French Phrasebook
Basics & Pronunciation
French sounds fluent and melodic — but the pronunciation differs greatly from the written form. A few basic rules help enormously:
Pronunciation Rules
- Final letters are usually not pronounced: "Paris" = Pa-ri (not "Paris"), "petit" = pö-ti, "beaucoup" = bo-ku. Exception: c, r, f, l (mnemonic: "CaReFuL")
- -tion = -sjõ (as in "Nation" = na-sjõ)
- -oi = wa (trois = trwa, croissant = krwa-ssã)
- -eau / -au = o (château = scha-to, beau = bo)
- -ou = u (tout = tu, beaucoup = bo-ku)
- -u = ü (rue = rü, menu = mö-nü)
- -in / -ain / -ein = ä̃ (nasal ä, vin = wä̃, pain = pä̃)
- -on = õ (nasal o, bon = bõ, bonjour = bõ-schur)
- -an / -en = ã (nasal a, France = Frãss, vent = wã)
- -gn = nj (like ñ, champagne = schã-panj)
- r = rolled/grated in the throat (not at the front like in German)
- j = voiced sh (jour = schur, je = schö)
Liaison
In French, words are often spoken together: "les enfants" becomes "le-sã-fã," "un ami" becomes "ö-na-mi." This makes it initially difficult to recognize individual words in spoken French — don't worry, it comes with practice.
Tipp
Even if you don't speak a word of French: at least memorize "Bonjour," "Merci," "S'il vous plaît," and "Excusez-moi." These four words dramatically change the reaction of the French — from an annoyed look to a friendly smile.
Greetings & Politeness
"Bonjour" is the most important word in France. It's not just a greeting — it's a social contract. Forgetting it means you've already lost.
Basic Greeting
| German | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Good day | Bonjour | bõ-schur |
| Good evening | Bonsoir | bõ-swar |
| Goodbye | Au revoir | o-rö-wwar |
| Bye (informal) | Salut | sa-lü |
| Good night | Bonne nuit | bon-nüi |
| How are you? | Comment allez-vous ? | ko-mã-ta-le-wu |
| Good, thank you | Bien, merci | bjä̃, mär-ssi |
| And you? | Et vous ? | e wu |
Politeness
| German | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Please | S'il vous plaît | ssil-wu-plä |
| Thank you | Merci | mär-ssi |
| Thank you very much | Merci beaucoup | mär-ssi bo-ku |
| You're welcome (as a response) | De rien / Je vous en prie | dö-rjä̃ / schö-wu-sã-pri |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moi / Pardon | äk-skü-se-mwa / par-dõ |
| I'm sorry | Je suis désolé(e) | schö-süi-de-so-le |
| Mr. / Mrs. | Monsieur / Madame | mö-sjö / ma-dam |
| Yes / No | Oui / Non | wi / nõ |
Golden Rule: Start EVERY conversation with "Bonjour, Monsieur/Madame". In the shop, in the restaurant, at the doctor's, in the hotel, in the taxi — always. Those who jump straight to their request are perceived as rude and receive correspondingly poorer service.
Achtung
The most common mistake made by German-speaking tourists: Entering a shop and immediately asking "Do you have...?" or "How much does... cost?" — without a prior Bonjour. This is a real faux pas in France. Greet first, then speak.
In the Restaurant
Seating & Ordering
| German | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A table for two, please | Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît | ün tabl pur dö, ssil-wu-plä |
| The menu, please | La carte, s'il vous plaît | la kart, ssil-wu-plä |
| What do you recommend? | Qu'est-ce que vous conseillez ? | käss-kö-wu-kõ-ssä-je |
| The daily menu, please | Le menu du jour, s'il vous plaît | lö mö-nü dü schur |
| I would like... | Je voudrais... | schö wu-drä |
| Another glass of wine, please | Encore un verre de vin, s'il vous plaît | ã-kor ä̃ wär dö wä̃ |
| Cheers! | Santé ! | ssã-te |
| It was delicious | C'était délicieux | sse-tä de-li-sjö |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaît | la-di-sjõ, ssil-wu-plä |
Important Vocabulary
| German | French |
|---|---|
| Starter | Entrée |
| Main course | Plat principal |
| Dessert | Dessert |
| Cheese platter | Plateau de fromages |
| Water (Tap water!) | Une carafe d'eau |
| Mineral water with/without gas | Eau gazeuse / eau plate |
| Red wine / White wine / Rosé | Vin rouge / vin blanc / rosé |
| Draught beer | Une pression / un demi |
| Coffee (Espresso) | Un café |
| Milk coffee | Un café crème / un crème |
| I'm a vegetarian | Je suis végétarien(ne) |
| I have an allergy to... | J'ai une allergie à... |
| Gluten-free | Sans gluten |
Tipp
Always order tap water as "une carafe d'eau" — it's free and completely normal. If you just say "de l'eau," the waiter will bring expensive mineral water.
