# 50 Common French Phrases for Real Conversations, With Pronunciation

> The phrases that run everyday French life, grouped by situation: politeness, getting
> unstuck, café and restaurant, directions, meeting people, and emergencies. Each one comes
> with plain-English pronunciation (STRESSED syllable in capitals) you can read out loud.

Canonical page: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides/common-french-phrases
Published by Cocoon French (https://cocoonfrench.com/) — French for total beginners through
slow, visual stories. A free Club account includes full lessons and a scored speaking drill:
https://club.cocoonfrench.com/login
Updated: 2026-08-27

You don't need 5,000 words to start. You need these, said with a smile and a *bonjour*.

## Politeness first

| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bonjour | bohn-ZHOOR | hello / good morning |
| Bonsoir | bohn-SWAHR | good evening |
| S'il vous plaît | seel voo PLEH | please |
| Merci | mehr-SEE | thank you |
| Merci beaucoup | mehr-see boh-KOO | thank you very much |
| De rien | duh ree-AN | you're welcome |
| Excusez-moi | ex-ku-zay MWAH | excuse me (to get attention) |
| Pardon | par-DOHN | sorry / excuse me (squeezing past) |
| Je suis désolé(e) | zhuh swee day-zoh-LAY | I'm sorry |
| Bonne journée | bun zhoor-NAY | have a good day |

**The bonjour rule.** Walking into a French shop, bakery, pharmacy or waiting room without
saying *bonjour* is not "a bit informal" — it reads as genuinely rude. Greet the room on the
way in and finish with *merci, au revoir* on the way out.

A woman writes and says *désolée* — the extra **e** is silent, so both sound identical out
loud. Same for *enchanté(e)* and *perdu(e)* below.

## When you're lost in the language

| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je ne comprends pas | zhuh nuh kohm-prahn PAH | I don't understand |
| Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? | poo-vay voo ray-pay-TAY | can you repeat that, please? |
| Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît | plu lahnt-MAHN | more slowly, please |
| Parlez-vous anglais ? | par-lay voo ahn-GLEH | do you speak English? |
| Je ne parle pas bien français | zhuh nuh parl pah byan frahn-SEH | I don't speak French well |
| Comment dit-on… en français ? | koh-mahn dee-TOHN | how do you say… in French? |
| Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ? | kess kuh sah vuh DEER | what does that mean? |
| Je ne sais pas | zhuh nuh say PAH | I don't know |
| Pouvez-vous m'aider ? | poo-vay voo may-DAY | can you help me? |

*Je ne comprends pas*, said with a smile, solves more than perfect grammar ever will — it
tells the other person exactly what to do. In fast speech you will hear it shortened to
*j'comprends pas*, but the full version is always understood.

## Café and restaurant

| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je voudrais… | zhuh voo-DREH | I would like… |
| Un café, s'il vous plaît | uhn kah-FAY seel voo PLEH | a coffee, please |
| La carte, s'il vous plaît | lah KART | the menu, please |
| Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît | ewn kah-RAHF DOH | a jug of tap water, please |
| Une table pour deux | ewn tahbl poor DUH | a table for two |
| Ça fait combien ? | sah feh kohm-BYAN | how much is that? |
| C'est combien ? | say kohm-BYAN | how much is it? |
| L'addition, s'il vous plaît | lah-dee-SYOHN | the bill, please |
| C'était délicieux | say-teh day-lee-SYUH | it was delicious |

*Je voudrais* is the polite way to order — softer than *je veux* ("I want"), which sounds
blunt. And the bill does not arrive on its own: in France it is considered rude to rush you,
so nothing happens until you ask for *l'addition*.

## Finding your way

| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Où est… ? | oo EH | where is…? |
| Je cherche… | zhuh SHERSH | I'm looking for… |
| Où sont les toilettes ? | oo sohn lay twah-LET | where are the toilets? |
| À gauche | ah GOHSH | left / on the left |
| À droite | ah DRWAT | right / on the right |
| Tout droit | too DRWAH | straight ahead |
| C'est loin ? | say LWAN | is it far? |
| La gare | lah GAR | the (train) station |

Watch the two that sound almost the same: *à droite* is **right**, *tout droit* is
**straight ahead**. Start any directions question with *excusez-moi, bonjour* — you are
interrupting a stranger, so greet them first.

## Meeting people

| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je m'appelle… | zhuh mah-PELL | my name is… |
| Comment vous appelez-vous ? | koh-mahn voo zah-play VOO | what's your name? |
| Enchanté / Enchantée | ahn-shahn-TAY | pleased to meet you |
| Ça va ? — Ça va ! | sah VAH | how are you? — I'm good! |
| D'où venez-vous ? | doo vuh-nay VOO | where are you from? |
| Je viens de… | zhuh vyan duh | I come from… |
| J'apprends le français | zhah-PRAHN luh frahn-SEH | I'm learning French |
| À bientôt | ah byan-TOH | see you soon |
| Au revoir | oh ruh-VWAHR | goodbye |

*J'apprends le français* is worth memorising for its own sake: said early, it quietly asks
the other person to be patient and speak simply.

*Ça va* does two jobs — it is the question and the answer. Reply *ça va, merci — et vous ?*
(sah VAH mehr-SEE, ay VOO). With a friend, *et vous ?* becomes *et toi ?* (ay TWAH).

## If things go wrong

| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Au secours ! | oh suh-KOOR | help! |
| Appelez un médecin | ah-play uhn mayd-SAN | call a doctor |
| J'ai besoin d'aide | zhay buh-zwan DED | I need help |
| J'ai perdu mon passeport | zhay pehr-du mohn pass-POR | I've lost my passport |
| Je me suis perdu(e) | zhuh muh swee pehr-DU | I'm lost |

Fifty phrases is not a vocabulary — it is a working kit. The difference between reading them
and having them arrive when you open your mouth is repetition out loud.

## FAQ

**What are the most important French phrases for beginners?**
Bonjour, s'il vous plaît, merci, excusez-moi and au revoir. Add je ne comprends pas and
parlez-vous anglais ? and you can get through a shop, a café or a train station.

**How do you say "I don't understand" in French?**
Je ne comprends pas (zhuh nuh kohm-prahn PAH). Follow it with plus lentement, s'il vous plaît
to ask the person to slow down.

**How do you ask "Do you speak English?" politely?**
Say bonjour first, then parlez-vous anglais ? (par-lay voo ahn-GLEH). The bonjour is what
makes it polite.

**What should I say when entering a shop in France?**
Bonjour — always. Not greeting the person there reads as genuinely rude. Bonjour on the way
in, merci, au revoir on the way out.

**How many phrases do I need to have a simple conversation?**
Far fewer than people expect — a few dozen well-practised ones will carry a simple exchange.
What matters is that they come out without hunting for them, which is practice rather than
more words.

## Related guides

- Hello in French: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides/hello-in-french
- Thank you in French: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides/thank-you-in-french
- How are you? in French: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides/how-are-you-in-french
- All guides: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides