30 French Expressions Native Speakers Use Every Day
Everyday French depends on compact expressions that organize conversation: agreeing, reacting, hesitating, correcting, reassuring, and closing. Their English translation changes with context, so learn the job each expression performs and pay attention to intonation.
30 everyday expressions
| French | Meaning / use |
|---|---|
| D'accord | Okay / agreed |
| Ça marche | That works |
| Exactement | Exactly |
| C'est vrai | That's true |
| Ah bon ? | Really? |
| Bien sûr | Of course |
| Pas de problème | No problem |
| Ce n'est pas grave | It doesn't matter |
| Ne vous inquiétez pas | Don't worry |
| Dommage | What a pity |
| Vraiment ? | Really? |
| Sérieusement ? | Seriously? |
| Je ne sais pas | I don't know |
| On verra | We'll see |
| Ça dépend | It depends |
| En tout cas | In any case |
| En fait | Actually |
| Au fait | By the way |
| Bref | In short / anyway |
| Alors | So / then |
| Bon | Well / okay |
| Enfin | Well / finally; context-dependent |
| Attendez | Wait |
| Comment ? | Pardon? |
| C'est-à-dire … | That is to say … |
| Je veux dire … | I mean … |
| Bonne idée | Good idea |
| Ça me va | That suits me |
| Pas forcément | Not necessarily |
| À tout à l'heure | See you later today |
Changing a plan
Sami: Au fait, le café ferme plus tôt aujourd'hui.
Aya: Ah bon ? Dommage. On se retrouve à la gare ?
Sami: Bonne idée. Vers six heures ?
Aya: Ça me va. Je serai peut-être un peu en retard.
Sami: Pas de problème. À tout à l'heure !
Practice
Choose five functions—agreement, surprise, uncertainty, reassurance, and farewell. Learn two expressions for each, then perform a short conversation with a plan change.
FAQ
Why is alors so common?
It can introduce a result, move a story forward, begin a question, or hold the floor. Context and tone determine the best translation.
Keep learning
- Practice next: French slang
- Practice next: spoken French
- Practice next: French conversation
- Practice next: French listening drills
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