In this lesson, we will talk about basic French phrases that we use in daily life, different ways of greetings, and a set of survival phrases to get you understood (with audio). Let’s get started!
Basic French Phrases
You probably know “Bonjour!” and “ça va?”, but French speakers use more than those, there are different greetings used in different situations throughout the day, and learning to use them will make you sound more natural while speaking.
| English | French |
| Hi | Salut |
| Welcome | Bienvenue |
| Good morning! | Bonjour! |
| Good evening! | Bonsoir! |
| Good night! | Bonne nuit! |
| How are you doing? | Comment ça va ? |
| How are things going? | Comment ça se passe ? |
| How is life going? | Comment va la vie ? |
| Well / Very well | Bien / Très bien |
| Not good | Pas bien |
| More or less | Plus ou moins |
| I am fine. | Je vais bien. |
| And you? | Et toi? |
| Not very well, unfortunately | Pas très bien, malheureusement |
| How is the family? | Comment va la famille ? |
| Everything is fine. | Tout va bien. |
| Thank you | Merci |
| Thank you very much | Merci beaucoup |
| You are welcome | De rien |
| What’s up? | Quoi de neuf ? |
| Pleasure to see you | Ravi de te voir |
| How’s your day? | Comment va ta journée ? |
| Let’s meet tomorrow | On se voit demain |
| Bye. | Au revoir. |
| See you tomorrow. | À demain. |
| See you | À plus |
| See you later | À plus tard |
| See you next time | À la prochaine |
Note: you can practice what you’ve learned here, and learn how to pronounce each of the words in our Memrise course here, don’t know how to use the platform or sign up? we’ve got you covered in this easy-to-follow tutorial here.
Survival Phrases
| English | French |
| What is your name? (informal) | Comment tu t’appelles ? (informal) |
| What is your name? (formal male) | Quel est votre nom? (formal) |
| My name is … | Je m’appelle… |
| Nice to meet you | Ravi de te connaître |
| nice to meet you too | Ravi de te connaître aussi |
| I’m sorry | Je suis désolé |
| Excuse me / Pardon | Pardon |
| Let’s go! | Allons-y! |
| Yes | Oui |
| No | Non |
| Perhaps | Peut-être |
| Where are you from? (informal) | D’où tu viens ? |
| I’m from … | Je viens de… |
| How old are you? (informal) | Tu as quel âge ? / quel âge as-tu ? |
| I am … years old. | J’ai… ans |
| Do you speak English? (informal) | est-ce que tu parles anglais ? |
| I don’t speak… | Je ne parle pas… |
| I speak… | Je parle… |
| I speak a little French | je parle un peu français |
| Just a moment please | Un instant, s’il te plaît |
| How do you say … in French? | Comment dit-on … en français? |
| Can you help me? | Tu peux m’aider ? |
| Can you say that again? | Tu peux répéter ça ? |
| Do you understand? | Est-ce que vous comprenez? |
| I don’t know | Je ne sais pas |
| I don’t understand | Je ne comprends pas |
| Of course | Bien sûr |
| What does it mean … ? | Qu’est-ce que cela signifie? |
| What? | Quoi? |
| Here. | Ici. |
| What is that? | c’est quoi ça ? |
| What’s the matter? | Quel est le problème ? |
| It doesn’t matter | Peu importe |
| What’s happening? | Qu’est-ce qui se passe ? |
| I have no idea | Je n’en ai aucune idée |
| I’m tired | Je suis fatigué |
| I’m sick | Je suis malade |
| I’m hungry | J’ai faim |
| I’m thirsty | J’ai soif |
| I’m hot | J’ai chaud |
| I’m cold | J’ai froid |
| Congratulations! | Félicitations! |
| Don’t worry | Ne t’inquiète pas |
| Good luck! | Bonne chance! |
| I must go now | Je dois partir maintenant |
| That’s alright. | C’est bon. |
Get a pdf file of the 70 Basic French Phrases and other 1000 essential French words now, write your email so we can send it to you:
French Basic Phrases Study Guide
Short Answer Questions
- What are two ways to say “good evening” in French, and what distinguishes their usage?
- Explain the difference between “Comment ça va?” and “Comment allez-vous?”
- How would you tell someone your name in French? Provide both the informal and formal versions.
- What is the French expression for “See you later” and in what context might you use it?
- You need to ask someone for help in French. How would you politely request their assistance?
- Translate the following question into English: “D’où viens-tu?”
- How would you express to someone that you are feeling tired and hungry in French?
- You want to ask someone to repeat themselves because you didn’t understand. What phrase would you use?
- How do you say “You’re welcome” in French after someone thanks you?
- What is the meaning of the phrase “Je ne sais pas” and when might you use it?
Short Answer Key
- “Bonsoir” is used in the evening, while “Bonne nuit” is used when parting ways at night or before bed.
- Both phrases mean “How are you?” but “Comment ça va?” is informal, while “Comment allez-vous?” is formal.
- Informal: “Je m’appelle [your name].” Formal: “Je suis [your name].”
- “À plus tard.” It’s a casual way of saying goodbye when you expect to see the person again later that same day.
- “Excusez-moi, pouvez-vous m’aider, s’il vous plaît?” (Formal) or “Excuse-moi, tu peux m’aider, s’il te plaît?” (Informal)
- “Where are you from?”
- “Je suis fatigué(e) et j’ai faim.”
- “Pourriez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît?” (Formal) or “Tu peux répéter, s’il te plaît?” (Informal)
- “De rien.”
- “I don’t know.” You would use it when you are unable to provide an answer to a question.
Happy learning!
Oualid Cheddadi is a language enthusiast who created Lingualid with the mission to inspire independent language learners worldwide, regardless of the language they are learning. The name “Lingualid” is derived from the Portuguese word for “language,” “língua,” and the last three letters of Oualid’s name, “Lid.”
