French phrases | Most common phrases for everyday life

French phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in French with translation. | Free & useful

French phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.

They are an important part of French culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.

French phrases you should know

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Greet someone in French

If you want to greet someone in French, it’s actually quite easy:

English	French	Phonetic (IPA)
Welcome! in French	Bienvenue !	[bjɛ̃vny]
Good day to you! in French	Bonne journée à vous !	[bɔn ʒuʁne a vu]
Good morning to you! in French	Bonjour à vous !	[bɔ̃ʒuʁ a vu]
Good evening! in French	Bonsoir !	[bɔ̃swaʁ]
Good to see you. in French	Content de te voir.	[kɔ̃tɑ̃ də tə vwaʁ]
I’m glad to see you. in French	Je suis heureux de te voir.	[ʒə sɥi zøʁø də tə vwaʁ]

If you are greeted in French, the best way to respond is as follows:

English	French	Phonetic (IPA)
Have a nice day too! in French	Bonne journée à toi aussi !	[bɔn ʒuʁne a twa osi]
Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. in French	Merci, c’est agréable de te voir aussi.	[mɛʁsi sɛt‿aɡʁeablə də tə vwaʁ osi]

How is my dialogue partner?

As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:

English	French	Phonetic (IPA)
How are you doing? in French	Comment ça va ?	[kɔ.mɑ̃ sa va]
Are you doing well? in French	Tu vas bien ?	[ty va bjɛ̃]

If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:

English	French	Phonetic (IPA)
Thank you for asking, I am fine.	Merci de demander, je vais bien.	[mɛʁ.si də də.mɑ̃.de ʒə vɛ bjɛ̃]
Thank you, I am fine.	Merci, je vais bien.	[mɛʁ.si ʒə vɛ bjɛ̃]
Thank you, I am not doing so well.	Merci, je ne vais pas très bien.	[mɛʁ.si ʒə nə vɛ pa tʁɛ bjɛ̃]
Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing?	Merci, je vais bien. Et toi, comment ça va ?	[mɛʁ.si ʒə vɛ bjɛ̃‿e twa kɔ.mɑ̃ sa va]

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How do I say goodbye to someone in French?

Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in French is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:

English	French	Phonetic (IPA)
Goodbye! in French	Au revoir !	[o ʁə.vwaʁ]
Take care of yourself! in French	Prends soin de toi !	[pʁɑ̃ swɛ̃ də twa]
Goodbye in French	Au revoir	[o ʁə.vwaʁ]
See you tomorrow in French	À demain	[a də.mɛ̃]
See you soon in French	À bientôt	[a bjɛ̃.to]
See you later in French	À plus tard	[a ply taʁ]
Good night in French	Bonne nuit	[bɔn nɥi]
Sleep well in French	Dors bien	[dɔʁ bjɛ̃]
Talk to you later. in French	On se parle plus tard.	[ɔ̃ sə paʁl ply taʁ]
Nice to have met you! in French	Ravi de t’avoir rencontré !	[ʁa.vi də ta.vwaʁ ʁɑ̃.kɔ̃.tʁe]

How do I introduce myself in French?

When travelling in France, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in French and know who you’re talking to.

English	French	Phonetic (IPA)
My name is Jonas.	Je m’appelle Jonas.	[ʒə ma.pɛl ʒɔ.nas]
What is your name?	Comment tu t’appelles ?	[kɔ.mɑ̃ ty ta.pɛl]
What is your surname?	Quel est ton nom de famille ?	[kɛl ɛ tɔ̃ nɔ̃ də fa.mij]
What is your first name?	Quel est ton prénom ?	[kɛl ɛ tɔ̃ pʁe.nɔ̃]
What is your surname?	Quel est ton nom de famille ?	[kɛl ɛ tɔ̃ nɔ̃ də fa.mij]

If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:

English	French	Phonetic (IPA)
Where do you come from?	D’où viens-tu ?	[du vjɛ̃ ty]
I am from London.	Je viens de Londres.	[ʒə vjɛ̃ də lɔ̃dʁ]
Are you from Birmingham?	Tu viens de Birmingham ?	[ty vjɛ̃ də bɛʁ.mi.ŋam]
No, I’m from Madrid.	Non, je viens de Madrid.	[nɔ̃ ʒə vjɛ̃ də ma.dʁid]
Great, I’m from Madrid too.	Super, je viens de Madrid aussi.	[sy.pɛʁ ʒə vjɛ̃ də ma.dʁid o.si]
Where do you live?	Où habites-tu ?	[u a.bit ty]
I live in Berlin.	J’habite à Berlin.	[ʒa.bit a bɛʁ.lɛ̃]

