30 Essential French Phrases for Your First Trip to Paris
A few words of French go a long way in Paris. A bonjour as you walk into a shop and a merci as you leave are expected, and they set the tone for everything in between.
French writes many letters it does not say, above all at the ends of words, and some of its vowels go through the nose; the guide marks them. Each phrase below has a guide to saying it and its meaning. Every word in these 30 phrases is taught in the course, so this page is a first taste of what you'll learn. Press a voice to hear it. French stresses the last syllable of a phrase lightly, so the guide marks no stress.
1bonjourboh(n)-zhoor, hello
Say it on walking into a shop or a café, and before any question to a stranger. In the evening, switch to bonsoir.
Bonjour, un café, s’il vous plaît.
boh(n)-zhoor, uh(n) kah-fay, seel voo pleh.
Hello, one coffee, please.
2au revoiroh ruh-vwahr, goodbye
Said on leaving a shop as well as to people you know. Bonne journée, have a good day, often follows.
Au revoir, bonne journée !
oh ruh-vwahr, bun zhoor-nay!
Goodbye, have a nice day!
3mercimair-see, thank you
Merci beaucoup is thank you very much. Non, merci turns down an offer politely.
Merci, c’était délicieux.
mair-see, say-teh day-lee-syuh.
Thank you, it was delicious.
4toilettestwah-let, toilet
Always plural: où sont les toilettes ? Signs often say WC. Paris has free self-cleaning street toilets, the sanisettes.
Où sont les toilettes ?
oo soh(n) lay twah-let?
Where are the toilets?
5ouiwee, yes
Said like English we. Oui, merci is yes, thank you.
Oui, je voudrais de l’eau, merci.
wee, zhuh voo-dreh duh loh, mair-see.
Yes, I'd like water, thanks.
6nonnoh(n), no
The vowel goes through the nose, with no full n at the end. Non, merci declines politely.
Non, merci, ça va.
noh(n), mair-see, sah vah.
No, thank you, I'm fine.
7au secoursoh suh-koor, help
The cry for urgent help. For an everyday request, pouvez-vous m’aider ?, can you help me, is the polite form.
Au secours ! Que quelqu’un m’aide !
oh suh-koor! kuh kel-kuh(n) mehd!
Help! Somebody help me!
8s'il vous plaîtseel voo pleh, please
Add it to any request: de l’eau, s’il vous plaît, water, please. S’il te plaît is the form for a friend or a child.
Apportez-nous la carte, s’il vous plaît.
ah-por-tay noo lah kart, seel voo pleh.
Bring us the menu, please.
9pardonpar-doh(n), sorry
For a small bump or mishap, and to get past someone in a crowd. Pardon ? with a rising voice asks someone to repeat.
Pardon, je suis en retard.
par-doh(n), zhuh swee zah(n) ruh-tar.
Sorry, I'm late.
10excusez-moiex-kew-zay mwah, excuse me
The polite way to get someone's attention before a question: excusez-moi, où est la gare ?
Excusez-moi, je peux passer ?
ex-kew-zay mwah, zhuh puh pah-say?
Excuse me, may I get past?
11oùoo, where
Où est… ? asks where a place is. The accent tells it apart from ou, or.
Où est-ce qu’il y a une pharmacie ?
oo ess keel yah ewn far-mah-see?
Where is there a pharmacy?
12comprendrekoh(n)-prah(n)dr, understand
The verb to understand. Je ne comprends pas, I don't understand, is the form to have ready.
Oui, je comprends.
wee, zhuh koh(n)-prah(n).
Yes, I understand.
13lentementlah(n)t-mah(n), slowly
Plus lentement, s’il vous plaît asks for a slower pace.
Parlez lentement, s’il vous plaît.
par-lay lah(n)t-mah(n), seel voo pleh.
Please speak slowly.
14de rienduh rya(n), you're welcome
The everyday reply to merci. Je vous en prie is more formal.
De rien, avec plaisir !
duh rya(n), ah-vek pleh-zeer!
You're welcome, my pleasure!
15combienkoh(n)-bya(n), how much
C’est combien ? or combien ça coûte ? asks the price.
C’est combien ?
seh koh(n)-bya(n)?
How much is it?
