Read an Excerpt
Easy French Phrase Book
Over 700 Phrases for Everyday Use
By Heather McCoy Dover Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 2012 Dover Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-31031-2
CHAPTER 1
Greetings and Everyday Expressions
GREETINGS, INTRODUCTIONS, AND SOCIAL CONVERSATION
One of the ways in which French differs from English is that French uses formal and informal registers of language. These are expressed in the choice of the subject pronoun (vous is formal; tu is informal); the form of the verb; and, sometimes, in the way a question is formed. Always address adults whom you don't know well using the formal form of the verb, and reserve the informal for friends and children. It is interesting to note that Americans have a tendency to be informal in many situations in which the French prefer to interact formally. We've indicated below whenever a given sentence is formal or informal.
You will discover that although the subject pronoun for "we" is nous, the pronoun on frequently is used instead. You can usually tell by the context whether the speaker using on is referring to someone in general, or to the first-personal plural form "we."
You also will note that another difference between French and English is that nouns in French are either masculine or feminine. This has nothing to do with actual gender—say, the inherent masculine nature of le stylo (the pen), so it's better to memorize the gender of a noun rather than try to figure out this system of classification! Another important aspect to remember about the gender of nouns in French is that articles, adjectives, pronouns, and some verbs must agree with nouns in gender and number. We have indicated this below where appropriate by providing both the masculine and feminine forms, with the feminine form indicated either with an "e" in parentheses or given in a separate example. Note that when choosing sentences to describe yourself, you'll want to choose the appropriate form.
1. Good morning. Bonjour.Bohn-zhoor
2. Good evening. Bonsoir.Bohn-swahr
3. Good night. (bedtime) Bonne nuit.Buhn nwee
4. Hello. Bonjour.Bohn-zhoor
5. Hi. Salut.Sah-loo
6. Good-bye. Au revoir.Oh ruh vwahr
7. See you soon. À bientôt.Ah byehn-toh
8. Have a nice day. Bonne journée.Buhn zhoor-nay
9. My name is ... Je m'appelle ... Zhuh ma-pel
10. Allow me to introduce you to ... (most formal)
Permettez-moi de vous présenter ...
Per-meh-tay mwah duh voo pray-zehn-tay
my colleagues. mes collègues.may koll-eg
my friend. (m— mon ami.mohn ah-mee
masculine)
my friend. (f— mon amie.mohn ah-mee
feminine)
11. This is ... (formal) Je vous présente ...
Zhuh voo pray-zehnt
my wife. ma femme.ma fahm
my husband. mon mari.mohn mah-ree
my spouse/partner. mon conjoint.mohn kon-zhwehn
my boyfriend. mon copain.mohn co-pihn
my girlfriend. ma copine.ma co-peen
12. This is ... (informal) Voici ...Vwa-see
my daughter. ma fille.ma fee
my son. mon fils.mohn feese
my child. mon enfant.mohn ehn-fehn
my children. mes enfants.maze ehn-fehn
my brother. mon frére.mohn fraire
my sister. ma sœur.ma suhr
my family. ma famille.ma fa-mee
13. Pleased to meet you.
Enchanté. (if you are male) Enchantée. (if you are female)
Ehn-shehn-tay
14. What line of work are you in? Quelle est votre profession?
Kell ay vote pro-fess-yion
15. I am ... Je suis ... Zhuh swee
a stay-at-home mom. femme au foyer.fahm oh-fwa-yay
a doctor. médecin.made-sihn
a teacher. prof.prohf
a university professor. un(e) universitaire.
uhn / oon oo-nee-vers-uh-tare
a businessman. homme d'affaires.umm dah-fare
a businesswoman. femme d'affaires.fahm dah-fare
an architect. architecte.are-shee-tekt
an engineer. ingénieur.ihn-zhayn-yer
a scientist. un(e) scientifique.uhn / oon see-yehn-tee-feek
16. I am retired. Je suis à la retraite.
Zhuh swee ah la ruh-tret
17. I'm a college student. Je suis étudiant(e).
Zhuh swee zay-too-dyehn Zhuh swee zay-too-dyehnt
18. I'm studying ... J'étudie ... Zhay-too-dee
English. l'anglais.lehn-glay
history. l'histoire.lee-stwahre
French. le français.luh frehn-say
biology. la biologie.la bee-oh-low-zhee
chemistry. la chimie.la shee-mee
engineering. l'ingénierie.lihnzhayn-yoor-ee
19. How are you? (formal) Comment allez-vous?
Kuh-muh tall-ay voo
20. How are you? (informal) Ça va?Sah vah
21. Fine, thanks. And you? Je vais bien, merci. Et vous? (formal) Je vais bien, merci. Et toi? (informal)
Zhuh vay byehn mare-see. Ay voo
Zhuh vay byehn mare-see. Ay twah
22. All right. Ça va.Sah vah
23. Where are you from? (formal) D'où venez-vous?
Doo vuh-nay voo
24. Where are you from? (informal) Tu viens d'où?
Too vyihn doo
25. I am from Boston. Je suis de Boston.
Zhuh swee duh bos-ton
26. I am American.
Je suis américain. (m.) Je suis américaine. (f.)
