NEW! If you'd like to study these phrases (and their pronunciations) individually, please go to Basic French Phrases. | Bonjour /bɔ̃ʒuʀ/ Hello / Good day / Good morning |
Bonsoir /bɔ̃swaʀ/ Good evening |
Bonne nuit /bɔn nɥi/ Good night (only said when going to bed) |
| Salut /saly/ Hi / Bye |
Au revoir /ɔʀ(ə)vwaʀ/ Goodbye |
S'il vous plaît / S'il te plaît /sil vu plɛ/ Please (formal / informal) |
| Merci (beaucoup) /mɛʀsi boku/ Thank you (very much) |
De rien. /də ʀjɛ̃/ You're welcome. |
Je vous en prie. /ʒəvu zɑ̃ pri/ You're welcome. (formal) / Go ahead. |
| Bienvenu(e) /bjɛ̃vəny/ Welcome (also You're welcome in Quebec) |
Allons-y! /alɔ̃ zi/ Let's go! |
A tout à l'heure /a tu ta lœʀ/ See you in a little while |
| A plus tard /a ply taʀ/ See you later |
A bientôt /a bjɛ̃to/ See you soon |
A demain /a dəmɛ̃/ See you tomorrow |
| Je suis désolé(e) /dezɔle/ I'm sorry |
Pardon ! /paʀdɔ̃/ Excuse me! (pushing through a crowd) / Sorry! (stepped on someone's foot) |
Excusez-moi ! /ekskyze mwa/ Excuse me! (getting someone's attention) / I'm sorry! (more formal apology) |
| Comment allez-vous ? /kɔmɑ̃ tale vu/ How are you? (formal) |
Je vais bien /ʒə ve bjɛ̃/ I'm fine. |
Très bien / mal / pas mal /tʀɛ bjɛ̃/ /mal/ /pa mal/ Very good / bad / not bad |
| Ça va ? /sa va/ How are you? (informal) |
Ça va. /sa va/ I'm fine. (informal response to Ça va ?) |
Oui / non /wi/ /nɔ̃/ Yes / no |
| Comment vous appelez-vous ? /kɔmɑ̃ vu zaple vu/ What's your name? (formal) |
Tu t'appelles comment ? /ty tapɛl kɔmɑ̃/ What's your name? (informal) |
Je m'appelle... /ʒə mapɛl/ My name is... |
| Enchanté(e) /ɑ̃ʃɑ̃te/ Nice to meet you. |
Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle /məsjø/ /madam/ /madwazɛl/ Mister, Misses, Miss |
Mesdames et Messieurs /medam/ /mesjø/ Ladies and gentlemen |
| Vous êtes d'où ? / Vous venez d'où ? /vu zɛt du/ /vu vəne du/ Where are you from? (formal) |
Tu es d'où ? / Tu viens d'où ? /ty ɛ du/ /ty vjɛ̃ du/ Where are you from? (informal) |
Je suis de... / Je viens de... /ʒə sɥi də/ /ʒə vjɛ̃ də/ I am from... |
| Où habitez-vous ? /u abite vu/ Where do you live? (formal) |
Tu habites où ? /ty abit u/ Where do you live? (informal) |
J'habite à... /ʒabit a/ I live in... |
| Quel âge avez-vous ? /kɛl ɑʒ ave vu/ How old are you? (formal) |
Tu as quel âge ? /ty ɑ kɛl ɑʒ/ How old are you? (informal) |
J'ai ____ ans. /ʒe __ ɑ̃/ I am ____ years old. |
| Parlez-vous français ? / Tu parles anglais ? /paʀle vu frɑ̃sɛ/ /ty paʀl ɑ̃glɛ/ Do you speak French? (formal) / Do you speak English? (informal) |
Je parle allemand. /ʒə paʀl almɑ/̃ I speak German. |
Je ne parle pas espagnol. /ʒə nə paʀl pa ɛspaɲɔl/ I don't speak Spanish. |
| Comprenez-vous? / Tu comprends? /kɔ̃pʀəne vu/ /ty kɔ̃pʀɑ̃/ Do you understand? (formal / informal) |
Je comprends /ʒə kɔ̃pʀɑ̃/ I understand |
Je ne comprends pas /ʒə nə kɔ̃pʀɑ̃ pa/ I don't understand |
| Pouvez-vous m'aider ? / Tu peux m'aider ? /puve vu mede/ /ty pø mede/ Can you help me? (formal / informal) |
Bien sûr. /bjɛ̃ syʀ/ Of course. |
Comment ? /kɔmɑ̃/ What? Pardon? |
| Tenez / Tiens /təne/ /tjɛ̃/ Hey / Here (formal / informal) |
Je sais /ʒə sɛ/ I know |
Je ne sais pas /ʒən sɛ pa/ I don't know |
| Où est ... / Où sont ... ? /u ɛ/ /u sɔ̃/ Where is ... / Where are ... ? |
Voici / Voilà /vwasi/ /vwala/ Here is/are... / There it is. |
Il y a ... / Il y avait... /il i a/ /il i avɛ/ There is / are... / There was / were... |
| Comment dit-on ____ en français
? /kɔmɑ̃ di tɔ̃ __ ɑ̃ fʀɑ̃sɛ/ How do you say ____ in French? |
Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça ? /kɛs kə sɛ kə sa/ What is that? |
Qu'est-ce qu'il y a ? /kɛs kil i a/ What's the matter? |
| Ça ne fait rien. /sa nə fɛ ʀjɛ̃/ It doesn't matter. |
Qu'est-ce qui se passe ? /kɛs ki sə pas/ What's happening? |
Je n'ai aucune idée. /ʒə ne okyn ide/ I have no idea. |
| Je suis fatigué(e) / Je suis malade. /ʒə sɥi fatiɡe/ /ʒə sɥi malad/ I'm tired / I'm sick. |
J'ai faim / J'ai soif. /ʒe fɛ̃/ /ʒe swaf/ I'm hungry / I'm thirsty. |
J'ai chaud / J'ai froid. /ʒe ʃo/ /ʒe fʀwɑ/ I'm hot / I'm cold. |
| Je m'ennuie. /ʒə mɑ̃nɥi/ I'm bored. |
Ça m'est égal. / Je m'en
fiche. /sa mɛ teɡal/ /ʒə mɑ̃ fiʃ/ It's the same to me / I don't care. (informal) |
Ne vous en faites pas. / Ne t'en fais pas. /nə vu ɑ̃ fɛt pa/ /nə tɑ̃ fɛ pa/ Don't worry (formal / informal) |
