The Golden Rules of Travel French
Before we get into the phrases themselves, three principles will serve you better than any vocabulary list. First: always begin any interaction with bonjour (or bonsoir in the evening). Without this greeting, any request — however politely phrased — will land awkwardly in France. The greeting is not a formality; it is a signal that you are engaging with another person and not simply transacting with them.
Second: s'il vous plaît (please) and merci (thank you) are not optional extras. Use them consistently. Third: if your French runs out, say so before switching to English. Je suis désolé(e), je ne parle pas très bien français — parlez-vous anglais ? (I'm sorry, I don't speak French very well — do you speak English?) is always better received than simply launching into English without acknowledgement.
The Most Important Phrase in France
Bonjour ! — That's it. Say it when you enter any shop, café, hotel lobby, or office. Say it before asking any question. Say it to anyone you make eye contact with in a service context. It costs nothing and changes everything.
Greetings and Politeness — Salutations et Politesse
| French | English | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Bonjour ! | Hello / Good morning | Any time until early evening — use constantly |
| Bonsoir ! | Good evening | From around 6pm onwards |
| Au revoir ! | Goodbye | Standard farewell — always use it when leaving |
| Merci / Merci beaucoup | Thank you / Thank you very much | After any service or help |
| S'il vous plaît | Please (formal) | With any request — essential |
| De rien / Je vous en prie | You're welcome | Responding to thanks |
| Excusez-moi | Excuse me | Getting attention or passing by someone |
| Pardon | Sorry / Pardon | Minor apology, bumping into someone |
| Je suis désolé(e) | I'm sorry | More sincere apology |
| Avec plaisir ! | With pleasure! | Enthusiastic agreement or acceptance |
Getting Help — Demander de l'Aide
One of the most useful things you can do in any foreign country is know how to ask for help clearly and politely. These phrases cover the full range of help-seeking situations you might encounter.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Excusez-moi, pouvez-vous m'aider ? | Excuse me, can you help me? |
| Parlez-vous anglais ? | Do you speak English? |
| Je ne comprends pas. | I don't understand. |
| Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? | Could you repeat that, please? |
| Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement ? | Could you speak more slowly? |
| Comment dit-on… en français ? | How do you say… in French? |
| Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ? | What does that mean? |
| Je cherche… | I'm looking for… |
| Pouvez-vous écrire ça ? | Could you write that down? |
| Je suis perdu(e). | I'm lost. |
Excusez-moi Madame, je suis un peu perdu. Pouvez-vous m'aider à trouver la rue de Rivoli ?
Excuse me Madam, I'm a bit lost. Could you help me find the rue de Rivoli?
💡 Un peu (a little) softens the admission of being lost and often gets a warmer response.
Directions — Les Directions
Understanding directions given to you is one of the harder aspects of travel French — people often speak quickly and use local landmarks you don't know. Don't hesitate to ask them to slow down or repeat. These are the key words you need to understand when directions are given to you.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| À gauche | To the left |
| À droite | To the right |
| Tout droit | Straight ahead |
| Tournez à gauche | Turn left |
| Tournez à droite | Turn right |
| Au carrefour | At the crossroads / junction |
| Au feu (rouge) | At the (red) traffic light |
| Au coin de la rue | At the street corner |
| En face de | Opposite |
| À côté de | Next to |
| Entre… et… | Between… and… |
| C'est à combien de minutes à pied ? | How many minutes on foot? |
| C'est loin d'ici ? | Is it far from here? |
| Prenez le métro ligne… | Take metro line… |
Numbers, Prices and Money — Les Nombres et l'Argent
You will need numbers constantly in France — for prices, quantities, addresses, times and dates. The key numbers to have solidly memorised are 1–20 (for everyday counting), the tens (30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100), and the tricky French constructions for 70–99.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| C'est combien ? | How much is it? |
| Ça coûte combien ? | How much does it cost? |
| C'est trop cher. | It's too expensive. |
| Avez-vous quelque chose de moins cher ? | Do you have something cheaper? |
| Je voudrais payer par carte. | I would like to pay by card. |
