Planning a trip to Paris, France and don’t know much about French? In this blog post, I cover 15 essential French phrases to help you for your next Paris trip.
Table of Contents
15 Essential French phrases for a Paris trip
You don’t need to speak fluent French to visit France. Although You may not be familiar with the language, knowing these 15 essential french phrases will hep you in Paris and give you some of the basics that you need to know.
1.Bonjour Monsieur or Madame
It means “good morning sir or miss”. It is one of the most important phrases to help you in Paris. Everywhere you go, it is customs to greet people by saying bonjour. It is a sign of good manner. Before to ask for any type of information, you have to greet people by saying it. It is simply how it goes. Kindly note that in France, we use the same word “Madame” for single and married women.
2. Merci
It means “thank you”. Regardless of where you are from in the world, saying thank you is just proper etiquette.
3.Quel heure est-il s’il vous plaît?
This phrase simply means what time it is please.
4.L’addition s’il vous plait
Check please!
5.Où se trouve la gare/métro
Where is the train station/ metro?
6.Combien ça côute s’il vous plaît?
How much does this cost please? Helpful if you are buying train tickets or ordering something at an eatery or shopping this comes in really handy.
7.Parlez-vous anglais?
Do you speak English? Feel free to replace anglais (English) with any languages that you are fluent in. For example, you can say, “
- Parlez-vous Italien (Italian)
- Parlez-vous Chinois (Chinese)
You get my point.
8.Je suis malade and j’ai besoin de voir un medecin
It means, “I am sick and I need to see a doctor”. This can be really helpful if you need medical attention right away.
9. Une table pour 2 s’il vous plaît!
A table for 2 please! Feel free to add any number if you are more than 2. If you are alone, simply say,
“Une table pour une personne s’il vous plaît!”
10. J’aimerais commander s’il vous plaît
I would like to order please.
11. S’il vous plait!
S’il vous plaît simply means “Please”. We expect people to say please especially when it is someone that we aren’t familiar with. It is proper etiquette in France to say it when you meet a stranger. Don’t be surprise if you get some dirty looks if you don’t say it.
12. Je m’appelle
It means, “my name is” to introduce yourself to people.
13. Comment t’appelles-tu?
What is your name? When addressing someone that you are familiar with you address them by using the you non formal which is “tu“.
14.Comment vous appelez-vous?
What is your name? When addressing someone that you aren’t familiar with, you have to use the you formal which is “vous“.
15.Pouvez-vous répéter ce que vous venez de dire?
Can you please repeat what you just said?
At one point, you will need something to be repeated to you because you will not fully understand what is being said.
Interested in knowing more about the Parisian lifestyle? Check out these These blog posts.
Conclusion
Mastering these 15 essential French phrases will significantly enhance your Parisian adventure, allowing you to connect more deeply with the local culture and navigate the city with greater ease. Whether you’re ordering a delicious pastry at a café, asking for directions to the Louvre Museum or simply exchanging pleasantries with locals, these phrases can come in handy. They will make your experience more enjoyable. Bon voyage and remember to practice, practice and practice your French. If you would like to add something else to this post, feel free to leave me a comment. You may also share that info with someone who needs to see this. Sign up for my newsletter below to stay up to date.
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