the phonetic transcription, this indicates a
nasal vowel. When pronouncing it, air escapes both through the mouth and
the nose as if you had a cold. The ‘n’ or ‘m’ following the vowel is not
usually pronounced: imagine that the vowel is followed by ‘ng’ as in
‘wrong’, but don’t actually pronounce the -ng: non [nong]; un [ang].
Une fille means daughter and girl; un fils son. The plural form of the latter is
des fils – nouns ending in -s do not change in the plural. Note also un
animal → des animaux: words ending in -al usually form their plural with
-aux.
In French, possessive pronouns (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) need to agree
with the gender and number of the noun they modify, so each has three
different forms. For example, ton your (informal) with a masculine noun or
any noun starting with a vowel (ton mari your husband, ton enfant your child);
ta with a feminine noun (ta femme your wife – note that femme means both
woman and wife!); and tes with a plural noun (tes amis your friends).
1. I have a brother.
2. Your (inf.) husband is nice.
3. Ce sont tes fils ?
4. Nous avons deux sœurs.
Answers:
1. J’ai un frère.
2. Ton mari est gentil.
3. They are your sons?
4. We have two sisters.
➚ DAY 6
Au marché
At the market
1. Bonjour, je voudrais des œufs, s’il vous plaît.

bohnjzoor jzuh voodreh day zuh seel voo pleh
hello, i would-like of-the eggs, if-it you(form.) pleases
Hello, I would like some eggs, please.
2. Bien sûr. Autre chose ?

byan sewr ohtruh shohz
well sure. other thing?
Of course. Anything else?
3. De la crème et du fromage aussi.

duh la krem eh dew fromajz ohsee
of the cream and of-the cheese also
Some cream and some cheese as well.
4. Du fromage, je vous en mets combien ?

dew fromajz jzuh voo zahn meh kohnbyan
of-the cheese i you of-it put how-much?
How much cheese do you want?
5. Un gros morceau ! J’adore le fromage !

an groh morsoh jzador luh fromajz
a fat piece! I-love the cheese!
A big piece! I love cheese!
Notes
Du, de la, d’ and des are used to refer to an indeterminate quantity (some,
any). Masculine words take du (du fromage), feminine words take de la (de
la crème), words beginning with a vowel take de l’ (de l’eau water), and
plurals take des (des œufs – watch out, the ‘f’ is not pronounced in the
plural form of this word!).
To ask for something, you can use the verb vouloir to want in either the
present or conditional tense. Here are a few conjugations of this very useful
but irregular verb. Another polite way to ask for something is with the
conditional tense of aimer to like/love.
je veux I want je voudrais… I would like…
tu veux you want (inf. sing.) nous aimerions… we would like…
il/elle veux he/she wants Aimeriez-vous ? Would you like …?
nous voulons we want
vous voulez you want (form./pl.)

ils/elles veulent they want
1. I would like eggs, please.

2. How much/many?
3. Je voudrais de l’eau.
4. Voulez-vous un café ?
Answers:
1. Je voudrais/J’aimerais des œufs, s’il vous plaît.

2. Combien ?
3. I would like some water.
4. Do you want a coffee?
➚ DAY 7
À la gare
At the station
1. Excusez-moi, monsieur. Où est le quai C ?

ekskewzay mwa muhsyuh oo eh luh keh say
excuse-me sir. where is the platform C?
Excuse me, sir. Where is platform C?
2. Il est là-bas, après le quai B. Vous voyez ?

eel eh la ba apreh luh keh bay voo vwahyay
it(masc.) is there-low after the platform B. you see?
It is over there, after platform B. Do you see it?
3. Merci ! Et à quelle heure part le train pour Besançon ?

mehrsee eh ah kel uhr par luh tran poor buhzahnsohn
thanks! and at what hour leaves the train for Besançon?
Thank you! And what time does the train for Besançon leave?
4. Il part à 15 heures. Bon voyage !

eel par ah kanz uhr bohn vwahyajz
it(masc.) leaves at fifteen hours. good trip!
It leaves at 3 pm. Have a nice trip!
Notes
To ask a question in French you can either: 1) Raise your voice at the end of
a sentence: Tu vas à Paris ?You’re going to Paris? 2) Add Est-ce que at
the beginning of a sentence: Est-ce que tu vas à Paris ? 3) Invert the
subject and verb: Vas-tu à Paris ?
Or a question can start with a question word:
Qu’est-ce What Quel (m.) / Quelle (f.) / Quels (m. pl.) Which …?

…?
que …? / Quelles (f. pl.) …?
Quand When À quelle heure … ? At what time …?
…?
… ?
Où … ? Where Comment … ? How …?
…?
Qui … ? Who Combien (de) … ? How much/How

…? many …?
Pourquoi Why
…?
… ?
Besançon: The cedilla (cédille) ‘ç’ is pronounced s.

The 24-hour clock is frequently used in France: heures 6 am; heures 6 pm.
Keep this in mind when catching trains!
1. When does it leave?

2. Where is platform B?
3. À quelle heure part le train ?
4. Le train part à quatorze heures.
Answers:
1. Quand part-il ?
2. Où est le quai B ?
3. What time does the train leave?
4. The train leaves at 2 pm.
➚ DAY 8
Au téléphone
On the phone
1. Allô ! Bonjour, Martine ! Ça va ?

aloh bohnjzoor marteen sa va
hello! good-day martine! it goes?
Hello, Martine! How’s it going?
2. Oui, très bien, merci. Qu’est-ce que tu fais ?

wee treh byan mehrsee keskuh tew feh
yes very well thanks. what-is-it that you do?
Very well, thank you. What are you doing?
3. Je cuisine: je finis un gâteau au chocolat !

jzuh kweezeen jzuh feenee an gatoh oh shokola
i cook: i finish a cake at-the chocolate
I’m cooking: I’m just finishing a chocolate cake!
4. Super ! J’adore le chocolat ! J’arrive !

sewpehr jzador luh shokola jzareev
super! I-love the chocolate! I-arrive!
Super! I love chocolate! I’m on my way!
5. D’accord ! À tout de suite !

dakor ah toot sweet
OK! right away!
OK! See you in a minute!
Notes
The French answer the phone with Allô ? If you’ve dialled the wrong
number, just apologize: Pardon [pardohn] Sorry, and say Je me suis
trompé(e) de numéro [jzuh muh swee trohnpay duh newmayroh] I dialled the wrong
number. The most common way to ask how someone is doing is Ça va ?
There are three types of regular in French: the first group ends in ‘-er’
(cuisiner); the second in ‘-ir’ (finir) and the third in ‘-re’ (prendre). To
form the present tense of regular ‘-er’ verbs, just add the endings below to
the stem:
je cuisin e nous cuisin ons

tu cuisin es vous cuisin ez
il/elle cuisin e ils/elles cuisin ent
Introducing the useful irregular ‘-re’ verb faire to do, to make. Note that the
present tense in French is used both for the simple present and the present
continuous (eg, to be …-ing): Qu’est-ce que tu fais ? What do you do? or What are
you doing?
je fais I do nous faisons we do

tu fais you do (inf. sing.) vous faites you do (form./pl.)
il/elle fait he/she/it does ils/elles font they do
1. I am making a cake.
2. We are cooking.
3. Il adore le fromage !
4. Elles arrivent !
Answers:
1. Je fais un gâteau.
2. Nous cuisinons.
3. He loves cheese!
4. They (f.) are coming!
➚ DAY 9
Ma maison
My house
1. Ta maison est comment, Guy ?

ta mehzohn eh komahn ghee
your(inf.) house is how, Guy?
What is your house like, Guy?
2. Ma maison est assez petite !

ma mehzohn eh tasay puhteet
my house is quite small!
My house is quite small!
3. Mais il y a un beau jardin et une jolie piscine.

meh eeleeya an boh jzardan eh ewn jzolee peeseen
but it here has a beautiful garden and a pretty pool
But there is a beautiful garden and a lovely pool.
4. Il y a trois chambres: mes enfants ont la plus grande !

eeleeya trwa shahnbruh may zahnfahn ohn la plew grahnd
it here has three bedrooms: my children have the most big!
There are three bedrooms: my children have the biggest!
Notes
Il y a is used in both singular and plural contexts and means there is, there are.
Il y avait is there was, there were.
Le, la or les plus is how you form the superlative -est; the most: le plus petit
the smallest.
Adjectives in French have to agree with the gender and number of the noun
they describe. Note that in most contexts, adjectives follow the noun: une
maison chère an expensive house. One of the exceptions to this rule is for
adjectives describing something’s beauty, as in line 3, which are placed
before the noun. Here are the forms (masc. sing., masc. pl., fem. sing., fem.
pl.) of some useful adjectives:
petit, petits, petite, petites small

grand, grands, grande, grandes big, tall, important
beau, beaux, belle, belles beautiful
joli, jolis, jolie, jolies pretty, nice
moche, moches, moche, moches ugly
heureux, heureux, heureuse, heureuses happy
triste, tristes, triste, tristes sad
bon, bons, bonne, bonnes good
mauvais, mauvais, mauvaise, mauvaises bad
cher, chers, chère, chères expensive
1. The pool is beautiful.

2. There are two expensive houses.
3. Quelle chambre est la plus jolie ?
4. Comment est ton jardin ?
Answers:
1. La piscine est belle.

2. Il y a deux maisons chères.
3. Which is the nicest bedroom?
4. What is your garden like?
➚ DAY 10
Où se trouve la boulangerie ?
Where is the bakery?
1. Excusez-moi ! Où se trouve la boulangerie la plus proche ?

ekskewzay mwa oo suh troov la boolahnjzree la plew prosh
excuse-me! where itself finds the bakery the most near?
Excuse me, where is the nearest bakery?
2. Alors, allez tout droit et puis tournez à droite.

alor alay too drwa eh pwee toornay a drwat
so go(form./plural) all straight and then turn at right
Go straight ahead and then turn right.
3. Ensuite, continuez jusqu’à l’église.

ahnsweet kohnteenew-ay jzewska laygleez
next continue(form./plural) until the-church
Next, carry on until you reach the church.
4. La boulangerie est derrière l’église, en face de la poste.

la boolahnjzree eh dehryehr laygleez ahn fas duh la post
the bakery is behind the-church in face of the post
The bakery is behind the church, opposite the post office.
Notes
The imperative (used to give instructions or commands) is just the present
tense without the ‘you’ (tu or vous), like in English: vous allezyou go;
Allez !Go! However, in informal singular commands, the ‘-s’ is dropped
from the end of the verb: tu vasyou go, but Va !Go!
Directions might also be given using devez you should, you must (form.) →
vous devez tourner, vous devez continuer. This is from the auxiliary verb
devoir to have to, which is always used with another verb in infinitive form.
Je dois aller. I must go.
Some other common prepositions of place include dans in, à côté de next to,
à gauche on the left, près de near, devant in front of.
If you get lost, simply say Je suis perdu(e) !

Aller to go is a very useful irregular ‘-er’ verb:
je vais I go nous allons we go

tu vas you go (inf. sing.) vous allez you go (form./pl.)
il/elle va he/she/it goes ils/elles vont they go
1. Excuse me, where is the post office?

2. It is behind the bakery.
3. Où se trouve le marché le plus proche ?
4. Vous devez aller tout droit.
Answers:
1. Excusez-moi, où se trouve la poste ?

2. C’est derrière la boulangerie.
3. Where is the nearest market?
4. You must go straight ahead.
➚ DAY 11
Quel est votre métier ?
What is your job?
1. Quel métier faites-vous, Anne ?

kel maytyay feht voo an
what occupation do-you, anne
What job do you do, Anne?
2. Je suis architecte. Je travaille beaucoup !

jzuh swee zarsheetekt jzuh trava-ee bohkoo
I am architect. I work much!
I am an architect. I work a lot!
3. Vous aimez votre travail ?

voo zemay votruh trava-ee
you like your work?
Do you like your job?
4. Comme-ci, comme-ça. Je finis la journée très tard.

kom see kom sa jzuh feenee la jzoornay treh tar
like-this like-that. I finish the day very late.
So so. I finish work very late.
Notes
Remember, the French ‘r’ is guttural – it comes from the back of the throat,
as if you were coughing something up!
Practice: architecte - travail - très tard.
A person’s occupation is given without un or une: elle est architecte.
For regular verbs ending in ‘-ir’, just take off the ‘-ir’ and add the
following endings to the stem (shown here with finir to finish):
je fin is nous fin issons

tu fin is vous fin issez
il/elle fin it ils/elles fin issent
Let’s look at the forms of the possessive pronouns. They need to agree in
gender and number with the thing possessed.
Thing possessed
Masc. sing. Fem. sing. Plural
my mon ma mes
your (inf. sing.) ton ta tes
his/her/its son sa ses
our notre notre nos
your (form./pl.) votre votre vos
their leur leur leurs
1. Do you work late? / Are you working late? (inf.)

2. They finish their cake.
3. Quel travail faites-vous ?
4. Je suis électricien/électricienne.
Answers:
1. Tu travailles tard ?
2. Ils/Elles finissent leur gâteau.
3. What job do you do?
4. I am an electrician (m./f.).
➚ DAY 12
Au restaurant
At the restaurant
1. Bonsoir, madame. Vous avez choisi ?

bohnswar madam voo zavay shwazee
good-evening madam. you have chosen?
Good evening, madam. Have you chosen?
2. J’aimerais la salade de tomates et puis le poulet.

jzemuhreh la salad duh tomat eh pwee luh pooleh
I would-like the salad of tomatoes and then the chicken
I would like the tomato salad and then the chicken.
3. Vous désirez des haricots verts en accompagnement ?

voo dayzeeray day areeko vehr ahn nakohnpanyuhmahn
you desire some beans green in accompaniment?
Would you like green beans as a side dish?
4. Non, je n’aime pas les haricots. Je préférerais des frites.

nohn jzuh nem pa lay areeko jzuh prayfayruhreh day freet
no I [negative particle]-like not the beans. I would-prefer some fries
No, I don’t like beans. I would prefer fries.
5. Tout de suite, madame ! Et j’apporte la carte des vins.

toot sweet madam eh jzaport la kart day van
all of now madam! and I-bring the menu of-the wines
Straight away, madam! And I’ll bring the wine list.
Notes
When ordering, the conditional tense is a polite way to ask for something.
We’ve already seen an example of this: je voudraisI would like from
vouloirto want; j’aimerais (from aimerto like/love) means exactly the
same thing. To form the regular conditional, the following endings are
added to the infinitive:
j’aimer ais nous aimer ions

tu aimer ais vous aimer iez
il/elle aimer ait ils/elles aimer aient
But some verbs conjugate irregularly in the conditional. For example, faire
to do; je ferais I would do, etc:
je fer ais nous fer ions

tu fer ais vous fer iez
il/elle fer ait ils/elles fer aient
To make a verb negative in French, ne and pas are added on either side of
the verb: Je ne mange pas. I don’t eat. If the verb begins with a vowel, ne
becomes n’: Je n’aime pas les haricots. I don’t like beans.
1. I do not like beans.

2. I would like the wine list.
3. Il préférerait du poulet.
4. Voulez-vous des frites ?
Answers:
1. Je n’aime pas les haricots.

2. J’aimerais la carte des vins.
3. He would prefer chicken.
4. Would you like fries?
➚ DAY 13
Que penses-tu de Pierre ?
What do you think of Pierre?
1. Dis, Eléanore, que penses-tu de Pierre ?

dee elayonor kuh pahns tew duh pyehr
say, eleanor, what think-you of pierre?
Hey, Eléanore, what do you think of Pierre?
2. Il est très mignon. J’adore ses cheveux blonds !

eel eh treh meenyohn jzador say shuhvuh blohn
he is very cute. I-love his hair(plural) blond.
He is very cute. I love his blond hair!
3. Et tu as vu ses yeux bleus ? Ils sont trop beaux !

eh tew a vew say zyuh bluh eel sohn tro boh
and you have seen his eyes blue? they are too beautiful!
And have you seen his blue eyes? They are beautiful!
4. En plus, il est intéressant et intelligent !

ahn plews eel eht antayrehsahn eh antehleejzahn
in more, he is interesting and intelligent
Moreover, he is interesting and intelligent!
5. Oui, je suis d’accord. Il est canon !

wee jzuh swee dakor eel eh kanohn
yes I am of-agreement. he is cannon!
Yes, I agree. He is hot!
Notes
Here are some linking words to help your sentence flow: et [eh] and; ou [oo]
or; mais [meh] but; parce que [parsuh kuh] because; en plus [ah>nplews] moreover.
And here are some ways to give your opinion: je pense que [jzuh pahns kuh] I
think (that); je suis d’accord [jzuh swee dakor] I agree; je ne suis pas d’accord [jzuh
nuh swee pa dakor] I don’t agree;
j’aime [jzem] I like; je n’aime pas [jzuh nem pa] I don’t
like; je préfère [jzuh prayfehr] I prefer; je déteste [jzuh daytest] I hate.
Note that cheveux hair is plural (one hair is un cheveu ), so the words that
modify it need to be plural as well: ses cheveux blonds . We see the same
thing in line 3: ses beaux yeux bleus his beautiful blue eyes – by way of
comparison (if he was a cyclops!): son bel œil bleu his beautiful blue eye.
1. She agrees.
2. I think he is hot!
3. Je n’aime pas mes cheveux.
4. J’adore ses yeux verts !
Answers:
1. Elle est d’accord.

2. Je pense qu’il est canon !
3. I don’t like my hair.
4. I love his/her green eyes!
➚ DAY 14
Chez le médecin
At the doctor’s
1. Bonjour, comment puis-je vous aider ?

bohnjzoor komahn pweejz voo zayday
hello, how can-I you to-help?
Hello, how can I help you?
2. Oh docteur, j’ai très mal au genou !

o doktuhr jzay treh mal oh jzuhnoo
oh doctor, I-have very pain at-the knee
Oh, Doctor, my knee really hurts!
3. Je dois regarder. Pouvez-vous le bouger ?

jzuh dwa ruhgarday poovay voo luh boojzay
I must to-look. can-you it to-move?
I must have a look. Can you move it?
4. Pas vraiment. Je ne peux pas le toucher non plus.

pa vrehmahn jzuh nuh puh pa luh tooshay nohn plew
not really. I [neg.] can not it to-touch no more.
Not really. I can’t touch it either.
5. Je pense qu’il faut faire une radio.

jzuh pahns keel foh fehr ewn radyo
I think that-it is-necessary to-do an X-ray
I think we’ll have to take an X-ray.
Notes
When je peux is inverted in a question, you may hear puis-je. This is rather
formal.
The expression to say something hurts is j’ai mal à + the + body part (‘I
have pain at the …’). Since à + le (at + the) always contracts to au, a
masculine body part is preceded by au (J’ai mal au genou). A feminine
body part is preceded by à la (J’ai mal à la jambe. My leg hurts.), and a plural
body part is preceded by aux (J’ai mal aux oreilles. My ears hurt.).
Il faut + verb (infinitive) means it is necessary to + verb.
Object pronouns go in front of the verb in French. Comment puis-je vous

aider? How can I help you?; Je ne peux pas le toucher. I can’t touch it. In front of
a vowel or a silent h: me → m’, te → t’ and le/la → l’. Here are the direct
object pronouns:
me/m’ me nous us
te/t’ you (inf. sing.) vous you (form./pl.)

le/l’ him/it les them
la/l’ her/it
1. My legs are really hurting.