Zhuh swee za-mary-kihn Zhuh swee za-mary-kenn
27. Are you French?
Vous êtes français? (m.) Vous êtes française? (f.)
Voo zet frehn-say Voo zet frehn-sez
28. What a pleasure to see you.
Quel plaisir de vous voir. (formal and when addressing a group)
Quel plaisir de te voir. (informal)
Kell play-zeer duh voo vwahr Kell play-zeer duh tuh vwahr
29. Come visit us. Venez nous rendre visite.
Vuh-nay noo rand-ruh vee-zeet
30. Can I visit you sometime? (informal)
Je peux te rendre visite un jour?
Zhuh puh tuh rand-ruh vee-zeet uhn zhoor
31. What is your address?
Quelle est votre adresse? (formal)
Quelle est ton adresse? (informal)
Kell ay vote ah-dress Kell ay tone ah-dress
32. What is your phone number?
Quel est votre numéro de téléphone? (formal)
Quel est ton numéro de téléphone? (informal)
Kell ay vote noo-mare-oh duh tay-lay-phone
Kell ay tone noo-mare-oh duh tay-lay-phone
33. What is your email address?
Quelle est votre adresse courriel? (formal)
Quelle est ton adresse courriel? (informal)
Kell ay vote ah-dress koo-ree-ehl
Kell ay tone ah-dress koo-ree-ehl
34. Here is my address. Voici mon adresse.
Vwa-see mohn ah-dress
35. Here is my cellphone number.
Voici mon numéro de portable.
Vwa-see mohn noo-mare-oh duh por-tahble
36. Here is my website address.
Voici l'adresse de mon site Internet.
Vwa-see lah-dress duh mohn seet In-tare-net
37. May I see you again? Puis-je vous revoir?
Pwee-zhuh voo ruh-vwahr
MAKING YOURSELF UNDERSTOOD
When approaching a stranger to ask a question, remember to show politeness by starting with "Excusez-moi, Madame" when addressing a woman and "Excusez-moi, Monsieur" when addressing a man.
38. Do you speak English?
Vous parlez anglais? (formal)
Tu parles anglais? (informal)
Voo pah-lay ehn-glay Too pahl ehn-glay
39. Does anyone here speak English?
Il y a quelqu'un qui parle anglais ici?
Eel ya kell-kuhn kee pahl ehn-glay ee-see
40. I speak a little French. Je parle un peu français.
Zhuh pahl uhn puh frehn-say
41. I speak only English. Je ne parle que l'anglais.
Zhuh nuh pahl kuh lehn-glay
42. I don't speak French well. Je ne parle pas bien français.
Zhuh nuh pahl pah byehn frehn-say
43. Can you translate this word? Pouvez-vous traduire ce mot?
Poo-vay voo trah-dweer suh moh
44. Do you understand? Vous comprenez?Voo com-pren-ay
45. I understand. Je comprends.Zhuh kom-prehn
46. I don't understand. Je ne comprends pas.
Zhuh nuh kom-prehn pah
47. Say it again, please. Répétez, s'il vous plaît.
Ray-pay-tay see voo play
48. Speak more slowly, please.
Parlez moins vite, s'il vous plaît.
Pah-lay mwehn veet see voo play
49. Write it down, please. Pouvez-vous l'écrire, s'il vous plaît?
Poo-vay voo lay-kreer see voo play
50. How do you say "dog" in French?
Comment dit-on "dog" en français?
Kuh-muh dee-ton dog ehn frehn-say
51. What does this mean in English?
Que veut dire cela en anglais?
Kuh vuh deer suh-lah ehn ehn-glay
USEFUL WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS
52. Yes. Oui.Wee
53. No. Non.Noh
54. Maybe. Peut-être.Puh tet-ruh
55. Please. S'il vous plaît. (formal) S'il te plaît. (informal)
See voo play Seel tuh play
56. Thanks (a lot). Merci (beaucoup).Mare-see (boh-koo)
57. You're welcome. (formal) Je vous en prie.
Zhuh voo zehn pree
58. You're welcome. (informal) De rien.Duh ree-ehn
59. Pardon? Pardon?Par-duhn
60. Excuse me! (to get someone's attention) Excusez-moi!
Ecks-kyoo-zay mwah
61. Can I help you? Je peux vous aider?
Zhuh poo vooz ay-day
62. Please come in. Entrez, s'il vous plaît. (formal) Entre, s'il te plaît. (informal)
Ehn-tray see voo play Ehn-tray seel tuh play
63. Come here.
Venez, s'il vous plaît. (formal) Viens, s'il te plaît. (informal)