| Ce n'est pas grave. /sə nɛ pa gʀav/ It's no problem. / It's alright. |
J'ai oublié. /ʒe ublije/ I forgot. |
Je dois y aller. /ʒə dwa i ale/ I must go. |
| A vos souhaits ! / A tes souhaits ! /a vo swɛ/ /a te swɛ/ Bless you! (formal / informal) |
Félicitations ! /felisitasjɔ̃/ Congratulations! |
Bonne chance ! /bɔn ʃɑ̃s/ Good luck! |
| C'est à vous ! / C'est à toi ! /sɛ ta vu/ /sɛ ta twɑ/ It's your turn! (formal / informal) |
Taisez-vous ! / Tais-toi ! /tɛze vu/ /tɛ twɑ/ Shut up! / Be quiet! (formal / informal) |
Je vous aime / Je t'aime /ʒə vu zɛm/ /ʒə tɛm/ I love you (formal & plural / informal) |
| Tu me manques. /ty mə mɑ̃k/ I miss you. (informal) |
Quoi de neuf ? /kwɑ də nœf/ What's new? |
Pas grand-chose. /pa gʀɑ̃ ʃoz/ Not a whole lot. |
Notice that French has informal and formal ways of saying things. This is because there is more than one meaning to "you" in French (as well as in many other languages.) The informal you is used when talking to close friends, relatives, animals or children. The formal you is used when talking to someone you just met, do not know well, or someone for whom you would like to show respect (a professor, for example.) There is also a plural you, used when speaking to more than one person. Also notice that some words take an extra e, shown in parentheses. If the word refers to a woman or is spoken by a woman, then the e is added in spelling; but in most cases, it does not change the pronunciation. To make verbs negative, French adds ne before the verb and pas after it. However, the ne is frequently dropped in spoken French, although it must appear in written French.
Don't forget to check out my video series on informal French expressions and slang vocabulary at the Informal French tutorial
2. Pronunciation / la prononciation
For a more in-depth look at French
pronunciation, try to the French Phonetics tutorial.
French Vowels
|
|||
| IPA | Phonetic spelling | Sample words | General spellings |
| [i] | ee | vie, midi, lit, riz | i, y |
| [y] | ee rounded | rue, jus, tissu, usine | u |
| [e] | ay | blé, nez, cahier, pied | é, et, final er and ez |
| [ø] | ay rounded | jeu, yeux, queue, bleu | eu |
| [ɛ] | eh | lait, aile, balai, reine | e, è, ê, ai, ei, ais |
| [œ] | eh rounded | sœur, œuf, fleur, beurre | œu, eu |
| [a] | ah | chat, ami, papa, salade | a, à, â |
| [ɑ] | ah longer | bas, âne, grâce, château | a, â |
| [u] | oo | loup, cou, caillou, outil | ou |
| [o] | oh | eau, dos, escargot, hôtel | o, ô |
| [ɔ] | aw | sol, pomme, cloche, horloge | o |
| [ə] | uh | fenêtre, genou, cheval, cerise | e |
[ɑ]
is disappearing in modern French, being replaced by [a].
Vowels that do not exist in English are marked in blue.
French semi-vowels
|
|||
| IPA | Phonetic spelling | Sample words | General spelling |
| [w] | w | fois, oui, Louis | oi, ou |
| [ɥ] | ew-ee | lui, suisse | ui |
| [j] | yuh | oreille, Mireille | ill, y |
French nasal vowels
|
|||
| IPA | Phonetic spelling | Sample words | General spelling |
| [ã] | awn | gant, banc, dent | en, em, an, am, aon, aen |
| [ɛ̃] | ahn | pain, vin, linge | in, im, yn, ym, ain, aim, ein, eim, un, um, en, eng, oin, oing, oint, ien, yen, éen |
| [œ̃] | uhn | brun, lundi, parfum | un |
| [õ] | ohn | rond, ongle, front | on, om |
[œ̃]
is being replaced with [ɛ̃]
in modern French
In words beginning with in-, a nasal is only used if the
next letter is a consonant. Otherwise, the in- prefix is pronounce
een before a vowel.
French Consonants
|
||
| ex + vowel | egz | examen, exercice |
| ex + consonant | eks | exceptionnel, expression |
| ch (Latin origin) | sh | architecte, archives |
| ch (Greek origin) | k | orchestre, archéologie |
| ti + vowel (except é) | see | démocratie, nation |
| c + e, i, y; or ç | s | cent, ceinture, maçon |
| c + a, o, u | k | caillou, car, cube |
| g + e, i, y | zh | genou, gingembre |
| g + a, o, u | g | gomme, ganglion |
| th | t | maths, thème, thym |
| j | zh | jambe, jus, jeune |
| qu, final q | k | que, quoi, grecque |
| h | silent | haricot, herbe, hasard |
| vowel + s + vowel | z | rose, falaise, casino |
| x + vowel | z | six ans, beaux arts |
| final x | s | six, dix, soixante (these 3 only!) |
There are a lot of silent letters in French, and you usually
do not pronounce the final consonant, unless that final consonant is C,
R, F or L (except verbs that end in -r).