2. Look (inf.), I’m moving them!
3. Pouvez-vous m’aider ?
4. Tu peux le faire.
Answers:
1. J’ai très mal aux jambes.

2. Regarde, je les bouge !
3. Can you help me?
4. You can do it.
➚ DAY 15
Vous vendez des porte-clés ?
Do you sell key rings?
1. Bonjour ! Vendez-vous des porte-clés de la Tour Eiffel ?

bohnjzoor vahnday voo day port klay duh la toor ehfehl
hello! sell-you some carry-keys of the Tower Eiffel?
Hello! Do you sell Eiffel Tower key rings?
2. Oui, j’en vends ! Il y en a des bleus ou des dorés.

wee jzahn vahn eel ee yahn nah day bluh oo day doray
yes I-of-them sell! it here of-them have some blue or some golden
Yes, I do! There are blue or gold-coloured ones.
3. Quel dommage ! Je préférerais des verts !

kel domajz jzuh prayfayruhreh day vehr
what shame! I would-prefer some green
What a shame! I would prefer green ones!
4. Je comprends. Mais ceux-là sont jolis, non ?

jzuh kohnprahn meh suh la sohn jzolee nohn
I understand. but those-there are pretty, no?
I understand. But those are nice, aren’t they?
5. Oui, très !
wee treh
yes, very!
Yes, very!
Notes
In France, it is customary to say Bonjour when entering a shop and Merci
thank you or Au revoir goodbye when leaving.
To form the present tense of regular verbs in the ‘-re’ group, add the
following endings to the stem (here shown with vendre to sell):
je vend s nous vend ons

tu vend s vous vend ez
il/elle vend - ils vend ent
The verbs comprendre to understand and prendre to take are irregular:
je comprend s nous compren ons

tu comprend s vous compren ez
il/elle comprend - ils/elles compren nent
The pronoun en means of it, of them, some and refers to the noun(s) mentioned
previously. It is placed before the verb: J’en voudrais des verts (en
replaces porte-clés).
1. Do you sell wine? (form.)

2. I don’t understand.
3. Nous vendons des gâteaux. → Nous en vendons.
4. Il en voudrait des bleus.
Answers:
1. Vous vendez du vin ?

2. Je ne comprends pas.
3. We sell cakes. → We sell those/them.
4. He would like some blue ones.
➚ DAY 16
J’ai réservé une chambre…
I’ve booked a room…
1. Bonsoir, j’ai réservé une chambre au nom de Dupuis.

bohnswar jzay rayzehrvay ewn shahnbruh oh nohn duh dewpwee
good-evening, I-have booked a bedroom at-the name of dupuis
Good evening, I booked a room under the name Dupuis.
2. C’était une chambre double avec petit déjeuner ?

sayteh ewn shahnbruh doobluh avek puhtee dayjzuhnay
it-was a bedroom double with small lunch?
It was a double room with breakfast?
3. C’est exact. Nous avons aussi demandé un lit enfant.

seh tegzakt noo zavohn ohsee duhmahnday an lee ahnfahn
it’s exact. we have also asked-for a bed child
That’s right. We also requested a child’s bed.
4. Absolument. Mon collègue a préparé la chambre.

absolewmahn mohn kolehg a prayparay la shahnbruh
absolutely. my colleague has prepared the bedroom
Absolutely. My colleague has prepared the room.
Notes
Accents over French vowels usually indicate their pronunciation: the acute
accent é is pronounced [ay]; the grave accent è is pronounced [eh]; the
circumflex accent ô, ê, â has a very subtle effect on pronunciation that you
don’t need to worry about. An accent can also sometimes be used to
differentiate two similar words (a he/she/it has and à to).
To talk about a fully completed event that occurred in the past, the present
perfect tense is used: avoir to have + past participle. The auxiliary verb avoir
is conjugated in the present (j’ai, tu as, il/elle a, nous avons, vous avez,
ils/elles ont) followed by the past participle of the main verb.
To form the past participle of ‘-er’ verbs, replace the ‘-er’ with ‘-é’:
demander to ask → nous avons demandé; for regular ‘-ir’ verbs, replace ‘-
ir’ with ‘-i’ (finir → fini); and for many ‘-re’ verbs, replace ‘-re’ with ‘-u’
(vendre → vendu).
Note that this tense translates both the English simple past (we asked) and the
present perfect (we have asked).
1. We have prepared breakfast.

2. They (a man and woman) asked for a room.
3. Elle a réservé une chambre.
4. Nous avons fini le gâteau.
Answers:
1. Nous avons préparé le petit déjeuner.

2. Ils ont demandé une chambre.
3. She (has) booked a room.
4. We (have) finished the cake.
➚ DAY 17
Vos papiers, s’il vous plaît !
Your ID, please!
1. Bonjour, madame. Vos papiers, s’il vous plaît.

bohnjzoor madam voh papyay seel voo pleh
good-day, madam. your papers if-it you pleases.
Good morning, madam. Your ID, please.
2. Mais je conduis lentement. Quel est le problème ?

meh jzuh kohndwee lahntmahn kel eh luh prohblem
but i drive slowly. what is the problem?
But I am driving slowly. What is the problem?
3. Vous devez changer ce pneu bientôt. Il est usé.

voo duhvay shahnjzay suh pnuh byantoh eel eht ewzay
you must to-change this tyre soon. it is worn.
You must change this tyre soon. It is worn out.
4. D’accord. Je m’en occupe rapidement.

dakor jzuh mahn nohkewp rapeedmahn
OK. I myself-of-it deal quickly
OK. I will deal with it right away.
5. Très bien. Conduisez prudemment !

treh byan kohndweezay prewdamahn
very well. drive cautiously!
Very well. Drive safely!
Notes
If the police ask you to present vos papiers, this generally means your
driver’s licence, car registration and insurance documents.
One way to form adverbs in French is to add ‘-ment’ to the feminine form
of the adjective: rapide quick → rapidement quickly, malheureuse unfortunate
→ malheureusement unfortunately. Most adjectives ending in ‘-ent’ or ‘-ant’
end in ‘-emment’ or ‘-amment’: prudent → prudemment (lent →
lentement is an exception). Some adverbs do not have a ‘-ment’ ending:
bien well, mal badly.
Devoir to have to, ‘must’ (auxiliary verb), to owe (independent verb) is irregular:
je dois nous devons

tu dois vous devez
il/elle doit ils/elles doivent
Most verbs ending in ‘-uire’ conjugate as follows (here with conduire to

drive):
je condui s nous condui sons

tu condui s vous condui sez
il/elle condui t ils/elles condui sent
1. We have to/must eat.

2. They drive safely.
3. Je dois demander son nom.
4. Le taxi arrive rapidement.
Answers:
1. Nous devons manger.

2. Ils/Elles conduisent prudemment.
3. I have to ask his/her name.
4. The taxi is coming quickly/right away.
➚ DAY 18
Allons au théâtre !
Let’s go to the theatre!
1. Hier, on est allé au théâtre; la pièce était géniale !

eeyehr ohn eh talay oh tay-ahtruh la pyes ayteh jzaynyal
yesterday one is went to-the theatre; the play was great
We went to the theatre yesterday; the play was great!
2. Vous êtes arrivés à l’heure cette fois, j’espère ?

voo zet areevay ah luhr set fwa jzespehr
you are arrived at the-hour this time I-hope?
This time you arrived on time, I hope?
3. Tout à fait ! Nous y sommes allés en taxi, pas à pied !

too tah feh noo zee som zalay ahn taksee pa ah pyay
all at done! we there are went in taxi, not at foot!
Absolutely! We went by taxi, not on foot!
4. Et à quelle heure êtes-vous rentrés ?

eh ah kel uhr eht voo rahntray
and at what hour are-you returned
And what time did you come back?
5. On est rentré à 22 heures.

ohn neh rahntray ah vant duh zuhr
one is returned at 22 hours
We came back at 10 pm.
Notes
Certain verbs form their present perfect tense with être rather than avoir.
These include reflexive verbs (se trouver to be located) and verbs of
movement and transition, such as aller to go (past participle: allé), arriver to
arrive (arrivé), devenir to become (devenu), entrer to enter (entré), mourir to
die (mort), naître to be born (né), partir to leave (parti), parvenir to reach
(parvenu), rentrer to come back (rentré), rester to stay (resté), sortir to go out
(sorti), tomber to fall (tombé) and venir to come (venu). Note that with être,
the past participle agrees with the subject: il est parti, elle est partie, nous
sommes partis; elles sont parties.
The pronoun on one is often used to mean we. In this case, the verb is in the
third-person singular form: on est one is = nous sommes we are.
1. My brothers arrived yesterday.

2. The girls left.
3. Elle y est allée.
4. Nous sommes rentrés tard./On est rentré tard.
Answers:
1. Mes frères sont arrivés hier.

2. Les filles sont parties.
3. She went there.
4. We came back late.
➚ DAY 19
Que fais-tu demain ?
What are you doing tomorrow?
1. Alors, dis-moi Paul : que fais-tu demain ?

alor dee mwa pol kuh feh tew duhman
so tell-me paul: what do-you tomorrow?
So, tell me, Paul: what are you doing tomorrow?
2. Demain je vais manger chez un ami en ville.

duhman jzuh vay mahnjzay shay zan namee ahn veel
tomorrow i go to-eat at a friend in town
Tomorrow I am going to eat at a friend’s in town.
3. Qu’allez-vous faire ?
kalay voo fehr
what-go-you to-do?
What are you going to do?
4. Nous allons jouer aux cartes ! J’ai hâte !

noo zalohn jzoo-ay oh kart jzay aht
we go to-play at-the cards! I-have haste!
We’re going to play cards! I can’t wait!
5. Ah, oui ! Ça va être formidable !

ah wee sa va ehtruh formeedabluh
ah yes! that goes to-be fantastic
Ah, yes! It will be fantastic!
Notes
Sometimes the present tense is used to talk about the future: Que fais-tu
demain ? What are you doing tomorrow? Or you can use aller to go (conjugated) +
verb (infinitive): je vais manger I’m going to eat.
There is also a future tense, in which the endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont
are added to the infinitive: je parlerai, tu parleras, il/elle parlera, nous
parlerons, vous parlerez, ils/elles parleront I will speak, you will speak, etc.
Chez [shay] means at/to a place: chez un ami at a friend’s place; chez Suzette at
Suzette’s; chez le médecin at the doctor’s; chez le coiffeur at the hairdresser’s.
Ça is the contracted form of cela that; ci is the contracted form of ceci this.
The French independent pronouns are moi me, toi you (inf.), lui/elle him/her,
nous us, vous you (form./pl.), eux them (masc.), elles them (fem.). They are
‘standalone’ pronouns used to show emphasis and often follow a
preposition or a verb.
1. I am going to Paul’s.
2. We’re going to watch a film.
3. Nous mangerons à une heure.
4. Vous allez jouer aux cartes avec lui ?
Answers:
1. Je vais chez Paul.

2. On va regarder un film./Nous allons regarder un film.
3. We will eat at 1:00.
4. Are you going to play cards with him?
➚ DAY 20
Nous nous disputons parfois !
We sometimes argue!
1. Comment se passent les vacances, Sophie ?

komahn suh pas lay vakahns sofee
how themselves pass the holidays sophie?
How are your holidays going, Sophie?
2. Bien, merci. Je me lève tous les jours à 11 heures !

byan mehrsee jzuh muh lehv too lay jzoor ah ohnz uhr
well thanks. I myself rise all the days at eleven hours
Good, thanks. I get up at 11 am every day!
3. Et tu t’entends bien avec tes amis ?

eh tew tahntahn byan avek tay zamee
and you yourself-get-on well with your friends?
And do you get on well with your friends?
4. Pas toujours ! Nous nous disputons parfois !

pa toojzoor noo noo deespewtohn parfwa
not always! we ourselves dispute sometimes
Not always! We sometimes argue!
Notes
Here are some more examples of verbs with a reflexive pronoun that shows
the action is done to the subject. We saw this with je m’appelle my name is (‘I
call myself’). The reflexive pronouns are: me/m’ myself, te/t’ yourself (inf.
sing.), se/s’ himself, herself, itself, oneself, nous ourselves, vous yourself (form.),
yourselves, se/s’ themselves. Many French verbs are reflexive that are not in
English: se lever to get ‘oneself’ up; s’habiller to get ‘oneself’ dressed, se
coucher to get ‘oneself’ to bed. The reflexive pronoun can also have a
reciprocal meaning of doing something with each other: se disputer to argue
‘with each other’, s’entendre to get on ‘with each other’.
Some common adverbs of time: parfois, quelquefois sometimes; toujours
always; rarement rarely; souvent often; jamais never.
To say every (day/month/year), the article les is required: tous les jours
every day; tous les lundis every Monday.
1. They go to bed at 11 pm.

2. Do you get on well with each other?
3. Elle se lève à huit heures (du matin).
4. Je vais souvent en vacances !
Answers:
1. Ils/Elles se couchent à 23 heures.

2. Vous vous entendez bien?
3. She gets up at 8 am.
4. I go on holiday often!
➚ DAY 21
Vous avez passé de bonnes vacances ?
Did you have a good holiday?
1. Alors, ces vacances ! C’était comment ?

alor say vakahns sayteh komahn
so these holidays! it-was how?
So, how was your break?
2. Fantastique ! Nous avions un hôtel épatant !

fahntasteek noo zavyohn an nohtehl aypatahn
fantastic! we had a hotel amazing!
Fantastic! We had an amazing hotel!
3. Et les Français étaient sympathiques ?

eh lay frahnseh ayteh sanpateek
and the French were nice?
And were the French nice?
4. Ils avaient toujours le sourire ! Enfin, presque !

eel zaveh toojzoor luh sooreer ahnfan presk
they had always the smile! at-last nearly!
They always had a smile on their face! Well, nearly always!
5. Vous voulez y retourner ?

voo voolay ee ruhtoornay
you want there to-return?
Would you like to go back?
6. Oui ! Nous y retournons l’année prochaine !

wee noo zee ruhtoornohn lanay proshen
yes we there return the-year next
Yes! We are going back next year!
Notes
The imperfect tense is used to describe past actions of an unspecified
duration: it was or we had, etc. Here is être to be in the imperfect:
j’étais nous étions
tu étais vous étiez
il/elle était ils/elles étaient
And avoir to have:
j’avais nous avions

tu avais vous aviez
il/elle avait ils/elles avaient
You won’t be surprised to hear that there are different forms of this/that
depending on the gender and number of the noun: ce, cet (in front of a
vowel or silent ‘h’) (masc. sing.), cette (fem. sing.). The plural form is ces
these/those for both genders. (Note that vacances is plural in French.)
1. I was in France.
2. We had a great hotel!
3. Nous y allons cette année.
4. Comment était le petit déjeuner ?
Answers:
1. J’étais en France.
2. Nous avions un hôtel épatant/génial/super !
3. We are going there this year.
4. How was the breakfast?
LES INDISPENSABLES
Numbers
Pronunciation
Space and time
Asking questions
Useful words and expressions

➚ Numbers
1 un an 11 onze ohnz
2 deux duh 12 douze dooz
3 trois trwa 13 treize trehz
4 quatre katruh 14 quatorze katorz
5 cinq sank 15 quinze kanz

6 six sees 16 seize sehz
7 sept set 17 dix-sept deeset
8 huit weet 18 dix-huit deezweet
9 neuf nuhf 19 dix-neuf deeznuhf
10 dix dees 20 vingt van
21 vingt et un vant eh an
22 vingt-deux vant duh
30 trente trahnt
40 quarante karahnt
50 cinquante sankahnt
60 soixante swasahnt
70 soixante-dix swasahnt dees

71 soixante et onze swasahnt eh ohnz
72 soixante-douze swasahnt dooz
80 quatre-vingt(s) katruh van

81 quatre-vingt-un katruh van an
90 quatre-vingt-dix katruh van dees

91 quatre-vingt-onze katruh van ohnz
100 cent sahn
200 deux cents duh sahn

1000 mille meel
➚ Pronunciation
Alphabet
The French alphabet is the same as the English alphabet, although the
letters are pronounced differently.
a [ah], b [bay], c [say], d [day], e [uh], f [ef], g [jzay], h [ash], i [ee],
j [jzee], k [kah], l [el], m [em], n [en], o [oh], p [pay], q [kew], r [er],
s [es], t [tay], u [ew], v [vay], w [doobluh vay], x [eeks], y [eegrek],
z [zed]
Pronunciation
It is impossible to cover all the details of French pronunciation here, so
we’ve provided only the sounds that are trickiest for English speakers.
Remember that certain letters in French words are not pronounced. This
often occurs at the end of words, such as the final consonants: for example,
salut [salew] hi.
French sound English equivalent
homme The ‘h’ is silent: [om]

ligne [ny] as in canyon
rouge Guttural r as in the Scottish loch
sous, place, ça, [s] as in sit

option
chou, shampooing [sh] as in bush
jour [jz] as in vision
drôle, bateau [oh] as in load
homme [o] as in sore
me, sœur, jeune, [uh] as in about
peu
où, pour [oo] as in food
tu Tightly purse the lips while pronouncing ‘ee’, a bit
like [ew] as in few
sa, là, femme, pâte An [a] in between pat and father
thé, ses [ay] as in say
baguette, chaise, [eh] as in best
ouvert
île, si [ee] as in beet
yeux, billet [y] as in yes
nuit as in few + week, but said quickly so it
[ew]-[ee]
sounds a bit like [wee]
ouest, voiture, oui [w] as in wet, wallaby, week
travail [a]-[ee] as in fight
abeille [eh]-[ee] as in layer
bière [ee]-[eh] as in beer + fair; yeh
policier [ee]-[ay] as in beer + say; yay
vieux [ee]-[uh]; yuh
feuille [uh]-[ee]
grenouille [oo]-[ee] as in food + beer

