| la | 'a' as in "spa" |
| thé | 'ay' as in "say", but clipped — no glide at the end |
| mais | 'e' as in "bed" |
| le | soft 'uh' as in "about" |
| lit | 'ee' as in "see" |
| mot | 'o' as in "go", but pure — no glide |
| note | 'aw' as in "sort" |
| nous | 'oo' as in "food" |
| tu | say 'ee' as in "see", but with tightly rounded lips (no English equivalent) |
| deux | 'uh' with lips rounded and pushed forward |
| neuf | 'u' as in "burn" |
| an | 'ah' as in "spa", sent through the nose — no hard n |
| bon | 'aw' as in "song", through the nose — no hard n |
| vin | 'a' as in "hat", through the nose |
| ouiyes | WEE — /w/ glides straight into 'ee' |
| moime | MWAH |
| voyagetrip | vwah-YAHZH |
| huiteight | WEET, but with tightly rounded lips — the gliding twin of the rounded 'ee' |
| nuitnight | NWEE, rounded |
| luihim | LWEE, rounded |
| pluierain | PLWEE, rounded |
| bienwell | BYAN — the y glide into a nasal |
| yeuxeyes | YUH — y is the glide |
| juilletJuly — two glides in one word | zhwee-YEH |
| beaucoup | boh-KOO — 'eau' as in "go", 'ou' as in "food" |
| nouveau | noo-VOH |
| musique | mü-ZEEK — 'u' is the rounded 'ee' |
| bonjour | bohn-ZHOOR — nasal 'on', soft j as in "measure" |
| maison | meh-ZOHN — 'ai' as in "bed", nasal ending |
| oiseau | wah-ZOH — 'oi' sounds like "wah" |
| monsieur | muh-SYUH — irregular: both vowels are soft 'uh' |
| heureux | uh-RUH — rounded 'uh' twice, silent h |
| important | an-por-TAHN — starts and ends with nasal vowels |
| aventure | ah-vahn-TÜR — nasal 'en', rounded 'u' |
| université | ü-nee-vehr-see-TAY |
| quotidien | ko-tee-DYAN — ends in nasal "yan" |
| juillet | zhwee-YEH |
| aujourd'hui | oh-zhoor-DWEE |
| rizFrench R — /ʁ/, back of the throat | REE — the r is a soft gargle at the back of the throat |
| jesoft J — /ʒ/, like the s in "measure" | ZHUH — j as the s in "measure" |
| chatch — /ʃ/, like "sh" | SHAH — 'ch' is English "sh" |
| lignegn — /ɲ/, like "ny" in "canyon" | LEEN-yuh — 'gn' as in "canyon" |
| hommethe h is silent | UM — the h is silent |
| fille-ill- — /j/, a "y" glide (not "l") | FEE-yuh — 'll' sounds like y, as in "yes" |
| théth — just /t/, never the English "th" | TAY — 'th' is just t, never the English th |
| quiqu — just /k/, no "kw" | KEE — 'qu' is just k, no "kw" |
| çaç — /s/ | SAH — ç as the s in "sun" |
| roses between vowels — /z/ | ROHZ — s between vowels sounds like z |
| guitaregu — hard /ɡ/ | ghee-TAR — hard g as in "get" |
| petitfinal consonant is silent — /pəti/, no t | puh-TEE — the final t is silent |
| écureuilsquirrel | ay-kü-RUH-yuh |
| grenouillefrog | gruh-NOO-yuh |
| chirurgiensurgeon | shee-rür-ZHYAN |
| serrurierlocksmith | seh-rü-RYAY |
| bouilloirekettle | boo-YWAHR |
| quincailleriehardware store | kan-kah-yuh-REE |
| accueilreception, welcome | ah-KUH-yuh |
| orgueilpride | or-GUH-yuh |
| heureusementfortunately | uh-ruhz-MAHN |
| écrivainwriter | ay-kree-VAN — nasal ending |
| rouillerust | ROO-yuh |
| froidcold | FRWAH |
| tu · toutyou · everything | rounded 'ee' (lips tight) plain 'oo' |
| rue · rouestreet · wheel | rounded 'ee' plain 'oo' |
| été · étaitsummer · was | ay-TAY — both closed ay-TEH — ends open, as in "bed" |
| banc · bon · bainbench · good · bath | BAHN — nasal 'ah' BOHN — nasal 'oh' BAN — nasal 'a' as in "hat" |
| dessus · dessouson top · underneath | duh-SÜ — rounded 'ee' duh-SOO — plain 'oo' |
| poisson · poisonfish · poison | pwa-SOHN — double s stays s pwa-ZOHN — single s turns to z |
| vin · ventwine · wind | VAN — nasal 'a' VAHN — nasal 'ah' |
| le · lesthe (one) · the (many) | LUH — soft 'uh' LAY |
| peu · peurlittle · fear | PUH — closed, lips forward PUR — open, with the French r |
| jour · joueday · cheek | ZHOOR — the r is heard ZHOO — no r |
| chou · jouecabbage · cheek | SHOO — sh ZHOO — soft j, as the s in "measure" |
| vous | VOO — the final s is silent |
| grand | GRAHN — the final d is silent |
