FRENCH BASICS NOTES

1. Greetings:

 Bonjour (bohn-zhoor) - Hello / Good morning

 Bonsoir (bohn-swahr) - Good evening
 Salut (sah-loo) - Hi / Hello (informal)

2. Introductions:

 Je m'appelle [Your Name] (zhuh mah-pehl

[your name]) - I am called [Your Name]
 Comment vous appelez-vous ? (koh-mahn voo
zah-pley voo) - What's your name? (formal)
 Comment tu t'appelles ? (koh-mahn too tah-
pehl) - What's your name? (informal)

3. Polite Expressions:

 S'il vous plaît (seel voo pleh) - Please

 Merci (mehr-see) - Thank you
 De rien (duh ree-ehn) - You're welcome

4. Common Phrases:

 Oui (wee) - Yes

  Non (noh) - No
 Excusez-moi (ehk-skew-zay mwah) - Excuse
me
 Parlez-vous anglais ? (par-leh voo ahn-glay) -
Do you speak English?

5. Numbers:

 Un (uhn) - One
 Deux (duh) - Two
 Trois (twah) - Three
 Quatre (kahtr) - Four
 Cinq (sank) - Five

6. Basic Questions:

 Où est... ? (oo eh) - Where is... ?

 Quand ? (kahnd) - When?
 Pourquoi ? (poor-kwah) - Why?
 Comment ? (koh-mahn) - How?

7. Common Verbs:

 Être (ehtr) - To be
 Avoir (ah-vwahr) - To have
 Parler (par-leh) - To speak
 Aller (ah-lay) - To go
 Faire (fehr) - To do / make
8. Days of the Week:

 Lundi (loon-dee) - Monday

 Mardi (mahr-dee) - Tuesday
 Mercredi (mehr-kruh-dee) - Wednesday
 Jeudi (zhuh-dee) - Thursday
 Vendredi (vahn-druh-dee) - Friday
 Samedi (sahm-dee) - Saturday
 Dimanche (dee-mahnsh) - Sunday

9. Months:

 Janvier (zhah(n)-vyay) - January

 Février (fay-vryay) - February
 Mars (mahr) - March
 Avril (ah-vreel) - April
 Mai (meh) - May
 Juin (zhwahn) - June
 Juillet (zhwee-yay) - July
 Août (oot) - August
 Septembre (sehp-tahmbr) - September
 Octobre (ohk-tohbr) - October
 Novembre (noh-vahmbr) - November
 Décembre (day-sahmbr) - December

10. Basic Conversational Phrases:

  Comment ça va ? (koh-mahn sah vah) - How
are you?
 Ça va bien, merci. (sah vah byehn, mehr-see) -
I'm fine, thank you.
 Qu'est-ce que c'est ? (kehss kuh say) - What is
it?
 Je ne sais pas. (zhuh nuh say pah) - I don't
know.
 Combien ça coûte ? (kohm-byen sah koot) -
How much does it cost?

These are just some introductory phrases to get

you started on learning French. Remember that
practice, consistency, and exposure to the
language are key to becoming proficient. You can
also consider using language learning apps,
courses, and resources to deepen your
understanding of French grammar, vocabulary, and
pronunciation. Bonne chance! (Good luck!)
Absolutely, here are some more French phrases
and concepts to continue your learning:

11. Family Members:

 La famille (lah fa-mee) - Family

 Mère (mehr) - Mother
 Père (pehr) - Father
  Frère (freh) - Brother
 Sœur (suhr) - Sister
 Fils (fees) - Son
 Fille (fee-yuh) - Daughter

12. Food and Dining:

 Bon appétit (bohn ah-peh-tee) - Enjoy your

meal
 Menu (meh-noo) - Menu
 Pain (pah(n)) - Bread
 Eau (oh) - Water
 Café (kah-fey) - Coffee
 Thé (tay) - Tea
 Viande (vyahnd) - Meat

13. Shopping and Directions:

 Magasin (mah-gah-zahn) - Store

 Acheter (ah-sheh-tay) - To buy
 Combien coûte... ? (kohm-byen koot) - How
much does... cost?
 Où est... ? (oo eh) - Where is... ?
 À gauche (ah gohsh) - To the left
 À droite (ah dwaht) - To the right

14. Weather and Seasons:

  Temps (tah(n)) - Weather
 Soleil (soh-lay) - Sun
 Pluie (plew) - Rain
 Vent (vah(n)) - Wind
 Neige (neyzh) - Snow
 Printemps (prahn-tah(n)) - Spring
 Été (eh-tey) - Summer
 Automne (oh-tuhmn) - Autumn
 Hiver (ee-vay) - Winter

15. Travel and Transportation:

 Voyage (vwah-yahzh) - Trip

 Avion (ah-vee-ohn) - Airplane
 Train (trehn) - Train
 Voiture (vwah-tuhr) - Car
 Bus (boos) - Bus
 Station (stah-syohn) - Station
 Ticket (tee-keh) - Ticket

