Here is a list with the 1000 most frequently used French words. Learn English to French words and their meaning. Mondly is the best scientific language app in the world. It’s especially good for learning French. You will be able have your first conversation with French in no time at all, thanks to their over 2000 French lessons.
- S’il vous plait please
- Je suis – Ich bin Durch durch indem weil get Get da all set hall Hall an in Qu An
- Je cherche – Looking for
- Je veux – I want
- Un hotel – A hotel
- Une chambre – A room
- Manger – For
- Boire – to drink
- Payer – to pay
- Acheter – to purchase
- Petit-dejeuner – Breakfast
- Diner – Dinner
- Un demi- Half a pint of draught beer
- Un verre – a glass
- De l’eau – some water
- Un the (au lait – A tea (with milk
- La toilette is the toilet, washroom.
- Prix – price
- Carte de credit – Credit card
- Une banque – A bank
- Des magasins – Shops
- Un supermarche – A supermarket
- La gare – Station de train
- L’aeroport – The airport
- Une voiture – a car.
25 most useful French phrases
- Bonjour.-Hello
- Merci. –Thankyou
- Au revoir.- Goodbye
- Je ne comprends pas
I don’t understand - Je ne parle pas francais.
I don’t speak French - Pouvez vous parler plus lentement, s’il vous plait
Please speak slowly. - Pouvez-vous repeter, s’il vous plait. Please repeat it.
- S’il vous plait, je cherche……
Please, I am looking for (whatever it is you are looking for). - Avez-vous…. Are you ….? ?
- Avez-vous une chambre pour deux personnes? Are you looking for a room to sleep two?
- A quelle heure est-ce que cela ferme ?
When does it close? - Combien ca coute ? How much does it cost?
- Ou sont les toilettes, s’il vous plait
Please, where is the bathroom / toilet? - Ou est-ce qu’on peut trouver des restaurants, s’il vous plait?
Please tell me where there are restaurants. - Un cafe et un cafe au lait, s’il vous plait.
Please have one cup of black and one cup of white coffee. - L’addition, s’il vous plait.
Please, could you send me the bill. - A l’aeroport, s’il vous plait.
Please take your luggage to the airport - Une table pour deux / quatre personnes.
A table for two or four. - Je ne me sens pas bien.
I don’t feel well. - Nous sommes perdus
We’re lost. - Nous voulons aller a …….
We would love to travel to (anywhere you’d like to go). - Je cherche un distributeur de billets.
I am looking for an ATM/cash dispenser. - Pouvez-vous m’appeler un taxi, s’il vous plait ;
Please call me a taxi. - Nous sommes tres presses / en retard.
We are in a hurry or late. - Quel temps va-t-il faire aujourd’hui?
What is the weather like today?
Suggested Read: The Afghanistan File , Islam in Saudi Arabia, Top Seller: Islamic Art by Luca Mozzati, Jewish Morocco, Kingdoms of Faith and Islamic History For Kids: Story of Uhud
In French, the days of the week
And useful expressions of times. Here is a brief guide to the French expressions of the days of the week and some common expressions that are related to them. These pronunciations are intended to approximate the French pronunciation for travellers and learners who don’t know French phonetics. The combination [zh] sounds like the s in English words leisure. However, it is not pronounced with the rinal [r].
| English | French | Pronounced |
| Monday | ||
| Tuesday | ||
| Wednesday | ||
| Thursday | jeudi | |
| Friday | vendredi | |
| Saturday | ||
| Sunday | dimanche | |
| Other phrases | ||
| Today | aujourd’hui | |
| Yesterday | hier | |
| Tomorrow | demain | |
| Yesterday was yesterday | avant-hier | |
| Tomorrow is tomorrow | apres-demain | |
| In just three days | dans trois jours | |
| Four days ago | il y a quatre jours | |
| The next day | le lendemain | |
| The previous day | la veille | |
| One week | une semaine | |
| Two weeks – one fortnight | quinze jours |
Common French words also available in English !