Vowels or Pronounce the vowel sound as if it was followed by
diphthongs ‘ng’, but don’t actually pronounce the ‘ng’: [ahn]
followed by ‘n’ or [ohn] [an] [wan] etc.
‘m’:
blanc, champ,
embrasse, son,
timbre, loin, etc.
➚ Space and time
Talking about ‘when’ and ‘how often’
afternoon l’après-midi lapreh meedee
always toujours toojzoor
early/late tôt/tard toh/tar
evening le soir luh swar
every day tous les jours too lay jzoor
morning le matin luh matan
never jamais jzameh
night la nuit la nwee
now maintenant mantnahn

sometimes quelquefois kelkuh fwa
today aujourd’hui ohjzoordwee
tomorrow demain duhman
yesterday hier eeyehr
Giving directions
after/before après/avant apreh/avahn
behind/in front of derrière/devant dehryehr/duhvahn
far/near loin/près lwan/preh
here/there ici/là-bas eesee/la ba
left/right à gauche/à droite ah gohsh/ah drwat
next to à côté de ah kotay duh

on sur sewr
opposite en face de ahn fas duh
straight ahead tout droit too drwa
under sous soo

➚ Asking questions
Key words for questions
How? Comment ? komahn
How long? Combien de temps ? kohnbyan duh tahn
How much/many? Combien ? kohnbyan
What …? Qu’est-ce que… ? keskuh
When? Quand ? kahn

Where? Où ? oo
Which? Quel/(le)/Quel(les) ? kel
Who? Qui ? kee
Why? Pourquoi ? poorkwah
Useful question phrases

At what time …? À quelle heure … ? ah kel uhr
Can you help me? Pouvez-vous m’aider ? poovay voo mayday
Do you have … ? Avez-vous … ? avay voo
How much is it? C’est combien ? seh kohnbyan
I am looking for … Je cherche … jzuh shersh
I need … J’ai besoin de … jzay buhzwan duh
Is there …? Y a-t-il … ? eeyateel
I would like … J’aimerais … jzemuhreh
I’d like to go… Je veux aller à … juh vuh alay ah
What time is it? Quelle heure est-il ? kel uhr eh teel

What’s that? Qu’est-ce que c’est ? keskuhseh
Where is/are …? Où est/sont … ? oo eh/sohn
… the toilets? … les toilettes ? lay twalet

➚ Useful words and expressions
Common words and expressions
Yes/No Oui/Non wee/nohn
Excuse me! Excusez-moi ! ekskewzay mwa
Hello. (day/eve.) Bonjour./Bonsoir. bohnjzoor/bohnswar
Goodbye. Au revoir. oh ruhvwar
How are you? Comment ça va ? komahn sa va

Very well. Très bien. treh byan
Please. S’il vous plaît. seel voo pleh
Sorry. Pardon. pardohn

Thanks a lot. Merci beaucoup. mehrsee bohkoo
You’re welcome! De rien ! duh ryan
The bill L’addition ladeesyon
And just in case you’re struggling …

I don’t understand. Je ne comprends pas. jzuh nuh kohnprahn pa
Can you repeat that? Pouvez-vous répéter ? poovay voo raypaytay
Can you speak more Pouvez-vous parler plus poovay voo parlay plew
slowly? lahntmahn
lentement ?
Do you speak English? Parlez-vous anglais ? parlay voo ahngleh
I don’t speak French Je ne parle pas bien français. jzuh nuh parl pa byan
well.
frahnsay
What does … mean? Que veut dire … ? kuh vuh deer
CONVERSING
First contact
Meeting people
Expressing opinions
Accepting invitations
Religion and traditions
The weather
Time and the calendar
Asking for assistance
Signs, notices and abbreviations
Travelling
Getting around town

Outdoor activities
Accommodation
Eating and drinking
Shopping
Business meetings
Health
➚ First contact
The French have retained certain etiquette that may seem somewhat formal
to English speakers. This doesn’t necessarily imply reserve, but is more a
question that good manners are considered to be respectful. One of the ways
the French indicate politeness is embedded in their language with the tu and
vous forms of you. Tu is the familiar, informal you used with people you
know well. Vous is the formal, polite you for addressing basically everyone
else (or if speaking to more than one person). Use vous whenever you
address a stranger (in a restaurant, hotel, shop, the street, etc.).
Greetings
In France, it is customary to greet people with Bonjour when you walk in
somewhere (a shop, a waiting room, an office, etc.) and to say Au revoir
when leaving. In these contexts, monsieur, madame or mademoiselle are
the norm; first names are only used in more informal situations. With
relatives and friends, cheek kissing (la bise) is the usual greeting (and
parting). The number of kisses depends on the region.
Saying hello
Hello! (day) Bonjour ! bohnjzoor

Hello! (evening) Bonsoir ! bohnswar
Hi! Salut ! salew
How’s it going? Ça va ? sa va
Are you well? (inf. sing.) / Tu vas bien ? tew va byan voo zalay
(form./pl.) Vous allez bien ? byan
How are you? (formal) Comment allez- komahn talay voo

vous ?
Taking leave
Goodbye! Au revoir ! oh ruhvwar
Bye! Ciao ! chow
See you tomorrow! À demain ! ah duhman
See you later! À tout à l’heure ! ah too tah luhr
See you soon! À bientôt ! ah byantoh
See you next year! À l’année prochaine ! ah lanay proshen
Have a nice day! Bonne journée ! bon jzoornay
Have a good week! Bonne semaine ! bon suhmen
Good night! Bonne nuit ! bon nwee
Addressing someone
Mrs, Madam Madame madam
Miss Mademoiselle maduhmwazel
Ladies and gentlemen Mesdames et messieurs maydam zeh maysyuh
Mr, Sir Monsieur muhsyuh
Offering wishes
On holiday
Welcome! Bienvenue ! byanvuhnew
Enjoy your stay! Bon séjour ! bohn sayjzoor
Have a good trip! Bon voyage ! bohn vwahyajz

Have a nice holiday! Bonnes vacances ! bon vakahns
In everyday situations
Cheers! (when toasting) Santé ! sahntay
Congratulations! Félicitations ! fayleeseetasyohn
Enjoy your meal! Bon appétit ! bon apaytee
Good luck! Bonne chance ! bon shahns

Best of luck! Bon courage ! bohn koorajz
Special occasions
Happy Birthday! Joyeux jzwahyuh zaneevehrsehr
anniversaire !
Happy New Year! Bonne année ! bon anay
Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël ! jzwahyuh noel
Agreeing and disagreeing

The gestures that accompany these expressions are similar to those in
English, though the French may flick their index finger right to left when
saying no.
Yes. Oui. wee
Of course. Bien sûr. byan sewr
Yes, I’d love to. Oui, je veux bien. wee jzuh vuh byan
OK. D’accord. dakor
Maybe. Peut-être. puhtetruh
No. Non. nohn

Not at all. Pas du tout. pah dew too
I agree. Je suis d’accord. jzuh swee dakor
I disagree. Je ne suis pas d’accord. jzuh nuh swee pa dakor

Me too./So do I. Moi aussi. mwa ohsee
Neither do I. Moi non plus. mwa nohn plew
Asking questions
The easiest option is simply to turn a statement into a question by making
your voice rise. Alternatively, you can invert the verb and the subject. Or
you can use one of the words or phrases below at the beginning of the
question.
Is it …? Est-ce que … ? eskuh
What is …? Qu’est-ce que … ? keskuh
How? Comment ? komahn
How long? Combien de temps ? kohnbyan duh

tahn
How much/How Combien (de) ? kohnbyan

many? (duh)
When? Quand ? kahn
Where? Où ? oo
Which/What? Quel (m.) /Quelle (f.) /Quels (m. pl.) kel

/Quelles (f. pl.) ?
Who? Qui ? kee
Why? Pourquoi ? poorkwah
Thanking someone
Thank you. Merci. mehrsee
Thank you very Merci beaucoup. mehrsee bohkoo

much.
You’re welcome. Je vous en prie. (form.) Je t’en jzuh voo zahn pree jzuh
prie. (inf.) tahn pree
It’s nothing. De rien. duh ryan
Body language
The French are relatively physically expressive and have various gestures
that go with specific expressions. Here are a few examples of some you
may come across and what to make of them!
• Bof … [bof] basically indicates not being particularly enthusiastic about
something, as in I don’t care or I doubt it. It is accompanied by the Gallic shrug,
which is made by lifting the shoulders while sticking out the lower lip,
raising the eyebrows and tipping the head to one side.
• Quelle barbe ! [kel barb] (literally, ‘What a beard!’) indicates boredom as in
What a drag! Stroke one cheek up and down with the back of the fingers of
one hand while blowing air from the mouth and raising the eyebrows.
• Ras-le-bol ! [ra luh bol] (literally, ‘to the brim of the bowl’) means I am fed up!
Move one hand back and forth above your head to signify that you’ve had
enough!
• Avoir un verre dans le nez [avwar anvehr dahnluh nay] (literally, ‘to have a
glass in the nose’) means that someone has drunk one too many! Hold your
fist in front of your nose and twist like a corkscrew.
• Mon œil ! [mohnnuh-ee] (literally, ‘my eye’) is used to express disbelief as in
Yeah, right. Use your index finger to pull down the lower eyelid.
• Tu es fou ! [tew eh foo] / T’es fou ! [teh foo] You’re crazy! Put your index finger
on the side of the head at eye-height and twist it like a screwdriver.
Making yourself understood

Here are some useful expressions when broaching a conversation.
I don’t understand.
Je ne comprends pas.
jzuh nuh kohnprahn pa
Can you repeat that, please?

Pouvez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît ?
poovay voo raypaytay seel voo pleh
Can you speak more slowly?

Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement ?
poovay voo parlay plew lahntmahnWhat does … mean?
What does… mean ?

Que veut dire… ?
kuh vuh deer
Do you speak …? Parlez-vous … ? (form.) parlay voo
I don’t speak … Je ne parle pas … jzuh nuh parl pa
… French. … français. frahnseh
… English. … anglais. ahngleh
… German. … allemand. almahn

… Italian. … italien. eetalyan
… Spanish. … espagnol. espanyol
Pardon?/Excuse me? Comment ? komahn
Sorry. Désolé(e). (m/f) dayzolay

➚ Meeting people
Running into someone
Remember that if you don’t know someone very well, it’s best to use vous.
Good morning, Mrs Dupont! How are you?

Bonjour, Madame Dupont ! Comment allez-vous ?
bohnjzoor madam dewpohn komahn talay vooVery well, thank you. And you?
Very well, thank you. And you ?

Très bien, merci. Et vous-même ?
treh byan mehrsee eh voo mem
If you’re not sure whether tu or vous would be appropriate, here is an

option that avoids having to make a choice!
How is everything? Comment ça va ? komahn sa va
Here are some ways to respond.
Fine./Good. Bien. byan

All right. Ça va. sa va
Not bad. Pas mal. pa mahl
Not very well. Pas très bien. pa treh byan
Badly. Mal. mahl
In informal situations, someone may suggest that you use tu with each other
(tutoiement).
Let’s use ‘tu’, OK?

On se tutoie, d’accord ?
ohn suh tewtwa dakor
In this case, when you see them, you can say :
How are you? Comment vas-tu ? komahn va tew
Fine, and you? Bien, et toi ? byan eh twa
Introducing yourself
When meeting someone new, they may either offer their hand or, if it is a
friendly gathering, go in for la bise (cheek kissing). Just follow their lead!
Good evening. This is Audrey.

Bonsoir. Je vous présente Audrey.
bohnswar jzuh voo prayzahnt ohdreh
Pleased to meet you. I’m Anne.

Enchantée. Je m’appelle Anne.
ahnshahntay jzuh mapel ann
Let me introduce you Je te/vous présente … jzuh tuh/voo

to… prayzahnt
(inf./form.)
This is… Voici… vwasee
… a friend. .. un ami/une amie. an namee/ewn amee
… my brother. .. mon frère. mohn frehr

… my daughter. .. ma fille. ma fee
… my husband. .. mon mari. mohn maree
… my parents. .. mes parents. may parahn
… my sister. .. ma sœur. ma suhr
… my son. .. mon fils. mohn fees

… my wife. .. ma femme. ma fam
What’s your name? (inf.) Comment t’appelles-tu ? komahn tapel
tew
What’s your name? (form.) / What are your Comment vous appelez- komahn voo
names?
vous ? zaplay voo
Nice to meet you. Enchanté(e). (m/f) ahnshahntay
Saying where you’re from

Where are you from?
D’où êtes-vous ? (form./pl.) / D’où es-tu ? (inf.)
doo eht voo / doo eh tew
Where do you come from?

D’où venez-vous ? (form./pl.) / D’où viens-tu ? (inf.)
doo vuhnay voo / doo vyan tew
To say where you come from:

je viens de [jzuh vyanduh] or il/elle vient de [eel/el vyanduh], nous venons de [noo
vuhnohnduh], ils/elles viennent de [eel/el vyen duh]
I’m from England.

Je viens d’Angleterre.
jzuh vyan dahngluhtehr
Each country has a gender:
Australia L’Australie lohstralee
Belgium La Belgique la beljzeek
Britain La Grande-Bretagne la grahnd bruhtanyuh
Canada Le Canada luh kanada
China La Chine la sheen
England L’Angleterre lahngluhtehr

France La France la frahns
Germany L’Allemagne lalmanyuh
India L’Inde land

Ireland L’Irlande leerlahnd
Italy L’Italie leetalee
Japan Le Japon luh jzapohn
New Zealand La Nouvelle-Zélande la noovel zaylahnd

Scotland L’Écosse laykos
South Africa L’Afrique du Sud lafreek dew sewd
Spain L’Espagne lespanyuh
Switzerland La Suisse la swees
The United States Les États-Unis lay zayta zewnee
Wales Le Pays de Galles luh peh-ee duh gal
To give your nationality (the feminine form is in brackets):
I am … Je suis … jzuh swee
… American. … américain(e). amayreekan/amayreeken
… Australian. … australien(ne). ohstralyan/ohstralyen

… British. … britannique. breetaneek
… Canadian. … canadien(ne). kanadyan/kanadyen
… Irish. … irlandais(e). eerlahnday/eerlahndehz
… a New Zealander. … néo-zélandais(e). nayo-zaylahnday/nayo-zaylahndehz
… South African. … sudafricain(e). sewdafreekan/sewdafreeken

Giving your age
In French, you say how many years you have, not how many years old you
are. So try to remember to use avoir instead of être! You’ll find the
numbers in the front cover flap.
How old are you? (inf.) / Quel âge as-tu ? kel ahjz ah tew
(form./pl.) Quel âge avez-vous ?
kel ahjz avay
voo
I am … years old. J’ai … ans. jzay … ahn

What is your date of birth? Quelle est votre date de kel eh votruh
daht
naissance ?
duh naysahns
I was born in … Je suis né(e) en … (m/f) jzuh swee nay

ahn
Talking about your family

To describe your marital status [the (e) ending indicates the feminine]:
… divorced. … divorcé(e). deevorsay
… married. … marié(e). maryay
… single. … célibataire. sayleebatehr
… widowed. … veuf (m)/veuve (f). vuhf/vuhv
To say who you are travelling with:
I am here with … Je suis ici avec … jzuh swee eesee avek
… my wife. … ma femme. ma fam
… my husband. … mon mari. mohn maree
… my partner. … mon compagnon (m) / ma mohn konpanyon/ ma

compagne (f). konpanya
… my … ma fille/mon fils. ma fee/mohn fees

daughter/my son.
… my parents. … mes parents. may parahn
… my children. … mes enfants. may zahnfahn
… a friend. … un ami/une amie. an namee/ewn amee
How many children do you have?

Combien d’enfants avez-vous ?
kohnbyan dahnfahn avay voo
I have three children.

J’ai trois enfants.
jzay trwa zahnfahn
Some other family members:
my child mon enfant mohn nahnfahn
my granddaughter ma petite-fille ma puhteet fee
my grandson mon petit-fils mohn puhtee fees
my grandchildren mes petits-enfants may puhtee zahnfahn
my grandmother ma grand-mère ma grahn mehr

my grandfather mon grand-père mohn grahn pehr
my aunt ma tante ma tahnt
my uncle mon oncle mohn nohnkluh
my cousin mon cousin (m)/ ma cousine (f) mohn koozan/ ma koozeen
my nephew mon neveu mohn nuhvuh
my niece ma nièce ma nyes

my father-in-law mon beau-père mohn boh pehr
my mother-in-law ma belle-mère ma bel mehr
my parents-in-law mes beaux-parents may boh parahn
my sister-in-law ma belle-sœur ma bel suhr
my brother-in-law mon beau-frère mohn boh frehr
Saying what you do

So you’ve met someone and talked about where you’re from and your
family – no doubt the next subject will be what you do.
What is your job?

Quel est ton (inf.) /votre (form.) métier ?
kel eh tohn/votruh maytyay
What do you do?

Que fais-tu (inf.) /faites-vous (form.) dans la vie ?
kuh feh tew/feht voo dahn la vee
In French, when saying what job you do, there is no a/an before the
profession. Keep in mind that some jobs have a masculine and feminine
form.
… an architect. … architecte. arsheetekt
… a computer … informaticien(ne). anformateesyan/anformateesyen

analyst.
… a cook. … cuisinier (m)/ cuisinière kweezeenyay/kweezeenyehr
(f).
… a doctor. … médecin. mehdsan
… an engineer. … ingénieur(e). anjzaynyuhr

… a lawyer. … avocat(e). avoka/avokat
… a mechanic. … mécanicien(ne). maykaneesyan/maykaneesyen
… a musician. … musicien(ne). mewzeesyan/mewzeesyen
… a nurse. … infirmier (m)/ infirmière anfeermyay/anfeermyehr

(f)).
… a photographer. … photographe. fotograf
… a plumber. … plombier. plohnbyay
… a police officer. … policier (m)/ policière (f). poleesyay/poleesyehr
… a student. … étudiant(e). aytewdyahn/aytewdyahnt

… a teacher. … enseignant(e). ahnsenyahn/ahnsenyahnt
… a vet. … vétérinaire. vaytayreenehr
… retired. … retraité(e). ruhtrehtay
… unemployed. … sans emploi. sahn zahnplwa
Or you can say:
I work in … Je travaille dans … jzuh trava-ee dahnz
… a bank. … une banque. ewn bahnk
… a computer … une entreprise ewn ahntruhpreez

company.
d’informatique. danformateek
… a museum. … un musée. an mewzay
… an office. … un bureau. an bewroh
… a school. .. une école. ewn aykol
… a shop. … un magasin. an magazan
If you’re studying:
What do you study?
Qu’étudies-tu (inf.) ? / Qu’étudiez-vous (form./pl.) ?
kaytewdee tew / kaytewdyay voo
I am studying law.
Je fais des études de droit. / J’étudie le droit.
jzuh feh day zaytewd duh drwa / jzaytewdee luh drwa
➚ Expressing opinions
Do you like French food?
Tu aimes (inf.) / Vous aimez (form./pl.) la cuisine française ?
tew em / voo zemay la kweezeen frahnsehz
Yes, I love it!

Oui, j’adore !
wee jzador
Me too!
Moi aussi !
mwa ohsee
No, I don’t like it.

Non, je n’aime pas.
nohn jzuh nem paI don’t either.
I don't either.
Moi non plus.
mwa nohn plew
It is … / It was … C’est … / C’était … seh / sayteh
… awful. … affreux. afruh
… beautiful. … beau. boh
… boring. … ennuyeux. ahnnweeyuh
… delicious. … délicieux. dayleesyuh
… difficult. … difficile. deefeeseel
… disgusting. … dégoûtant. daygootahn
… dreadful. … nul. newl
… easy. … facile. faseel

… great. … super/génial. sewpehr/jzaynyal
… interesting. … intéressant. antayrehsahn
… scary. … effrayant. ayfrehyahn
… surprising. … surprenant. sewrpruhnahn

… tiring. … fatigant. fateegahn
… ugly. … moche. mohsh
… useful. … utile. ewteel
… useless. … inutile. eenewteel
I love … J’adore … jzador
I like … J’aime … jzem
I don’t like … Je n’aime pas … jzuh nem pa
I hate … Je déteste … jzuh daytest
In my opinion … À mon avis … a mohn navee
I think that … Je pense que … jzuh pahns kuh
You are right. Vous avez raison. voo zavay rehzohn

You are wrong. Vous avez tort. voo zavay tor
➚ Accepting invitations
You may not be surprised to hear that eating and drinking are a central part
of socializing in France. If you’re invited to someone’s house, it’s
considerate to take something to offer to your host. If you take wine, it may
be accepted as a gift rather than opened for the meal, as most likely a wine
will already have been chosen to pair with the food.
Would you like to come … Voulez-vous/Veux-tu voolay voo/vuh tew

(form./inf.) vuhneer
venir …
… for dinner? … dîner ? deenay
… for lunch? … déjeuner ? dayjzuhnay
… to a party? … à une fête ? a ewn feht
Yes, with pleasure! Oui, avec plaisir ! wee avek playzeer
I’m sorry, I’m busy. Je suis désolé(e), jzuh swee dayzolay, jzuh swee
pree/preez
je suis pris(e).
Thank you for inviting Merci de m’avoir mehrsee duh mavwar ahnveetay
me.
invité(e).
Meeting up…
In France, a rendez-vous is any type of meeting – an appointment, an
arrangement with friends or a date. Here are some ways to make one.
What are you doing tonight? Qu’est-ce que tu fais ce keskuh tew feh
(inf.) soir ? suh swar
I’m meeting up with friends. J’ai rendez-vous avec des jzay rahnday-voo avek day
amis. zamee
Do you want to … (inf.) Tu veux … tew vuh
… go out this weekend? … sortir ce weekend ? sorteer suh weekend

… go for a drink? … boire un verre ? bwar an vehr
… go to the cinema? … aller au cinéma ? alay oh seenayma
… go shopping? … faire les magasins ? fehr lay magazan
… go for a coffee? … prendre un café ? prahndruh an kafay
Gladly! Volontiers ! volohntyay
Unfortunately, I Malheureusement, je ne peux maluhruhzmahn jzuh nuh puh

can’t. pa
pas.
… and chatting up
In case you want to engage in a conversation with someone you’d like to
know better …
You are … (form./inf.) Vous êtes/Tu es … voo zeht/tew eh
… lovely. … charmant(e). sharmahn/sharmahnt
… cute. … mignon(ne). meenyohn/meenyon

… intelligent. … intelligent(e). antehleejzahn/antehleejzahnt
… funny. … drôle. drohl
to chat up draguer dragay
Can I get you a drink?

Je peux vous offrir/t’offrir un verre ?
jzuh puh voo zofreer/tofreer an vehr
Can I see you again?

Puis-je vous/te revoir ?
pweejz voo/tuh ruhvwar
I like you.
Tu me plais. / Vous me plaisez.
tew muh play / voo muh playzay
Or if you want someone to leave you alone:
I’m not single. Je suis en couple. jzuh swee zahn koopluh
I prefer to be alone. Je préfère rester seul(e). jzuh prayfehr rehstay suhl
Leave me alone. Laissez-moi tranquille. lehsay mwa trahnkeel

Go away! Fichez-moi la paix ! feeshay mwa la peh
➚ Religion and traditions
The French Republic is based on the principle of laïcité (secularity) with
freedom of religion enshrined in law. Today, France is a multicultural
society made up of people of many beliefs, but historically, Catholicism (le
catholicisme) has been the most dominant religion, so many of the national
holidays are based on Catholic religious festivals.
What is your religion?

Quelle est votre religion ?
kel eh votruh ruhleejzyohn
When giving your religion, there is no a/an in front of it:
… a believer. … croyant(e). krwahyahn/krwahyahnt

… a Buddhist. … bouddhiste. boodeest
… a Christian. … chrétien(ne). kraytyan/kraytyen
… Jewish. … juif (m)/juive (f)). jzew-eef/jzew-eev
… a Muslim. … musulman(e). mewzewlmahn/mewzewlman
I am not Je ne suis pas pratiquant (m)/ jzuh nuh swee pa

religious. prateekahn/
pratiquante f.
prateekahnt
a (Catholic) une église ewn aygleez

church
a mosque une mosquée ewn moskay
a synagogue une synagogue ewn seenagog
to pray/a prier/une prière preeyay/ewn preeyehr

prayer
a priest un prêtre an prehtruh
a Protestant
church un temple an tahnpluh
Important festivals
• Pâques Easter. This Christian festival is a national holiday. In France,
legend has it that the church bells travel to Rome and bring back chocolate,
dropping it in gardens for children.
• Le quatorze juillet 14 July. This is the French Fête Nationale ,
commemorating the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 during the
French Revolution. Apart from official ceremonies and parades, fireworks
displays (les feux d’artifice [lay fuh darteefees]) are given all over France.
• Noël Christmas. In many parts of northern and eastern France, Christmas
celebrations begin on 6 December, Saint Nicolas Day. An important French
tradition (especially in Provence) is to display une crèche (a manger or
nativity crib). Traditionally, the main Christmas meal is served on
Christmas Eve (le Réveillon de Noël [luh rayvehyohnduh noel]).
• La Saint Sylvestre New Year’s Eve [la sanseelvestruh]. Another occasion for a big
meal (le Réveillon de la Saint Sylvestre ), as well as to kiss under the
mistletoe (le gui ) at midnight for good luck.
a bank/public holiday un jour férié an jzoor fehryay
Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël ! jzwahyuh noel
New Year Nouvel An noovel ahn

Happy New Year! Bonne année ! bon anay
Public holidays
New Year’s Day Le Jour de l’An luh jzoor duh lahn
Easter Monday Le Lundi de Pâques luh landee duh pahk
Labour Day (1 May) La Fête du Travail la feht dew trava-ee
Victory in Europe Day La Fête de la Victoire la feht duh la veektwar duh meel nuhf
(8 May) sahn karahnt sank
de 1945
Ascension Day L’Ascension lasahnsyohn
Whit Monday Le Lundi de la luh landee duh la pahntkoht
Pentecôte
Bastille Day (14 July) La Fête Nationale la feht nasyonal
All Saints’ Day (1 La Toussaint la toosan

November)
Armistice 1918 (11 La Fête du 11 la feht dew ohnz novahnbruh
November)
Novembre
Christmas Day Le Jour de Noël luh jzoor duh noel
➚ The weather
Different regions of France have different climates, but wherever you are,
you can be sure that the subject of weather will come up in conversation. In
French, you say what the weather does (faire), not what it is (être).
What will the weather be like tomorrow?

Quel temps va-t-il faire demain ?
kel tahn vateel fehr duhman
It’s going to be / It’s … Il va faire … / Il fait … eel va fehr / eel feh
… nice. … beau. boh
… bad. … mauvais. mohveh
… hot. … chaud. shoh
… cold. … froid. frwa
And some other useful expressions:
It’s foggy. Il y a du brouillard. eeleeya dew brooyar
It’s windy. Il y a du vent. eeleeya dew vahn
It’s cloudy. Le ciel est couvert. luh syel eh koovehr
It’s freezing. Il gèle. eel jzehl
It’s raining. Il pleut. eel pluh
It’s snowing. Il neige. eel nehjz
What a beautiful day! Quelle belle journée ! kel bel jzoornay
What horrible weather! Quel temps affreux ! kel tahn afruh

➚ Time and the calendar
Telling the time
In French you don’t ask the time, you ask the hour. The 24-hour clock is
widely used, so don’t be thrown by times from 13.00–24.00!
What time is it?

Quelle heure est-il ?
kel uhr eh teel
Do you have the time, please?

Avez-vous l’heure, s’il vous plaît ?
avay voo luhr seel voo pleh
It’s 9:30 pm. (21:30)

Il est vingt-et-une heures trente.
eel eh vant eh ewn uhr trahnt
It is … Il est … eel eh
… noon. … midi. meedee
… midnight. … minuit. meenwee
… 4:00. … quatre heures. katruhr
… 10:15 (quarter-past). … dix heures et quart. dee zuhr eh kar
… 8:30 (half-past). … huit heures et demie. wee tuhr eh duhmee
… 1:45 (quarter to). … deux heures moins le quart. duh zuhr mwan luh kar
… 12:50 (ten to). … une heure moins dix. ewn uhr mwan dees
… 3:00 on the dot. … trois heures pile. trwa zuhr peel
… early. … tôt. toh
… late. … tard. tar

morning le matin luh matan
afternoon l’après-midi lapreh meedee
evening le soir luh swar
night la nuit la nwee
At what time … À quelle heure … ah kel uhr
… does the train leave? … le train part-il ? luh tran par teel
… do you close? … fermez-vous ? fehrmay voo
… do you open? … ouvrez-vous ? oovray voo
every hour toutes les heures toot lay zuhr
every half hour toutes les demi-heures toot lay duhmee yuhr
Days, months and dates

Days of the week and months are not capitalized in French. The number
precedes the month, and only the first day of the month uses the ordinal
‘first’ – the others are simply preceded by the cardinal number (two, three,
four and so on), without ‘of’.
What day is today?

Quel jour sommes-nous ?
kel jzoor som noo
It’s Tuesday today.

Nous sommes mardi aujourd’hui.
noo som mardee ohjzoordwee
It’s the first of January.

Nous sommes le premier janvier.
noo som luh pruhmyay jzahnvyay
Monday, the 5th of December, 1965
Lundi cinq décembre mille neuf cent soixante-cinq
landee sank daysahnbruh meel nuhf sahn swasahnt sank
Days of the week
Monday lundi landee

Tuesday mardi mardee
Wednesday mercredi mehrkruhdee
Thursday jeudi jzuhdee
Friday vendredi vahndruhdee

Saturday samedi samdee
Sunday dimanche deemahnsh
Months of the year
January janvier jzahnvyay

February février fayvryay
March mars mars
April avril avreel
May mai meh
June juin jzewan
July juillet jzewyeh
August août oot
September septembre septahnbruh

October octobre oktobruh
November novembre novahnbruh

December décembre daysahnbruh
The seasons
the season la saison la sehzohn
spring le printemps luh prantahn
summer l’été laytay
autumn l’automne lohton
winter l’hiver leevehr
Talking about ‘when’ and ‘how often’

again de nouveau duh noovoh
ago (eg, 10 years ago) il y a (eg, il y a dix ans) eeleeya
already déjà dayjza
always toujours toojzoor
during pendant pahndahn
every day tous les jours too lay jzoor
in three days dans trois jours dahn trwa jzoor

in summer en été ahn naytay
last month le mois dernier luh mwa dehrnyay
never jamais jzameh
next week la semaine prochaine la suhmen proshen
next year l’année prochaine lanay proshen
now maintenant mantnahn

rarely rarement rarmahn
since depuis duhpwee
sometimes quelquefois kelkuhfwa
still encore ahnkor
the day after tomorrow après-demain apreh duhman
this month ce mois-ci suh mwa see
this week cette semaine set suhmen
this year cette année set anay
today aujourd’hui ohjzoordwee
tomorrow demain duhman
twice a day deux fois par jour duh fwa par jzoor
usually d’habitude dabeetewd
yesterday hier eeyehr

➚ Asking for assistance
Emergencies
If there is an emergency, call the free European emergency number (112)
and they will put you through to the appropriate service. In France, the fire
service often intervenes in case of car accidents or medical emergencies, as
well as fires.
I need help!
J’ai besoin d’aide !
jzay buhzwan ded
It’s urgent!
C’est urgent !
seh tewrjzahn
I’m hurt.
Je suis blessé(e).
jzuh swee blehsay
There’s been an accident!

Il y a eu un accident !
eeleeya ew an nakseedahn
Help! Au secours !/À l’aide ! oh suhkoor/ah led
Careful! Attention ! atahnsyohn
Quick! Vite ! veet
Fire! Au feu ! oh fuh
Call … Appelez … apuhlay
… an ambulance. … une ambulance. ewn ahnbewlahns
… a doctor.
… un médecin. an mehdsan
… the fire service. … les pompiers. lay pohnpyay
There is … Il y a … eeleeya
… a fire. … un incendie. an nansahndee
… a flood. … une inondation. ewn eenohndasyohn
… someone hurt. … un blessé. an blehsay
… someone ill. … un malade. an malad

➚ Signs, notices and abbreviations
Signs and notices
Closed Fermé fehrmay
Danger Danger dahnjzay
Drinking water Eau potable oh potabluh
Emergency exit Sortie de secours sortee duh suhkoor
Entrance Entrée ahntray

Exit Sortie sortee
For sale À vendre ah vahndruh
Information (desk) Accueil/Renseignements akuh-ee/rahnsenyuhmahn

Ladies’ room Dames/Femmes dam/fam
Lift/Elevator Ascenseur asahnsuhr
Men’s room Messieurs/Hommes maysyuh/om
No entry/Keep out Défense d’entrer dayfahns dahntray
No smoking Défense de fumer dayfahns duh fewmay
No vacancies/Full Complet kohnpleh

Open Ouvert oovehr
Out of order Hors service or sehrvees
Private Privé preevay
Pull Tirez teeray
Push Poussez poosay
To rent À louer ah loo-ay
Reserved Réservé rayzehrvay

Take-away À emporter ah ahnportay
Tickets Billets beeyeh
Till/Checkout Caisse kehs
Toilets/Restroom Toilettes twalet
Vacant/Available Libre leebruh
Waiting room Salle d’attente sal datahnt
Abbreviations
The French love acronyms. Here are a few you might come across.
• S.N.C.F. (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français) [es en say ef]
French national railway company
• R.E.R. (Réseau Express Régional) [ehr uh ehr]

Rapid-transit train service (between Paris and the suburbs)
• T.G.V. (Train à Grande Vitesse) [tay jzay vay]

High-speed train
• T.E.R. (Train Express Régional) [tay uh ehr]

Local train
• T.V.A. (Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée) [tay vay ah]

Value-added tax / Sales tax
• T.T.C. (Toutes Taxes Comprises) [tay tay say]

Inclusive of tax
• P.V. (Procès-Verbal) [pay vay]

Parking ticket
• SAMU (Service d’Aide Médicale d’Urgence) [samew]
Emergency Medical Service
• R.N. (Route Nationale) [ehr en]

Main road
• V.T.T. (Vélo Tout Terrain) [vay tay tay]

Mountain bike
• V.O. (Version Originale) [vay oh]

Subtitled film (a film in its original language)
➚ Travelling
Passport control and customs
Passport, please.
Votre passeport, s’il vous plaît.
vohtruh passpor seel voo pleh
Where have you travelled from?

De quel pays venez-vous ?
duh kel peh-ee vuhnay voo
What is the purpose of your visit?

Quelle est la raison de votre visite ?
kel eh la rehzohn duh votruh veezeet
How long will you be staying?

Combien de temps pensez-vous rester ?
kohnbyan duh tahn pahnsay voo restay
Could you open your bag, please?

Pouvez-vous ouvrir votre sac, s’il vous plaît ?
poovay voo oovreer votruh sak seel voo pleh
Do you have anything to declare?

Avez-vous quelque chose à déclarer ?
avay voo kelkuh shohz ah dayklaray
Baggage/Luggage Les bagages lay bagajz
Customs La douane la dwan
Nothing to declare Rien à déclarer ryan na dayklaray
Passport control Contrôle des passeports kohntrohl day passpor
a suitcase une valise ewn valeez

Money
Bank cards are widely used in France and you can pay with them virtually
anywhere. French cards have a pin code; however, if your card doesn’t,
most establishments can swipe the card and you can sign for your purchase.
Where is the nearest bank, please?

Où se trouve la banque la plus proche, s’il vous plaît ?
oo suh troov la bahnk la plew prosh seel voo pleh
Can I change some dollars/pounds?

Puis-je changer des dollars/livres ?
pweejz shahnjzay day dollar/leevruh
an ATM/a cash un distributeur an deestreebewtuhr

dispenser ohtomateek
automatique
a bank une banque ewn bahnk
a bank account un compte bancaire an kohnt bahnkehr
a bank/ATM card une carte bancaire ewn kart bahnkehr
a bill/note un billet an beeyeh
cash des espèces day zehspehs
a cheque un chèque an shek

a chequebook un carnet de chèques an karneh duh shek
coins des pièces day pyehs
a credit card une carte de crédit ewn kart duh kraydee
traveller’s cheques des chèques de voyage day shek duh

vwahyajz
… to cash a cheque. … encaisser un chèque. ahnkehsay an shek

… to make a transfer. … effectuer un virement. ayfektew-ay an veermahn
… to withdraw some money. … retirer de l’argent. ruhteeray duh larjzahn
Flying
I would like a ticket for Paris.
J’aimerais un billet pour Paris.
jzemuhreh an beeyeh poor paree
What time does the plane leave?

