France is a popular tourist destination. Coming here, you will discover the scenery and life of indigenous people.
However, language is one of the factors that make culture shock for tourists. So, whether you have tour guides or French-speaking companions, you should equip yourself with some basic knowledge about the language of this country.
That’s why we write this post. Besides, you will also be provided with French important phrases used in emergencies that tourists coming to France often encounter.
Top 48 common French phrases tourists should know
For greeting
To be polite when traveling, there are cases that you have to greet others appropriately. Here are some sentences you can learn to start a simple conversation with indigenous people.
When you want to say “Hello” in French, it is simply “Bonjour!”
Similarly, “Hello everyone” in French is “Bonjour à tous.”
“Hello, how are you?” in French means “Salut comment allez-vous”.
If you want the conversation to be more natural, you can use “Hello” in French slang like “Salut”, “Hé”, or “Tiens.”
In contrast, “Goodbye” in French is “Au revoir!” and “See you later” is “À toute à l’heure!”
The following are other common phrases.
Bienvenue. – Welcome.
Madame/Monsieur/Mademoiselle – Mrs. /Mr. /Miss
Pardon, excusez-moi. – Pardon, excuse me.
Parlez-vous anglais? – Do you speak English?
Je ne parle pas français. – I do not speak French.
Merci/Merci beaucoup. – Thank you/Thank you very much.
De rien. – You’re welcome.
For direction
Pourriez-vous m’aider? – Can you help me?
Je ne comprends pas. – I do not understand.
Parlez lentement, s’il vous plaît. – Speak slowly, please.
Répétez, s’il vous plaît. – Repeat, please.
Où sont des toilettes? – Where are the toilets?
Où est un bon restaurant/un bon café? – Where is a good restaurant/a good café?
Où est la plage/le centre-ville? – Where is the beach/city center?
Je cherche le métro/le gare/l’aéroport. – I am looking for the subway/train station/airport.
Je cherche l’hôtel/l’hôpital/la banque. – I am looking for a hotel/hospital/bank.
Pourriez-vous prendre ma photo/notre photo? – Can you take my photo/photo?
Où sommes-nous? – Where are we?
C’est à gauche. – It’s on the left.
C’est à droite. – It’s on the right.
C’est tout droit. – It’s all right.
Est-ce que c’est loin/proche? – Is it far/near?
For transportation
When traveling, we inevitably have to move a lot to explore a country. In those moments, we should know a few French phrases to communicate with drivers or ticket sellers.
Pouvez-vous envoyer un taxi à…? – Can you send a taxi to…?
Arrêtez-vous ici, s’il vous plaît. – Stop here, please.
Où est le guichet? – Where is the ticket office?
Je voudrais regarder l’horaire. – I would like to watch the schedule.
Je voudrais réserver un billet. – I would like to reserve a ticket.
Je voudrais acheter un billet aller simple/aller-retour pour Paris. – I would like to buy a one-way ticket to/from Paris.
À quelle heure faut-il arriver? – What time should I arrive?
For accommodation
The first thing when traveling, of course, is that you need to book a room in advance. Here are some useful French phrases for you.
Quelles chambres avez-vous de disponible? – Which rooms do you have available?
Est-ce qu’il y a de climatisation? – Is there air conditioning?
Je voudrais une chambre pour deux. – I would like a double room.
Je voudrais annuler ma réservation. – I would like to cancel my reservation.
À quelle heure est-ce qu’il faut régler la note? – At what time should we check out?
For dining
La carte/le menu, s’il vous plaît. – The menu/fixed-price menu, please.
Je voudrais un café. – I would like a coffee.
Je voudrais un verre. – I would like a glass (of beer).
Je voudrais de l’eau. – I would like some water.
L’addition, s’il vous plaît. – The bill, please.
For shopping
Est-ce que je peux payer avec une carte de crédit? – Can I pay with a credit card?
Je cherche un sac/une carte postale/un livre. – I am searching for a bag/a postcard/a book.
Combien ça coûte? – How much does it cost?
C’est trop cher! – It’s too expensive!
C’est bon marché! – It’s a great deal!
C’est bon/mal/terrible. – It’s good/bad/terrible.
Not only will it help you be more active on your journey to France but learning French will also make you more confident when facing various situations abroad. For further guides, don’t hesitate to let us know. Please like and share the article with others if you find it useful. Thank you.