| blanc | BLAHN — the final c is silent |
| troptoo much | TROH — the final p is silent |
| beaucoup | boh-KOO — the final p is silent |
| chezat the home of | SHAY — the final z is silent |
| etand | AY — the t is never pronounced |
| il est | ee-LEH — the st of "est" is silent |
| tempsweather / time | TAHN — both the p and the s are silent |
| ils parlentthey speak | eel PARL — the -ent verb ending is completely silent |
| heure | UR — the h is silent |
| hiverwinter | ee-VAIR — the h is silent |
| filsson | FEESS — exception: the s IS pronounced (and the l is silent) |
| les amisthe friends | lay-za-MEE — the silent s comes alive as a z before a vowel |
| vous avezyou have | voo-za-VAY — the s links as a z |
| nous avonswe have | noo-za-VOHN — the s links as a z |
| ils ontthey have | eel-ZOHN — the z-liaison is what separates it from "ils sont" (eel SOHN) |
| un hommea man | uh-NUM — the n links straight into the silent-h word |
| mon amimy friend | moh-na-MEE — the n links |
| deux heurestwo o'clock | duh-ZUR — the x links as a z |
| trois ansthree years | trwa-ZAHN — the s links as a z |
| petit amiboyfriend — literally "little friend" | puh-tee-ta-MEE — the silent t comes alive |
| grand hommegreat man | grahn-TUM — the d links as a T sound |
| est-ilis he...? (question inversion) | eh-TEEL — the t links |
| chez elleat her place | shay-ZEL — the z links |
| un chat et un chiena cat and a dog — no liaison after "et" | uh SHAH ay uh SHYAN — the t of "et" NEVER links |
| la maison est bellethe house is beautiful — no liaison after a singular noun | lah meh-ZOHN | eh BEL — the noun's final consonant stays silent |
| l'amithe friend — le + ami | lah-MEE — the e of "le" drops before a vowel |
| l'écolethe school — la + école | lay-KUL — "la" elides too |
| j'aimeI love — je + aime | ZHEM — "je" loses its e |
| j'habiteI live — the silent h elides too | zhah-BEET |
| ce n'est pasit's not — ne elides | suh neh PAH |
| qu'est-ce quewhat…? — que + est-ce | KESS-kuh — three words, one syllable and a half |
| d'accordokay! — de + accord | dah-KOR |
| s'il vous plaîtplease — si + il hides inside | seel-voo-PLEH |
| une amiea friend (f) — enchaînement | ü-nah-MEE — the n glides onto the next word |
| il ahe has — the l chains | ee-LAH |
| le hérosthe hero — h aspiré! | luh ay-ROH — this h BLOCKS elision (unlike l'homme) |
| les hérosthe heroes — h aspiré again | lay ay-ROH — no z liaison either |
| samediSaturday — say it like a Parisian | SAM-dee — the middle e vanishes |
| petitsmall — fast speech | PTEE — the first e drops |
| appelerto call | AP-lay |
| maintenantnow | mant-NAHN |
| médecindoctor | MAYD-san |
| je ne sais pasI don't know — casual | zhsay-PAH — "j'sais pas" |
| pas de problèmeno problem | pahd-prob-LEM |
| tout le mondeeveryone | tool-MOHND |
| au revoirgoodbye — as actually said | oh-RVWAHR — "au r'voir" |
| six6, by itself | SEESS — the x sounds like ss |
| six livressix books | see LEEVR — before a consonant the x goes silent |
| six anssix years | see-ZAHN — before a vowel it links as z |
| dix10, by itself | DEESS |
| dix minutesten minutes | dee mee-NÜT — silent before a consonant |
| dix heuresten o'clock | dee-ZUR — links as z |
| huit8, by itself | WEET — the t sounds |
| huit jourseight days (= a week) | wee ZHOOR — the t drops before a consonant |
| neuf9, by itself | NUF — the f sounds |
| neuf heuresnine o'clock | nuh-VUR — the f turns into a V |
| cinq5, by itself | SANK — the q sounds |
| cinq centsfive hundred | san SAHN — the q often drops before a consonant |
| nationnation | nah-SYON — -tion is always "syon" |
| attentionattention / watch out | ah-tahn-SYON |
| télévisiontelevision | tay-lay-vee-ZYON — -sion after a vowel is "zyon" |
| mangerto eat | mahn-ZHAY — -er verbs end in "ay" |
| parlez(you) speak | par-LAY — -ez is "ay" too |
| châteaucastle | shah-TOH — -eau is "oh" |
| gâteauxcakes | gah-TOH — the plural x is silent |