Liaison: French slurs most words together
in a sentence, so if a word ends in a consonant that is not pronounced
and the next word starts with a vowel or silent h, slur the two together
as if it were one word. S and x are pronounced as z; d as t; and f as
v in these liaisons. Liaison is always made in the following cases:
- after a determiner: un ami, des amis
- before or after a pronoun: vous avez, je les ai
- after a preceding adjective: bon ami, petits enfants
- after one syllable prepositions: en avion, dans un livre
- after some one-syllable adverbs (très, plus, bien)
- after est
Silent e: Sometimes the e is dropped in words and phrases, shortening the syllables and slurring more words.
- rapid(e)ment, lent(e)ment, sauv(e)tage /ʀapidmɑ̃/ /ɑ̃tmɑ̃/ /sovtaʒ/
- sous l(e) bureau, chez l(e) docteur /sul byʀo/ /ʃel dɔktoʀ/
- il y a d(e)... , pas d(e)... , plus d(e)... /yad/ /pad/ / plyd/
- je n(e), de n(e) /ʒən/ /dən/
- j(e) te, c(e) que /ʃt/ /skə/ (note the change of the pronunciation of the j as well)
3. Alphabet / l'alphabet
| a | /a/ | j | /ʒi/ | s | /ɛs/ | ||
| b | /be/ | k | /ka/ | t | /te/ | ||
| c | /se/ | l | /ɛl/ | u | /y/ | ||
| d | /de/ | m | /ɛm/ | v | /ve/ | ||
| e | /ə/ | n | /ɛn/ | w | /dubləve/ | ||
| f | /ɛf/ | o | /o/ | x | /iks/ | ||
| g | /ʒɜ/ | p | /pe/ | y | /igrɛk/ | ||
| h | /aʃ/ | q | /ky/ | z | /zɛd/ | ||
| i | /i/ | r | /ɛʀ/ |
All nouns in French have a gender, either masculine or feminine. For the most part, you must memorize the gender, but there are some endings of words that will help you decide which gender a noun is. Nouns ending in -age and -ment are usually masculine, as are nouns ending with a consonant. Nouns ending in -ure, -sion, -tion, -ence, -ance, -té, and -ette are usually feminine.
Articles and adjectives must agree in number and gender with the nouns they modify. And articles have to be expressed even though they aren't always in English; and you may have to repeat the article in some cases. Demonstratives are like strong definite articles.
| Masculine | Feminine | Before Vowel | Plural | |||
| le lit /lə li/ the bed |
la pomme /la pɔm/ the apple |
l'oiseau /lwazo/ the bird |
les gants /le ɡɑ̃/ the gloves |
| Masculine | Feminine | Plural | ||
| un lit /œ̃̃ li/ a bed |
une pomme / yn pɔm/ an apple |
des gants /de ɡɑ̃/ some gloves |
| Masc. | Masc, Before Vowel | Fem. | Plural | |||
| ce lit /sə li/ this/that bed |
cet oiseau /sɛ twazo/ this/that bird |
cette pomme /sɛt pɔm/ this/that apple |
ces gants /se ɡɑ̃/ these/those gloves |
5. Useful Words / les mots utiles
| It's / That's | c'est | /sɛ/ | There is/are | il y a | /il i a/ |
| There is/are | voilà | /vwala/ | Here is/are | voici | /vwasi/ |
| and | et | /e/ | always | toujours | /tuʒuʀ/ |
| but | mais | /mɛ/ | often | souvent | /suvɑ̃/ |
| now | maintenant | /mɛ̃tnɑ̃/ | sometimes | quelquefois | /kɛlkəfwa/ |
| especially | surtout | /syʀtu/ | usually | d'habitude | /dabityd/ |
| except | sauf | /sof/ | also, too | aussi | /osi/ |
| of course | bien sûr | /bjɛ̃ syʀ/ | again | encore | /ɑ̃kɔʀ/ |
| so so | comme ci, comme ça | /kɔm si, kɔm sa/ | late | en retard | /ɑ̃ʀətaʀ/ |
| not bad | pas mal | /pa mal/ | almost | presque | /pʀɛsk/ |
| book | le livre | /lə livʀ/ | friend (fem) | une amie | /y nami/ |
| pencil | le crayon | /lə kʀɛjɔ̃/ | friend (masc) | un ami | /œ̃ nami/ |
| pen | le stylo | /lə stilo/ | woman | une femme | /yn fam/ |
| paper | le papier | /lə papje/ | man | un homme | /œ̃ nɔm/ |
| dog | le chien | /lə ʃjɛ̃/ | girl | une fille | /yn fij/ |
| cat | le chat | /lə ʃa/ | boy | un garçon | /œ̃̃ gaʀsɔ̃/ |
| money | l'argent (m) | /laʀʒɑ̃/ | job / work | le travail | /lə tʀavaj/ |
The expression il y a is
reduced to y a in everyday speech. When il y a is followed
by a number, it means ago. Il y a cinq minutes means
five minutes ago. Some common slang words for money include: le
fric, le pèze, le pognon, des sous and for job/work:
le boulot.
| je | /ʒə/ | I | nous | /nu/ | We |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tu | /ty/ | You (informal) | vous | /vu/ | You (formal and plural) |
| il elle on |
/il/ /ɛl/ /ɔ̃/ |
He She One |
ils elles |
/il/ /ɛl/ |
They (masc.) They (fem.) |
Tutoyer and vouvoyer are two verbs that have no direct translation into English. Tutoyer means to use tu or be informal with someone, while vouvoyer means to use vous or be formal with someone.
