10 French Phrases You Should Know Before You Travel to France
A few things I’ve learned as I’ve traveled in France:
France is beautiful—everywhere I’ve been in France has felt like a storybook.
France is full of joie de vivre, an exuberance for life.
And the French are very proud of their culture.
You may have heard that French people are cold, unfriendly, even rude. I have not found that to be the case at all. Listen, the French are not like Italians, hugging and kissing and getting all up in your business. That’s just not the French way. But that doesn’t mean they’re being rude. It just means that’s not the French way.
If you’ve never been to France, I want to make things easier for you. So, here’s one thing I’ve learned about “the French way,” and it has to do with language.
Most French people speak English, even if they say they don’t. Nine times out of ten, a French person’s English will be WAY better than my French (which is zero).
But here’s the thing—French people are very proud of their language and their culture, and they want you to also appreciate their language and culture. You wouldn’t expect a French tourist in Chicago to walk into a shop and start speaking French. That would be absurd! Likewise, French people, while they don’t expect us to have mastered their language, like it very much when we at least try to speak a little of it. It’s what seems polite to them. (And I agree.)
Here are ten French phrases that you should try to say when you’re in France.
Bonjour! = “Hello!” This is probably the most common phrase in French. When you walk into a shop, the shopkeeper will expect you to greet them by saying bonjour. To do otherwise seems like a slight to them, and they will think you’re just another rude American tourist. (We want to avoid that at all costs.)
Au revoir = “good bye.” Again, when you leave a shop, it’s polite to say a simple au revoir to the shop owner to signal that you’re leaving.
Merci = “Thank you.” You’ll use this one so much that it will just slip off your tongue after a while. Similarly, merci beaucoup means “Thank you very much.”
Oui = “Yes.”
Non = “No” (This is pronounced almost exactly as we pronounce it, but through the nose a little bit. It’s not “none.”)
S’il vois plaît = “Please.” Once you get real fancy, you might combine two of these phrases, such as oui, s’il vois plaît.
Excusez-moi = “excuse me.” Similarly, you may use the word pardon, which means “sorry.” These phrases come in handy when you’re in a crowd bumping into people.
je ne comprends pas = “I don’t understand.” Self-explanatory. And if you need the pronunciation like I did, simply type the phrase into Google and she’ll help you out. So easy!
Où sont les toilettes? = “Where are the toilets?” Again, Google is your friend for pronunciation.
Parlez-vous anglais? = “Do you speak English?”
Most French people will be able to tell with one look that you’re an American. No shame there. But using a few French phrases will show them that you respect them and their culture.
Once you’ve spoken even a word or two of French, then you can pull out the old standby: parlez-vous anglais? Most will be more than happy to switch to English. After all, it’s got to be rough for them to watch us struggle with the most basic of phrases.
So, my friends, I hope this has been helpful. Spend some time before your trip listening to Google translate these phrases and learn to use them. I, for one, think they are tres bien!
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