Useful Phrases in French

From LoveToKnow French

So you're planning a trip to France, you don't have a lot of time to master the language and you're wondering what the most useful phrases in French are? Follow this step by step guide to figuring out what you should learn, what you can skip, and what you should keep as a handy reference.

Learning how to order a meal in French is very useful for tourists.

Useful Phrases in French That You Must Learn

If you're wanting to communicate with the locals, there are a few useful phrases that you should try to master. Don't expect perfection--but at least attempting to speak something of the language will help you on your quest to communicate.

Asking Directions

Undoubtedly while in France you're going to want to know how to get somewhere. Whether you're going back to your hotel, or to a famous tourist attraction, or you need directions to something--knowing how to ask where to go is always a good idea. You can use the following phrases to help you:

  • Où est-ce que se trouve. . .? (pronounced: oo escuh suh troov. . .) In saying this you are asking how to find something. For example, Où est-ce que se trouve le Louvre?
  • Où est le salle de bain? (pronounced: oo ay le sal duh bahn) Asking this should get you information as to where to find the nearest bathroom!

Make sure you know your directions as well. If someone tells you:

  • Vers la gauche. . .that means on the left.
  • Vers le droit. . .that means on the right.

Remember that the word où means where. If you can't quite get out anything but that one word--at least the person will understand that you're asking for where to go!

Asking How Much

If you go shopping, it's likely you're going to need to ask how much. In many market places and shopping stores, the prices are not clearly marked. This is because haggling is common practice in many places throughout Europe. If you need to ask someone how much something costs, try:

  • Combien coûte-t-il? (pronounced cohm bee en coo teel): This means how much does it cost? In general people will help you with your money and most merchants will have some type of working knowledge of numbers in English. If not, you can always use your fingers!

Ordering

In general, French culture is substantially more formal than American culture. You would do well to memorize how to say thank you and please when asking for something at a restaurant. Here is a quick reference list of useful phrases while you're at the restaurant:

  • Pardonnez-moi (pronounced par donn ay mwah) means excuse me.
  • S'il vous plaît (pronounced see voo play) means please.
  • Je voudrais (pronounced zhuh voo dray) means I would like. Then you can name what it is use you would like.

Resources for Phrases

In case you're thinking that even memorizing the above is too much, you can consider consulting some other resources for learning French phrases.

  • LoveToKnow French actually has a whole category dedicated to phrases. You can print them out and carry them with you on your trip to France.
  • Berlitz French Phrase Book is great for a student who might be spending quite a bit of time in France and has an interest in learning enough French to get around easily!
  • An electronic text translator might be just the thing for a business traveler who simply needs to get through the day. Beware that translators do have some weaknesses in being too literal, but with that said an electronic translator offers a quick and easy solution for those who just need to get by.
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