You do not need to be fluent to function in a French-speaking country. What you need is the right vocabulary — the phrases that come up every single day, in every situation, from the moment you arrive.
This is that list. Fifty phrases, organised by situation, with English translations. These are not textbook phrases — they are the ones real people actually say.
| # | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bonjour | Hello / Good morning |
| 2 | Bonsoir | Good evening |
| 3 | Salut | Hi / Hey (informal) |
| 4 | Ça va ? | How are you? / You good? |
| 5 | Ça va bien, merci. | I'm fine, thanks. |
| 6 | Comment vous appelez-vous ? | What is your name? (formal) |
| 7 | Je m'appelle... | My name is... |
| 8 | Enchanté(e). | Nice to meet you. |
| 9 | Au revoir. | Goodbye. |
| 10 | À bientôt. | See you soon. |
| # | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Où est... ? | Where is...? |
| 12 | Comment aller à... ? | How do I get to...? |
| 13 | C'est loin d'ici ? | Is it far from here? |
| 14 | Tournez à gauche / à droite. | Turn left / right. |
| 15 | Continuez tout droit. | Go straight ahead. |
| 16 | Je voudrais un ticket, s'il vous plaît. | I would like a ticket, please. |
| 17 | À quelle heure part le prochain train ? | What time does the next train leave? |
| 18 | Je suis perdu(e). | I am lost. |
| # | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Combien ça coûte ? | How much does this cost? |
| 20 | C'est trop cher. | That is too expensive. |
| 21 | Je prends ça. | I'll take this. |
| 22 | Vous acceptez les cartes ? | Do you accept cards? |
| 23 | Est-ce que vous avez... ? | Do you have...? |
| 24 | Je cherche... | I'm looking for... |
| 25 | Pouvez-vous m'aider ? | Can you help me? |
| 26 | L'addition, s'il vous plaît. | The bill, please. |
| # | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Je travaille comme... | I work as a... |
| 28 | J'ai un rendez-vous avec... | I have a meeting with... |
| 29 | Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? | Could you repeat that, please? |
| 30 | Je ne comprends pas. | I don't understand. |
| 31 | Parlez-vous anglais ? | Do you speak English? |
| 32 | Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement ? | Could you speak more slowly? |
| 33 | Comment dit-on... en français ? | How do you say... in French? |
| 34 | Je suis nouveau/nouvelle ici. | I am new here. |
| # | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | Je cherche un appartement. | I am looking for a flat. |
| 36 | C'est disponible à partir de quand ? | When is it available from? |
| 37 | Il y a un problème avec... | There is a problem with... |
| 38 | J'ai besoin d'un document officiel. | I need an official document. |
| 39 | Où est la mairie ? | Where is the town hall? |
| 40 | Je voudrais ouvrir un compte bancaire. | I would like to open a bank account. |
| # | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | Bien sûr. | Of course. |
| 42 | Pas de problème. | No problem. |
| 43 | C'est vrai ? | Really? Is that true? |
| 44 | Je suis d'accord. | I agree. |
| 45 | Bonne idée ! | Good idea! |
| 46 | Ça dépend. | It depends. |
| 47 | C'est comme ça. | That's just how it is. |
| 48 | On y va ? | Shall we go? |
| 49 | Avec plaisir. | With pleasure. / I'd love to. |
| 50 | Bon courage ! | Good luck! / Keep going! |
What comes next?
These 50 phrases are a starting point, not a finishing line. The gap between knowing a phrase and actually using it confidently in real life is closed by one thing: practice. Saying it out loud, repeatedly, in real conversations with real people.
That is exactly what our free 6-week course is built around. You will learn 1,000+ phrases like these — in context, with native speaker audio, and with a community of learners practising alongside you. Not memorising lists alone. Actual conversation.
If you are preparing to move to a French-speaking country, read our guide on French for immigration. If you are specifically preparing for Canada, our French for Canada immigration guide walks through everything you need to know about CLB scores and TCF Canada.
1,000+ more phrases where those came from.
Our free 6-week course teaches you the most-used French words and phrases in context — with native speaker audio so you hear them said right. No grammar rules. No credit card.
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