16additionah-dee-syoh(n), bill
L’addition, s’il vous plaît asks for the bill in a café or restaurant. A shop gives you a ticket or reçu, a receipt.
L’addition, s’il vous plaît.
lah-dee-syoh(n), seel voo pleh.
The bill, please.
17pharmaciefar-mah-see, pharmacy
Look for the green cross. The pharmacie de garde is the one open at night or on Sunday; a closed pharmacy usually posts the address of the one on duty.
Il y a une pharmacie près d’ici ?
eel yah ewn far-mah-see preh dee-see?
Is there a pharmacy near here?
18eauoh, water
Une carafe d’eau is free tap water at a restaurant. Still bottled water is eau plate, sparkling is eau gazeuse.
Une eau plate, s’il vous plaît.
ewn oh plaht, seel voo pleh.
A still water, please.
19bonjourboh(n)-zhoor, good morning
The same bonjour as phrase 1: French has no separate morning greeting, and bonjour lasts until evening.
Bonjour, il fait beau aujourd’hui.
boh(n)-zhoor, eel feh boh oh-zhoor-dwee.
Good morning, the weather is lovely today.
20allergieah-lair-zhee, allergy
J’ai une allergie au lait is I have a milk allergy. The adjective is allergique: je suis allergique, I'm allergic.
J’ai une allergie au lait.
zhay ewn ah-lair-zhee oh leh.
I'm allergic to milk.
21carte bancairekart bah(n)-kair, bank card
Je peux payer par carte bancaire ? asks to pay by card; in a shop par carte alone is enough. Cards are taken almost everywhere, though some small shops set a minimum amount.
Je peux payer par carte bancaire ?
zhuh puh peh-yay par kart bah(n)-kair?
Can I pay by card?
22tabletahbl, table
Une table pour deux, s’il vous plaît gets you seated. Swap deux for trois or quatre as needed.
Une table pour deux, s’il vous plaît.
ewn tahbl poor duh, seel voo pleh.
A table for two, please.
23métromay-troh, metro
Où est le métro ? finds the nearest station. Où is phrase 11; put excusez-moi, phrase 10, in front when you stop someone in the street.
Où est le métro ?
oo eh luh may-troh?
Where is the metro?
24billetbee-yeh, ticket
Un billet, s’il vous plaît at the ticket window. Billet covers metro, train and theatre tickets. The double l here is said like y.
Un billet, s’il vous plaît.
uh(n) bee-yeh, seel voo pleh.
One ticket, please.
25aidereh-day, help
The verb to help. Pouvez-vous m’aider ? is the polite request; start with excusez-moi, phrase 10, to stop a passer-by. Au secours, phrase 7, is only for emergencies.
Pouvez-vous m’aider ?
poo-vay voo meh-day?
Can you help me?
26encoreah(n)-kor, again
Encore une fois is once more, a polite way to ask someone to repeat. A quick pardon ? with a rising voice works too.
Vous pourriez le dire encore une fois ?
voo poo-ryay luh deer ah(n)-kor ewn fwah?
Could you say that again?
27s'arrêtersah-reh-tay, stop
Arrêtez-vous ici, s’il vous plaît tells a taxi driver where to drop you. Ici is here, là is there.
Arrêtez-vous ici, s’il vous plaît.
ah-reh-tay voo ee-see, seel voo pleh.
Stop here, please.
28ambulanceah(n)-bew-lah(n)ss, ambulance
Appelez une ambulance ! In France, 15 is the medical emergency number; 112 works across the EU.
Appelez une ambulance !
ah-play ewn ah(n)-bew-lah(n)ss!
Call an ambulance!
29délicieuxday-lee-syuh, delicious
Say c’est délicieux ! to the waiter or your host. After the meal, c’était délicieux, it was delicious.
C’est délicieux !
seh day-lee-syuh!
It's delicious!
30épicéay-pee-say, spicy
Je le voudrais très épicé asks for heat. French food is rarely hot, so dishes come mild unless you ask. Pas épicé asks for no spice.
Je le voudrais très épicé.
zhuh luh voo-dreh treh ay-pee-say.
I would like it very spicy.
Keep them for the trip
A few minutes a day. Each phrase comes back just before you would forget it, with the rest of the words a traveller needs.
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