The pronunciation is the problem. Here are a few words that are most frequently used on both sides. We hope you find these useful.
| A | |
| A gogo | In abundance |
| a la […] | In the style/in the manner of […] |
| a la carte | Literally, on the menu |
| a la mode | Idiomatic is a term that describes a dessert served with ice cream. |
| Adieu | Farewell literally means “to God” |
| Adroit | French-speaking, habile, dexterous, skilled, intelligent |
| Aide-memoire | “Memory Aid”: An object or memorandum that aids in remembrance |
| Aperitif | It is a pre-meal beverage (in colloquial French it is called “apero”). |
| Armoire | Type of wardrobe; cabinet |
| Art nouveau | Style of architecture and decoration from the late 19th century and early 20th centuries. |
| Attache | Attached to an Embassy |
| Au contraire | Contrary |
| Au fait | Conversant or instructed in, or with, the above mentioned subjects |
| Au pair | Young foreigner who performs domestic chores for room and board. |
| Avant-garde | This is a cutting-edge technique |
B
- Ballet
- Classical dance style
- Beau geste
- Literally, “beautiful gesture”
- Belle Epoque
- This is a period of European social history that began in the late 19th century.
- Blase
- Overfamiliarity makes it difficult to be satisfied with something
- Bonne alimentation!
- Literally, “good appetite”
- Bonne Vieilliance
- A person who is happy and enjoys the good things in life.
- Bon voyage
- Literally, “good journey”
- Bourgeois
- Membre of the bourgeoisie. Person whose beliefs are not supported
- Bouquet
- Few flowers
- Bric-a-brac
- Small ornamental items
- Brunette
- Brown-haired girl. Brown-haired woman
- Bureau
- Office. Also known as “desk” (French)
C
- Cache
- Hidden storage for items of the same kind
- Cafe
- Coffee shop
- Carte blanche
- Unlimited authority, literally “white card”
- Chaise longue
- Long chair for recline;
- Charlatan
- Someone who is a fraudster, a fake or a hoaxer.
- Chauffeur
- Driver
- Chic
- Fashionable
- Chignon
- Hairstyle that is rolled at the nape.
- Cliche
- Literally, negative; overused through trite
- Clique
- A small group of exclusive friends
- Comme ci, comme ca
- “Like this, Like that”; so,
- Communique
- Literally translated
- Concierge
- Receptionist in a hotel/residence
- Contretemps
- An awkward clash; a delay
- Cortege
- Funeral procession
- Coup de grace
- Victory is the final blow
- Couture
- Fashion is usually a synonym for high fashion.
- Couturier
- Fashion designer is usually a high-fashion fashion designer.
- Creche
- A display of the Nativity;
- Creme de la creme
- The cream of the crop, the best of the best.
- Critique
- Critical analysis and evaluation of a piece
- Cul-de-sac
- Dead-end street. Literally, “arse [buttocks] from the bag”.
D
- Debacle
- A sudden and catastrophic end to an event or business.
- De rigueur
- Not required or expected
- Decollete
- This is a woman’s shirt with a low neckline and exposed cleavage.
- Decor
- The design and furnishings of a room
- Decoupage
- Decorate with cut paper
- Depot
- A deposit is a type of deposit in banking or geology.
- Deja vu
- “Already seen” is an illusion or impression of having seen.
- Derriere
- Rear; buttocks, literally “behind”.
- Detente
- Diplomatic tension is being eased
- Dieu et mon droit
- Motto of the British Monarchy
- Divertissement
- An amusing diversion; entertainment
- Dossier
- A file that contains detailed information about a person.
- Doyen
- The senior member of a group
- Dressage
- This is a form of horse racing.