If you have problems with your French, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:

English	French	Phonetic (IPA)
Do you speak English?	Parles-tu anglais ?	[paʁl ty ɑ̃.ɡlɛ]
Yes, I speak English.	Oui, je parle anglais.	[wi ʒə paʁl ɑ̃.ɡlɛ]
Yes, I speak some English.	Oui, je parle un peu anglais.	[wi ʒə paʁl ɛ̃ pø ɑ̃.ɡlɛ]
No, I do not speak any English.	Non, je ne parle pas anglais.	[nɔ̃ ʒə nə paʁl pɑ ɑ̃.ɡlɛ]
I only speak English.	Je parle seulement anglais.	[ʒə paʁl sœl.mɑ̃ ɑ̃.ɡlɛ]
I understand some French.	Je comprends un peu de français.	[ʒə kɔ̃.pʁɑ̃ ɛ̃ pø də fʁɑ̃.sɛ]

Useful sentences with ‘I am…’

The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in French and express your wishes and concerns:

English	French	Phonetic (IPA)
I am English in French	Je suis anglais / anglaise	[ʒə sɥi ɑ̃.ɡlɛ / ɑ̃.ɡlɛz]
I am injured in French	Je suis blessé(e)	[ʒə sɥi ble.se]
I am here in French	Je suis ici	[ʒə sɥi i.si]
I am hungry in French	J’ai faim	[ʒɛ fɛ̃]
I am thirsty in French	J’ai soif	[ʒɛ swaf]
I am a single person in French	Je suis célibataire	[ʒə sɥi se.li.ba.tɛʁ]
I need help! in French	J’ai besoin d’aide !	[ʒɛ bə.zwɛ̃ dɛd]
I am tired in French	Je suis fatigué(e)	[ʒə sɥi fa.ti.ɡe]
I am happy in French	Je suis heureux / heureuse	[ʒə sɥi‿ø.ʁø / ø.ʁøz]
I am sad in French	Je suis triste	[ʒə sɥi tʁist]
I am in love in French	Je suis amoureux / amoureuse	[ʒə sɥi‿a.mu.ʁø / a.mu.ʁøz]
I am ill in French	Je suis malade	[ʒə sɥi ma.lad]
I am ready in French	Je suis prêt / prête	[ʒə sɥi pʁɛ / pʁɛt]
I am busy in French	Je suis occupé(e)	[ʒə sɥi‿ɔ.ky.pe]
I am lost in French	Je suis perdu(e)	[ʒə sɥi pɛʁ.dy]
I am a tourist in French	Je suis touriste	[ʒə sɥi tu.ʁist]
I am new here in French	Je suis nouveau / nouvelle ici	[ʒə sɥi nu.vo / nu.vɛl i.si]
I am confident in French	J’ai confiance en moi	[ʒɛ kɔ̃.fjɑ̃s‿ɑ̃ mwa]
I am proud in French	Je suis fier / fière	[ʒə sɥi fjɛʁ]
I am a teacher in French	Je suis professeur	[ʒə sɥi pʁɔ.fe.sœʁ]
I am late in French	Je suis en retard	[ʒə sɥi‿ɑ̃ ʁə.taʁ]
I am 30 years old in French	J’ai trente ans	[ʒɛ tʁɑ̃.t‿ɑ̃]
I am in a hurry in French	Je suis pressé(e)	[ʒə sɥi pʁɛ.se]
I am happy in French	Je suis content(e)	[ʒə sɥi kɔ̃.tɑ̃ / kɔ̃.tɑ̃t]
I am surprised in French	Je suis surpris(e)	[ʒə sɥi syʁ.pʁi / syʁ.pʁiz]
I am angry in French	Je suis en colère	[ʒə sɥi‿ɑ̃ kɔ.lɛʁ]

Apologising in French

Here’s how to apologise to a French speaker:

English	French	Phonetic (IPA)
I apologise	Je m’excuse	[ʒə mɛk.skyz]
Sorry, that was not the intention	Désolé, ce n’était pas intentionnel	[de.zɔ.le sə n‿e.tɛ pɑ‿ɛ̃.tɑ̃.sjɔ.nɛl]
Sorry, I did not do it on purpose	Désolé, je ne l’ai pas fait exprès	[de.zɔ.le ʒə nə l‿ɛ pɑ fɛ ɛk.spʁɛ]
Sorry, that was very clumsy of me	Désolé, c’était très maladroit de ma part	[de.zɔ.le sɛ.tɛ tʁɛ ma.la.dʁwa də ma paʁ]

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Useful signs and notices in French

Useful signs and messages in French that you will often see.