Shopping
In the Shop
| German | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I'm just looking | Je regarde, merci | schö rö-gard, mär-ssi |
| How much does this cost? | C'est combien ? / Quel est le prix ? | sse kõ-bjä̃ / käl-ä lö pri |
| Do you have this in another size? | Vous l'avez en une autre taille ? | wu la-we ã-ün-otr taj |
| Can I try this on? | Je peux l'essayer ? | schö pö lä-ssä-je |
| Where is the checkout? | Où est la caisse ? | u-ä la käss |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ? | schö pö pä-je par kart |
| A bag, please | Un sac, s'il vous plaît | ä̃ ssak, ssil-wu-plä |
| Too expensive | C'est trop cher | sse tro schär |
| I'll take it | Je le prends | schö lö prã |
At the Market
| German | French |
|---|---|
| A kilo of tomatoes, please | Un kilo de tomates, s'il vous plaît |
| A piece (of cheese/cake) | Un morceau |
| A slice (of ham) | Une tranche |
| This is for tonight | C'est pour ce soir |
| What is this? | Qu'est-ce que c'est ? |
| Can I try? | Je peux goûter ? |
| That's all | C'est tout |
On the Go
Orientation
| German | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where is...? | Où est... ? | u-ä |
| How do I get to...? | Comment aller à... ? | ko-mã-ta-le a |
| Left / Right / Straight ahead | À gauche / À droite / Tout droit | a gosch / a drwat / tu drwa |
| Near / Far | Près / Loin | prä / lwä̃ |
| Train station | La gare | la gar |
| Subway station | La station de métro | la sta-sjõ dö me-tro |
| Bus stop | L'arrêt de bus | la-rä dö büss |
| Airport | L'aéroport | la-e-ro-por |
| Pharmacy | La pharmacie | la far-ma-ssi |
| Hospital | L'hôpital | lo-pi-tal |
| Toilet | Les toilettes | le twa-lät |
Transportation
| German | French |
|---|---|
| A ticket to..., please | Un billet pour..., s'il vous plaît |
| Round trip | Aller-retour |
| One way | Aller simple |
| When does the next train to... leave? | Le prochain train pour... part à quelle heure ? |
| From which platform? | De quel quai ? |
| Is this seat free? | Cette place est libre ? |
| I would like to get off here | Je voudrais descendre ici |
Emergencies
| German | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | Au secours ! | o sö-kur |
| Call the police! | Appelez la police ! | a-pö-le la po-liss |
| Call an ambulance! | Appelez une ambulance ! | a-pö-le ün ã-bü-lãss |
| I need a doctor | J'ai besoin d'un médecin | sche bö-swä̃ dä̃ med-ssä̃ |
| I'm sick | Je suis malade | schö süi ma-lad |
| I'm in pain | J'ai mal | sche mal |
| I have a fever | J'ai de la fièvre | sche dö la fjävr |
| I've been robbed | On m'a volé | õ ma wo-le |
| I've lost my passport | J'ai perdu mon passeport | sche pär-dü mõ pass-por |
| Where is the nearest pharmacy? | Où est la pharmacie la plus proche ? | u-ä la far-ma-ssi la plü prosch |
| I'm allergic to... | Je suis allergique à... | schö süi a-lär-schik a |
| Fire! | Au feu ! | o fö |
Useful Phrases
Communication
| German | French |
|---|---|
| Do you speak German/English? | Parlez-vous allemand / anglais ? |
| I don't speak French | Je ne parle pas français |
| I speak a little French | Je parle un peu français |
| Can you repeat that, please? | Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? |
| Slower, please | Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît |
| I don't understand | Je ne comprends pas |
| Can you write that down? | Pouvez-vous l'écrire ? |
| What does that mean? | Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ? |
Numbers
| Number | French | Number | French |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | zéro | 10 | dix |
| 1 | un/une | 20 | vingt |
| 2 | deux | 30 | trente |
| 3 | trois | 40 | quarante |
| 4 | quatre | 50 | cinquante |
| 5 | cinq | 60 | soixante |
| 6 | six | 70 | soixante-dix |
| 7 | sept | 80 | quatre-vingts |
| 8 | huit | 90 | quatre-vingt-dix |
| 9 | neuf | 100 | cent |
Everyday Phrases
| German | French |
|---|---|
| No problem | Pas de problème |
| Alright / Agreed | D'accord |
| Of course | Bien sûr |
| Maybe | Peut-être |
| Today / Tomorrow / Yesterday | Aujourd'hui / Demain / Hier |
| It's nice here | C'est beau ici |
| I love France | J'adore la France |
| Have a nice day! | Bonne journée ! |
| Have a nice evening! | Bonne soirée ! |
| Have a good trip! | Bon voyage ! |
Pro Tip: The numbers 70, 80, and 90 are notorious in French: 70 = soixante-dix (60+10), 80 = quatre-vingts (4×20), 90 = quatre-vingt-dix (4×20+10). In Belgium and Switzerland, people simply say "septante," "huitante"/"octante," and "nonante" — but in France, you'll at best get a chuckle with that.
War dieses Kapitel hilfreich?
