100 Most Common French Phrases for Beginners (With Pronunciation)

If you memorize the 100 phrases below, you can survive — and even enjoy — almost any everyday situation in France: ordering a coffee, asking for directions, chatting with a stranger, or handling an emergency. Each phrase comes with a rough pronunciation guide and a note on whether it’s formal (vous) or casual (tu), because using the wrong register is the most common beginner mistake in French.

A quick note on the pronunciation hints: French stresses the last syllable of a phrase (shown in CAPS), “zh” sounds like the s in “measure,” and “(n)” means a nasal vowel — let the air go through your nose and don’t fully pronounce the n.

Tu or vous? The 30-second rule

Before the phrases, one rule that governs all of them:

• Vous = formal or plural. Use it with strangers, waiters, shopkeepers, older people, and anyone in a professional context. When in doubt, use vous — it’s never rude.
• Tu = casual and singular. Use it with friends, children, and people who invite you to (“On se tutoie ?” — “Shall we switch to tu?”).

As a visitor or beginner, you’ll live in vous territory 90% of the time. French people will find it polite, not stiff.

Greetings and politeness (1–20)

These twenty phrases are the backbone of French courtesy. Skipping bonjour before any request is genuinely considered rude in France — always greet first, then ask.

#	French	English	Pronunciation	Register
1	Bonjour	Hello / Good day	bohn-ZHOOR	Neutral
2	Bonsoir	Good evening	bohn-SWAHR	Neutral
3	Salut	Hi / Bye	sah-LU	Casual
4	Comment allez-vous ?	How are you?	koh-mah(n) tah-lay VOO	Formal
5	Ça va ?	How’s it going?	sah VAH	Casual
6	Ça va bien, merci	I’m fine, thanks	sah vah byeh(n) mehr-SEE	Neutral
7	Je m’appelle…	My name is…	zhuh mah-PEHL	Neutral
8	Enchanté(e)	Nice to meet you	ah(n)-shah(n)-TAY	Neutral
9	Au revoir	Goodbye	oh ruh-VWAHR	Neutral
10	À bientôt	See you soon	ah byeh(n)-TOH	Neutral
11	À demain	See you tomorrow	ah duh-MEH(N)	Neutral
12	Bonne journée	Have a good day	bun zhoor-NAY	Neutral
13	Bonne soirée	Have a good evening	bun swah-RAY	Neutral
14	Merci	Thank you	mehr-SEE	Neutral
15	Merci beaucoup	Thank you very much	mehr-see boh-KOO	Neutral
16	De rien	You’re welcome	duh RYEH(N)	Neutral
17	S’il vous plaît	Please	seel voo PLEH	Formal
18	S’il te plaît	Please	seel tuh PLEH	Casual
19	Excusez-moi	Excuse me	ehk-skew-zay MWAH	Formal
20	Désolé(e)	Sorry	day-zoh-LAY	Neutral

Teacher’s tip: Bonjour switches to bonsoir around 6 p.m. And if you greet the same person twice in one day, say re-bonjour — the French notice.

At the café and restaurant (21–45)

Food is where beginners get the most real-world speaking practice. Waiters expect vous, and “Je vais prendre…” (“I’ll have…”) is the most natural way to order.

#	French	English	Pronunciation	Register
21	Une table pour deux, s’il vous plaît	A table for two, please	ewn TAH-bluh poor DUH	Formal
22	La carte, s’il vous plaît	The menu, please	lah KART	Formal
23	Je vais prendre un café	I’ll have a coffee	zhuh vay prah(n)-druh uh(n) kah-FAY	Neutral
24	Je voudrais…	I would like…	zhuh voo-DREH	Neutral
25	Qu’est-ce que vous me conseillez ?	What do you recommend?	kess-kuh voo muh koh(n)-say-YAY	Formal
26	C’est quoi, le plat du jour ?	What’s today’s special?	say KWAH luh plah dew ZHOOR	Casual
27	Je suis végétarien(ne)	I’m vegetarian	zhuh swee vay-zhay-tah-RYEH(N)	Neutral
28	Une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plaît	A pitcher of (tap) water, please	ewn kah-RAHF DOH	Formal
29	Un verre de vin rouge	A glass of red wine	uh(n) vehr duh veh(n) ROOZH	Neutral
30	Une bière, s’il vous plaît	A beer, please	ewn BYEHR	Neutral
31	Un croissant, s’il vous plaît	A croissant, please	uh(n) krwah-SAH(N)	Neutral
32	Sur place ou à emporter ?	For here or to go?	sewr PLAHS oo ah ah(n)-por-TAY	Neutral
33	L’addition, s’il vous plaît	The check, please	lah-dee-SYOH(N)	Formal
34	C’était délicieux	It was delicious	say-tay day-lee-SYUH	Neutral
35	Je peux payer par carte ?	Can I pay by card?	zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART	Neutral
36	Vous avez une table en terrasse ?	Do you have a table outside?	voo zah-vay ewn tah-bluh ah(n) teh-RAHS	Formal
37	Je n’ai pas commandé ça	I didn’t order this	zhuh nay pah koh-mah(n)-DAY SAH	Neutral
38	Encore un peu de pain, s’il vous plaît	A little more bread, please	ah(n)-kor uh(n) puh duh PEH(N)	Formal
39	Où sont les toilettes ?	Where are the restrooms?	oo soh(n) lay twah-LEHT	Neutral
40	Bon appétit	Enjoy your meal	boh(n) nah-pay-TEE	Neutral
41	Santé !	Cheers!	sah(n)-TAY	Neutral
42	La carte des vins, s’il vous plaît	The wine list, please	lah kart day VEH(N)	Formal
43	C’est pour moi	It’s on me	say poor MWAH	Casual
44	Je vous invite	It’s my treat	zhuh voo zeh(n)-VEET	Formal
45	On peut partager ?	Can we share?	oh(n) puh par-tah-ZHAY	Casual