| I am | je suis | /ʒə sɥi/ | We are | nous sommes | /nu sɔm/ |
| You are | tu es | /ty ɛ/ | You are | vous êtes | /vu zɛt/ |
| He is She is One is |
il est elle est on est |
/il ɛ/ /ɛl ɛ/ /ɔ̃ nɛ/ |
They are They are |
ils sont elles sont |
/il sɔ̃/ /ɛl sɔ̃/ |
| I was | j'étais | /ʒetɛ/ | We were | nous étions | /nu zetjɔ̃/ |
| You were | tu étais | /tu etɛ/ | You were | vous étiez | /vu zetje/ |
| He was She was One was |
il était elle était on était |
/il etɛ/ /ɛl etɛ/ /ɔ̃ netɛ/ |
They were They were |
ils étaient elles étaient |
/il zetɛ/ /ɛl zetɛ/ |
Je and any verb form that starts with a vowel
(or silent h) combine together for ease of pronunciation.
| I will be | je serai | /ʒə səʀe/ | We will be | nous serons | /nu səʀɔ̃/ |
| You will be | tu seras | /ty səʀa/ | You will be | vous serez | /vu səʀe/ |
| He will be She will be One will be |
il sera elle sera on sera |
/il səʀa/ /ɛl səʀa/ /ɔ̃ səʀa/ |
They will be They will be |
ils seront elles seront |
/il səʀɔ̃/ /ɛl səʀɔ̃/ |
| I have | j'ai | /ʒe/ | We have | nous avons | /nu zavɔ̃/ |
| You have | tu as | /ty ɑ/ | You have | vous avez | /vu zave/ |
| He has She has One has |
il a elle a on a |
/il ɑ/ /ɛl ɑ/ /ɔ̃ nɑ/ |
They have They have |
ils ont elles ont |
/il zɔ̃/ /ɛl zɔ̃/ |
| I had | j'avais | /ʒavɛ/ | We had | nous avions | /nu zavjɔ̃/ |
| You had | tu avais | /ty avɛ/ | You had | vous aviez | /vu zavje/ |
| He had She had One had |
il avait elle avait on avait |
/il avɛ/ /ɛl avɛ/ /ɔ̃ navɛ/ |
They had | ils avaient elles avaient |
/il zavɛ/ /ɛl zavɛ/ |
| I will have | j'aurai | /ʒoʀe/ | We will have | nous aurons | /nu zoʀɔ̃/ |
| You will have | tu auras | /ty oʀɑ/ | You will have | vous aurez | /vu zoʀe/ |
| He will have She will have One will have |
il aura elle aura on aura |
/il oʀa/ /ɛl oʀa/ /ɔ̃ noʀa/ |
They will have They will have |
ils auront elles auront |
/il zoʀɔ̃/ /ɛl zoʀɔ̃/ |
In spoken French, the tu forms of verbs that begin with a vowel contract with the pronoun: tu es = t'es /tɛ/, tu as = t'as /tɑ/, etc. In addition, it is very common to use on (plus 3rd person singular conjugation) to mean we instead of nous.
Common Expressions with avoir and Etre
Avoir and être are used in many common and idiomatic expressions that should be memorized:
| avoir chaud | /avwaʀ ʃo/ | to be hot | être de retour | /ɛtʀ də ʀətuʀ/ | to be back |
| avoir froid | /avwaʀ fʀwa/ | to be cold | être en retard | /ɛtʀ ɑ̃ ʀətaʀ/ | to be late |
| avoir peur | /avwaʀ pœʀ/ | to be afraid | être en avance | /ɛtʀ ɑ̃ navɑ̃s/ | to be early |
| avoir raison | /avwaʀ ʀɛzɔ̃/ | to be right | être d'accord | /ɛtʀ dakɔʀ/ | to be in agreement |
| avoir tort | /avwaʀ tɔʀ/ | to be wrong | être sur le point de | /ɛtʀ syʀ lə pwɛ̃ də/ | to be about to |
| avoir faim | /avwaʀ fɛ̃/ | to be hungry | être en train de | /ɛtʀ ɑ̃ tʀɛ̃ də/ | to be in the act of |
| avoir soif | /avwaʀ swaf/ | to be thirsty | être enrhumée | /ɛtʀ ɑ̃ʀyme/ | to have a cold |
| avoir sommeil | /avwaʀ sɔmɛj/ | to be sleepy | nous + être (un jour) | /ɛtʀ œ̃̃̃ ʒuʀ/ | to be (a day) |
| avoir honte | /avwaʀ ʽɔ̃t/ | to be ashamed | |||
| avoir besoin de | /avwaʀ bəzwɛ̃ də/ | to need | |||
| avoir l'air de | /avwaʀ ɛʀ də/ | to look like, seem | |||
| avoir l'intention de | /avwaʀ ɛ̃tɑ̃sjɔ̃/ | to intend to | |||
| avoir envie de | /avwaʀ ɑ̃vi də/ | to feel like | |||
| avoir de la chance | /avwaʀ də la ʃɑ̃s/ | to be lucky |
| J'ai froid. I'm cold. Tu avais raison. You were right. Il aura sommeil ce soir. He will be tired tonight. Elle a de la chance ! She's lucky! Nous aurons faim plus tard. We will be hungry later. Vous aviez tort. You were wrong. Ils ont chaud. They are hot. Elles avaient peur hier. They were afraid yesterday. |
