ENGLISH

FRENCH

PRONUNCIATION

Hello Mrs./Mr./Miss (1)

Bonjour

Boh(n)-zhoor mah-dahme/ muh-syuhr/

Madame/Monsieur/Mademoiselle

mah-dah-mwa-sell

Bonsoir

Boh(n) swarh

Salut

Sah-loo

Excuse me (2)

Pardon

Par-doh(n)

Excuse me

Excusez-moi

Please

S'il vous plat

Seal voo play

Merci.

Mare-see.

Good evening
Hi (informal)

Thank you.
. . . very much.

. . . beaucoup.

Ex-kyou-say mwa

. . . bow-coo.

You're welcome

Je vous en prie

Zhuh vooz ahn pree

Youre welcome (idiom)

Du rien

Deu ree-eh(n)

Do you speak English?

Parlez-vous anglais ?

Par - lay vooz ah(n)-glay?

I speak a little French

Je parle un peu franais

Zhuh parl uhn peh frahn-say

I'm here on vacation

Je suis l pour les vacances

Zhuh swee lah poor vac-kahwnse

... for work

... pour le travail

... poor trav-eye

I don't understand

Je ne comprends pas

Zhuh nuh comp-rond pah

Please speak slowly

Parlez lentement, s'il vous plat

Par-lay lawn-teh-mont, seal voo play

How do you say ____ in French?

Comment dit-on ____ en franais?

Come-ahn deet-on ____ ahn frahnsay?

Yes

Oui

Wee

Yeah (informal)

Ouais

Way

No

Non

No

Where are the restrooms?

O sont les toilettes?

Oo soh(n) lay twa-let?

O est _____ ?

Oo ay _____ ?

... l'htel?

... low-tell?

... l'hpital?

... low-pea-tahl?

...la plage?

... lah plah-sheh?

... l'aroport?

... lare-oh-pour?

... la banque?

... lah bahn-kh

Where is ______?
... the hotel?
... the hospital?
... the beach?
... the airport?
... the bank?

Sorry to bother you...

Excusez-moi de vous dranger...

Ek-sku-zay mwa duh voo day-rah(n)zhay...

...but I have a problem.

...mais j'ai un problme

...may zhay uh(n) proh-blem.

Can you help me?

Pouvez-vous m'aider ?

Poo-vay voo meh - day?

Would you take our/ my picture,

Est-ce que vous prendriez notre/ma

Esk-kuh voo pren-dray noh-tra/mah

please?

photo, s'il vous plat?

foh-toh, seal voo play?

Prendriez-vous notre/ma photo, s'il vous Pren-dray voo noh-tra/mah foh-toh,

plat?
I would like . . .
How much?

Je voudrais . . .
Combien?

Do you take foreign [credit] cards? Est-ce que vous acceptez les cartes
It's too expensive!
I am looking for . . .

seal voo play?

Zhuh voo dray . . .
Cohm bee-e(n)?
Es-kuh vooz ack-sep-tay lay cartz ay-

trangres ?

trahn-jer-ay?

C'est trop cher!

Say trohp reesh!

Je cherche . . .

Zhuh shairsh . . .

Here.

Ici.

Ee-see.

It's here! (there it is!)

C'est l!

Say lah!

Let's go!

Allez vous-en

Ah-lay vooz- ahn

It's great!

C'est chouette!

Say shwet!

... good

... bon

... bohn

... bad

... mal

... mahl

... terrible

... terrible

... tare-ee-bleh

I have a headache

J'ai mal la tte

Zhay mahl deh teht

... stomach ache

... au ventre/ au coeur

... oh vahn-trah/ oh couhr

Goodbye (until we see each other

Au revoir

Ah reh-vwarh

tout l'heure

Ah toot ah luhr

again)(3)
Goodbye (see you later/see you at
another hour/later on the same
day)
Goodbye (forever/ I'm never going Adieu
to see you again)

Ah-dyooh

(1)

In France , a simple hello can be the difference between being treated with courtesy and being

snubbed in a restaurant or store. Never neglect to say hello, and add the appropriate title to be even
more polite.
(2)

Say "pardon" when trying to get by someone, or bumping into someone...

(3) "Au revoir" ( until we see each other again ) is the preferred way to say goodbye, even to
strangers you will never see again because "Adieu," literal translation meaning "to God," if misused
can be seen as an insult ( i.e. You don't ever want to see that person alive again). tout l'heure is a
more familiar way to say goodbye, but can be used with strangers if you know for a fact you're going
to see them later on.
In general, the stress should be placed on the last syllable of the word, and the last word of the
phrase. Also, in general, the "s", or "es" at the end of a word is not pronounced unless the word after
it starts with a vowel. For example: Nous allons ( We go), the "s" at the end of "nous" would be
dragged out into the "a" of "allons" making a "z" sound, but notice how the "s" at the end of "allons"
is not pronounced. ( Nooz ah-lohn). Why? Because it sounds weird if you don't, like a hiccup, or an
extra breath in your speech where you don't need it. The French language is all about words flowing
gracefully.
If you want to speak in English, think to speak slowly: Generally, French people don't speak English
very well. And the English taught in France is the UK prononciation. For a French speaker who
understand a little UK English, it is an added difficulty to understand American English. In the larger
cities, you are more likely to find people who would understand some English than you are if you went
to smaller villages.
Don't shout! If they don't understand your English, shouting will not help. Also, there's a concept of a
smaller "personal space" that may take some getting used to. Typically Americans need about 3 ft of
personal space to feel comfortable when talking to someone. Of course this varies with familiarity. In
many other countries, including France, that space is smaller and it is seen as being rude if you back
up or jump back suddenly.
When shopping or ordering, it is helpful to know that the French begin counting with their thumbs, so
an American holding up their first finger for "one" may appear to be signalling "two."