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Essential French phrases
for travellers (printable)
how to say hello in french
Bonjour — bon-ZHOOR — is how you say hello in French. It works at any hour, anywhere the language is spoken, with anyone. Pair it with Merci (mair-SEE) for thank you and you already have the two words you will use most.
Below are 36 phrases worth knowing before you land, grouped by the situation you will need them in. Every one has a plain-English respelling — stressed syllable in capitals — because IPA is no use to anyone standing at a pharmacy counter. France, Belgium, Switzerland, Québec and much of West and Central Africa — around 310 million speakers across five continents. Also searched as France, Quebec, Belgian.
take it with you
The whole card, on one page
All 36 phrases on a single sheet — print it, fold it into a passport, or keep it on your phone. Free, no signup, no watermark.
The essentials
The six words that carry most of a trip.
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOORSay it on entering any shop. Not doing so reads as rude in France. |
| Goodbye | Au revoiroh ruh-VWAR |
| Please | S’il vous plaîtseel voo PLEH |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Yes / No | Oui / Nonwee / nohn |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Pardonpar-DOHN |
Getting by
What to say when the conversation outruns you.
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ?par-lay voo ahn-GLEH |
| I don't understand | Je ne comprends paszhuh nuh kom-prahn PAH |
| Could you repeat that? | Pouvez-vous répéter ?poo-vay voo ray-pay-TAY |
| Please speak slowly | Parlez lentement, s’il vous plaîtpar-lay lahnt-MAHN, seel voo PLEH |
| My name is… | Je m’appelle…zhuh mah-PELL |
| Nice to meet you | Enchantéahn-shahn-TAYEnchantée if you are female — same sound, extra e. |
Getting around
Streets, stations and the one question everyone needs.
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Where is…? | Où est… ?oo EH |
| How do I get to…? | Comment aller à… ?koh-mahn tah-LAY ah |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo sohn lay twah-LET |
| Left / Right | Gauche / Droitegohsh / drwaht |
| Straight ahead | Tout droittoo DRWAH |
| Is it far? | C’est loin ?seh LWAN |
Food and drink
Ordering, allergies, and asking for the bill.
| English | French |
|---|---|
| A table for two, please | Une table pour deuxewn TAH-bluh poor DUH |
| The menu, please | La carte, s’il vous plaîtlah KART, seel voo PLEHLa carte is the full menu. Le menu means a fixed-price set meal. |
| I would like… | Je voudrais…zhuh voo-DREH |
| Water, please | De l’eau, s’il vous plaîtduh LOH, seel voo PLEH |
| I am allergic to… | Je suis allergique à…zhuh swee zah-lair-ZHEEK ah |
| The bill, please | L’addition, s’il vous plaîtlah-dee-SYOHN, seel voo PLEH |
Shopping and money
Prices, cards, and politely not buying anything.
| English | French |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | C’est combien ?seh kom-BYAN |
| That's too expensive | C’est trop cherseh troh SHAIR |
| Do you take cards? | Vous prenez la carte ?voo pruh-nay lah KART |
| I am just looking | Je regarde seulementzhuh ruh-gard suhl-MAHN |
| Do you have…? | Avez-vous… ?ah-vay VOO |
| A receipt, please | Un reçu, s’il vous plaîtuhn ruh-SEW, seel voo PLEH |
Emergencies
Worth reading once before you need them.
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Help! | Au secours !oh suh-KOOR |
| Call the police | Appelez la policeah-play lah po-LEES |
| Call an ambulance | Appelez une ambulanceah-play ewn ahm-bew-LAHNS |
| I need a doctor | J’ai besoin d’un médecinzhay buh-zwan duhn mayd-SAN |
| I am lost | Je suis perduzhuh swee pair-DEWPerdue if you are female — same sound. |
| Where is the hospital? | Où est l’hôpital ?oo eh loh-pee-TAL |
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Four things that fix
most of the accent
Final consonants are usually silent
"Paris" is pah-REE. "Beaucoup" is boh-KOO. As a rule the last consonant is not said — except in c, r, f and l, which is where the old mnemonic "CaReFuL" comes from.
Stress lands at the end of the phrase
French does not stress a syllable inside a word the way English does; the beat falls on the last syllable of the whole phrase. The capitals below mark that final push.
u is "ee" with rounded lips
The u in tu, rue and reçu is not "oo". Say "ee", then round your lips without moving your tongue. Saying "oo" instead turns "tu" into "tout" — usually harmless, occasionally funny.
R lives in the throat
A soft gargle at the back, not the tongue-tip R of English or the roll of Spanish. An English R is still perfectly understood — this is the last thing to worry about.
Spotted a mistake in the French? Tell us and we will fix it.
You will not remember
all 36
Nobody does. OmniTalk speaks French for you in real time — point the camera at a menu, or put the phone between you and let it translate both sides of the conversation as you talk. It works offline once you download the language, so it keeps going when your roaming does not.