Je suis en retard! I'm late! Tu étais en avance. You were early. Elle sera d'accord. She will agree. Nous sommes lundi. It is Monday. Vous étiez enrhumé. You had a cold. Ils seront en train d'étudier. They will be (in the act of) studying. Elles étaient sur le point de partir. They were about to leave. On est de retour. We/you/they/the people are back. |
8. Question Words / les interrogatifs
| Who | Qui | /ki/ |
| What | Quoi | /kwa/ |
| Why | Pourquoi | /puʀkwa/ |
| When | Quand | /kɑ̃/ |
| Where | Où | /u/ |
| How | Comment | /kɔmɑ̃/ |
| How much / many | Combien | /kɔ̃bjɛ̃/ |
| Which / what | Quel(le) | /kɛl/ |
| Zero | Zéro | /zeʀo/ |
| One | Un | /œ̃̃̃/ |
| Two | Deux | /dø/ |
| Three | Trois | /tʀwɑ/ |
| Four | Quatre | /katʀ/ |
| Five | Cinq | /sɛ̃k/ |
| Six | Six | /sis/ |
| Seven | Sept | /sɛt/ |
| Eight | Huit | /ʽɥit/ |
| Nine | Neuf | /nœf/ |
| Ten | Dix | /dis/ |
| Eleven | Onze | /ɔ̃z/ |
| Twelve | Douze | /duz/ |
| Thirteen | Treize | /tʀɛz/ |
| Fourteen | Quatorze | /katɔʀz/ |
| Fifteen | Quinze | /kɛ̃z/ |
| Sixteen | Seize | /sɛz/ |
| Seventeen | Dix-sept | /disɛt/ |
| Eighteen | Dix-huit | /dizɥit/ |
| Nineteen | Dix-neuf | /diznœf/ |
| Twenty | Vingt | /vɛ̃/ |
| Twenty-one | Vingt et un | /vɛ̃t e œ̃̃̃/ |
| Twenty-two | Vingt-deux | /vɛ̃ dø/ |
| Twenty-three | Vingt-trois | /vɛ̃ tʀwɑ/ |
| Thirty | Trente | /tʀɑ̃t/ |
| Thirty-one | Trente et un | /tʀɑ̃t e œ̃̃̃/̃/ |
| Thirty-two | Trente-deux | /tʀɑ̃t dø/ |
| Forty | Quarante | /kaʀɑ̃t/ |
| Fifty | Cinquante | /sɛ̃kɑ̃t/ |
| Sixty | Soixante | /swasɑ̃t/ |
| Seventy | Soixante-dix | /swasɑ̃tdis/ |
| (Belgium & Switzerland) | Septante | /sɛptɑ̃t/ |
| Seventy-one | Soixante et onze | /swasɑ̃t e ɔ̃z/ |
| Seventy-two | Soixante-douze | /swasɑ̃t duz/ |
| Eighty | Quatre-vingts | /katʀəvɛ̃/ |
| (Belgium & Switzerland) | Octante | /ɔktɑ̃t/ |
| Eighty-one | Quatre-vingt-un | /katʀəvɛ̃ tœ̃̃̃/ |
| Eighty-two | Quatre-vingt-deux | /katʀəvɛ̃ dø/ |
| Ninety | Quatre-vingt-dix | /katʀəvɛ̃ dis/ |
| (Belgium & Switzerland) | Nonante | /nɔnɑ̃t/ |
| Ninety-one | Quatre-vingt-onze | /katʀəvɛ̃ ɔ̃z/ |
| Ninety-two | Quatre-vingt-douze | /katʀəvɛ̃ duz/ |
| One Hundred | Cent | /sɑ̃/ |
| One Hundred One | Cent un | /sɑ̃ tœ̃̃̃/ |
| Two Hundred | Deux cents | /dø sɑ̃/ |
| Two Hundred One | Deux cent un | /dø sɑ̃ tœ̃̃̃/ |
| Thousand | Mille | /mil/ |
| Two Thousand | Deux mille | /dø mil/ |
| Million | Un million | /õ miljɔ̃/ |
| Billion | Un milliard | /õ miljaʀ/ |
French switches the use of commas and
periods. 1,00 would be 1.00 in English. Belgian and Swiss
French use septante and nonante in place of the standard French
words for 70 and 90 (though some parts of Switzerland use huitante for 80 and octante is barely used anymore). Also, when the numbers 5, 6, 8, and 10 are
used before a word beginning with a consonant, their final consonants
are not pronounced. Phone numbers in France are ten digits, beginning
with 01, 02, 03, 04, or 05 depending on the geographical region, or 06
and 07 for cell phones. They are written two digits at a time, and pronounced
thus: 01 36 55 89 28 = zéro un, trente-six, cinquante-cinq, quatre-vingt-neuf,
vingt-huit.
Ordinal Numbers / Les nombres ordinaux
| first | premier / première |
| second | deuxième / second |
| third | troisième |
| fourth | quatrième |
| fifth | cinquième |
| sixth | sixième |
| seventh | septième |
| eighth | huitième |
| ninth | neuvième |
| tenth | dixième |
| eleventh | onzième |
| twelfth | douzième |
| twentieth | vingtième |
| twenty-first | vingt et unième |
| thirtieth | trentième |
The majority of numbers become ordinals
by adding -ième. But if a number ends in an e, you must drop
it before adding the -ième. After a q, you must add a u before
the -ième. And an f becomes a v before the -ième.