| Vous acceptez les espèces ? | Do you accept cash? |
| Avez-vous de la monnaie ? | Do you have change? |
| Un reçu, s'il vous plaît. | A receipt, please. |
| Y a-t-il un distributeur près d'ici ? | Is there a cash machine nearby? |
Time Expressions — Exprimer le Temps
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Quelle heure est-il ? | What time is it? |
| À quelle heure… ? | At what time… ? |
| maintenant | now |
| bientôt | soon |
| aujourd'hui | today |
| demain | tomorrow |
| hier | yesterday |
| ce matin / cet après-midi / ce soir | this morning / this afternoon / this evening |
| À tout à l'heure ! | See you later! (same day) |
| Le matin / L'après-midi / Le soir | In the morning / afternoon / evening |
| Ouvert / Fermé | Open / Closed |
| Heures d'ouverture | Opening hours |
Shopping Phrases — Faire du Shopping
France is a world-class shopping destination — from the grand department stores of Paris to the local markets found in virtually every town on a specific day of the week. Knowing how to navigate shopping in French will unlock experiences that tourists who stick to English simply miss.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je cherche… | I'm looking for… |
| Avez-vous… ? | Do you have… ? |
| Je voudrais… | I would like… |
| Quelle est votre taille ? | What is your size? |
| Est-ce que je peux essayer ça ? | Can I try this on? |
| Où sont les cabines d'essayage ? | Where are the fitting rooms? |
| Ça me va bien / ça ne me va pas. | It suits me / it doesn't suit me. |
| Je prends ça. | I'll take this. |
| Je regarde seulement, merci. | I'm just looking, thank you. |
| Vous faites les soldes ? | Is there a sale on? |
| C'est un cadeau — pouvez-vous l'emballer ? | It's a gift — can you wrap it? |
— Bonjour Madame, je peux vous aider ?
— Oui bonjour. Je cherche une écharpe pour un cadeau. Vous avez quelque chose en bleu ?
— Bien sûr, voilà notre sélection.
— Oh, celle-ci est très jolie. C'est combien ?
— Trente-cinq euros.
— Je la prends. Vous pouvez l'emballer, s'il vous plaît ?
— Hello Madam, can I help you?
— Yes hello. I'm looking for a scarf as a gift. Do you have something in blue?
— Of course, here is our selection.
— Oh, this one is very pretty. How much is it?
— Thirty-five euros.
— I'll take it. Can you wrap it, please?
At the Post Office and Bank — La Poste et la Banque
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je voudrais envoyer cette lettre / ce colis. | I would like to send this letter / parcel. |
| En recommandé, s'il vous plaît. | Registered post, please. |
| Des timbres pour l'Australie, s'il vous plaît. | Stamps for Australia, please. |
| Je voudrais changer de l'argent. | I would like to change some money. |
| Quel est le taux de change ? | What is the exchange rate? |
| Ma carte bancaire ne fonctionne pas. | My bank card isn't working. |
Feelings and Reactions — Les Réactions
These short, expressive phrases let you respond naturally to situations around you — reacting to good news, bad news, surprises and everyday moments with authentic French expressions.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| C'est magnifique ! | It's magnificent! / It's stunning! |
| C'est délicieux ! | It's delicious! |
| Quelle chance ! | What luck! / How lucky! |
| Dommage ! | What a shame! / Too bad! |
| Pas de problème. | No problem. |
| Ça ne fait rien. | It doesn't matter. |
| C'est incroyable ! | It's incredible! / Unbelievable! |
| Vraiment ? | Really? |
| Bien sûr ! | Of course! |
| Exactement ! | Exactly! |
Useful Survival Phrases
These are the phrases that experienced travellers learn to use instinctively — the ones that smooth over awkward moments, buy thinking time, and signal goodwill even when the language fails you.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je parle un peu français. | I speak a little French. |
| Mon français n'est pas très bon. | My French isn't very good. |
| Je suis anglophone / australien(ne). | I'm English-speaking / Australian. |
| Pouvez-vous m'écrire l'adresse ? | Could you write the address for me? |
| C'est pour combien de personnes ? | Is it for how many people? |
| Y a-t-il un accès WiFi ? | Is there WiFi access? |
| Quel est le mot de passe WiFi ? | What is the WiFi password? |
| Où sont les toilettes ? | Where are the toilets? |
| Il y a un problème. | There is a problem. |
| J'ai besoin d'aide. | I need help. |
Save These Phrases Offline
Download or screenshot this page before your trip so you have these phrases available without internet access. The most important ones to memorise by heart are the greetings, the help-seeking phrases, and the numbers 1–20. Everything else you can look up — but those need to be automatic.