| travailwork | trah-VY — -ail ends in a y glide |
| soleilsun | so-LAY-yuh — -eil ends in a y glide |
| feuilleleaf | FUH-yuh — -euille |
| villecity | VEEL — exception: this -ille pronounces the L (unlike fille) |
| millethousand | MEEL — same exception |
| tranquillecalm | trahn-KEEL — the third famous L exception |
| restaurantstress lands on the LAST syllable — always | res-toh-RAHN — last syllable longest and strongest |
| importantsame rule | an-por-TAHN |
| universitéeven beats, then the last syllable stretches | ü-nee-vehr-see-TAY |
| chocolatchocolate | shoh-koh-LAH |
| Tu viens · Tu viens ?you're coming · coming? — the melody makes the question | falls at the end — a plain statement rises at the end — same words, now a question |
| C'est bon · C'est bon ?it's good · is it good? | falls — statement rises — question |
| Ça va · Ça va ?I'm fine · you ok? | falls — answer rises — question |
| A | ah |
| B | bé |
| C | cé |
| D | dé |
| E | euh |
| F | effe |
| G | gé |
| H | ache |
| I | i |
| J | ji |
| K | ka |
| L | elle |
| M | emme |
| N | enne |
| O | o |
| P | pé |
| Q | ku |
| R | erre |
| S | esse |
| T | té |
| U | u |
| V | vé |
| W | double vé |
| X | iks |
| Y | i grec |
| Z | zède |
| é | e accent aigu |
| è | e accent grave |
| ê | e accent circonflexe |
| ç | c cédille |
| ë | e tréma |
| hello / good day | bonjour |
| hi (casual) | salut |
| good evening | bonsoir |
| good night (going to bed) | bonne nuit |
| goodbye | au revoir |
| see you soon | à bientôt |
| see you later | à plus tard |
| see you tomorrow | à demain |
| please (formal) | s'il vous plaît |
| please (casual) | s'il te plaît |
| thank you | merci |
| thank you very much | merci beaucoup |
| you're welcome | de rien |
| you're welcome (formal) | je vous en prie |
| excuse me | excusez-moi |
| sorry / pardon | pardon |
| I'm sorry | désolé |
| yes | oui |
| no | non |
| how are you? (formal) | comment allez-vous? |
| how's it going? (casual) | ça va? |
| I'm doing well | ça va bien |
| and you? (formal) | et vous? |
| nice to meet you | enchanté |
| what's your name? (formal) | comment vous appelez-vous? |
| my name is... | je m'appelle... |
| I don't understand | je ne comprends pas |
| do you speak English? | parlez-vous anglais? |
| 0 | zéro |
| 1 | un |
| 2 | deux |
| 3 | trois |
| 4 | quatre |
| 5 | cinq |
| 6 | six |
| 7 | sept |
| 8 | huit |
| 9 | neuf |
| 10 | dix |
| 11 | onze |
| 12 | douze |
| 13 | treize |
| 14 | quatorze |
| 15 | quinze |
| 16 | seize |
| 17 | dix-sept |
| 18 | dix-huit |
| 19 | dix-neuf |
| 20 | vingt |
| 21 | vingt et un |
| 22 | vingt-deux |
| 30 | trente |
| 40 | quarante |
| 50 | cinquante |
| 60 | soixante |
| 70 | soixante-dix |
| 71 | soixante et onze |
| 72 | soixante-douze |
| 80 | quatre-vingts |
| 81 | quatre-vingt-un |
| 90 | quatre-vingt-dix |
| 91 | quatre-vingt-onze |
| 100 | cent |
| 101 | cent un |
| 200 | deux cents |
| 1000 | mille |
| red | rouge |
| blue | bleu |
| green | vert |
| yellow | jaune |
| black | noir |
| white | blanc |
| orange | orange |
| pink | rose |
| purple | violet |
| brown | marron |
| gray | gris |
| light blue | bleu clair |
| dark green | vert foncé |
| What color is it? | De quelle couleur est-ce? |
| Monday | lundi |
| Tuesday | mardi |
| Wednesday | mercredi |
| Thursday | jeudi |
| Friday | vendredi |
| Saturday | samedi |
| Sunday | dimanche |
| January | janvier |
| February | février |
| March | mars |
| April | avril |
| May | mai |
| June | juin |
| July | juillet |
| August | août |
| September | septembre |
| October | octobre |
| November | novembre |
| December | décembre |
| spring | le printemps |
| summer | l'été |
| autumn / fall | l'automne |
| winter | l'hiver |
| today | aujourd'hui |
| tomorrow | demain |
| yesterday | hier |
| to be | être |
| to have | avoir |
| to go | aller |
| to do / to make | faire |
| to say | dire |
| to see | voir |