Listen to the la téléphone : un message mp3 and try the cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise from French Listening Resources.10. Days of the Week / Les jours de la semaine
| Monday | lundi | /lœ̃di/ |
| Tuesday | mardi | /maʀdi/ |
| Wednesday | mercredi | /mɛʀkʀədi/ |
| Thursday | jeudi | /ʒødi/ |
| Friday | vendredi | /vɑ̃dʀədi/ |
| Saturday | samedi | /samdi/ |
| Sunday | dimanche | /dimɑ̃ʃ/ |
| day | le jour | /lə ʒuʀ/ |
| week | la semaine | /la s(ə)mɛn/ |
| today | aujourd'hui | /oʒuʀdɥi/ |
| yesterday | hier | /jɛʀ/ |
| tomorrow | demain | /dəmɛ̃/ |
| next | prochain / prochaine | /pʀɔʃɛ̃/ /pʀɔʃɛn/ |
| last | dernier / dernière | /dɛʀnje/ /dɛʀnjɛʀ/ |
| day before yesterday | avant-hier | /avɑ̃tjɛʀ/ |
| day after tomorrow | après-demain | /apʀɛdmɛ̃/ |
| the following day | le lendemain | /lə lɑ̃dəmɛ̃/ |
| the day before | la veille | /la vɛj/ |
Listen to the l'heure & la date : l'emploi du temps mp3 and try the cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise from French Listening Resources.11. Months of the Year / Les mois de l'annEe
| January | janvier | /ʒɑ̃vje/ |
| February | février | /fevʀije/ |
| March | mars | /maʀs/ |
| April | avril | /avʀil/ |
| May | mai | /mɛ/ |
| June | juin | /ʒɥɛ̃/ |
| July | juillet | /ʒɥijɛ/ |
| August | août | /u(t)/ |
| September | septembre | /sɛptɑ̃bʀ/ |
| October | octobre | /ɔktɔbʀ/ |
| November | novembre | /nɔvɑ̃bʀ/ |
| December | décembre | /desɑ̃bʀ/ |
| month | le mois | /lə mwa/ |
| year | l'an / l'année | /lɑ̃/ /lane/ |
| decade | la décennie | /deseni/ |
| century | le siècle | /lə sjɛkl/ |
| millennium | le millénaire | /milenɛʀ/ |
12. Seasons / Les saisons
| Summer | l'été | /lete/ | in the summer | en été | /ɑ̃ nete/ |
| Fall | l'automne | /lotɔn/ | in the fall | en automne | /ɑ̃ notɔn/ |
| Winter | l'hiver | /livɛʀ/ | in the winter | en hiver | /ɑ̃ nivɛʀ/ |
| Spring | le printemps | /lə pʀɛ̃tɑ̃/ | in the spring | au printemps | /o prɛ̃tɑ̃/ |
| on the left | à gauche | /a goʃ/ |
| on the right | à droite | /a dʀwɑt/ |
| straight ahead | tout droit | /tu dʀwɑ/ |
| North | le nord | /lə nɔʀ/ | Northeast | le nord-est | /lə nɔʀ(d)ɛst/ |
| South | le sud | /lə syd/ | Northwest | le nord-ouest | /lə nɔʀ(d)wɛst/ |
| East | l'est | /lɛst/ | Southeast | le sud-est | /sydɛst/ |
| West | l'ouest | /lwɛst/ | Southwest | le sud-ouest | /sydwɛst/ |
14. Colors & Shapes / Les couleurs & les formes
| Red | rouge | /ʀuʒ/ | square | le carré | /kaʀe/ |
| Orange | orange | /ɔʀɑ̃ʒ/ | circle | le cercle | /sɛʀkl/ |
| Yellow | jaune | /ʒon/ | triangle | le triangle | /tʀijɑ̃gl/ |
| Green | vert / verte | /vɛʀ/ /vɛʀt/ | rectangle | le rectangle | /ʀɛktɑ̃gl/ |
| Blue | bleu / bleue | /blø/ | oval | l'ovale | /ɔval/ |
| Purple | violet / violette | /vjɔlɛ/ /vjɔlɛt/ | cube | le cube | /kyb/ |
| White | blanc / blanche | /blɑ̃/ /blɑ̃ʃ/ | sphere | la sphère | /sfɛʀ/ |
| Brown | brun / brune marron |
/bʀõ/ /bʀyn/ /maʀɔ̃/ |
cylinder | le cylindre | /silɛ̃dʀ/ |
| Black | noir / noire | /nwaʀ/ | cone | le cône | /kon/ |
| Pink | rose | /ʀoz/ | octagon | l'octogone | /ɔktogɔn/ |
| Gold | doré / dorée | /dɔʀe/ | box | la boîte | /bwat/ |
| Silver | argenté / argentée | /aʀʒɑ̃te/ | light | clair / claire | /klɛʀ/ |
| Gray | gris / grise | /gʀi/ /gʀiz/ | dark | foncé / foncée | /fɔ̃se/ |
15. Weather / Le temps qu'il fait
| What's the weather like? | Quel temps fait-il ? | /kɛl tɑ̃ fɛ til/ |
| It's nice | Il fait bon | /il fɛ bɔ̃/ |
| bad | Il fait mauvais | /il fɛ mɔve/ |
| cool | Il fait frais | /il fɛ fʀɛ/ |
| cold | Il fait froid | /il fɛ fʀwɑ/ |
| warm, hot | Il fait chaud | /il fɛ ʃo/ |
| cloudy | Il fait nuageux | /il fɛ nyaʒ/ |
| beautiful | Il fait beau | /il fɛ bo/ |
| mild | Il fait doux | /il fɛ du/ |
| stormy | Il fait orageux | /il fɛ ɔʀaʒ/ |
| sunny | Il fait soleil | /il fɛ sɔlɛj/ |
| humid | Il fait humide | /il fɛ ymid/ |
| muggy | Il fait lourd | /il fɛ luʀ/ |
| windy | Il fait du vent | /il fɛ dy vɑ̃/ |