À quelle heure l’avion part-il ?
ah kel uhr lavyohn par teel
Where is terminal 3?
Où se trouve le terminal 3 ?
oo suh troov luh tehrmeenal trwa
I missed my flight.
J’ai raté l’avion.
jzay ratay lavyohn
airline une compagnie aérienne ewn kohnpanee a-ayryen

airport un aéroport an na-ayropor
baggage cart un chariot an sharyo
baggage (re)claim livraison des bagages leevrehzohn day bagajz

to board embarquer ahnbarkay
boarding pass une carte d’embarquement ewn kart dahnbarkuhmahn
car rental location de voiture lokasyohn duh vwatewr

carry-on luggage bagage(s) à main bagajz ah man
check-in enregistrement ahnruhjzeestruhmahn
connection une correspondance ewn korespohndahns
delayed en retard ahn ruhtar

flight un vol an vol
gate une porte ewn port
to land atterrir atehreer
on time à l’heure ah luhr
passenger un passager an pasajzay
plane ticket un billet d’avion an beeyeh davyohn
round-trip/ un aller retour/ an nalay ruhtoor/

one-way un aller simple an nalay sanpluh
shuttle une navette ewn navet
to stop over faire escale fehr eskal
to take off décoller daykolay
Going by bus or train

Many cities are connected by high-speed TGV trains, which are the
quickest option for rail travel. Before getting on the train, if you have a
regular ticket (as opposed to a print-out from the Internet) stamp it
(composter) in a machine on the platform. Note: un carlong-distance bus;
un buscity bus.
Where is the train/bus station?

Où se trouve la gare/la gare routière ?
oo suh troov la gar/la gar rootyehr
What time is the next/last train/bus for …?

À quelle heure part le prochain/dernier train/car pour … ?
ah kel uhr par luh proshan/dehrnyay tran/kar poor
How long does the journey last?
Combien de temps dure le trajet ?
kohnbyan duh tahn dewr luh trajzeh
How much is a ticket for …?

Combien coûte un billet pour … ?
kohnbyan koot an beeyeh poor
What platform does the train leave from?

Le train part de quel quai ?
luh tran par duh kel keh
What time does the train arrive?

À quelle heure arrive le train ?
ah kel uhr areev luh tran
arrivals arrivées areevay
departures départs daypar
first/second class première/deuxième classe pruhmyehr/duhzyem klas
left luggage la consigne la kohnseenyuh
lost property office le bureau des luh bewroh day zobjzeh troovay
objets trouvés
luggage/suitcase les bagages/une valise lay bagajz/ewn valeez
seat une place ewn plas
ticket office le guichet luh gheesheh
timetable un horaire an norehr
underground/subway le métro luh maytroh
valid valable valabluh

validate/punch a ticket composter un billet kohnpostay an beeyeh
I would like … Je voudrais … jzuh voodreh
… a round-trip ticket to … … un aller-retour pour … an nalay ruhtoor

poor
… a one-way ticket to … … un aller simple pour … an nalay sanpluh

poor
Going by boat
You can get to France by ferry or hovercraft, and ferries also link the
mainland with offshore islands in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
Ocean sailing and river and canal cruises by barge are also popular with
visitors. If you take to the water, hopefully you won’t need to say this, but
just in case …
I don’t feel well. I’m seasick.

Je ne me sens pas bien. J’ai le mal de mer.
jzuh nuh muh sahn pa byan jzay luh mal duh mehr
barge une péniche ewn payneesh
cabin une cabine ewn kabeen
cruise une croisière ewn krwazyehr
to disembark débarquer daybarkay
to embark embarquer ahnbarkay
gangway une passerelle ewn pasrel
life jacket un gilet de sauvetage an jzeeleh duh sohvtajz
liner un paquebot an pakbo
sailing boat un voilier an vwalyay

ship un navire an naveer
Going by taxi
French taxis are not a particular colour, but can be spotted by the sign on
the roof. In many places, taxis are only available from taxi ranks (stations
de taxis) and can only be hailed in the street in big cities. Drivers charge
per kilometre and according to the time of day, and fares can be expensive.
Where are you going?

Où allez-vous ?
oo alay voo
I am going to the …
Je vais à …
jzuh vay ah
Could you drive us to the … ?

Pouvez-vous nous conduire à … ?
poovay voo noo kohndweer ah
You can leave me here, thank you.

Vous pouvez me laisser ici, merci.
voo poovay muh lehsay eesee mehrsee
How much do I owe you?

Je vous dois combien ?
jzuh voo dwa kohnbyan
change (coins) la monnaie la moneh
fare le prix luh pree
free (available) libre leebruh
further plus loin plew lwan

meter le compteur luh kohntuhr
Please wait here. Attendez ici, s’il vous plaît. atahnday eesee seel voo pleh
Cycling
The Tour de France is the most visible manifestation of cycling in France,
but getting around by bike there doesn’t have to be so arduous! Many
French cities now offer cheap self-service bike-hire systems that allow you
to rent a bike from street stands by the hour or day. Normally, you can hire
from one stand and leave it at another when you’re finished.
I would like to rent a bike, please.

J’aimerais louer un vélo, s’il vous plaît.
jzemuhreh loo-ay an vaylo seel voo pleh
Do I need to leave a deposit?

Faut-il verser une caution ?
foh teel vehrsay ewn kohsyohn
How much is it per hour/day/week?

C’est combien par heure/jour/semaine ?
seh kohnbyan par uhr/jzoor/suhmen
air pump une pompe ewn pohnp
child’s seat un siège enfant an syejz ahnfahn

to cycle faire du vélo fehr dew vaylo
helmet un casque an kask
lock un antivol an nahnteevol
mountain bike un V.T.T. an vay tay tay
racing bike un vélo de course an vaylo duh koors

Driving
The road system in France consists of autoroutesmotorways/freeways,
indicated by the letter A; smaller routes nationalestoll-free main roads,
indicated by N or RN, and départementalessecondary roads, indicated by
a D. Motorways have tolls (péages) at regular intervals. You can pay with
most credit cards or with cash, but make sure you’re in the correct lane for
the payment option you choose. Avoid the lane marked T, as this is
reserved for a special automatic payment system.
My car has broken down.

Ma voiture est tombée en panne.
ma vwatewr eh tohnbay ahn pan
Can you switch the engine off?

Pouvez-vous couper le moteur ?
poovay voo koopay luh motuhr
The engine will not start.

Le moteur ne veut pas démarrer.
luh motuhr nuh vuh pa daymaray
I’ve run out of petrol/gas.

Je suis tombé(e) en panne d’essence.
jzuh swee tohnbay ahn pan dehsahns
to break tomber en panne tohnbay ahn pan

down
car park un parking an parkeeng

diesel diésel/gasoil dyezel/gazwal
to drive conduire kohndweer
driver un conducteur (m)/une an kohndewktuhr/ ewn

conductrice (f) kohndewktrees
driving
licence un permis an pehrmee
de conduire duh kohndweer
map une carte ewn kart
to park garer/se garer garay/suh garay
pedestrian un piéton an pyehtohn
petrol/gas essence ehsahns
punctured un pneu crevé an pnuh kruhvay

tyre
speed la vitesse la veetess
ticket une contravention ewn kohntravahnsyohn
toll un péage an pay-ajz
traffic jam un embouteillage/ un bouchon an nahnbootehyajz/ an booshohn
traffic lights les feux (de signalisation) lay fuh (duh seenyaleezasyohn)
Can you check … Pouvez-vous vérifier… poovay voo vayreefyay
… the battery? … la batterie ? la batree
… the brakes? … les freins ? lay fran
… the oil level? … le niveau d’huile ? luh neevoh dweel
… the tyres? … les pneus ? lay pnuh
… the water level? … le niveau d’eau ? luh neevoh doh
I’ve had an accident. J’ai eu un accident. jzay ew an nakseedahn
Some car parts:
boot/trunk le coffre luh kofruh
clutch l’embrayage lahnbrehyajz

gear une vitesse ewn veetess
gear box une boîte de vitesses ewn bwat duh veetess
headlights les phares lay far
safety belt/seatbelt une ceinture de sécurité ewn santewr duh saykewreetay

spare wheel une roue de secours ewn roo duh suhkoor
wheels les roues lay roo
windscreen/windshield un pare-brise an par breez
wipers les essuie-glaces lay zayswee glas
Renting a car
I would like to rent a car for a week.
J’aimerais louer une voiture pour une semaine.
jzemuhreh loo-ay ewn vwatewr poor ewn suhmen
Where can I pick up the car?

Où puis-je prendre la voiture ?
oo pweejz prahndruh la vwatewr
Is it possible to rent the car here and return it in …?

Serait-il possible de louer une voiture ici et la rendre à … ?
suhray teel pohseebluh duh loo-ay ewn vwatewr eesee eh la rahndruh ah
What is the price?

Quel est le tarif ?
kel eh luh tareef
an automatic une voiture automatique ewn vwatewr ohtomateek
car rental une location de voiture ewn lokasyohn duh vwatewr

child car seat un siège auto enfant an syejz ohto ahnfahn
fuel le carburant luh karbewrahn
insurance l’assurance lassewrahns
Some common road signs
Beware of road works Attention travaux atahnsyohn travoh

Bus stop Arrêt de bus areh duh bews
Diversion/Detour Déviation dayveeasyohn
Entry Entrée ahntray
Exit Sortie sortee
Free parking Parking gratuit parkeeng gratwee
Give way/Yield Cédez le passage sehday luh pasajz
No entry Sens interdit sahns antehrdee
No parking Stationnement interdit stasyonmahn antehrdee
One way Sens unique sahns ewneek
Other directions Autres directions ohtruh deereksyohn
Pay parking Parking payant parkeeng pehyahn
Reduce speed Ralentissez ralahnteesay
Road closed Route barrée root baray
Town centre Centre ville sahntruh veel
Turn your lights on Allumez vos feux alewmay voh fuh
➚ Getting around town
Finding your way around
Excuse me, how can I get to the town centre?
Excusez-moi, comment puis-je aller au centre ville ?
ekskewzay mwa komahn pweejz alay oh sahntruh veel
Where is the nearest post office, please?

Où est la poste la plus proche, s’il vous plaît ?
oo eh la post la plew prosh seel voo pleh
Is it far from here?

C’est loin d’ici ?
seh lwan deesee
after après apreh
at the corner au coin de la rue oh kwan duh la rew
at the crossroads au carrefour oh karfoor
at the roundabout au rond-point oh rohn pwan

before avant avahn
behind derrière dehryehr
down, below en bas ahn bah
far loin lwan

in front of devant duhvahn
near près (de) preh (duh)
next to à côté de ah kotay duh
on the left à gauche ah gohsh
on the right à droite ah drwat

opposite en face de ahn fas duh
up, above en haut ahn oh
Cross the street. Traversez la rue. travehrsay la rew
Go straight on. Continuez tout droit. kohnteenew-ay too drwa
Go to the traffic Allez jusqu’aux feux. alay jzewskoh fuh

lights.
Take the Prenez la première/ deuxième pruhnay la pruhmyehr/

first/second left. duhzyehm ah gohsh
à gauche.
Turn right. Tournez à droite. toornay ah drwat
Taking public transport

Paris has an extensive public transportation system that includes the metro
and the RER, a suburban train network. Other cities also have metro or
tram systems, or you can get around by bus. Enquire about travel passes or
buy a carnet book of tickets, which is often cheaper.
Where is the nearest metro station?

Où se trouve la station de métro la plus proche ?
oo suh troov la stasyohn duh maytro la plew prosh
What line should I take to go to the …?

Quelle ligne dois-je prendre pour aller à/au … ?
kel leenyuh dwajz prahndruh poor alay ah/oh
Where should I get off for … ?

Où dois-je descendre pour … ?
oo dwajz dehsandruh poor
bus un bus an bews

platform un quai an kay
stop un arrêt an nareh
ticket un billet/un ticket an beeyeh/an teekeh
ticket office un guichet an gheesheh
Going to the museum

France has some of the most visited museums in the world, with the Musée
du Louvre taking the top spot with its 8.5 million visitors a year. Most
museums offer audio guides or guided tours in English for both their
permanent collections and temporary exhibitions.
I would like two tickets.

Je voudrais deux billets.
jzuh voodreh duh beeyeh
Can I take pictures?

Puis-je prendre des photos ?
pweejz prahndruh day foto
Is there a reduction for .. ?

Il y a une réduction pour … ?
eeleeya ewn raydewksyohn poor
adult un adulte an nadewlt

child/children un enfant/ an nahnfahn/
des enfants day zahnfahn
disabled person une personne handicapée ewn pehrson ahndeekapay

elderly person/senior une personne âgée ewn pehrson ajzay
student un/une étudiant(e) an/ewn naytewdyahn(t)

exhibition
une exposition ewn ekspohzeesyohn
museum un musée an mewzay
painting un tableau/une toile an tabloh/ewn twal

to queue faire la queue fehr la kuh
Places of interest
Apart from fine art museums, France has a wealth of other places of interest
to visit. You can find out more from the local Office de Tourisme.
Where is … Où se trouve … ? oo suh troov
… the abbey? … l’abbaye ? labay-ee
… the aquarium? … l’aquarium ? lakwaryom
… the art gallery? … la galerie d’art ? la galree dar
… the botanical garden? … le jardin botanique ? luh jzardan

botaneek
… the castle? … le château ? luh shatoh
… the cathedral? … la cathédrale ? la kataydral
… the cemetery? … le cimetière ? luh seemtyehr
… the church? … l’église ? laygleez
… the garden/park? … le jardin/parc ? luh jzardan/park
… the harbour? … le port ? luh por
… the house of …? … la maison de … ? la mehzohn duh
… the library? … la bibliothèque ? la beebleeyotek
… the main square? … la place principale ? la plas pranseepal
… the market? … le marché ? luh marshay

… the monastery? … le monastère ? luh monastehr
… the theme park? … le parc d’attractions ? luh park

datraksyohn
… the town/city hall? … la mairie ? la mayree
… the winery? … le domaine viticole ? luh dohmen veeteekol
… the zoo? … le zoo ? luh zoh
Posting a letter
The French postal service is called La Poste, and you’ll see its yellow
letterboxes on sidewalks or on sides of buildings. Stamps can also often be
purchased in tabacs newsagents.
I would like to send this letter/parcel to the United States.

J’aimerais envoyer cette lettre/ce colis aux États-Unis.
jzemuhreh ahnvwahyay set letruh/suh kolee oh zayta zewnee
I need a stamp for …

J’ai besoin d’un timbre pour …
jzay buhzwan dan tanbruh poor
address une adresse ewn adres
book of stamps un carnet de timbres an karneh duh tanbruh

envelope une enveloppe ewn ahnvuhlop
mail le courrier luh kooryay
postbox/mailbox une boîte aux lettres ewn bwat oh lehtruh
postcard une carte postale ewn kart postal
post office la poste la post
to receive recevoir ruhsuhvwar

recorded delivery/ certified mail en recommandé ahn ruhkomahnday
to weigh peser puhzay
Making a phone call

If you need to use a pay phone, it is advisable to purchase a carte
téléphoniquephone card since few accept coins. French phone numbers
have ten digits, written as five pairs and starting with 0 if calling within
France.
Good evening. Could I speak to Mr Dupont?

Bonsoir. Pourrais-je parler à M. Dupont ?
bohnswar poorehjz parlay ah muhsyuh dewpohn
Who’s calling?
De la part de qui ?
duh la par duh kee
The line is busy.

La ligne est occupée.
la leenyuh eht okewpay
Could I leave a message?

Pourrais-je laisser un message ?
poorehjz lehsay an mehsajz
I’m sorry. I dialled the wrong number.

Excusez-moi. J’ai fait un mauvais numéro.
ekskewzay mwa jzay feh an moveh newmayroh
to dial composer kohnpohzay

digit un chiffre an sheefruh
directory inquiries les renseignements lay rahnsenyuhmahn
hash key/pound key la touche dièse la toosh dyehz
Hello? (on phone only) Allô ? aloh
key/button la touche la toosh
mobile/cell phone un portable an portabluh
phone box/booth une cabine téléphonique ewn kabeen taylayfoneek
to press appuyer apweeyay
star key la touche étoile la toosh aytwal
Going online
Many establishments now have wireless networks (called wi-fi, pronounced
[wee-fee]), so you can just ask for the password to access the Internet. Note
that French keyboards are AZERTY, not QWERTY, so some of the keys are
not where you might expect them – make sure you look at what you’re
typing!
Can you give me the network name and password?

Pourriez-vous me donner le nom du réseau et le mot de passe ?
pooreeyay voo muh dohnay luh nohn dew rayzoh eh luh mo duh pas
Do you have rooms with Internet access?

Avez-vous des chambres avec accès Internet ?
avay voo day shahnbruh avek akseh antehrnet
I can’t connect to the Internet.

Je n’arrive pas à me connecter à Internet.
jzuh nareev pa ah muh konektay ah antehrnet
I need … J’ai besoin … jzay buhzwan
… to check my emails. … de consulter mes duh kohnsewltay may zeemayl

emails.
… to print a document. … d’imprimer un danpreemay an dokewmahn
document.
… to send an email. … d’envoyer un dahnvwahyay an neemel
email.
… to use the Internet. … d’utiliser dewteeleezay antehrnet
Internet.
… to attach/download … de joindre/ duh jzwandruh/ taylaysharjzay an
a file. feeshyay
télécharger un
fichier.
computer un ordinateur an nordeenatuhr
keyboard un clavier an klavyay
memory stick une clé USB ewn klay ew es bay
mouse une souris ewn sooree
screen l’écran laykrahn
Reporting a theft or loss

To report a theft, go to the nearest police station (commissariat or
gendarmerie). Policiers are under the control of the Ministry of the
Interior, whereas gendarmes are part of the army. Either can help you if a
crime has been committed.
I have lost … J’ai perdu … jzay pehrdew
Somebody stole … On m’a volé … ohn ma volay
… my bag. … mon sac. mohn sak
… my camera. … mon appareil photo. mohn apareh-ee foto
… my car. … ma voiture. ma vwatewr
… my credit card. … ma carte de crédit. ma kart duh kraydee

… my handbag. … mon sac à main. mohn sak ah man
… my keys. … mes clés. may klay
… my mobile/cell phone. … mon téléphone portable. mohn taylayfon portabluh
… my money. … mon argent. mohn narjzahn
… my passport. … mon passeport. mohn paspor

… my traveller’s cheques. … mes chèques de voyage. may shek duh vwahyajz
… my wallet. … mon portefeuille. mohn portuhfuh-ee
Going to a performance
What movies are showing at the moment?
Quels films y a-t-il en ce moment ?
kel film yateel ahn suh momahn
I would like two tickets for …, please.