Vuh-nay see voo play Vyihn seel tuh play
64. I am in a hurry. Je suis pressé. (m.) Je suis pressée. (f.)
Zhuh swee press-say Zhuh swee press-say
65. I am late. Je suis en retard.Zhuh swee ehn ruh-tar
66. I am hungry. J'ai faim.Zhay fihm
67. I am thirsty. J'ai soif.Zhay swahf
68. I am tired. Je suis fatigué. (m.) Je suis fatiguée. (f.)
Zhuh swee fah-tee-gay Zhuh swee fah-tee-gay
69. What's wrong? Qu'est-qu'il y a?Kess keel yah
70. It's ok. Ça va.Sah vah
71. I know. Je sais.Zhuh say
72. I don't know. Je ne sais pas.Zhuh nuh say pah
73. It doesn't matter. Ça ne fait rien.Sah nuh fay ree-ehn
74. It's not serious. C'est pas grave.Say pah grahv
75. Can you help me? Vous pouvez m'aider?
Voo poo-vay may-day
76. Where is the restroom? Où sont les toilettes?
Oo sone lay twah-let
77. Leave me alone! Laissez-moi tranquille!
Lay-say mwah tran-kee
78. I am looking for ... Je cherche ...Zhuh share-sh
my hotel. mon hôtel.mohn oh-tell
the train station. la gare.lah gahr
a restaurant. un restaurant.uhn ress-toh-rehn
a bank. une banque.oon behn-kuh
79. Who? Qui?Kee
80. What? Quoi?Kwah
81. Why? Pourquoi?Por-kwah
82. Where? Où?Oo
83. When? Quand?Kehn
84. How much? Combien?Kum-byehn
85. How long/much time? Combien de temps?Kum-byehn duh tehn
86. To. À.Ah
87. From. De.Duh
88. With. Avec.Ah-vek
89. Without. Sans.Sehn
90. In. Dans.Dehn
91. On. Sur.Soor
92. Near. Près de.Pray duh
93. Far. Loin de.Lwehn duh
94. In front of. Devant.Duh-vehn
95. Behind. Derrière.Dare-ee-air
96. Next to. À côté de.Ah koh-tay duh
97. Outside. À l'extérieur.Ah lecks-tare-ee-er
98. Inside. À l'intérieur.Ah lehn-tare-ee-er
99. Empty. Vide.Veed
100. Full. Plein. (m.) Pleine. (f.)Plihn Plen
101. Something. Quelque chose.Kell-kuh shows
102. Nothing. Rien.Ree-ehn
103. Several. Plusieurs.Ploo-zyer
104. (Much) more. (Beaucoup) plus.(Boh-koo) ploos
105. Less. Moins.Mwehn
106. (A little) more. (Un peu) plus.(Uhn puh) ploos
107. Enough. Assez.ah-say
108. Too much. Trop.Troh
109. Look out! Attention!Ah-tehn-syion
110. Listen! Écoutez!Ay-koo-tay
DESCRIBING YOURSELF AND OTHERS
111. What does he look like? Comment est-il?Kuh-muh et eel
112. Can you describe him/her? Pouvez-vous le / la décrire?
Poo-vay-voo luh / lah day-kreer
113. He is young / old. Il est jeune / vieux.
Eel ay zhuhn / vee-yuh
114. She is (quite) young / old. Elle est (très) jeune / vielle.
Ell ay (tray) zhun / vee-yay
115. He has ... eyes. Il a les yeux ... Eel ah lays yuh ...
blue. bleus.bluh
green. verts.vair
brown. marron.mah-ruhn
hazel. noisette.nwah-zet
gray. gris.gree
116. She has ... hair. Elle a les cheveux ...
Ell ah lay shuh-vuh ...
brown. bruns.bruhn
gray. gris.gree
blond. blonds.blohn
red. roux.roo
117. He has ... hair. Il a des cheveux ...
Eel ah day shuh-vuh
short. courts.koor
long. longs.lohn
straight. raides.red
curly. bouclés.boo-klay
118. He's bald. Il est chauve.Eel ay shoh-vuh
119. He has a beard and a mustache.
Il porte une barbe et une moustache.
Eel port oon barb ay oon moo-stash
120. I am ... Je suis ...Zhuh swee ...
tall. grand(e).grehn / grehn-duh short. petit (e).puh-tee / puh-teet (very) thin. (très) mince.(tray) mihnse (not very) fat. (pas très) gros(se).(pah tray) grow /gross
DIFFICULTIES
121. I cannot find my hotel address.
Je ne peux pas trouver l'adresse de mon hôtel.
Zhuh nuh puh pah troo-vay lah-dress duh mohn oh-tell
122. Can you help me? Vous pouvez m'aider?
Voo poo-vay may-day
123. Help! (in case of an emergency) Au secours!
Oh suh-koor
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Easy French Phrase Book by Heather McCoy. Copyright © 2012 Dover Publications, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Dover Publications, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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