| foggy | Il fait du brouillard | /il fɛ dy bʀujaʀ/ |
| snowing | Il neige | /il nɛʒ/ |
| raining | Il pleut | /il plø/ |
| freezing | Il gèle | /il ʒɛl/ |
| hailing | Il grêle | /il gʀɛl/ |
| It is ____ degrees. | Il fait ____ degrés. | /il fɛ __ dəgʀe/ |
Listen to the le climat: le temps dans les Alpes mp3 and try the cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise from French Listening Resources.16. Time / Le temps qui passe
| What time is it? | Quelle heure est-il ? | /kɛl œʀ ɛ til/ |
| It is... | Il est... | /il ɛ/ |
| one o'clock | une heure | /yn œʀ/ |
| two o'clock | deux heures | /dø zœʀ/ |
| noon | midi | /midi/ |
| midnight | minuit | /minɥi/ |
| a quarter after three | trois heures et quart | /tʀwɑ zœʀ e kaʀ/ |
| one o'clock sharp | une heure précise | /yn œʀ pʀesiz/ |
| four o'clock sharp | quatre heures précises | /katʀœʀ pʀesiz/ |
| twelve thirty | midi (minuit) et demi | /midi (minɥi) e dəmi/ |
| six thirty | six heures et demie | /si zœʀ e dəmi/ |
| a quarter to seven | sept heures moins le quart | /sɛt œʀ mwɛ̃ lə kaʀ/ |
| five twenty | cinq heures vingt | /sɛ̃k œʀ vɛ̃/ |
| ten fifty | onze heures moins dix | /ɔ̃z œʀ mwɛ̃ dis/ |
| in the morning/AM | du matin | /dy matɛ̃/ |
| in the afternoon/PM | de l'après-midi | /də lapʀɛmidi/ |
| in the evening/PM | du soir | /dy swaʀ/ |
Listen to the l'heure & la date : l'emploi du temps mp3 and try the cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise from French Listening Resources.| Family | la famille | /famij/ | Niece | la nièce | /njɛs/ |
| Relatives | des parents | /paʀɑ̃/ | Nephew | le neveu | /n(ə)vœ/ |
| Parents | les parents | /paʀɑ̃/ | Grandchildren | les petits-enfants | /p(ə)tizɑ̃fɑ̃/ |
| Grandparents | les grands-parents | /gʀɑ̃paʀɑ̃/ | Granddaughter | la petite-fille | /p(ə)tit fij/ |
| Mom | la mère / maman | /mɛʀ/ /mɑmɑ̃/ | Grandson | le petit-fils | /p(ə)tifis/ |
| Stepmother/Mother-in-Law | la belle-mère | /bɛlmɛʀ/ | Godfather | le parrain | /paʀɛ̃/ |
| Dad | le père / papa | /pɛʀ/ /papa/ | Godmother | la marraine | /maʀɛn/ |
| Stepfather/Father-in-Law | le beau-père | /bopɛʀ/ | Godson | le filleul | /fijœl/ |
| Daughter | la fille | /fij/ | Goddaughter | la filleule | /fijœl/ |
| Son | le fils | /fis/ | Distant Relatives | des parents éloignés | /paʀɑ̃ elwaɲe/ |
| Sister | la sœur | /sœʀ/ | Single | célibataire | /selibatɛʀ/ |
| Half/Step Sister | la demi-sœur | /dəmi sœʀ/ | Married | marié(e) | /maʀje/ |
| Sister-in-Law | la belle-sœur | /bɛlsœʀ/ | Separated | séparé(e) | /sepaʀe/ |
| Stepdaughter/Daughter-in-Law | la belle-fille | /bɛl fij/ | Divorced | divorcé(e) | /divɔʀse/ |
| Brother | le frère | /fʀɛʀ/ | Widower | veuf | /vœf/ |
| Half/Step Brother | le demi-frère | /dəmi fʀɛʀ/ | Widow | veuve | /vœv/ |
| Brother-in-Law | le beau-frère | /bo fʀɛʀ/ | |||
| Stepson/Son-in-Law | le beau-fils | /bo fis/ | Dog | le chien / la chienne (m) / (f) | /ʃjɛ̃/ /ʃjɛn/ |
| Twins (m) | les jumeaux | /ʒymo/ | Cat | le chat / la chatte (m) / (f) | /ʃa/ /ʃat/ |
| Twins (f) | les jumelles | /ʒymɛl/ | Puppy | le chiot | /ʃjo/ |
| Uncle | l'oncle | /ɔ̃kl/ | Kitten | le chaton | /ʃatɔ̃/ |
| Aunt | la tante | /tɑ̃t/ | Pig | le cochon | /kɔʃɔ̃/ |
| Grandmother | la grand-mère | /gʀɑ̃mɛʀ/ | Rooster | le coq | /kɔk/ |
| Grandfather | le grand-père | /gʀɑ̃pɛʀ/ | Rabbit | le lapin | /lapɛ̃/ |
| Cousin (f) | la cousine | /kuzin/ | Cow | la vache | /vaʃ/ |
| Cousin (m) | le cousin | /kuzɛ̃/ | Horse | le cheval | /ʃ(ə)val/ |
| Wife | la femme | /fam/ | Duck | le canard | /kanaʀ/ |
| Husband | le mari | /maʀi/ | Goat | la chèvre | /ʃɛvʀ/ |
| Woman | la femme | /fam/ | Goose | l'oie | /wa/ |
| Man | l'homme | /ɔm/ | Sheep | le mouton | /mutɔ̃/ |
| Child (m) / (f) | un enfant / une enfant | /ɑ̃fɑ̃/ | Lamb | l'agneau | /aɲo/ |
| Girl | la fille | /fij/ | Donkey | l'âne | /ɑn/ |
| Boy | le garçon | /gaʀsɔ̃/ | Mouse | la souris | /suʀi/ |
Le gendre /ʒɑ̃dʀ/ is another word for son-in-law.
