Easy French Phrase Book: Over 1500 Common Phrases For Everyday Use And Travel

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Guess what? Those pronunciation "rules" you just read have a ton of exceptions! For example, the rule that a final r is pronounced is not true in the combination "-er", normally found in verb infinitives; this letter combination is pronounced ay. The plural ending "-ent" for verbs is silent (except for the t, in cases of liaison), even though it is pronounced when it appears in other words. Sometimes, whether to pronounce the final consonant of a word is denoted by its grammatical function; for example, the final "s" in tous (all) is silent when used as an adjective, but pronounced when used as a pronoun, while the final "f" in nouns such as cerf (deer) and œuf (egg) is pronounced in the singular form, but in the plural form ( cerfs, œufs) the "f" and the "s" are both silent. Don’t worry if you don’t understand. Simply excuse yourself, say that you don’t understand and if you would like to continue the conversation, try the following French phrase: The Lonely Planet French phrasebook’s 3,500-word dictionary is the perfect compact companion to take along, and will make translation and comprehension a walk in the park. Elsewhere, French is an official language of many former French and Belgian colonies in Africa, like Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo, and is unofficial but carries prestige in others, namely Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. It is an important administrative, educational, and cultural language in the former French Southeast Asian possessions of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. In the Indian Ocean, Réunion and Mayotte are French overseas departments, while French is also an official language in Mauritius, the Seychelles, and Comoros. In Oceania, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna remain overseas territories of France, and French is also one of the official languages of Vanuatu.

After you’ve made your initial introductions, it’s likely that a person with whom you’re speaking will ask about the time you’re spending in France. While many people travel to the country for vacation, this isn’t always the case, so informing the other person of your reasons for traveling can help fuel the conversation you have. 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. This is one of the best French phrasebook features if you’re traveling for a significant amount of time. French calendars normally start on Monday. Unlike in English, the names of days are not capitalised in French: Pouvez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît ? (Could you repeat that, please?) Parlez plus lentement, s’il vous plaît. (Speak a little slower, please.)

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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. And remember, French time works a little differently and is often given on a 24-hour cycle, so if someone responds with dix-sept heures (literally, “17 hours”), they mean 5 p.m. Phrases for Dining Out in French International varieties of French [ edit ] "Levez le pied, il y a des enfants qui jouent ici!" - Lift your foot [off the gas pedal], there are children playing here! (Guadeloupe Creole)

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 to explain to your new friends where you’re staying, as well as how long you’re staying. Before you leave for your trip, try making a list of things you’d like to do. This way, you can adjust the phrases you learn accordingly and be ready to ask about certain exhibitions in the area or how to find a place to eat that serves a certain local dish you’d like to try.Getting home in France when public transport has stopped running can be a real worry, and unless you’re right next to a taxi stand, it can be very difficult to find a cab. If you’re at a venue late, ask this question to one of the staff. Similarly, the third person pronouns also depend on the grammatical gender of the subject: il (m – he or it) or elle (f – she or it), with ils and elles respectively being the masculine and feminine plurals (they). When there are groups of mixed-gender people or objects, ils is always used. Monday lundi ( luhn-DEE) Tuesday mardi ( mahr-DEE) Wednesday mercredi ( mehr-kruh-DEE) Thursday jeudi ( juh-DEE) Friday vendredi ( vahn-druh-DEE) Saturday samedi ( sahm-DEE) Sunday dimanche ( dee-MAHNGSH) Colors [ edit ] Everyone loves a souvenir, and it’s likely that you’ll take your camera along with you to capture precious memories. In touristy zones, natives are used to being asked to take photos, but if you’re going to do it, it’s especially nice to be able to inquire in French.

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. The phrases in the book relate to traveling abroad, finding a hotel or hostel and exchanging currencies and are sure to make your travel time a breeze!

Contents

OPEN Ouvert ( oo-VAIR) CLOSED Fermé ( FEHR-may) OPENING HOURS Horaires d'ouverture ( Oh-RAIR doo-VAIR-tuur) ENTRANCE Entrée ( AHN-tray) EXIT Sortie ( sor-TEE) PUSH Poussez ( POO-say) PULL Tirez ( TEE-ray) TOILET Toilettes ( twah-LET) MEN Hommes ( om) WOMEN Femmes ( fam) DISABLED Handicapés ( on-dee-KAP-ay) EMERGENCY EXIT Sortie de secours ( sor-TEE duh suh-COOR) FORBIDDEN Interdit, Défendu ( ehn-tair-DEE, day-fahn-DUU) NO PARKING Stationnement interdit, Défense de stationner ( STAH-syonn-mon an-tair-DEE, day-FAHNS duh STAH-syonn-ay) YIELD / GIVE WAY Cédez le passage ( SAY-day luh pah-SAHZH) STOP Stop ( stop) / Arrêt ( Ah-RAY) After your chauffeur de taxi (taxi driver) has so graciously driven you to François’ place, you’ll have to pay up. Puis-je avoir un plan de la ville, s’il vous plaît ? (Can I have a map of the city, please?) 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?)

Grammar [ edit ] Like Spanish and German, but unlike English, the French language is governed by an official regulator - L'Académie française. Headquartered in Paris (shown here), the Académie issues guidance and recommendations on good French, and its occasional spelling reforms are often controversial. Gender and its complications [ edit ] 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 WikiPedia:French language This is a guide phrasebook. It covers all the major topics for traveling without resorting to English. But please Plunge forward and help us make it a star! And of course, your French phrasebooks or regional travel guides can offer you insight into customs, culture, etiquette and holidays. Make a list of activities

That’s a rarity to be sure, but it’s better to be prepared while traveling! French for Travelers to Get Around Town If you’re planning a trip to France or Canada, or if you simply want to improve your conversational French, you’ll want to have this French phrasebook by your side! 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: 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).