38 Conversational French Phrases to Help You Cozy Up to the Language:
You may have heard some rumors that you need to talk a lot to become fluent in French.
Well, the rumors are true.
French fluency can only be achieved with loads of great conversation practice with native speakers.
But how can you start? And why is conversational French so important?
Couldn’t you just spend your study time reading, writing, drilling grammar into your brain and listening to music?
38 Conversational French Phrases to Help You Cozy Up to the Language
Now that you know how and where you can practice your phrases you need to learn some! Let’s start with the basics and go from there.
French Greetings and Introducing Yourself
It’s imperative that you learn how to introduce yourself and someone else in French because if you can’t do this confidently, it’ll be difficult to continue a conversation. It’s also important that you know what to say at different times during the day, as this is an important part of French etiquette. First and foremost let’s look at French greetings.
Greetings:
Bonjour — “Hello” or “Good morning,” used in the morning and afternoon.
Bonsoir — “Hello” or Good evening,” used in the late afternoon and evening.
Introducing yourself:
Je m’appelle — “My name is…,” used to introduce yourself.
Je suis — This literally translates to “I am,” but it can also be used to say “my name is” when you introduce yourself. For example, “Je suis Jennifer” or “Je m’appelle Jennifer” means “My name is Jennifer.”
Introducing someone else:
Je vous présente Fabienne, ma femme. (I’d like to introduce you to Fabienne, my wife.)
Voici Fabienne, mon épouse. (This is Fabienne, my wife.)
Voici Philippe, mon époux. (This is Philippe, my husband.)
French Conversational Pleasantries
After you’ve got the basic greetings under your belt, you can then approach the essential phrases needed when speaking French on a daily basis and at a variety of events and occasions.
Learning how to say “have a nice day,” “enjoy your meal” and “how are you?” are just a few examples of everyday phrases that you have to know. The French say “have a nice day” to anyone to whom they say “goodbye.” If you don’t say it, it’s considered rude, so it’s an essential phrase!
The French also love to eat and really savor their food, so saying “enjoy your meal” is an obligation before every meal. There are many more phrases to learn to start your learning journey, so let’s get going!
Joyeux anniversaire / Bon anniversaire — “Happy birthday!” These two phrases are the most traditional ways to say “happy birthday” in France.
Bon appétit — “Enjoy your meal!” This phrase is often shortened to “bon app!” when spoken.
Bonne journée — Have a good day
Comment allez-vous? / Ça va? / Comment ça va? – These three phrases are used to say “how are you?” They differ depending on who you’re speaking to. Comment allez-vous is the formal way of saying “how are you?” whereas ça va and comment ça va are informal, used for friends, family and people you know well.
Enchanté(e) — Nice to meet you. This beautiful phrase is literally translated as “enchanted to meet you!”
Que faites-vous dans la vie? — What do you do?
D’où venez-vous? Je viens de… — Where are you from ? I’m from…
Voulez-vous un verre? — Would you like a drink?
Voulez-vous aller manger? — Would you like to eat something?
Je reviens toute suite! — I’ll be right back!
Asking for Help
It’s essential to be able to ask for help in a number of situations in French. Maybe you don’t understand and need the person to repeat. Or maybe you need help because you’ve gotten yourself lost or can’t find something. Regardless of the situation, you’ll always need to know how to ask for help.
For this purpose, it’s also important to learn the vous form in French (the polite form) as most often when you ask for help you’re asking people you don’t know. French etiquette demands that the vous form be used with strangers. Knowing how to ask for help can really assist you when you’re traveling in French-speaking countries.
Est-ce que vous pourriez m’aider? — Could you help me please?
Aidez-moi s’il vous plaît! — Please help me!
Je ne comprends pas, pouvez-vous répéter s’il vous plaît? — I don’t understand, could you repeat please?
J’ai besoin d’aide — I need help
Où est-ce que je peux trouver la gare, s’il vous plaît? — Where can I find the train station, please?
At the Doctor’s Office or the Pharmacy
It’s happened to all of us once in our lives: Your vacation finally comes around and you get sick. When this happens to you in a French-speaking country, you’ll find yourself in a foreign place trying to explain your symptoms to a doctor in a language you’re only just learning.
You need to learn some of the more basic expressions so that, if this happens, you can explain how you feel. It’s crucial that you know these phrases so that you can get the correct medical care when you’re abroad. It’s also important when speaking to French people so you can understand their symptoms and give them some advice or help.
J’ai une toux — I have a cold
J’ai un rhume — I have a cold
J’ai mal à la gorge — I have a sore throat
J’ai de la fièvre — I have a fever
J’ai mal à la tête — I have a headache
J’ai mal au ventre — I have stomachache
J’ai une douleur au bras/à l’oreille — My arm/ear is painful
The Slang You Need to Know
Some slang words are now used every day in the daily life of French people and have become part of the French culture and vocabulary.
It’s important to know certain popular slang terms that you’ll often hear when speaking with native speakers. Understanding slang will help you to understand more of a conversation and will advance your French speaking skills. Here are just a few examples to get you started:
Ciné — Cinema
Resto — Restaurant
Boulot — Work
Balle — Euro; franc
Une clope — A cigarette
Relou — Annoying
So, now you’re fully equipped with an array of conversational French phrases. Start practicing them!
You’ll soon see how quickly your French language skills will improve and how much you can learn from a few basic phrases.
Start your journey today!
