French Phrasebook: +1400 French Phrases to travel in France with confidence! (French Conversation Builder)

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The singular indefinite article ("a" and "an" in English) also corresponds to the noun's gender: un for masculine and une for feminine. Unlike English, French has a plural indefinite article – des, which works for both genders – and three partitive articles – du (m), de la (f), and de l’ (before vowels and some instances of the letter "h"), which precede uncountable nouns. Thus: Like that of English, unlike almost all the other Romance languages, French spelling is not very phonetic. The same letter used in two different words can make two different sounds, and many letters are not pronounced at all. In general, it's not impossible to sound out words, but suffice it to say that many experienced non-native French speakers(and even some native speakers) mispronounce words often. There are many differences between French spoken in Québec and that spoken in France. One is state and one is king french. The two main differences are that Québec has retained many 18th & 19th century French words, while French spoken in France has incorporated many English words. Furthermore, aside from Europe & Québec, many French-speaking regions have incorporated many local words or formed a distinctive dialect/language known as creole.

Comment dit-on … en français ? (How do you say … in French?) Basic French Phrases to Introduce Yourself Nevertheless, all Francophone Canadians, including Québécois, learn standard French in school, and most of the differences between the two varieties are limited to informal speech. This means that while you may not understand conversation among locals, they will be able to converse with you in standard French if required. Getting to grips with all food types is essential and, with this phrasebook’s in-depth menu decoder, you’ll never have to face an unknown plate again! For instance, a lady may be blonde or brunette while a gentleman with hair of the corresponding hue is blond or brunet. Unlike English, French uses the long scale, so un billion and un trillion are not the same as the English "one billion" and "one trillion".Use this phrase when you roll up to the office de tourisme (tourist office). You can also ask for a public transit map specifically: France is notorious for its etiquette rules and, if you’re not aware of them, you could find yourself in a very tight spot. Helping you to separate your tu from your vous, and to spot the correct greeting for any situation, the Lonely Planet guide can be an invaluable tool to use. Saying “hello” and “goodbye” to people in official settings is essential in France, and something that you might not naturally do. Stress is fairly even in French, but the stress almost always falls on the last syllable. In words where the stress falls on an earlier syllable, it's not uncommon to hear the last syllable or sound of some words cut off or "swallowed." For example, Possible can sound like poss-EEB and hymne can sound like eem. This is particularly noticeable in Quebec, but exists in other accents too. Nobody wants to face an emergency but if you do, you want to make sure you have all of the right information to hand. The phrasebook will link you to all of the emergency services, including embassies, on the rare occasion that you need to use them. You can rest assured in your travels; the phrasebook will do all of the hard work for you! 4. “The Penguin French Phrasebook”

Saying parlez plus lentement, s’il vous plaît will let your speaking partner realize they might be going a little too fast for you, but that you would still like to continue. For French learners, the coveted native speed of speaking can seem unattainable, and while you can learn to understand it over time, it does take a little adjusting to. If you’re speaking to a local and would like them to speak a little more slowly, it’s better to just ask them, rather than suffering in silence. In the unlikely scenario that you get into trouble when in France, it’s really important to have armed yourself with the right words to get out of a bind. Even just knowing this phrase is incredibly handy.

Basic French Phrases for Shopping

Learning some French vocabulary for weather is a great idea before you venture out—being able to understand what sun and rain are in French will help you to listen out for all the right words. FluentU has a wide variety of great content, like interviews, documentary excerpts and web series, as you can see here: Note: Like other romance languages, nouns in french are either "masculine" or "feminine" and adjectives vary accordingly. One thing to note is that final consonants of a word are usually dropped: allez (go) is pronounced ahl-AY, not ahl-AYZ; tard (late) is pronounce tar, not tard. But if the next word begins with a vowel, the consonant may be pronounced; this is called liaison. A final 'e' is also usually silent if the word has more than one syllable, except in parts of southern France, especially Toulouse. Saying je parle un peu français will enable you to continue practicing your speaking skills, while at the same time alleviating any pressure you might feel to talk fluently. Use this phrase when you’re first starting a conversation, or want to continue talking to someone in French. J’apprends le français depuis… (I’ve been learning French for…)

A diaeresis ( tréma) may also be used to prevent diphthongs on "e", "u" and "i". Example: maïs (Indian corn or maize). An apéritif is a beverage one drinks before eating—typically something alcoholic like whiskey, vodka or pastis, for example. Je voudrais… (I would like…) When there is an accent mark on "e", it prevents diphthongs. Letters should be pronounced separately, following the rule for the accented letter. Example: énergumène, (rowdy character), réunion (meeting).

Don’t worry about seeming rude—French people are often willing to help learners with their language skills, and will likely have no problem adjusting their speed. Basic French Phrases for Shopping If you’re trying to attract the attention of someone who might be able to help you, say either “hello sir/madam” or “excuse me sir/madam” in French, as given above. Similarly, when you enter a shop, it’s always nice to greet the shopkeeper by saying hello or good morning, also as you learned above. Puis-je avoir un plan du métro, s’il vous plaît ? (Can I have a metro map, please?) Je cherche… (I am looking for…)

For more options, you’ll want to explore Lonely Planetto see what’s available. There are French phrasebooks for every corner of the French-speaking world, and some have additional features like accompanying audio files, travel guides or apps. Research local customs Il y a du vent (It’s windy) Est-ce que vous pourriez prendre ma photo, s’il vous plaît ? (Could you take my photo, please?) The final consonant of a word is usually silent except for c, f, l, q, and r. Thus, allez (go) is pronounced al-AY, not al-AYZ; tard (late) is pronounced tar, not tard.

Basic French Phrases to Introduce Yourself

It’s likely that the other person will want to expand on the topic, so having a few words ready about your future itinerary or your job wouldn’t go amiss. Questions You’ll Ask While Traveling in France Having access to a great French dictionary is really important when learning, but most books are much too big to take along with you on your travels. French cuisine is famous around the world, so what better place to try it than in its country of origin? These French phrases will help you make the most of dining in France. Vowels in French can have accent marks, which generally have no noticeable impact on pronunciation, but they often distinguish between homophones in writing ( ou, meaning or, and où, meaning where, are pronounced the same). The only really important one is é, which is always pronounced "ay", and changes the meaning of the word. Like in other Romance languages, nouns in French are either "masculine" or "feminine"; adjectives vary accordingly.