French (Français)

French is a Romance language spoken by more than 300 million people, from Paris to Dakar to Montreal. It is a working language of diplomacy, the historic language of cuisine and the arts, and the second most studied language in the world. The phrases below use standard modern French and will serve you anywhere from a Paris cafe to a market in Marrakech.

At a glance

Speakers: More than 300 million speakers on five continents
Where it is spoken: France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, and much of West and Central Africa

30 essential phrases

Core vocabulary

Greetings

Food

Travel

Numbers

Pronunciation tips

1. The French R is made in the back of the throat, like a soft gargle. Practice with 'rouge' and 'rue' until it feels natural.
2. Nasal vowels (an, en, on, un) are single sounds made through the nose: 'enfant', 'bon', 'vin'. Do not pronounce the N itself.
3. Final consonants are usually silent: 'Paris' sounds like 'pa-ree'. The consonants in CaReFuL (C, R, F, L) are the common exceptions.
4. The U sound, as in 'tu', does not exist in English. Round your lips as if to say 'oo' but say 'ee' instead.
5. Stress is gentle and falls on the last syllable: bon-JOUR, mer-CI. Every syllable gets roughly equal weight.