- Droit du seigneur
- “Right of the Lord”
E
- Eau de Cologne
- A type of perfume
- Eau de toilette
- Literally, “grooming water”
- Eclair
- Cream and chocolate icing pastry
- Elan
- Unique flair or style
- En garde
- “[Be] on your guard,”
- En route
- The way
- Enfant terrible
- Unorthodox and disruptive, the “terrible” child
- Entente diplomatic
- An agreement or cooperation.
- Entrepreneur
- Person who starts and runs a new business
F
- Facade
- Front view of an edifice (from Italian facciata).
- fait accompli
- Literally, it means “a completed fact”; something that has already taken place.
- Faux pas
- “False Step”: Violation of accepted, but unwritten, rules
- Femme fatale
- “Deadly woman” is an attractive woman who seduces men and takes advantage of them for her own ends. She then discards.
- Fiance
- A man/woman who is engaged to marry another woman; betrothed.
- Film noir
- Dark-themed movies made in the 1940s and 1950s.
- Flambe
- An alcohol-based cooking process in which alcohol (ethanol), is added to a hot saucepan to ignite flames.
- Fleur-de-lis
- A stylized-flower heraldic device;
- Force majeure
- Unpredicted and overwhelming event
G
- Gaffe
- Blunder
- Gauche
- Tactless does not necessarily mean “left-handed”.
- Genre
- A class or type, such as the “thriller genre”
- Grand Prix
- Motor racing is a type of motor racing that literally means “Great Prize.”
- Grenadier
- A specialized soldier,
H
- haute couture
- “High sewing”: Paris-based custom-fitted clothing;
- haute cuisine
- High quality gastronomy, literally “high cooking.”
- Hauteur
- Arrogance is literally the height of arrogance
- hors d’oeuvre
- “Outside of the [main] job”: appetizer
I
- Impasse
- Deadlock
- Insouciant/e
- Man/woman who is not stoic
- Ingenu/e
- An innocent young man/woman,
J
- Jeu d’esprit
- “Play of spirit”, a lighthearted, witty expression of the spirit.
- Joie de vivre
- “Joy of living”
L
- Laissez-faire
- “Let’s do” is a common expression used in the context of economic policies
- Lame
- Fabric made with metallic yarns.
- Lese majeste
- A crime against a sovereign power
- Liaison
- An affair is a close relationship or connection.
- Louche
- Of questionable taste;
M
- Macrame
- Made with knotted cords, coarse lacework
- Mademoiselle
- Miss. Young unmarried lady; literally, “my noble young lady”.
- Malaise
- Unease or depression in general
- Mardi gras
- Fat Tuesday is the last day you can eat meat before Lent
- Melange
- Mixture
- Melee
- Uncertain fight
- menage a trois
- “Household for three” is a sexual arrangement between three persons
- Milieu
- Social environment; setting
- Montage
- Editing
- Motif
- Recurrent thematic elements
- Mousse
- A hairstyling mousse or whipped dessert;
N
- Ne, nee
- “Born” is a man’s/woman’s birth name (maiden names for a girl).
- Noblesse oblige
- “Nobility obliges”;
- Nom de plume
- Author’s pseudonym (literally “pen name”)
- Nouveau riche
- The new rich
- Nouvelle cuisine
- Nouvelle cuisine
O
- Objet d’art
- A work of art, often a painting or sculptor.
- Omelette
- Omelette
P
- Panache
- Verve; flamboyance
- Papier-mache
- Literally, you chewed on paper
- Par excellence
- “By excellence”: quintessential
- Pastiche
- A derivative work; an imitation
- Patois
- A dialect; jargon
- Pince-nez
- Literally, “pinch your nose”
- Piste
- Refers to skiing
- Poseur
- “Poser” is a person who pretends to have something.
- Pret-a-porter
- “Ready to Wear” (clothing on the shelf)
- Protege/e
- An influential mentor provides support to a man/woman
R
- Raison d’etre
- “Reason for Being”: Justification or purpose of existence
- Rapport
- To be in someone’s “good graces”.