| to know (a fact) | savoir |
| to know (a person or place) | connaître |
| to want | vouloir |
| to be able to (can) | pouvoir |
| to have to (must) | devoir |
| to come | venir |
| to take | prendre |
| to give | donner |
| to speak | parler |
| to eat | manger |
| to drink | boire |
| to sleep | dormir |
| to understand | comprendre |
| to love / to like | aimer |
| I | je |
| you (casual) | tu |
| he | il |
| she | elle |
| we | nous |
| we (casual — "one") | on |
| you (formal, or plural) | vous |
| they (masculine or mixed) | ils |
| they (feminine) | elles |
| the (before a masculine noun) | le — le chat |
| the (before a feminine noun) | la — la maison |
| the (before a vowel sound) | l' — l'homme |
| the (before a plural noun) | les — les filles |
| a / an (masculine) | un — un lit |
| a / an (feminine) | une — une fille |
| some (plural) | des — des oiseaux |
| some (before a masculine noun) | du — du thé |
| some (before a feminine noun) | de la — de la musique |
| I am | je suis |
| you are (casual) | tu es |
| he is | il est |
| she is | elle est |
| we are | nous sommes |
| you are (formal/plural) | vous êtes |
| they are | ils sont |
| it is / this is | c'est |
| I am happy | je suis heureux |
| it's good | c'est bon |
| it's important | c'est important |
| it's new | c'est nouveau |
| I have (note: je becomes j' before a vowel) | j'ai |
| you have (casual) | tu as |
| he has | il a |
| she has | elle a |
| we have | nous avons |
| you have (formal/plural) | vous avez |
| they have | ils ont |
| I have a cat | j'ai un chat |
| I am cold (French: "I have cold") | j'ai froid |
| I am hungry (French: "I have hunger") | j'ai faim |
| I am thirsty (French: "I have thirst") | j'ai soif |
| I am thirty years old (French: "I have thirty years") | j'ai trente ans |
| big | grand |
| big (describing something feminine) | grande |
| small | petit |
| small (feminine) | petite |
| good | bon |
| bad | mauvais |
| beautiful | beau |
| beautiful (feminine) | belle |
| young | jeune |
| old | vieux |
| new | nouveau |
| sad | triste |
| easy | facile |
| difficult | difficile |
| hot | chaud |
| cold | froid |
| fast | rapide |
| expensive | cher |
| I know | je sais |
| I want | je veux |
| I can | je peux |
| I must | je dois |
| I am going | je vais |
| I see | je vois |
| I take | je prends |
| I understand | je comprends |
| I speak | je parle |
| I eat | je mange |
| I drink | je bois |
| I love / I like | j'aime |
| not (the pattern, wrapped around the verb) | ne ... pas |
| I am not | je ne suis pas |
| I don't have (ne becomes n' before a vowel) | je n'ai pas |
| I don't know | je ne sais pas |
| I don't want | je ne veux pas |
| I can't | je ne peux pas |
| I don't understand | je ne comprends pas |
| it's not good | ce n'est pas bon |
| French (the language) | le français |
| I don't speak French | je ne parle pas français |
| who | qui |
| what | que |
| where | où |
| when | quand |
| why | pourquoi |
| because | parce que |
| how | comment |
| how much / how many | combien |
| which (masculine) | quel |
| which (feminine) | quelle |
| (turns a statement into a question) | est-ce que — Est-ce que tu comprends? |
| to / at / in (a place) | à |
| in / inside | dans |
| on | sur |
| under | sous |
| with | avec |
| without | sans |
| for | pour |
| before | avant |
| after | après |
| in front of | devant |
| behind | derrière |
| next to | à côté de |
| my (masculine) | mon |
| my (feminine) | ma |
| my (plural) | mes |
| my cat | mon chat |
| my house | ma maison |
| your (casual, masculine) | ton |
| your (casual, feminine) | ta |
| his or her (masculine) | son |
| his or her (feminine) | sa |
| our | notre |
| your (formal/plural) | votre |
| their | leur |
| the mother | la mère |
| the father | le père |
| the parents | les parents |
| the sister | la sœur |
| the brother | le frère |
| the daughter | la fille |
