Parlez-vous Francaise? 10 handy French phrases you ought to know

Parlez-vous Français? 10 handy French phrases you should know

Karen GEORGE

10 Jul 2015

updated the 6 October 2015 à 22:53

1/10
Ca va?
Aside from the perfunctory bonjour, ca va is one of the most common phrases you will hear in France and is the French equivalent of “How’s it going?” or “How’s life?” So when you’re meeting your French friends, it’s good to slip in a “ca va?” before you proceed to more serious topics.
2/10
Comment allez-vous?
Comment allez-vous is a more formal version of ca va. You’re basically asking the person “How are you?” To be used when you’re with people you’re not on first name basis with.
3/10
S’il vous plait
English isn’t the only language that minds its Ps and Qs. S’il vous plait means please and is usually used at the end of a sentence when you’re asking for a favour. Or ordering food. An example would be “Un Coca s’il vous plait” which basically means “A coke please”. Adding this to your sentence when asking for directions will certainly make people more willing to help you.
4/10
Merci
Once you’ve got your directions, assistance or whatever it is you wanted, it’s important to show appreciation by saying thank you or in French, merci. If you’ve just been done a favour, you can say merci beaucoup (thank you very much) to express your gratitude.
5/10
Excusez-moi
If someone is standing in your way and you need to get around them, say “excusez-moi” and they will get the hint. Or if you’re about to interrupt a conversation to ask for directions, it’s important to begin with this simple phrase if you want to elicit a helpful response.
6/10
Parlez-vous anglais?
If your French doesn’t go past the basic oui and non, then you might want to master this sentence, which means: "Do you speak English?" when attempting to speak with French people as it’s impolite to start off a conversation in English simply assuming that everyone speaks the language.
7/10
Je ne comprends pas
You’ve asked someone how to get to the Eiffel Tower but their rapid fire directions are going right over your head. Say “Je ne comprends pas” (I don’t understand) and they are sure to slow down and repeat their instructions again.
8/10
Combien ça coûte?
What’s a trip to Paris without a little shopping involved? Whether you’re in a haute couture boutique or at the farmer’s market, a handy phrase you’re going to want to use is "Combien ça coûte?" which translates to how much is this?
9/10
Où sont les toilettes?
Feel the need to answer nature’s call but can’t find the international washroom sign anywhere in sight? You can solve the problem by asking a local where the toilets are with "Où sont les toilettes?" Don’t forget to add your excusez-moi at the beginning of the sentence.
10/10
Au revoir
You’ve had a fabulous time in France. Now it’s time to say au revoir or goodbye to the country until your next trip to the land of haute couture and haute cuisine.

With Bastille Day around the corner, we’ve come up with a list of casual, everyday French phrases every Francophile should master.

In honour of France’s upcoming Bastille Day, we’ve come up with a list of casual, everyday French phrases every Francophile should master.

But first, let’s get one thing out of the way: Bastille Day isn’t actually known by that name in France. Over there, the national day celebrated on July 14 is known as la fête du 14-juillet (the July 14^th Holiday) or if you want to be official, la fête nationale, (the National Holiday).

We could go into the nitty-gritty of how Bastille Day came about but we’ll leave the history books to enlighten you further. Right now, we’d like to show our appreciation for the country that has blessed us with ballet, baguettes, photography, art and haute couture by sharing with you some of the most handy phrases and expressions you can slip into your conversation the next time you’re touring the charming West European nation.

To all our French readers, here’s wishing you a happy la fête du 14-juillet!

Karen George

Paris Couture Fashion Week Fall 2015: Our top 50...

Beauty Review: Porcelain skincare

Parlez-vous Français? 10 handy French phrases you should know

React to this post Cancel reply