Hello and goodbye
The first words of any conversation.
Free · with audio
Basic French phrases
Bonjour, merci, je ne comprends pas — 55 phrases to take to France tomorrow: with translation, audio and a note on when to use tu and when vous.
- 55 phrases
- 7 topics
- Audio
- Days, months, colours
- Quiz
Phrases by topic
Tap a phrase to hear it, or the speaker next to a topic to hear them all. “Formal” and “informal” mark the pairs where it matters.
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Being polite
Thank you, please, excuse me — you can’t do without them.
Getting to know people
How are you, what’s your name, where are you from.
When you don’t understand
Asking someone to repeat, to slow down or to switch to English.
Around town and travelling
Asking the way, buying a ticket, finding the toilet.
In a café or a shop
Ordering, asking the price, paying.
If you need help
Phrases worth knowing before you need them.
Tu or vous: informal or formal
The French use vous with strangers, older people and in formal situations, and tu with friends, family and children. If in doubt, say vous: it’s always polite.
How are you? · How’s it going?
Please — formal and informal
Days, months and colours
Where both adults and children start. Tap to listen.
Days of the week
Months
Colours
How to learn the phrases faster
- Listen and repeat aloud: French pronunciation is very different from its spelling.
- Start with Bonjour, Merci, S’il vous plaît and Au revoir — in France even a shop conversation starts with a greeting.
- Learn whole phrases, not single words: “Je voudrais…” starts any order.
- Some words change when a woman speaks: Enchantée, Je suis désolée, Je suis perdue.
Test yourself
Ten phrases a round: understand them by ear, or remember how to say them.
FAQ
Didn’t find your answer? Send us a request — we’ll tell you everything.
How do you say hello in French?
Bonjour — “good day”, fine from morning to evening and in any situation. In the evening, say Bonsoir. Salut is an informal “hi” for friends.
How do you say thank you in French?
Merci — “thank you”, Merci beaucoup — “thank you very much”. The answer is De rien — “you’re welcome”.
How do you say please in French?
S’il vous plaît (formal) or S’il te plaît (informal). The answer to “thank you” is De rien.
How do you say goodbye in French?
Au revoir — “goodbye”, À bientôt — “see you soon”, À demain — “see you tomorrow”, Bonne journée — “have a nice day”. Friends also say Salut when they leave.
What’s next
Grammar for this topic
Rules in plain words — with tables, examples and a quiz in every topic.
Articles: le, un, du
Definite, indefinite and partitive articles — and when they all become de.
Level A1–A2The présent tense
Je parle, nous finissons, vous faites — the endings of the three verb groups and the key irregulars.
Level A1Negation: ne… pas
Ne… pas, jamais, rien, personne — where they go and how people really say it.
Level A1–A2Reflexive verbs: se lever
Je me lève, tu t’appelles, elle s’est levée — the pronouns me, te, se and the passé composé with être.
Level A1–A2
Next step
Keep learning with a mini-course
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