J’aimerais deux billets pour …, s’il vous plaît.
jzemuhreh duh beeyeh poor seel voo pleh
What’s on at the theatre next Saturday?

Qu’est-ce qu’on joue au théâtre samedi prochain ?
keskohn jzoo oh tay-atruh samdee proshan
What time does the show start?

À quelle heure commence le spectacle ?
ah kel uhr komahns luh spektakluh
At the hairdresser’s
If you find yourself in urgent need of a hairdresser (coiffeur), you’ll be
spoiled for choice in France. Here’s some help to make sure you get exactly
what you want.
I’d like to make an appointment for Tuesday morning.
J’aimerais prendre rendez-vous pour mardi matin.
jzemuhreh prahndruh rahnday voo poor mardee matan
I’d like a cut and blow-dry.

J’aimerais une coupe et un brushing.
jzemuhreh ewn koop eh an brusheeng
blond hair les cheveux blonds lay shuhvuh blohn
brown hair les cheveux bruns lay shuhvuh bran
a bun un chignon an sheenyohn

colour une couleur ewn kooluhr
curly bouclé(s) booklay
dark foncé(s) fohnsay
dyed colorés/teints koloray/tan
a fringe/bangs une frange ewn frahnjz
haircut une coupe ewn koop
highlights des mèches day mesh
layered en dégradé ahn daygraday
light clair(s) klehr
long long(s) lohn
a perm une permanente ewn pehrmanahnt
red hair des cheveux roux day shuhvuh roo
a shampoo un shampooing an shahnpoo-an
short court(s) coor
to straighten lisser leesay

➚ Outdoor activities
Whether you’re going to France to ski in the Alps or the Pyrenees, kayak in
Auvergne, surf the Atlantic, trek the mythical GR20 in Corsica or sun
yourself on the beaches of the Côte d’Azur, you’ll find plenty of activities
to keep you busy.
Recreational sports
canoeing/kayaking faire du canoë/kayak fehr dew kano-ay/kayak
climbing l’escalade leskalad
cycling le cyclisme luh seekleesm
diving la plongée la plohnjzay

fishing la pêche la pesh
football/soccer le foot/football luh foot/footbohl
golf le golf luh golf
hiking faire de la randonnée fehr duh la rahndonay
mountaineering l’alpinisme lalpeeneesm
running courir kooreer
skiing faire du ski fehr dew skee
surfing faire du surf fehr dew surf
swimming la natation la natasyohn

tennis le tennis luh tehnees
waterskiing le ski nautique luh skee nohteek
windsurfing la planche à voile la plahnsh ah vwal
At the pool or the beach

Where is the nearest swimming pool?
Où se trouve la piscine la plus proche ?
oo suh troov la peeseen la plew prosh
How much is the entrance fee?

Combien coûte l’entrée ?
kohnbyan koot lahntray
What direction is the beach?

Dans quelle direction se trouve la plage ?
dahn kel deereksyohn suh troov la plajz
the beach la plage la plajz
beach umbrella un parasol an parasol
indoor pool une piscine couverte ewn peeseen koovehrt
lifeguard le maître nageur/ luh mehtruh najzuhr/

le sauveteur luh sohvtuhr
no diving interdiction de plonger antehrdeeksyohn duh plohnjzay
sand le sable luh sabluh
sunglasses les lunettes de soleil lay lewnet duh soleh-ee
sun cream/sunscreen la crème solaire la krem solehr
supervised beach une plage surveillée ewn plajz sewrvehyay
to swim nager najzay
swimsuit un maillot de bain an mayo duh ban

to tan bronzer brohnzay
towel une serviette ewn sehrvyeht
wave une vague ewn vag

Camping
Le camping [luh kahnpeeng] is very popular in France. Camping and caravan
sites use a rating system from one to four stars, depending on the level of
amenities they offer. Some allow you to pitch a tent, while others rent
bungalows and are equipped with pools, playgrounds, restaurants and more.
Bear in mind that the peak season is July–August and campsites get booked
well in advance. Wild camping (camping in unauthorized sites) is illegal in
France.
Do you have a camping pitch available?

Avez-vous un emplacement disponible ?
avay voo an nahnplasmahn deesponeebluh
How much is it … Quel est le prix … kel eh luh pree
… for a bungalow? … pour un bungalow ? poor an bangaloh

… for a camper/ a motorhome? … pour un camping-car ? poor an
kahnpeeng kar
… for a car? … pour une voiture ? poor ewn vwatewr
… for a caravan/trailer? … pour une caravane ? poor ewn karavan
… for a day/week? … par jour/semaine ? par jzoor/suhmen
… for a tent? … pour une tente ? ewn tahnt
Does the campsite have … Est-ce que le camping a … eskuh luh kahnpeeng ah
… a car park? … un parking ? an parkeeng

… a laundry? … une laverie ? ewn lavree
… a supermarket? … un supermarché ? an sewpehrmarshay
… a swimming pool? … une piscine ? ewn peeseen
bottle opener
un ouvre-bouteille an noovruh booteh-ee
corkscrew un tire-bouchon an teer booshohn
first-aid kit une trousse de premiers ewn troos duh pruhmyay

suhkoor
secours
matches des allumettes day zalewmet
mosquito de l’antimoustique duh lahnteemoosteek

repellent
napkins des serviettes day sehrvyeht
saucepan une casserole ewn kasrol
sleeping bag un sac de couchage an sak duh kooshajz
tin/can opener un ouvre boîte an noovruh bwat
toilet paper le papier toilette luh papyay twalet
torch/flashlight une lampe de poche ewn lahnp duh pohsh
Unauthorized camping is forbidden.

Le camping sauvage est interdit.
luh kahnpeeng sohvajz et antehrdee
Trees and plants

France’s landscapes are too diverse for a comprehensive list of flora, but
here are some of the main trees and plants you might come across.
beech tree un hêtre an ehtruh

birch tree un bouleau an booloh
bracken/ferns des fougères day foojzehr
broom le genêt luh jzuhneh
cedar tree un cèdre an sehdruh
chestnut tree
un marronnier an maronyay
fir tree un sapin an sapan
gorse des ajoncs day zajzohn
heather la bruyère la brewyehr
laurel le laurier luh lohryay
oak tree un chêne an shen

olive tree un olivier an noleevyay
pine tree un pin an pan
plane tree un platane an platan
poplar tree un peuplier an puhplyay
spruce tree un épicéa an naypeesay-a
willow tree un saule an sohl
Animals
The best place to spot wildlife in France is in one of its many national parks
or nature reserves, although more common species can be seen while
meandering through the countryside.
badger un blaireau an blehroh
bear un ours an noors
beaver un castor an kastor
buzzard une buse ewn bewz
deer (doe/stag) une biche/un cerf ewn beesh/an sehr

duck un canard an kanar
eagle un aigle an nehgluh
falcon un faucon an fohkohn

flamingo un flamant (rose) an flamahn (rohz)
fox un renard an ruhnar
frog une grenouille ewn gruhnoo-ee
goose une oie ewn wa
hare un lièvre an lyehvruh
heron un héron an ayrohn
owl un hibou an eeboo
robin un rouge-gorge an roojz gorjz
seagull une mouette ewn mooet
snake un serpent an sehrpahn

sparrow un moineau an mwanoh
squirrel un écureuil an naykewruh-ee
trout une truite ewn trweet
wild boar un sanglier an sahngleeyay
Insects and allergies

I need an antidote for adder bites.
J’ai besoin d’un antidote contre les morsures de vipère.
jzay buhzwan dan nahnteedot kohntruh lay morsewr duh veepehr
I am allergic to wasps’ stings!

Je suis allergique aux piqûres de guêpes !
jzuh swee zalehrjzeek oh peekewr duh gehp
I would like some mosquito repellent, please.

J’aimerais de l’antimoustique, s’il vous plaît.
jzemuhreh duh lahnteemoosteek seel voo pleh
bee une abeille ewn abeh-ee
caterpillar une chenille ewn shuhneey
cockroach un cafard an kafar
fly une mouche ewn moosh
hornet un frelon an fruhlohn
scorpion un scorpion an skorpyohn

spider une araignée ewn arehnyay
tick une tique ewn teek
Effects and treatment
allergic reaction une réaction allergique ewn ray-aksyohn alehrjzeek
antihistamine un antihistaminique an ahntee-eestameeneek
anti-inflammatory un anti-inflammatoire an ahntee anflamatwar
bite une morsure ewn morsewr
hay fever le rhume des foins luh rewm day fwan

sting une piqûre ewn peekewr
to swell up enfler ahnflay
vaccine un vaccin an vaksan
venom le venin luh vuhnan

➚ Accommodation
Making a reservation
How much is a room for two people?
Combien coûte une chambre double ?
kohnbyan koot ewn shahnbruh doobluh
Is breakfast included?
Le petit déjeuner est-il compris ?
luh puhtee dayjzuhnay ehteel kohnpree
I’d like to book a Je voudrais réserver une jzuh voodreh rayzehrvay ewn
room … shahnbruh
chambre …
… with two beds. … avec deux lits. avek duh lee
… for one person. … simple. sanpluh
… for one night. … pour une nuit. poor ewn nwee
Does the room come with Est-ce qu’il y a … dans la eskeelya … dahn
… ?
chambre ? la shahnbruh
air conditioning la climatisation la

kleemateezasyohn
a balcony un balcon an balkohn
a bathtub une baignoire ewn baynwar
cable le câble luh kabluh
a double bed un lit double an lee doobluh
a fridge un frigo an freego
a safe un coffre-fort an kofruh for
a television une télévision ewn

taylayveezyohn
bed & breakfast une chambre d’hôte ewn shahnbruh doht
booking une réservation ewn rayzehrvasyohn
furnished apartment un appartement meublé an napartmahn

muhblay
hotel un hôtel an nohtel
non-smoking room une chambre non fumeur ewn shahnbruh nohn fewmuhr
self-catering house un gîte an jzeet
smoking room une chambre fumeur ewn shanbruh fewmuhr
youth hostel une auberge de jeunesse ewn ohberjz duh jzuhnehs
At the hotel
Do you have a room available?
Avez-vous une chambre disponible ?
avay voo ewn shahnbruh deesponeebluh
For how many nights/people?

Pour combien de nuits/personnes ?
poor kohnbyan duh nwee/pehrson
I’ve booked a room in the name of …

J’ai réservé une chambre au nom de …
jzay rayzehrvay ewn shahnbruh oh nohn duh
I would like a room with a sea view.

J’aimerais une chambre avec vue sur la mer.
jzemuhreh ewn shahnbruh avek vew sewr la mehr
Can you wake us tomorrow at 7 am?

Pouvez-vous nous réveiller demain à 7 heures ?
poovay voo noo rehvay-yay duhman ah set uhr
What time must we leave the room?
À quelle heure devons-nous quitter/libérer la chambre ?
ah kel uhr duhvohn noo keetay/leebayray la shahnbruh
Is there … Y a-t-il … ? eeyateel
… a bar? … un bar ? an bar

… a gym? … une salle de gym ? ewn sal duh jzeem
… a laundry service? … un service de pressing ? an sehrvees duh prehseeng

… parking? … un parking ? an parkeeng
… a pool? … une piscine ? ewn peeseen
… a restaurant? … un restaurant ? an rehstorahn
… room service? … un service en chambre ? an sehrvees ahn shahnbruh

… wireless? … une connexion wi-fi ? ewn koneksyon weefee
Breakfast
In France, le petit déjeuner breakfast usually consists of tartines (slices of
bread with butter and/or jam), croissants or pains au chocolat along with
coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Some hotels offer a wider selection of options
for their international guests.
What time is breakfast?

À quelle heure est le petit déjeuner ?
ah kel uhr eh luh puhtee dayjzuhnay
… an apple/orange … un jus de pomme/ an jzew duh

juice.
d’orange. pom/dorahnjz
… a boiled egg. … un œuf à la coque. an nuhf ah la kok
… cereal. … des céréales. day sayray-al
… a coffee (with milk). … un café (au lait). an kafay (oh leh)
… a cup. … une tasse. ewn tas
… a decaf coffee. … un déca. an dayka
… a fork. … une fourchette. ewn foorshet
… a glass. … un verre. an vehr

… a hot chocolate. … un chocolat chaud. an shokola shoh
… a knife. … un couteau. an kootoh
… a plate. … une assiette. ewn asyet
… a poached egg. … un œuf poché. an nuhf pohshay
… some salt and pepper. … du sel et du dew sehl eh dew pwavruh
poivre.
… scrambled eggs. … des œufs brouillés. day zuh brooyay
… a spoon. … une cuillère. ewn kweeyehr
… some sugar. … du sucre. dew sewkruh
… a tea (with milk). … un thé (au lait). an tay (oh leh)
If you’re ordering coffee in a café, here are the main options:
espresso un café an kafay
espresso + added water un café allongé an kafay alohnjzay
espresso + dash of milk une noisette ewn nwazet
capuccino un capuccino an kapoocheeno
double-shot of espresso with a lot of milk un café crème an kafay krem

a decaf coffee un déca an dayka
Resolving issues
In case any problems arise during your stay:
The sink is blocked.

Le lavabo est bouché.
luh lavaboh eh booshay
The room is too noisy.

La chambre est trop bruyante.
la shahnbruh eh tro brew-yahnt
Could we have … Pourrions-nous avoir … pooryohn noo avwar

… a blanket? … une couverture ? ewn koovehrtewr
… a bottle-warmer? … un chauffe-biberon ? an shohf beebrohn
… a cot/child’s … un lit d’enfant ? an lee dahnfahn

bed?
… an extra bed? … un lit d’appoint ? an lee dapwan

… an extra pillow? … un oreiller supplémentaire ? an norey-ay sewplaymahntehr
The air conditioning … La climatisation … la kleemateezasyohn

The hair-dryer … Le sèche-cheveux … luh sesh shuhvuh
The heating … Le chauffage … luh shohfajz
The lamp … La lampe … la lahnp
A light bulb … Une ampoule … ewn ahnpool
A plug … Une prise … ewn preez
The switch … L’interrupteur … lantehrewptuhr

The tap … Le robinet … luh robeeneh
The television … La télévision … la taylayveezyohn
The toilets … Les toilettes … lay twalet
… is/are not working. … ne marche(nt) pas. nuh marsh pa
… is/are broken. … est/sont cassé(es). eh/sohn kasay
Checking out
I would like to check out.
J’aimerais régler ma note.
jzemuhreh rayglay ma noht
I’ll pay with a credit card/cash.

Je vais payer avec ma carte bancaire/en espèces.
jzuh vay pehyay avek ma kart bahnkehr/ahn nespehs
I need a receipt.
J’ai besoin d’une facture.
jzay buhzwan dewn faktewr
➚ Eating and drinking
Sampling the cuisine is the raison d’être for some people’s visit to France.
There are a range of restaurant options, from busy local brasseries to refined
Michelin-starred establishments. Le déjeuner lunch and le dîner dinner
can consist of several courses: an hors-d’œuvre or entrée the starter, the
plat principalthe main course, followed by fromage cheese and/or a
dessert. There is virtually always a menu, a fixed-price set of courses,
which is cheaper than ordering à la carte (the word for menu is la carte).
Note that a service charge is almost always included in the price, so

customers generally just leave 2 or 3 euros as a token of appreciation,
except in expensive restaurants.
At the restaurant
I would like to book a table for four people for 8 pm.
J’aimerais réserver une table pour quatre personnes pour 20 heures.
jzemuhreh rayzehrvay ewn tabluh poor katruh pehrson poor vant uhr
I’m sorry, we are fully booked.

Je suis désolé(e) mais nous sommes complets.
jzuh swee dayzolay meh noo som kohnpleh
Do you have a reservation?

Avez-vous une réservation ?
avay voo ewn rayzehrvasyohn
I’ve booked a table in the name of …

J’ai réservé une table au nom de …
jzay rayzehrvay ewn tabluh oh nohn duh
I would like to order, please.

J’aimerais commander s’il vous plaît.
jzemuhreh komahnday seel voo pleh
Could you bring me the menu?
Pourriez-vous m’apporter la carte ?
pooryay voo maportay la kart
Have you chosen?

Avez-vous choisi ?
avay voo shwazee
I’ll have the fixed-price set menu.

Je vais prendre le menu.
jzuh vay prahndruh luh muhnew
As a starter/main course/dessert I’d like …

En entrée/en plat principal/en dessert, j’aimerais …
ahn nahntray/ahn pla pranseepal/ahn dehsehr jzemuhreh
What would you like to drink?

Qu’est-ce que vous allez boire ?
keskuh voo zalay bwar
Can I have the bill, please?

