You don’t need much French for a first day in France. You need the right ten phrases, and the habit of starting every exchange with the first one.
The pronunciation below is written for English speakers: read it as if it were English, and stress the syllable in capitals.
| French | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bonjour | bohn-ZHOOR | Hello |
| Bonsoir | bohn-SWAHR | Good evening |
| S’il vous plaît | seel voo PLEH | Please |
| Merci beaucoup | mair-SEE boh-KOO | Thank you very much |
| Excusez-moi | ex-kew-ZAY mwah | Excuse me |
| Parlez-vous anglais ? | par-LAY voo ahn-GLEH | Do you speak English? |
| Je ne parle pas bien français | zhuh nuh parl pah byan frahn-SEH | I don’t speak French well |
| Où sont les toilettes ? | oo sohn lay twah-LET | Where are the toilets? |
| L’addition, s’il vous plaît | lah-dee-SYOHN, seel voo PLEH | The bill, please |
| Au revoir | oh ruh-VWAHR | Goodbye |
The one rule that matters
In France, you say bonjour before anything else: when you walk into a shop, a bakery, a pharmacy, when you get on a bus, when you ask a stranger for directions. Skipping it and going straight to your question sounds abrupt, even rude. Saying it, even with a strong accent, changes the whole conversation.
After 6 or 7 in the evening, switch to bonsoir.
Want the full set? Book 1 of Le Français Essentiel — five lessons for arriving in France — is free.