Guide Note

Whether you're going to visit France, Belgium or Quebec, the links on this page will teach you the Basic French Phrases you need to survive your trip.

Fast Facts

1. Language Family: Indo-European, Romance Language
2. Number of Speakers: 76 million people as a native language; 280 million as a second or third language
3. Official Language: 31 countries including France and Belgium
4. Major Dialects: Acadian French, Quebec French, Maghreb French, African French

• Hello: Bonjour
• Good-bye: Au revoir
• Please: S'il vous plaît
• Thank you: Merci
• You're welcome: De rien
• My name is...: Je m'appelle...
• Excuse me: Pardon
• Where?: Où?
• How much is it?: C'est combien?

1. Study regularly: When learning anything persistent and regular study will help put get the concepts into long term memory.
2. Get some audio tapes: Especially when learning a language correct pronunciation is essential and something that can't easily be learned from a book.
3. Practice out loud: When learning to speak a new language, your mouth needs to learn to move in ways its not used to moving. Expect to make mistakes and don't feel shy when you do. Its part of the learning process.
4. Get a buddy: Conversing with a fluent French speaker will speed up the learning process.