L’addition, s’il vous plaît !
ladeesyohn seel voo pleh
I would like my meat … J’aimerais la cuisson … jzemuhreh la kweesohn

… medium. … à point. ah pwan
… rare. … saignante. sehnyahnt
… very rare. … bleue. bluh
… well done. … bien cuite. byan kweet
Specialities and traditional dishes

Each part of France has its own regional dishes that reflect its particular
history, climate and customs. Here’s a brief guide to some of the most well
known:
• La quiche lorraine [la keesh lorehn]: quiche with egg, cream, cheese and
bacon. (Lorraine)
• Le bœuf bourguignon [luh buhf boorgeenyoh n]: beef stew cooked in red wine
with bacon, carrots and mushrooms. (Bourgogne – Burgundy)
• Le coq au vin [luh kok oh va n]: rooster cooked in red wine. (Bourgogne)
• Les cuisses de grenouille [lay kwees duh gruhnoo-ee]: frogs’ legs, generally
prepared in butter, garlic and parsley.
• La bouillabaisse [la booyabehs]: fish stew made with vegetables, seafood,
saffron and garlic. (Provence)
• Le cassoulet [luh kasooleh]: hearty stew of duck, sausages and white beans.
(Southwest France)
• La blanquette de veau [la blah n ket duh voh]: veal stew with carrots, onions
and mushrooms, served with a creamy white sauce accompanied with rice.
• La choucroute [la shookroot]: pickled cabbage with potatoes, sausages and
other cured meats (charcuterie). (Alsace)
• Le foie gras [luh fwa grah]: goose or duck liver that has been purposely
fattened. It can be eaten cold or hot.
• Le gigot d’agneau [luh jzeego danyoh]: roast leg of lamb with garlic and
rosemary, often accompanied with flageolet beans.
• Le pot au feu [luh potohfuh]: beef stew with marrow bones, sausages and
vegetables such as carrots, turnips, leeks, onions or cabbage, often eaten
with strong mustard.
• La ratatouille [la ratatoo-ee]: stewed aubergines, onions, tomatoes, peppers,
courgettes, herbs and garlic. (Provence)
• La crème brûlée [la krem brewlay]: a dessert consisting of a rich custard base
topped with a thin layer of hard caramel.
• La crème caramel [la krem karamel]: a custard dessert topped with soft
caramel.
• La tarte tatin [la tart tahtan]: an upside-down tart of cara- melized apples.
Certain sweet treats are linked to specific religious festivals and can only be
found at that time of year:
• La bûche de Noël [la bewsh duh noel]: a traditional Christmas dessert made
from chocolate-buttercream-filled sponge cake rolled into a cylinder and
topped with frosting.
• La galette des rois [la galet day rwa]: a cake made during the period of
Epiphany (celebrating the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus in January),
consisting either of sweet brioche with candied fruit or flaky puff pastry
filled with frangipane. The cake contains a small figurine (la fève) – if you
get this in your piece, you are crowned king or queen!
Food vocabulary
Here is some vocabulary you might need when eating out or buying food
from a market. If you prefer organic food, look for the label biologique
[beeolojzeek] or bio [beeo].
Meat la viande [veeahnd], poultry la volaille [vola-ee] and cold meats la charcuterie
[sharkewtree]
beef du bœuf dew buhf
chicken du poulet dew pooleh
game meat du gibier dew jzeebyay
ham (cured) du jambon (cru) dew jzahnbohn (krew)
lamb de l’agneau duh lanyoh
pork du porc dew por
quail une caille ewn ka-ee
rabbit du lapin dew lapan
salami (cured sausage) du saucisson dew sohseesohn
sausage une saucisse ewn sosees
snails des escargots day zehskargo
turkey de la dinde duh la dand

veal du veau dew voh
venison du chevreuil dew shuhvruh-ee
wild boar du sanglier dew sahnglyay
Fish le poisson [pwasohn] and seafood les fruits de mer [frwee duh mer]
bass du loup/du bar dew loo/dew bar
cod du cabillaud dew kabeeyoh
crab du crabe dew krab
crayfish de la langouste duh la lahngoost

lobster du homard dew omar
monkfish de la lotte duh la loht
mussels des moules day mool
oysters des huîtres day zweetruh
prawns/shrimp des gambas/crevettes day gahnbahs/kruhvet

red mullet du rouget dew roojzay
salmon du saumon dew sohmohn
sardines des sardines day sardeen
scallops des coquilles Saint-Jacques day kokeey san jzahk
sea bream de la daurade duh la dorahd
squid/cuttlefish de la seiche duh la sesh
trout de la truite duh la trweet
tuna du thon dew tohn
Fruit les fruits [frwee] and vegetables les légumes [laygewm]
apple ewn pom

une pomme
apricot un abricot an nabreeko
banana une banane ewn banan
carrot une carotte ewn karot
cauliflower un chou-fleur an shoo fluhr

celery du céleri dew sehlree
cherries des cerises day suhreez
cucumber un concombre an kohnkohnbruh
grapes du raisin dew rehzan
green beans des haricots verts day areeko vehr
melon du melon dew muhlohn

mushrooms des champignons day shahnpeenyohn
olives des olives day zoleev
onion un oignon an nonyohn
orange une orange ewn orahnjz
peach une pêche ewn pesh
pear une poire ewn pwar
peas des petits pois day puhtee pwa
pineapple un ananas an nananas

potatoes des pommes de terre day pom duh tehr
raspberry une framboise ewn frahnbwaz
salad/lettuce de la salade duh la salahd
strawberry une fraise ewn frehz
tomato une tomate ewn tomat

Other foods
biscuits/cookies des biscuits day beeskwee
bread du pain dew pan

butter du beurre dew buhr
cake un gâteau an gahtoh
cheese du fromage dew fromajz
chips/fries des frites day freet
chocolate du chocolat dew shokola
crisps/potato chips des chips day sheeps
eggs des œufs day zuh
flour de la farine duh la fareen
garlic de l’ail duh la-ee
gherkins/pickles des cornichons day korneeshohn
ice cream de la glace duh la glas
jam de la confiture duh la kohnfeetewr
lentils des lentilles day lahnteey
mustard de la moutarde duh la mootard
oil de l’huile duh lweel
rice du riz dew ree
salt & pepper du sel et du poivre dew sehl eh dew pwavruh
soup une soupe ewn soop
sugar du sucre dew sewkruh
sweets/candies des bonbons day bohnbohn
vinegar du vinaigre dew veenehgruh

Quantities
a bit (of) un peu (de) an puh (duh)
a bottle of une bouteille de ewn booteh-ee duh
enough assez asay
500 g (17.6 oz; 1.1 lbs) cinq cents grammes sank sahn gram
a handful (of) une poignée (de) ewn pwanyay duh
a kilo (35 oz; 2.2 lbs) un kilo an keelo
a lot beaucoup bohkoo
more plus plews
a pack(et) (of) un paquet (de) an pakeh (duh)
a piece (of) un morceau (de) an morsoh (duh)
a slice (of) une tranche (de) ewn trahnsh (duh)
Preparation methods
baked cuit au four kwee oh foor
boiled bouilli booyee
deep-fried frit free
grilled grillé greeyay
marinated mariné mareenay
minced hâché ashay
pan-fried poêlé pwahlay
poached poché pohshay
roasted rohtee
rôti
shallow-fried/seared revenu ruhvuhnew
smoked fumé fewmay
steamed à la vapeur ah la vapuhr
stewed cuit en ragoût kwee ahn ragoo

stuffed farci farsee
Other terms you might find on the menu …
aiguillettes ehgheeyet thin strips of meat
aile ehl wing
crudités krewdeetay raw vegetables
bavette bavet flank steak
cuisse kwees thigh
émincé aymansay thin slice of meat
en croûte ahn kroot in a crust
en daube ahn dohb in a stew, casserole
faux-filet foh feeleh sirloin steak
méli-mélo maylee maylo assortment
onglet ohngleh hanger/skirt steak
piquant/relevé peekahn/ruhluhvay spicy
tartare tartar raw meat or fish
Cheeses
There are so many different cheeses in France that you could try a new one
every day of the year. There are three main types: pressed, or hard cheese,
soft cheese and blue cheese. These can be made from different types of
milk: cow’s milk (le lait de vache), goat’s milk (le lait de chèvre) or
sheep’s milk (le lait de brebis). There is a lot of variation in different
regions of France, with each specializing in specific types of cheese. Here
are some of the most well known:
Pressed cheese
Le Cantal: a cheese from Auvergne similar to cheddar.
Le Comté: cheese from Franche-Comté that is similar to but stronger than
gruyère.
Le Reblochon: rich, soft pressed cheese made in the Alps with a strong
flavour and creamy texture.
Le Beaufort: cheese from the Alps that is similar to Comté, but stronger.
Soft cheese
Le Brie: mild creamy cheese with an edible soft white crust from Meaux or
Melun.
Le Camembert: cheese from Normandy that should be soft on the inside,
but not runny.
Le Munster: fairly strong cheese from Lorraine that is sometimes
flavoured with cumin.
Le Mont d’Or: rind-washed seasonal cheese from Franche-Comté with a
strong flavour.
Blue cheese
Le Roquefort: cheese made from sheep’s milk from the Midi Pyrénées.
Le Bleu des Causses: strong cow’s milk cheese made in the same area as
Roquefort.
Drinks
French wines are world famous, but the labels can be difficult to decipher
for novices. Winemaking is highly regulated and the label must indicate the
category of the wine: vin de table table wine, vin de pays local wine or vin
d’appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC), wines that must be made from
the grapes of the vineyards in a particular area and with specific grape
varieties. The main wine regions include Alsace on the Rhine River (with
wines such as Riesling and Gewürztraminer), Beaujolais in central-eastern
France, Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast, Bourgogne, known in English as
Burgundy, Champagne, Charente (Cognac), Corse (Corsica), Jura near
Switzerland, Languedoc-Roussillon in the south of France, the Loire
(Vouvray, Muscadet), Provence and Rhône in the south-east, Savoie in the
Alps, and le Sud-Ouest or southwest. There is so much choice, sometimes
the best option is simply to ask for a recommendation:
What do you recommend?

Qu’est-ce que vous recommandez ?
keskuh voo ruhkomahnday
Having a drink before a meal – l’apéritif – is a social ritual in France.

Common apéritif drinks include port, Martini, pastis or Ricard (anise-
flavoured), Suze (French bitters), beer, cider, champagne or whisky, and can
vary from region to region. L’apéritif is often served with crackers,
peanuts, olives, cheese or saucisson (cured sausage) and can last quite a
while! An after-dinner drink is called le digestif. These may include eaux
de vie (fruit schnapps), brandy, liqueurs or port.
a beer une bière ewn byehr
a beer with lemon soda un panaché an panashay
cider (du) cidre (dew) seedruh
a draught beer une pression ewn prehsyohn
a glass of … un verre de … an vehr duh
a glass of beer (250 ml; half a pint) un demi an duhmee
a carafe of wine un pichet de vin an peesheh duh van

red wine vin rouge van roojz
rosé wine vin rosé van rohzay
white wine vin blanc van blahn
wine list la carte des vins la kart day van
wine tasting une dégustation ewn daygewstasyohn duh van

de vin
Cheers! Santé ! [sahntay]
Other beverages
I’ll take … Je vais prendre … jzuh vay
prahndruh
… a fruit juice. … un jus de fruit. an jzew duh

frwee
… a fresh-squeezed … une orange pressée/un citron ewn oranjz

orange/lemon juice.
pressé. prehsay/
an seetron
prehsay
… a(n) herbal tea. … une infusion. ewn anfewzyohn

… (ice) tea. … du thé (glacé). dew tay (glasay)
… lemon soda. … de la limonade. duh la leemonad
… mineral water. … de l’eau minérale. duh loh

meenehral
… sparkling water. … de l’eau gazeuse. duh loh gazuhz
… syrup/cordial/squash. … du sirop. dew seero
… a glass/a jug of tap water. … un verre/une carafe d’eau. an ver/ewn

karaf
doh
➚ Shopping
Shops and services
Most shops are open from Monday to Saturday (although some close on
Mondays). Opening hours vary depending on the region and the size of the
town; many small shops close at lunchtime.
I am looking for a … Je cherche … jzuh shersh
… bakery. … une boulangerie. ewn boolahnjzree
… bank. … une banque. ewn bahnk
… butcher. … une boucherie. ewn booshree
… cake shop. … une pâtisserie. ewn pateesree
… chemist/drugstore. … une pharmacie. ewn farmasee
… department store. … un grand magasin. an grahn magazan
… DIY/home improvement … un magasin de an magazan duh

store. breekolajz
bricolage.
… fish shop. … une poissonnerie. ewn pwasonree
… florist. … un fleuriste. an fluhreest
… greengrocer’s. … un marchand de an marshahn duh

légumes. laygewm
… grocery. … une épicerie. ewn aypeesree
… hairdresser’s. … un coiffeur. an kwafuhr
… ice cream shop. … un glacier. an glasyay
… jeweller’s. … une bijouterie. ewn beejzootree
… market. … un marché. an marshay
… shoe-repairer/maker. … un cordonnier. an kordonyay
… shoe shop. … un magasin de an magazan duh

chaussures. shohsewr
… sports shop. … un magasin de sport. an magazan duh

spor
… supermarket. … un supermarché. an sewpehrmarshay
… sweet/candy shop. … une confiserie. ewn kohnfeezree
… the till/checkout. … la caisse. la kehs
… tobacconist. … un bureau de tabac. an bewroh duh taba
… wine merchant. … un caviste. an kaveest
Do you need any help?

Avez-vous besoin d’aide ?
avay voo buhzwan dehd
It’s my turn.
C’est à moi.
seh ta mwa
How much is it?

C’est combien ?
seh kohnbyan
Anything else?
Autre chose ?
ohtruh shohz
That will be 7.80 euros.

Ça fait sept euros quatre-vingts.
sa feh set uhro katruh van
Books, newspapers, magazines and music

The main daily newspapers in France are Le Monde (centre-left), Le Figaro
(conservative), Libération (left-wing), L’Humanité (far-left) and L’équipe (a
sports newspaper that is one of the best-selling French dailies).
Do you have any newspapers in English?

Avez-vous des journaux en anglais ?
avay voo day jzoornoh ahn nahngleh
I am looking for a … Je cherche … jzuh shersh
… book shop. … une librairie. ewn leebrehree
… library. … une bibliothèque. ewn beebleeyotek
… newsagent’s. … un marchand de journaux. an marshahn duh jzoornoh

… (children’s) book. … un livre (pour enfant). an leevruh (poor ahnfahn)
… CD. … un CD. an sayday

… comic book. … une bande dessinée. ewn bahnd dayseenay
… novel. … un roman. an romahn
… recipe book. … un livre de recettes. an leevruh duh ruhset
… roadmap. … une carte routière. ewn kart rootyehr
… tourist guide. … un guide touristique. an gheed tooreesteek
Laundry and dry cleaning

Can you remove this stain?
Pouvez-vous nettoyer cette tâche ?
poovay voo netwahyay set tash
When will it be ready?

Quand est-ce que ce sera prêt ?
kahn teskuh suh suhra preh
alteration une retouche ewn ruhtoosh
dry-cleaner’s un pressing an prehseeng

to hem faire un ourlet fehr an noorleh
to iron repasser ruhpasay
launderette/ une laverie automatique ewn lavree

laundromat ohtomateek
to wash laver lavay
Shopping for clothes

If you find yourself tempted by French fashions:
Can I try this on, please?

Puis-je essayer ceci ?
pweejz aysayay suhsee
Where are the fitting rooms?

Où se trouvent les cabines d’essayage ?
oo suh troov lay kabeen daysayajz
I’ll take this.

Je le (masc.) /la (fem.) prends.
jzuh luh/la prahn
Clothes
It’s too … C’est trop … seh tro
… big. … grand. grahn

… long. … long. lohn
… short. … court. koor
… small. puhtee
… petit.
Where is … Où est … oo eh
… the children’s/men’s/ women’s … le rayon enfants/ luh rehyohn

department?
hommes/femmes ? ahnfahn/om/fam
boxer shorts un boxer/caleçon an boksuhr/kalsohn

bra un soutien-gorge an sootyan gorjz
cardigan un gilet an jzeeleh
clothes des vêtements day vehtmahn
coat un manteau an mahntoh
dress une robe ewn rohb
jacket une veste ewn vest
jeans un jean an djzeen

jumper/sweater un pull(over) an pewl(ovehr)
long/short sleeves des manches longues/courtes day mahnsh lohng/
koort
nightdress une chemise de ewn shuhmeez duh nwee
nuit
pyjamas un pyjama an peejzama
raincoat un imperméable an nanpehrmay-abluh
shirt une chemise ewn shuhmeez
shorts un short an short

skirt une jupe ewn jzewp
socks des chaussettes day shohset
suit un costume an kostewm

swimsuit un maillot de bain an mayo duh ban
T-shirt un tee-shirt an teeshuhrt

tights/hose des collants day kolahn
trousers un pantalon an pahntalohn
underwear des sous-vêtements day soo vehtmahn
Shoes
boots des bottes day bot
flip-flops/thongs des tongs day tohng

high-heels des talons day talohn
sandals des sandales day sahndal
shoes des chaussures day shohsewr
shoe size la pointure la pwantewr
slippers des chaussons day shohsohn
trainers/tennis shoes des baskets day basket
Accessories
bag un sac an sak
belt une ceinture ewn santewr
bracelet un bracelet an brasleh
cap une casquette ewn kasket
earrings des boucles d’oreille day bookluh doreh-ee
gloves des gants day gahn

handbag/purse un sac à main an sak ah man
hat un chapeau an shapoh
(winter) hat un bonnet an boneh
necklace un collier an kolyay
scarf une écharpe ewn aysharp
sunglasses des lunettes de day lewnet duh soleh-ee
soleil
tie une cravate ewn kravat
Colours and shades

I would like a striped light blue T-shirt.
J’aimerais un tee-shirt rayé bleu clair.
jzemuhreh an tee shuhrt rehyay bluh klehr
black noir(e) nwar
blue bleu(e) bluh
dark foncé(e) fohnsay
green vert(e) vehr(t)
light clair(e) klehr
pink rose rohz
purple violet(te) veeolay (veeolet)
red rouge roojz
white blanc/blanche blan/blansh
yellow jaune jzohn
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited in indoor public spaces in France. However, you can
smoke at the outdoor tables of street cafés. Tobacco shops can be identified
by the red diamond-shaped sign labelled Tabac.
ashtray un cendrier an sahndreeyay
carton/pack of une cartouche/un paquet de ewn kartoosh/an

cigarettes
cigarettes pakeh duh seegaret
cigar un cigare an seegar
cigarette paper du papier à cigarettes dew papyay a

seegaret
lighter un briquet an breekeh
matches une boîte d’allumettes ewn bwat dalewmet
rolling tobacco du tabac à rouler dew taba a roolay
tobacco shop un bureau de tabac an bewroh duh taba
At the photo shop

I would like to print some photos.
J’aimerais faire imprimer des photos.
jzemuhreh fehr anpreemay day foto
My camera is not working properly.