- Rapprochement
- Establishing cordial relationships
- Reconnaissance
- Scouting
- Renaissance
- Rebirth is a cultural movement that took place in the 14-17th century
- Reservoir
- An artificial lake
- Restaurateur
- Restaurant owner
- Retard
- Translates as late
- Riposte
- Quick retort in action or speech
- Role
- Part or function of an actor or person in a play or situation.
- Roman a clef
- “Novel with the key”: An account of real people.
- Roue
- A lecherous, openly debauched older man
- Roux
A mixture of fat and flour that is cooked and used to make soups and gravies
| S | |
| Sabotage | Subversive destruction is the act of workers who fear industrialization and destroy machines by throwing their sabots |
| Saboteur | Sabotage is committed by a person |
| Sacrebleu! | “Holy Blue!” is a general exclamation of horror, shock and terror |
| Sang-froid | “Cold Blood”: Coolness and composure when under strain; stiff upper lips |
| Saute | Literally jump; quickly fry in small amounts of oil |
| Savant | “Knowledge” is a wise or knowledgeable person. |
| Savoir-faire | Literally, “know how”; to respond to any situation. |
| Silhouette | Image of a person, an item or scene consisting only of the outline and an interior featureless. |
| Sobriquet | Assumed name, a Nickname |
| soi-disant | Self-described, literally “oneself saying” |
| soigne | Fashionable and polished |
| soiree | Evening party |
| sommelier | Steward of wine |
| Soupcon | Very little |
| T | |
| Tableau | Chalkboard is also known as whiteboard, chalkboard and notice board …);. It can also be a painting, a chart, or a table. |
| Tete-a-tete | “Head to Head” |
| Television | Telly |
| Toilette | Grooming is the process of dressing up. |
| Touche | Recognizement of an effective counterpoint |
| trompe-l’oeil | Photograph-like realism in paintings; literally, “trick the eyes” |
| V | QuranMualim.com |
| venu/e | A man/woman invited to a show once (“come”); it is not used in modern French but can still be used in expressions such as bienvenu/e (literally, well come: welcome). |
| vin de pays | Literally, “Country wine”, wine of lower quality. |
| vinaigrette | Dressing for salad with oil and vinegar; diminutive vinaigre (vinegar). |
| vis-a-vis | “Face to Face [with]”: In comparison to or in relation to; opposed. To see, from “vis” (conjugated version of “voir”). |
| voila! | Literally, “see there”, but in French, it could also mean “there it is”. |
| volte-face | Reversal of position or opinion, in regards to face |
| voyeur | Literally, someone who sees. |
Below is OUR LIST OFFICE OF 1000 MOST COMMON WORDS in FRENCH
| Number | French |
| 1 | Comme |
| 2 | Je |
| 3 | Son |
| 4 | Que |
| 5 | Il |
| 6 | etait |
| 7 | pour |
| 8 | Sur |
| 9 | sont |
| 10 | avec |
| 11 | Illegible text |
| 12 | etre |
| 13 | A |
| 14 | Un |
| 15 | avoir |
| 16 | ce |
| 17 | a partir de |
| 18 | par |
| 19 | chaud |
| 20 | mot |
| 21 | mais |
| 22 | Que |
| 23 | Certain |
| 24 | is |
| 25 | Il |
| 26 | You can find out more |
| 27 | Or |
| 28 | eu |
| 29 | La |
| 30 | De |
| 31 | A |
| 32 | et |
| 33 | Un |
| 34 | dans |
| 35 | We are here |
| 36 | boite |
| 37 | Outside |
| 38 | autre |
| 39 | etaient |
| 40 | Qui |
| 41 | faire |
| 42 | leur |
| 43 | Temperatures |
| 44 | si |
| 45 | Volonte |
| 46 | Comment |
| 47 | dit |
| 48 | Un |
| 49 | chaque |
| 50 | dire |
| 51 | Ne |
Suggested Read: The Silk Roads , History of the World, World War I, The Islamic World by Ladan Akbarnia, Nahj al-Balagha, Lost Islamic History, Stranger The History, Realizing Islam, Prophet Muhammad
These are 99 French words that are commonly used in English. Their meaning
- Allowance – word for payment
- Apostrophe -Word Apostrophe
- Attache -Word attache
- Aperitif – Word Aperitif
- Avant-garde – word avantgarde
- Aviation -term aviation
- Bachelor -word bacheler (bachelier
- Baguette (word baguette)
- Ballet – term ballet
- Beret -Word beret
- Bon voyage -phrase bon voyage
- Brunette -term brunette
- Bureau -word bureau
- Cabaret – Word cabaret
- Cadet – word cadet
- Champagne -Word champagne
- Chauffeur -word chauffeur
- Chic -The word chic
- Cliche – word “cliche“
- Connoisseur -French term connoisseur
- Cul-de–sac -term culde-sac
- Debris is a term debris
- Deja vu is a that means deja (already), and vue
- Delegate -Word delegat
- Detour -term detour (from detourner).