Teacher’s tip: Une carafe d’eau gets you free tap water. If you just say “de l’eau”, you may be brought a bottle of Evian — and charged for it.

Asking for directions (46–60)

#	French	English	Pronunciation	Register
46	Excusez-moi, où est… ?	Excuse me, where is…?	ehk-skew-zay mwah, oo EH	Formal
47	Je cherche la gare	I’m looking for the train station	zhuh shersh lah GAR	Neutral
48	C’est loin d’ici ?	Is it far from here?	say LWEH(N) dee-SEE	Neutral
49	Tournez à gauche	Turn left	toor-nay ah GOHSH	Formal
50	Tournez à droite	Turn right	toor-nay ah DRWAHT	Formal
51	Allez tout droit	Go straight ahead	ah-lay too DRWAH	Formal
52	C’est à côté de…	It’s next to…	say tah koh-TAY duh	Neutral
53	C’est en face de…	It’s across from…	say tah(n) FAHS duh	Neutral
54	Où est la station de métro la plus proche ?	Where’s the nearest metro station?	oo eh lah stah-syoh(n) duh may-TROH lah plew PROSH	Neutral
55	Je suis perdu(e)	I’m lost	zhuh swee pehr-DEW	Neutral
56	Vous pouvez me montrer sur la carte ?	Can you show me on the map?	voo poo-vay muh moh(n)-TRAY sewr lah KART	Formal
57	Quel bus va au centre-ville ?	Which bus goes downtown?	kehl bews vah oh sah(n)-truh-VEEL	Neutral
58	Un billet pour Lyon, s’il vous plaît	One ticket to Lyon, please	uh(n) bee-YEH poor lee-OH(N)	Formal
59	À quelle heure part le train ?	What time does the train leave?	ah kehl UHR par luh TREH(N)	Neutral
60	C’est par où ?	Which way is it?	say par OO	Casual

Small talk and keeping the conversation alive (61–85)

This is the group that turns transactions into conversations. Phrases 68–71 are your safety net — they let you stay in French instead of switching to English the moment you’re lost.

#	French	English	Pronunciation	Register
61	Vous venez d’où ?	Where are you from?	voo vuh-nay DOO	Formal
62	Tu viens d’où ?	Where are you from?	tew vyeh(n) DOO	Casual
63	Je viens des États-Unis	I’m from the United States	zhuh vyeh(n) day zay-tah-zew-NEE	Neutral
64	Je suis américain(e)	I’m American	zhuh swee zah-may-ree-KEH(N)	Neutral
65	Vous parlez anglais ?	Do you speak English?	voo par-lay ah(n)-GLEH	Formal
66	Je parle un peu français	I speak a little French	zhuh parl uh(n) puh frah(n)-SEH	Neutral
67	J’apprends le français	I’m learning French	zhah-PRAH(N) luh frah(n)-SEH	Neutral
68	Vous pouvez répéter, s’il vous plaît ?	Can you repeat, please?	voo poo-vay ray-pay-TAY	Formal
69	Plus lentement, s’il vous plaît	Slower, please	plew lah(n)-tuh-MAH(N)	Formal
70	Comment dit-on… en français ?	How do you say… in French?	koh-mah(n) dee-TOH(N)… ah(n) frah(n)-SEH	Neutral
71	Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ?	What does that mean?	kess-kuh sah vuh DEER	Neutral
72	Je ne comprends pas	I don’t understand	zhuh nuh koh(n)-prah(n) PAH	Neutral
73	Qu’est-ce que vous faites dans la vie ?	What do you do for a living?	kess-kuh voo feht dah(n) lah VEE	Formal
74	Vous habitez ici ?	Do you live here?	voo zah-bee-tay ee-SEE	Formal
75	Il fait beau aujourd’hui	The weather’s nice today	eel feh BOH oh-zhoor-DWEE	Neutral
76	Qu’est-ce que tu fais ce week-end ?	What are you doing this weekend?	kess-kuh tew feh suh wee-KEHND	Casual
77	J’adore cette ville	I love this city	zhah-DOR seht VEEL	Neutral
78	C’est la première fois que je viens en France	It’s my first time in France	say lah pruh-MYEHR fwah kuh zhuh vyeh(n) ah(n) FRAH(N)S	Neutral
79	On se tutoie ?	Shall we use “tu”?	oh(n) suh tew-TWAH	Casual
80	Ça marche	That works / OK	sah MARSH	Casual
81	Pas de souci	No worries	pah duh soo-SEE	Casual
82	Carrément !	Totally!	kah-ray-MAH(N)	Casual
83	Bof	Meh	BOF	Casual
84	Franchement	Honestly	frah(n)-shuh-MAH(N)	Casual
85	Du coup…	So… / As a result…	dew KOO	Casual