Mon appareil photo ne marche pas bien.
mohn napareh-ee foto nuh marsh pa byan
batteries des piles day peel
digital numérique newmayreek
glossy paper du papier brillant dew papyay breeyahn
lens un objectif an nobjzehkteef
matt paper du papier mat dew papyay mat

memory card une carte mémoire ewn kart maymwar
photo shop un magasin de photo an magazan duh foto
video camera une caméra ewn kamayra
Toiletries
body cream/lotion de la crème duh la krem
brush une brosse ewn bros
comb un peigne an penyeh
deodorant du déodorant dew day-odorahn

lipstick un rouge à lèvres an roojz ah lehvruh
make-up remover du démaquillant dew daymakeeyahn
nail clippers un coupe-ongles an koop ohngluh
nail file une lime à ongles ewn leem ah ohngluh
nail varnish remover du dissolvant dew deesolvahn
perfume du parfum dew parfan
razor un rasoir an razwar

razor blades des lames de rasoir day lahm duh razwar
shampoo du shampooing dew shahnpoo-an
shaving cream de la crème à raser duh la krem ah razay
soap du savon dew savohn
tissues des mouchoirs day mooshwar
toothbrush une brosse à dents ewn bros ah dahn
toothpaste du dentifrice dew dahnteefrees

tweezers une pince à épiler ewn pans ah aypeelay
Souvenirs
If you’re buying a gift, most shops offer free giftwrapping. Just tell the sales
assistant: C’est un cadeau.It’s a gift.
Could you giftwrap this?

Pouvez-vous faire un paquet cadeau ?
poovay voo fehr an pakeh kadoh
Do you have …?
Avez-vous … ?
avay voo
chocolates des chocolats day shokola
clock une horloge/ ewn orlojz/

un réveil an rayveh-ee
magnet un aimant an naymahn
postcard une carte postale ewn kart postal
poster un poster an postehr
snow globe une boule à neige ewn bool ah nehjz
tea/kitchen towel un torchon an torshohn
toy un jouet an jooay
watch une montre ewn mohntruh

➚ Business meetings
If you’re in France for business, here is some useful vocabulary to help you
get by.
Making an appointment by phone

Hello, I would like to make an appointment with …
Bonjour. Je voudrais prendre rendez-vous avec …
bohnjzoor jzuh voodreh prahndruh rahnday voo avek
Hold the line. I’m putting you through.

Ne quittez pas. Je vous le/la passe.
nuh keetay pa jzuh voo luh/la pas
He’s free on Monday at 11:00 am. Does that suit you?

Il est disponible lundi à onze heures. Cela vous convient-il ?
eel eh deesponeebluh landee ah ohnz uhr suhla voo kohnvyan teel
Job titles
CEO le président luh prayzeedahn deerektuhr jzaynayral/la
directeur général (m)/la prayzeedahnt deerektrees jzaynayral (pay
day jzay)
présidente directrice
générale (f) (PDG)
chief le (m)/la (f) chef comptable luh/la shef
accountant
kohntabluh
general le directeur/la directrice luh deerektuhr/la deerektrees jzaynayral

manager
général(e)
human le directeur/la directrice des luh deerektuhr/la deerektrees day
resources ruhsoors zewmen
manager ressources humaines
manager le gérant/la gérante luh jzayrahn/la jzayrahnt
marketing luh deerektuhr/la deerektrees marketeeng

director le directeur/
la directrice
marketing
personnel le/la responsable luh/la rehspohnsabluh dew pehrsonel
director
du personnel
product un/une chef de produit an /ewn shef duh prodwee
manager
purchasing le directeur/la directrice des luh deerektuhr/la deerektrees day zasha

director
achats
receptionist le/la réceptionniste luh/la raysehpsyoneest
sales le directeur/la directrice des luh deerektuhr/la deerektrees day vahnt

manager
ventes
secretary le/la secrétaire luh/la suhkraytehr
In the workplace
company une société/ ewn sosee-aytay/ ahntruhpreez
entreprise
department un service an sehrvees
employee un/une salarié(e) an/ewn salaryay

executive/manager un cadre an kadruh
factory une usine ewn ewzeen
foreman un contremaître an kohntruhmetruh
management la direction la deereksyohn

meeting une réunion ewn ray-ewnyohn
office un bureau an bewroh
production line une chaîne de production ewn shen duh prodewksyohn

staff le personnel luh pehrsonel
temporary worker un/une intérimaire an/ewn antehreemehr
trainee/intern un/une stagiaire an/ewn stajzyehr
warehouse un entrepôt an nahntruhpoh

workshop un atelier an natuhlyay
Business vocabulary
amount un montant an mohntahn
budget un budget an bewdjzeh
to buy acheter ashtay
buyer l’acheteur lashtuhr
competition la concurrence la kohnkewrahns

consumers les consommateurs lay kohnsomatuhr
contract un contrat an kohntra

cost un coût an koo
discount une remise ewn ruhmeez
to hire embaucher ahnbohshay
to invest investir anvehsteer

investment un investissement an nanvesteesman
invoice une facture ewn faktewr
loan un prêt an preh

to lay off licencier leesahnsyay
order une commande ewn komahnd
payment un paiement an pehmahn

product un produit an prodwee
purchase un achat an nasha
retail sales la vente au détail la vahnt oh dayta-ee
to sell vendre vahndruh
shareholders les actionnaires lay zaksyonehr
to sign signer seenyay
to sponsor sponsoriser sponsoreezay
to subcontract sous-traiter soo-trehtay
subcontractor un sous-traitant an soo trehtahn
supplier un fournisseur an foorneesuhr
to terminate résilier rayzeelyay
turnover le chiffre d’affaires luh sheefruh dafehr
value-added/sales tax la TVA la tay vay ah
wholesaler un grossiste an groseest
Fairs and trade shows

International trade shows and fairs are held all over France, but particularly
in Paris. Among the most attended are the Paris Air Show (le Salon
International de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace), the largest aeronautics
and aerospace event in the world; le Mondial de l’Automobile car show;
the International Agricultural Show (le Salon de l’Agriculture) and the
Book Fair (le Salon du Livre).
convention centre un palais des congrès an paleh day kohngreh

to exhibit exposer ekspohzay
exhibition centre un parc des expositions an park day zekspohzeesyohn
exhibitor
un exposant an nekspohzahn
general public le grand public luh grahn pewbleek
professionals les professionnels lay profehsyonel
stall un stand an stahnd
trade show/fair un salon an salohn
➚ Health
If you need medical attention …
European Union residents can request a European Health Insurance Card
(EHIC) before travelling to another European country. This allows access to
free or reduced-cost state-provided healthcare if you fall ill or have an
accident. Non-EU visitors will be expected to pay for treatment, so should
ensure they have insurance (une assurance maladie).
Where is the nearest hospital?

Où se trouve l’hôpital le plus proche ?
oo suh troov lopeetal luh plew prosh
I need a doctor right now.

J’ai besoin d’un médecin immédiatement.
jzay buhzwan dan mehdsan eemaydyatmahn
Can you call an ambulance?

Pouvez-vous appeler une ambulance ?
poovay voo apuhlay ewn ahnbewlahns
emergency une urgence ewn ewrjzahns

medical practise un cabinet medical an kabeeneh medeekal
waiting room une salle d’attente ewn sal datahnt
Symptoms
I don’t feel well.
Je ne me sens pas bien.
jzuh nuh muh sahn pa byan
I’m going to throw up./I have thrown up.

J’ai envie de vomir./J’ai vomi.
jzay ahnvee duh vohmeer/jzay vomee
I’m having trouble breathing.

J’ai du mal à respirer.
jzay dew mal ah rehspeeray
I have … J’ai … jzay
… a cough. … une toux. ewn too
… diarrhoea. … de la diarrhée. duh la dee-aray
… a fever. … de la fièvre. duh la fyevruh
… heartburn. … des brûlures d’estomac. day brewlewr

destoma
… high/low blood … de la tension/une baisse de duh la tansyon/ewn behs duh

pressure.
tension. tansyon
… a runny nose. … le nez qui coule. luh nay kee kool
… allergic. … allergique. alehrjzeek
… asthmatic. … asthmatique. asmateek
… constipated. … constipé(e). kohnsteepay

… diabetic. … diabétique. dyabayteek
… epileptic. … épileptique. aypeelepteek
… ill. … malade. malad
I’ve burned myself. Je me suis brûlé(e). jzuh muh swee brewlay
I’ve cut myself. Je me suis coupé(e). jzuh muh swee koopay
I have a heart condition. Je suis cardiaque. jzuh swee kardyak
I feel dizzy. jzay day vehrteejz

J’ai des vertiges.
Pains and body parts

My … hurt(s). J’ai mal … jzay mal
… ankle … à la cheville. ah la shuhveey
… arm … au bras. oh bra
… back … au dos. oh doh
… chest … à la poitrine. ah la pwatreen
… ears … aux oreilles. oh zoreh
… elbow … au coude. oh kood
… eyes … aux yeux. oh zyuh
… fingers … aux doigts. oh dwa
… foot … au pied. oh pyay
… hand … à la main. ah la man

… head … à la tête. ah la tet
… heart … au cœur. oh kuhr
… knee … au genou. oh jzuhnoo
… leg … à la jambe. ah la jzahnb

… neck (back) … à la nuque. ah la newk
… neck (front) … au cou. oh koo
… nose … au nez. oh nay
… ribs … aux côtes. oh koht
… shoulder … à l’épaule. ah laypohl
… stomach … au ventre. oh vahntruh

… teeth … aux dents. oh dahn
… throat … à la gorge. ah la gorjz
… wrist … au poignet. oh pwanyeh
Women’s health
Do you have anything for period pains?
J’ai mes règles. Avez-vous des comprimés pour la douleur ?
jzay may rehgluh avay voo day kohnpreemay poor la dooluhr
I am pregnant.
Je suis enceinte.
jzuh swee zahnsant
contraception un contraceptif an kohntrasepteef
cystitis une cystite ewn seesteet
to give birth accoucher akooshay
gynaecologist un gynécologue an jzeenaykolog
labour un accouchement an nakooshmahn
morning-after pill une pilule du lendemain ewn peelewl dew lahndman
period les règles lay rehgluh
the pill la pilule la peelewl
sanitary towels des serviettes hygiéniques day sehrvyet zeejzyayneek
tampons des tampons day tahnpohn

thrush/yeast infection une mycose ewn meekohz
Getting treatment
Don’t worry. It’s not serious.
Ne vous inquiétez pas. Ce n’est pas grave.
nuh voo zankyehtay pa suh neh pa grav
We have to take you to the hospital.

Nous devons vous emmener à l’hôpital.
noo duhvohn voo zahnmnay a lopeetal
appendicitis l’appendicite lapandeeseet
bacteria une bactérie ewn baktayree
broken cassé(e) kasay
a cold un rhume an rewm
dislocated déboîté(e) daybwatay
flu la grippe la greep
food poisoning une intoxication alimentaire ewn antokseekasyohn aleemahntehr
germs des microbes day meekrohb
infected infecté(e) anfektay
infection une infection ewn anfeksyohn
inflamed enflammé(e) ahnflamay

inflammation une inflammation ewn anflamasyohn
pneumonia une pneumonie ewn pnuhmonee
sprained foulé(e) foolay
torn déchiré(e) daysheeray
virus un virus an veerews
Do I need to pay for the treatment?

Dois-je payer pour les soins ?
dwajz pehyay poor lay swan
Here is your prescription.
Voici votre ordonnance.
vwasee votruh ordonahns
We need to … Nous devons … noo duhvohn
… do an X-ray. … faire une radio. fehr ewn radyo
… do some blood tests. … faire des analyses de fehr day zanaleez

sang. duh sahn
… put your leg in plaster/in a … plâtrer votre jambe. plahtray votruh

cast. jzahnb
… run some tests. … faire quelques examens. fehr kelkuh

zegzaman
You must … Vous devez … voo duhvay
… be repatriated. … vous faire rapatrier. voo fehr rapatreeyay
… have injections. … vous faire faire des voo fehr fehr day peekewr
piqûres.
… have surgery. … vous faire opérer. voo fehr opayray
… see a specialist. … voir un spécialiste. vwar an spaysyaleest
… stay in bed. … rester au lit. restay oh lee
… take some … prendre des antibiotiques. prahndruh day

antibiotics.
zahnteebyoteek
At the dentist’s
A filling has come out. / I’ve lost a filling.
J’ai perdu un plombage.
jzay pehrdew an plohnbajz
I’ve broken my dentures.
J’ai cassé mon dentier.
jzay kasay mohn dahntyay
I have … J’ai … jzay
… an abcess. … un abcès. an nabseh
… a cavity. … une carie. ewn karee
… a crown. … une couronne. ewn koorohn
… a toothache. … mal aux dents. mal oh dahn
I must … Je dois … jzuh dwa
… give you a root canal. … dévitaliser votre dent. dayveetaleezay votruh dahn
… take your tooth out. … vous arracher la dent. voo zarashay la

dahn
Open your mouth. Ouvrez la bouche. oovray la boosh
Rinse your mouth. Rincez-vous la bouche. ransay voo la boosh
At the optician’s
I’ve broken a lens.
J’ai cassé un verre.
jzay kasay an vehr
Can you repair my glasses?

Pouvez-vous réparer mes lunettes ?
poovay voo rayparay may lewnet
I need … J’ai besoin … jzay buhzwan

… a pair of … d’une paire de lunettes de dewn pehr duh
sunglasses. lewnet duh soleh-ee
soleil.
… to have an eye … de faire un examen de la duh fehr an negzaman duh la
test. vew
vue.
… some lens- … d’une solution de dewn solewsyohn duh
cleaning solution.
nettoyage pour lentilles. netwayajz poor lahnteey
… contact lenses. … de lentilles de contact. duh lahnteey duh kontakt
At the pharmacy
La pharmacie can be spotted by its green cross sign, which is lit up when
open.
Where is the nearest chemist’s/drugstore?

Où se trouve la pharmacie la plus proche ?
oo suh troov la farmasee la plew prosh
Do you have a prescription?

Avez-vous une ordonnance ?
avay voo ewn ordonahns
Can you give me Pouvez-vous me donner poovay voo muh donay

something for … kelkuh shohz poor
quelque chose pour …
… burns? … les brûlures ? lay brewlewr
… a cold? … un rhume ? an rewm
… constipation? … la constipation ? la kohnsteepasyohn
… a cough? … la toux ? la too
… diarrhoea? … la diarrhée ? la dee-aray
… a fever? … la fièvre ? la fyehvruh
… hayfever? … le rhume des foins ? luh rewm day fwan

… headaches? … les maux de tête ? lay moh duh tet
… insect bites? … les piqûres d’insecte ? lay peekewr

dansekt
… migraine? … la migraine ? la meegrehn
… nausea? … la nausée ? la nohzay
… sinusitis? … la sinusite ? la seenewzeet
… a stomachache? … des douleurs d’estomac ? day dooluhr

destoma
… a toothache? … le mal de dents ? luh mal duh dahn
… travel sickness? … le mal des transports ? luh mal day

trahnspor
I would like … Je voudrais … jzuh voodreh
… antiseptic cream. … de la crème antiseptique. duh la krem ahnteesepteek
… aspirin. … de l’aspirine. duh laspeereen
… cough syrup. … du sirop contre dew seero kohntruh la too

la toux.
… disinfectant. … du désinfectant. dew dayzanfektahn
… eyedrops. … des gouttes pour les yeux. day goot poor

lay zyuh
… throat lozenges. … des pastilles pour la gorge. day pasteey poor

la gorjz
… nappies/diapers. … des couches. day koosh
… a nasal spray. … un vaporisateur nasal. an vaporeezatuhr

nazal
… plasters/bandaids. … des pansements. day pahnsmahn
… sun cream/sunscreen. … de la crème solaire. duh la krem solehr

… tablets. … des comprimés. day kohnpreemay
… a thermometer. … un thermomètre. an tehrmometruh

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© Assimil 2013

EAN numérique : 9782700560725

Réalisation de l’ePub : Prismallia

How to use this book

France: facts & figures

The French language

France is a secular country, though the predominant religion has historically

Today’s France is multicultural, with immigrants principally coming from

In 1789, the French Revolution overthrew the monarchy, an event that

Here are a few of the things English speakers find trickiest:

And remember: practice makes perfect!

Ready? Let’s get started!

1. Bonjour ! Comment vous appelez-vous ?

2. Je m’appelle Alexandre. Enchanté !

4. Je viens d’Australie. J’habite à Brisbane.

Comment t’appelles-tu ? What’s your name? (informal singular)

Practice – Translate the following sentences:

1. What’s your name? (inf.)

1. Marc, je te présente Hélène, une amie.

2. Enchanté ! Vous êtes ici en vacances ?

3. Oui, je suis ici avec mon mari et mon fils.

4. Quel âge a votre fils ?

avoir to have and être to be are both irregular verbs:

avoir to have être to be

tu as you have (inf. sing.) tu es you are (inf. sing.)

nous avons we have nous sommes we are

Practice – Translate the following sentences:

1. Voici Sophie. / Je te/vous présente Sophie.

1. La femme est très grande !

2. Oui, et l’homme est petit !

3. Regarde, le chapeau bleu est vraiment joli !

4. Et les enfants sont si mignons !

Practice – Translate the following sentences:

1. The children are cute.

1. Les enfants sont mignons.

1. Un coca et une limonade, s’il vous plaît !

2. Avec des pailles ?

3. Oui, merci. Oh, et un café !

4. D’accord. Et voici une chaise pour votre ami !

Practice – Translate the following sentences:

1. Excuse me, please.

1. S’il vous plaît.

1. As-tu des frères et sœurs ?

2. Non, je suis fille unique.

3. Et ton mari et toi, vous avez des animaux domestiques ?

4. Nous avons un chat et deux chiens. Ils sont gentils !

Practice – Translate the following sentences:

1. Bonjour, je voudrais des œufs, s’il vous plaît.

2. Bien sûr. Autre chose ?

3. De la crème et du fromage aussi.

4. Du fromage, je vous en mets combien ?

5. Un gros morceau ! J’adore le fromage !

je veux I want je voudrais… I would like…

tu veux you want (inf. sing.) nous aimerions… we would like…

il/elle veux he/she wants Aimeriez-vous ? Would you like …?

nous voulons we want

vous voulez you want (form./pl.)

Practice – Translate the following sentences:

1. I would like eggs, please.

1. Je voudrais/J’aimerais des œufs, s’il vous plaît.

1. Excusez-moi, monsieur. Où est le quai C ?

2. Il est là-bas, après le quai B. Vous voyez ?

3. Merci ! Et à quelle heure part le train pour Besançon ?