French for Beginners: 50 Essential Words and Phrases
These 50 essential French words and phrases cover greetings, courtesy, introductions, comprehension problems, time, and directions. Learn them as spoken responses, not as a list to recognize. Say each one aloud, put it into a two-line exchange, and notice when French uses informal tu or polite vous.
50 essential French phrases
| French | Meaning / use |
|---|---|
| Bonjour | Hello / good morning |
| Bonsoir | Good evening |
| Salut | Hi / bye, informal |
| Au revoir | Goodbye |
| À bientôt | See you soon |
| À demain | See you tomorrow |
| S'il vous plaît | Please, formal or plural |
| S'il te plaît | Please, informal |
| Merci | Thank you |
| Merci beaucoup | Thank you very much |
| De rien | You're welcome |
| Excusez-moi | Excuse me, formal or plural |
| Pardon | Sorry / pardon |
| Ce n'est pas grave | It doesn't matter |
| Oui | Yes |
| Non | No |
| Peut-être | Maybe |
| Bien sûr | Of course |
| D'accord | Okay / agreed |
| Je comprends | I understand |
| Je ne comprends pas | I don't understand |
| Pouvez-vous répéter ? | Can you repeat? |
| Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît | More slowly, please |
| Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ? | What does that mean? |
| Comment dit-on … en français ? | How do you say … in French? |
| Comment ça s'écrit ? | How is that spelled? |
| Parlez-vous anglais ? | Do you speak English? |
| Je parle un peu français | I speak a little French |
| Je m'appelle … | My name is … |
| Comment vous appelez-vous ? | What's your name? formal |
| Enchanté / Enchantée | Nice to meet you |
| Je viens de … | I come from … |
| Où habitez-vous ? | Where do you live? formal |
| J'habite à … | I live in … |
| Comment allez-vous ? | How are you? formal |
| Ça va ? | How are things? informal |
| Ça va bien | I'm doing well |
| Quelle heure est-il ? | What time is it? |
| Aujourd'hui | Today |
| Demain | Tomorrow |
| Hier | Yesterday |
| Maintenant | Now |
| Plus tard | Later |
| Où sont les toilettes ? | Where is the bathroom? |
| Où est la gare ? | Where is the station? |
| Comment aller au centre-ville ? | How do I get downtown? |
| Tout droit | Straight ahead |
| À gauche | To the left |
| À droite | To the right |
| C'est près d'ici | It's near here |
Make the list usable
- Choose five phrases with one purpose.
- Listen and repeat with the same main stress and linking.
- Put each phrase after a likely prompt.
- Recall it without reading and change one detail.
- Review missed phrases more often than easy ones.
A first exchange
Maya: Bonjour. Je m'appelle Maya. Comment vous appelez-vous ?
Sam: Je m'appelle Sam. Enchanté.
Maya: Vous venez d'où ?
Sam: Je viens d'Irlande. Je parle seulement un peu français.
Maya: Pas de problème. Je vais parler plus lentement.
Practice
Create five mini-scenes: meet a colleague, greet a neighbor, ask what a word means, find the station, and say goodbye. Use at least three phrases in each, record them, and repeat without the table.
FAQ
Do I need all 50 at once?
No. Learn five to ten by function and revisit them in changing situations.
Why are some phrases formal?
Many service encounters and first meetings use vous. Starting politely and following the other person's lead is safe.
Keep learning
- Practice next: French beginner guide
- Practice next: French greetings
- Practice next: French pronunciation
- Practice next: basic French dialogue
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