Listen to the la famille : ma famille mp3 and try the cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise from French Listening Resources.| The entire family | toute la smala | /tut la smala/ | Sister | la frangine | /fʀɑ̃ʒin/ |
| Grandma | mémé / mamie | /meme/ /mami/ | Brother | le frangin | /fʀɑ̃ʒɛ̃/ |
| Grandpa | pépé / papi | /pepe/ /papi/ | Son | le fiston | /fistɔ̃/ |
| Children | des gosses | /gɔs/ | Aunt | tata / tatie | /tata/ /tati/ |
| Kid | un gamin / une gamine | /gamɛ̃/ /gamin/ | Uncle | tonton | /tɔ̃tɔ̃/ |
| Woman | une nana | /nana/ | Dog | le cabot / clébard | /kabo/ /klebaʀ/ |
| Man | un mec / type / gars | /mɛk/ /tip/ /gaʀ/ | Cat | le minou | /minu/ |
Listen to the animaux : chien ou chat ? mp3 and try the cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise from French Listening Resources.| connaître-to know people /kɔnɛtʀ/ | savoir-to know facts /savwaʀ/ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| connais | /kɔnɛ/ | connaissons | /kɔnɛsɔ̃/ | sais | /sɛ/ | savons | /savɔ̃/ |
| connais | /kɔnɛ/ | connaissez | /kɔnɛse/ | sais | /sɛ/ | savez | /save/ |
| connaît | /kɔnɛ/ | connaissent | /kɔnɛs/ | sait | /sɛ/ | savent | /sav/ |
There is another form of savoir commonly used in the expressions que je sache that I know (of) and pas que je sache not that I know (of).
Je connais ton frère. I know your brother.
Je sais que ton frère s'appelle Jean. I know that your brother is named John.
Connaissez-vous Grenoble ? Do you know (Are you familiar with) Grenoble? / Have you ever been to Grenoble?
Oui, nous connaissons Grenoble. Yes, we know (are familiar with) Grenoble. / Yes, we've been to Grenoble.
Tu sais où Grenoble se trouve. You know where Grenoble is located.
Ils savent nager. They know how to swim.
Je sais que ton frère s'appelle Jean. I know that your brother is named John.
Connaissez-vous Grenoble ? Do you know (Are you familiar with) Grenoble? / Have you ever been to Grenoble?
Oui, nous connaissons Grenoble. Yes, we know (are familiar with) Grenoble. / Yes, we've been to Grenoble.
Tu sais où Grenoble se trouve. You know where Grenoble is located.
Ils savent nager. They know how to swim.
Connaître can be translated
several ways into English:
Tu connais le film, Les Enfants ? Have you seen the film, Les Enfants?
Tu connais Lyon ? Have you ever been to Lyon?
Tu connais la tartiflette ? Have you ever eaten tartiflette?
Tu connais le film, Les Enfants ? Have you seen the film, Les Enfants?
Tu connais Lyon ? Have you ever been to Lyon?
Tu connais la tartiflette ? Have you ever eaten tartiflette?
| To make a noun plural, you usually add an -s (which
is not pronounced). But there are some exceptions: |
Sing.
|
Plural
|
|
| If a noun already ends in an -s, add nothing. | bus(es) | le bus | les bus |
| If a noun ends in -eu or -eau, add an x. | boat(s) | le bateau | les bateaux |
| If a masculine noun ends in -al or -ail, change it to -aux. | horse(s) | le cheval | les chevaux |
| Some nouns ending in -ou add an -x instead of -s. | knee(s) | le genou | les genoux |
Exceptions: festival, carnaval, bal, pneu, bleu, landau, détail,
chandail all add -s. There are only seven nouns ending in -ou
that add -x instead of -s: bijou, caillou, chou, genou, pou,
joujou, hibou. There are, of course, some irregular exceptions:
un œil (eye) - des yeux (eyes); le ciel
(sky) - les cieux (skies); and un jeune homme (a young
man) - des jeunes gens (young men).
Notice that the only time the pronunciation will
change in the plural form is for masculine nouns that change -al or -ail
to -aux and for the irregular forms. All other nouns are pronounced the same in the singular and the plural - it is only the article that changes pronunciation (le, la, l' to les).
| Masc. | Fem. | Plural | |
| My | mon /mɔ̃/ | ma /ma/ | mes /mɛ/ |
| Your | ton /tɔ̃/ | ta /ta/ | tes /tɛ/ |
| His/Her/Its | son /sɔ̃/ | sa /sa/ | ses /sɛ/ |
| Our | notre /nɔtʀ/ | notre /nɔtʀ/ | nos /no/ |
| Your | votre /vɔtʀ/ | votre /vɔtʀ/ | vos /vo/ |
| Their | leur /lœʀ/ | leur /lœʀ/ | leurs /lœʀ/ |
Possessive pronouns go before the noun.
When a feminine noun begins with a vowel, you must use the masculine
form of the pronoun for ease of pronunciation. Ma amie is
incorrect and must be mon amie, even though amie is feminine.
Remember that adjectives agree with the noun in gender and number,
not the possessor! Sa mère can mean his mother or her
mother even though sa is the feminine form, because it agrees
with mère and not the possessor (his or her).
C'est ma mère et mon père. This
is my mother and my father.
Ce sont vos petits-enfants ? These are your grandchildren?
Mes parents sont divorcés. My parents are divorced.
Sa grand-mère est veuve. His grandmother is a widow.
Notre frère est marié, mais notre sœur est célibataire. Our brother is married, but our sister is single.
Ton oncle est architecte, n'est-ce pas ? Your uncle is an architect, isn't he?
Leurs cousines sont néerlandaises. Their cousins are Dutch.
Ce sont vos petits-enfants ? These are your grandchildren?
Mes parents sont divorcés. My parents are divorced.
Sa grand-mère est veuve. His grandmother is a widow.
Notre frère est marié, mais notre sœur est célibataire. Our brother is married, but our sister is single.
Ton oncle est architecte, n'est-ce pas ? Your uncle is an architect, isn't he?
Leurs cousines sont néerlandaises. Their cousins are Dutch.
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