- Dossier (the word dossier)
- Eau de toilette -word eau de toilette
- Elite -Old elit. (chosen).
- Energy – From the Middle word Energie
- En route – The en Route
- Envisage – term envisager
- Expatriate -term expatrier
- Facade -Word facade
- Faux,- Word faux
- Faux-pas -word faux pas
- Fiance – word fiancé
- Film noir – film noir
- Galerie -Old French Word Galerie
- Gastronomy – term gastronomie
- Gateau – word gateau
- Gazette -word gazette
- Heritage -Word Eritage
- Homage – The Old French Word Hommage
- Hotel – hotel
- Identity -The Middle French word identite
- Illusion -Word illusion
- Insult is a Middle word insult (noun), and insulter
- Irony -Middle French Word Ironie
- Jubilee is a Middle French word that means “jubilee”
- Kilogram – kilogramme
- Lacrosse is a Canadian French word la crosse
- Laissez-faire -word laissez-faire
- Liaison -word liaison
- Literature -Word Litterature
- Machine -word machine
- Magnificent -Word stunning
- Maisonette – word maisonette
- Massage -The French word massage
- Menu -the French term menu
- Metabolism – The French term metabolisme
- Metro -word Metro
- Musketeer -word mousquetaire
- Navy -Word Navie
- Neutral -The Middle French word neutral
- Nocturnal -The Middle French term nocturnal
- Novel -Old French Word novel
- Occasion – Word
- Omelette -Word Omelette
- Optimism is a French word optime
- Papier-mache -French word papier-mache
- Parasol -French Word parasol
- Poetic –French word poetique
- Premiere -French word premiere
- Purify -French Word purifier
- Recipient –French Word Recipient
- Rendez-vous – word rendez-vous
- Reservoir -word ‘reservoir’
- French restaurant
- Ricochet -word ricochet
- Rich – riche
- Ridicule -French ridicule
- Risque -French Word Risque
- Sabotage -French Word Sabotage
- French word salade Salad
- Sentiment -Old French Word Sentement
- Silhouette – French Word Silhouette
- Solicitor -French term solliciteur
- Souvenir -French word souvenir
- Souffle -French word souffle
- Soup – French Word soupe
- Technique -French term technique
- Television -French term television
- Tournament -French word Tornoiement
- Uniforme -French Word Uniforme
- Utensil -French utensile
- Valid -French Word valide
- Variation -French Word Variete
- Vinaigrette – French word vinaigrette
- Zest -French word zeste
CONCLUSION
If you are an English speaker who has ever believed French was difficult, or a French speaker who believes English is difficult, This should be enough to reassure you that no matter how good your French accent pronunciation is, it may be much easier than you realize! You already know so many French words well, why not continue learning?
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Essential sofa French Grammar
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