Numbers 80–85 are what Parisians actually pepper their sentences with. Drop a well-timed “du coup” and you’ll sound like you’ve lived in the 11th arrondissement for a year. The fastest way to get these into your mouth — not just your notes — is to say them out loud in real conversations, which is exactly what Amélie, an AI French tutor from Paris you can actually talk to is built for: she chats with you in natural Parisian French, corrects your tu/vous slips, and never gets tired of “plus lentement, s’il vous plaît.”

Emergencies and problems (86–100)

You’ll hopefully never need these, but they’re the fifteen phrases you want to know cold, not look up.

#	French	English	Pronunciation	Register
86	Au secours !	Help!	oh suh-KOOR	Neutral
87	Aidez-moi, s’il vous plaît	Help me, please	eh-day MWAH	Formal
88	Appelez la police	Call the police	ah-play lah poh-LEES	Formal
89	Appelez une ambulance	Call an ambulance	ah-play ewn ah(n)-bew-LAH(N)S	Formal
90	J’ai besoin d’un médecin	I need a doctor	zhay buh-ZWEH(N) duh(n) mayd-SEH(N)	Neutral
91	Je suis malade	I’m sick	zhuh swee mah-LAHD	Neutral
92	J’ai mal ici	It hurts here	zhay MAHL ee-SEE	Neutral
93	Où est la pharmacie la plus proche ?	Where’s the nearest pharmacy?	oo eh lah far-mah-SEE lah plew PROSH	Neutral
94	On m’a volé mon sac	My bag was stolen	oh(n) mah voh-LAY moh(n) SAHK	Neutral
95	J’ai perdu mon passeport	I lost my passport	zhay pehr-DEW moh(n) pahs-POR	Neutral
96	C’est urgent	It’s urgent	say tewr-ZHAH(N)	Neutral
97	Je suis allergique à…	I’m allergic to…	zhuh swee zah-lehr-ZHEEK ah	Neutral
98	Où est l’hôpital ?	Where’s the hospital?	oo eh loh-pee-TAHL	Neutral
99	Attention !	Watch out!	ah-tah(n)-SYOH(N)	Neutral
100	Laissez-moi tranquille	Leave me alone	leh-say mwah trah(n)-KEEL	Formal

Good to know: the European emergency number is 112, and French pharmacies (marked with a green cross) can handle many minor medical issues on the spot.

How to actually memorize these 100 phrases

Don’t try to swallow the list in one sitting. Here’s the approach I give my students:

• Ten a day, out loud. Reading silently builds recognition, not speech. Say each phrase five times, exaggerating the final-syllable stress.
• Group by situation, not alphabetically. Your brain retrieves language by context. Rehearse the café block before you go to a café — even an American one.
• Practice the responses too. Knowing how to ask “Où sont les toilettes ?” is useless if you freeze when someone answers “au fond à droite” (at the back, on the right).
• Get real listening input. Free resources like TV5Monde’s learner platform let you hear these phrases at native speed with subtitles.

FAQ

How many French phrases do I need to travel comfortably?

Around 50–100 well-chosen phrases cover the vast majority of tourist interactions. The greetings, café, and directions sections above (60 phrases) will handle a full trip; the rest make you conversational rather than just functional.

Should beginners default to tu or vous?

Default to vous with anyone you don’t know. It is never offensive, while an unearned tu can feel presumptuous. Switch to tu only when invited (“On se tutoie ?”) or with children and close friends.

Is French pronunciation really that hard for English speakers?

The sounds themselves are learnable in weeks; the hard part is the ones English lacks — nasal vowels, the French u, and the uvular r. The pronunciation guides above are approximations; nothing replaces hearing and repeating phrases aloud with feedback.

What’s the fastest way to move from phrases to real conversation?

Start using the phrases in unscripted exchanges as early as possible. Memorized lines are your on-ramp: once you can deploy “Je voudrais…”, “Vous pouvez répéter ?” and “Comment dit-on… ?”, you can keep a genuine conversation going and learn inside it.