English	French	Phonetic (IPA)
Entrance in French	Entrée	[ɑ̃.tʁe]
Toilet in French	Toilettes	[twa.lɛt]
Exit in French	Sortie	[sɔʁ.ti]
Attention! in French	Attention !	[a.tɑ̃.sjɔ̃]
Police in French	Police	[pɔ.lis]
Emergency services in French	Services d’urgence	[sɛʁ.vis dyʁ.ʒɑ̃s]
Fire brigade in French	Pompiers	[pɔ̃.pje]
Passage forbidden. in French	Passage interdit.	[pa.saʒ ɛ̃.tɛʁ.di]
Caution! in French	Prudence !	[pʁy.dɑ̃s]
This building is under video surveillance. in French	Ce bâtiment est sous vidéosurveillance.	[sə ba.ti.mɑ̃ ɛ su vi.de.o syʁ.vɛ.jɑ̃s]

Numbers to 25 in French

Counting in French is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in French from 1 to 25.

English	French	Phonetic (IPA)
One in French	Un	[œ̃]
Two in French	Deux	[dø]
Three in French	Trois	[tʁwa]
Four in French	Quatre	[katʁ]
Five in French	Cinq	[sɛ̃k]
Six in French	Six	[sis]
Seven in French	Sept	[sɛt]
Eight in French	Huit	[ɥit]
Nine in French	Neuf	[nœf]
Ten in French	Dix	[dis]
Eleven in French	Onze	[ɔ̃z]
Twelve in French	Douze	[duz]
Thirteen in French	Treize	[tʁɛz]
Fourteen in French	Quatorze	[ka.tɔʁz]
Fifteen in French	Quinze	[kɛ̃z]
Sixteen in French	Seize	[sɛz]
Seventeen in French	Dix-sept	[dis.sɛt]
Eighteen in French	Dix-huit	[diz.ɥit]
Nineteen in French	Dix-neuf	[diz.nœf]
Twenty in French	Vingt	[vɛ̃]
Twenty-one in French	Vingt et un	[vɛ̃.te.œ̃]
Twenty-two in French	Vingt-deux	[vɛ̃.dø]
Twenty-three in French	Vingt-trois	[vɛ̃.tʁwa]
Twenty-four in French	Vingt-quatre	[vɛ̃.katʁ]
Twenty-five in French	Vingt-cinq	[vɛ̃.sɛ̃k]

The colours in French

The most common colours in French with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.

English	French	Phonetic (IPA)
Red in French	Rouge	[ʁuʒ]
Blue in French	Bleu	[blø]
Green in French	Vert	[vɛʁ]
Yellow in French	Jaune	[ʒon]
Black in French	Noir	[nwaʁ]
White in French	Blanc	[blɑ̃]
Orange in French	Orange	[ɔ.ʁɑ̃ʒ]
Pink in French	Rose	[ʁoz]
Purple in French	Violet	[vjɔ.lɛ]
Brown in French	Marron	[ma.ʁɔ̃]

Days of the week, months and seasons in French

Of course, you will also need the days of the week in French and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in French.

English	French	Phonetic (IPA)
Monday in French	Lundi	[lœ̃.di]
Tuesday in French	Mardi	[maʁ.di]
Wednesday in French	Mercredi	[mɛʁ.kʁə.di]
Thursday in French	Jeudi	[ʒø.di]
Friday in French	Vendredi	[vɑ̃.dʁə.di]
Saturday in French	Samedi	[sa.mə.di]
Sunday in French	Dimanche	[di.mɑ̃ʃ]
January in French	Janvier	[ʒɑ̃.vje]
February in French	Février	[fe.vʁi.je]
March in French	Mars	[maʁs]
April in French	Avril	[a.vʁil]
May in French	Mai	[mɛ]
June in French	Juin	[ʒɥɛ̃]
July in French	Juillet	[ʒɥi.jɛ]
August in French	Août	[ut]
September in French	Septembre	[sɛp.tɑ̃bʁ]
October in French	Octobre	[ɔk.tɔbʁ]
November in French	Novembre	[nɔ.vɑ̃bʁ]
December in French	Décembre	[de.sɑ̃bʁ]
Spring in French	Printemps	[pʁɛ̃.tɑ̃]
Summer in French	Été	[e.te]
Autumn in French	Automne	[o.tɔn]
Winter in French	Hiver	[i.vɛʁ]

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More information about the French Business Course.

Additional links

• Learn French with Mondly
• Learn French with Babbel
• The different ways of learning languages
• Learning vocabulary successfully
• Motivated language learning
• It is so easy to train your understanding of a language at the same time
• Learning languages quickly? – Is it possible?
• The different types of learners when learning languages

More information about the French Course for Children.