| the son | le fils |
| the grandmother | la grand-mère |
| the grandfather | le grand-père |
| the wife | la femme |
| the husband | le mari |
| the family | la famille |
| the child | l'enfant |
| the baby | le bébé |
| the water | l'eau |
| the bread | le pain |
| the cheese | le fromage |
| the milk | le lait |
| the coffee | le café |
| the tea | le thé |
| the wine | le vin |
| the beer | la bière |
| the rice | le riz |
| the egg | l'œuf |
| the meat | la viande |
| the chicken | le poulet |
| the fish | le poisson |
| the vegetable | le légume |
| the fruit | le fruit |
| the apple | la pomme |
| the sugar | le sucre |
| the salt | le sel |
| the lunch | le déjeuner |
| the breakfast (French: "the little lunch") | le petit déjeuner |
| the cat | le chat |
| the dog | le chien |
| the bird | l'oiseau |
| the horse | le cheval |
| the cow | la vache |
| the pig | le cochon |
| the rabbit | le lapin |
| the mouse | la souris |
| the squirrel | l'écureuil |
| the frog | la grenouille |
| the bear | l'ours |
| the fish (the animal) | le poisson |
| the house | la maison |
| the room | la pièce |
| the bedroom | la chambre |
| the kitchen | la cuisine |
| the bathroom | la salle de bains |
| the living room | le salon |
| the door | la porte |
| the window | la fenêtre |
| the table | la table |
| the chair | la chaise |
| the bed | le lit |
| the key | la clé |
| the kettle | la bouilloire |
| the garden | le jardin |
| the stairs | l'escalier |
| the roof | le toit |
| the city | la ville |
| the street | la rue |
| the store | le magasin |
| the bakery | la boulangerie |
| the school | l'école |
| the church | l'église |
| the hospital | l'hôpital |
| the restaurant | le restaurant |
| the hotel | l'hôtel |
| the bank | la banque |
| the market | le marché |
| the park | le parc |
| the train station | la gare |
| the airport | l'aéroport |
| it is ... (weather; French: "it makes ...") | il fait ... |
| the weather is nice | il fait beau |
| it's cold (weather) | il fait froid |
| it's hot (weather) | il fait chaud |
| What's the weather like? | Quel temps fait-il? |
| it's raining | il pleut |
| it's snowing | il neige |
| the sun | le soleil |
| the rain | la pluie |
| the snow | la neige |
| the wind | le vent |
| the hour / the time | l'heure |
| What time is it? | Quelle heure est-il? |
| It's one o'clock | Il est une heure |
| It's two o'clock | Il est deux heures |
| It's half past two | Il est deux heures et demie |
| It's quarter past two | Il est deux heures et quart |
| noon | midi |
| midnight | minuit |
| the morning | le matin |
| the evening | le soir |
| the night | la nuit |
| the minute | la minute |
| The cat is small | Le chat est petit |
| The house is big | La maison est grande |
| The coffee is hot | Le café est chaud |
| I have a dog | J'ai un chien |
| She has a cat | Elle a un chat |
| I'm eating bread | Je mange du pain |
| I'm drinking milk | Je bois du lait |
| I want tea | Je veux du thé |
| I love music | J'aime la musique |
| I see the bird | Je vois l'oiseau |
| We are happy | Nous sommes heureux |
| The bird is in the garden | L'oiseau est dans le jardin |
| The cat is under the table | Le chat est sous la table |
| My brother is young | Mon frère est jeune |
| The bakery is next to the bank | La boulangerie est à côté de la banque |
| I'm going to school | Je vais à l'école |
| I would like ... (polite) | je voudrais ... |
| I'd like a coffee, please | Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît |
| How much is it? | C'est combien? |
| to the (à + le contracts) | au — Je vais au marché |
| I'm going to the market | Je vais au marché |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes? |
| of course | bien sûr |
| maybe | peut-être |
| me too | moi aussi |
| very | très |
| I don't speak French very well | Je ne parle pas très bien français |
| Let's go! | Allons-y! |
| Welcome! | Bienvenue! |