16. Colors:

 Rouge (roozh) - Red

 Bleu (bluh) - Blue
 Vert (vehr) - Green
 Jaune (zhohn) - Yellow
 Orange (oh-rahnzh) - Orange
  Noir (nwar) - Black
 Blanc (blah(n)) - White

17. Emotions:

 Joyeux (zhwah-yuh) - Happy

 Triste (treest) - Sad
 En colère (ahn koh-layr) - Angry
 Fatigué (fah-tee-ghey) - Tired
 Excité (ehk-see-tey) - Excited
 Peur (puhr) - Scared

18. Time and Telling Time:

 Heure (uhr) - Hour / Time

 Quelle heure est-il ? (kehl uhr eh-teel) - What
time is it?
 Il est... (eel eh) - It is...
 Midi (mee-dee) - Noon
 Minuit (mee-nwee) - Midnight

19. At the Restaurant:

 L'addition, s'il vous plaît. (lah-dee-syohn seel

voo pleh) - The bill, please.
 Entrée (ah(n)-tray) - Appetizer
 Plat principal (plah pruhn-seepahl) - Main
course
  Dessert (day-sair) - Dessert

20. Health and Well-being:

 Santé (sah(n)-tay) - Health

 Médecin (may-deh-sahn) - Doctor
 Hôpital (oh-pee-tahl) - Hospital
 Malade (mah-lahd) - Sick
 Bon rétablissement (bohn ray-tah-blees-mahn)
- Get well soon

Continue practicing and expanding your

vocabulary. As you progress, you can delve into
more complex sentence structures, verb
conjugations, and idiomatic expressions. Listening
to native speakers, watching French films, and
immersing yourself in the language will greatly aid
your learning journey. Bonne continuation! (Good
luck with your continued learning!)
Certainly, here are more French phrases and topics
to continue your learning:

21. Days of the Week:

 Lundi (loon-dee) - Monday

 Mardi (mahr-dee) - Tuesday
 Mercredi (mehr-kruh-dee) - Wednesday
 Jeudi (zhuh-dee) - Thursday
  Vendredi (vahn-druh-dee) - Friday
 Samedi (sahm-dee) - Saturday
 Dimanche (dee-mahnsh) - Sunday

22. Months of the Year:

 Janvier (zhah(n)-vyay) - January

 Février (fay-vryay) - February
 Mars (mahr) - March
 Avril (ah-vreel) - April
 Mai (meh) - May
 Juin (zhwahn) - June
 Juillet (zhwee-yay) - July
 Août (oot) - August
 Septembre (sehp-tahmbr) - September
 Octobre (ohk-tohbr) - October
 Novembre (noh-vahmbr) - November
 Décembre (day-sahmbr) - December

23. Conversational Phrases:

 Ça va ? (sah vah) - How's it going?

 Pas mal (pah mahl) - Not bad
 Pouvez-vous m'aider ? (poo-veh voo meh-dey)
- Can you help me?
 Je ne comprends pas. (zhuh nuh kohm-prah(n)
pah) - I don't understand.
  J'aime ça. (zhem sah) - I like that.

24. Expressing Preferences:

 J'aime (zhem) - I like

 Je n'aime pas (zhuh neh-m pah) - I don't like
 Préféré(e) (pray-fay-ray) - Favorite
 J'adore (zhah-dohr) - I love

25. Hobbies and Activities:

 Sport (spohr) - Sport

 Musique (moo-zeek) - Music
 Lecture (lehk-toor) - Reading
 Voyage (vwah-yahzh) - Travel
 Cuisine (kwee-zeen) - Cooking
 Peinture (peh(n)-toor) - Painting

26. Asking for Help:

 Excusez-moi, pouvez-vous m'aider ? (ehk-

skew-zay mwah, poo-veh voo meh-dey) -
Excuse me, can you help me?
 Pourriez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? (poor-
ee-eh voo ray-pey-tey, seel voo pleh) - Could
you repeat, please?
 Où est la toilette ? (oo eh lah twa-let) - Where
is the restroom?
27. Giving Directions:

 Tournez à gauche (toor-neh ah gohsh) - Turn

left
 Tournez à droite (toor-neh ah dwaht) - Turn
right
 Continuez tout droit (kohn-tee-noo-ey too
dwa) - Go straight ahead
 C'est loin ? (say lwah(n)) - Is it far?

28. Travel and Tourism:

 Billet d'avion (bee-yeh dah-vee-ohn) - Plane

ticket
 Réservation d'hôtel (ray-zehr-vah-syon doh-
tehl) - Hotel reservation
 Plan de la ville (plahn duh lah veel) - City map
 Monument (moh-nuh-mah(n)) - Monument

29. Basic Grammar:

 Nouns and gender (masculine/feminine)

 Plural forms of nouns
 Definite and indefinite articles (le/la/les,
un/une/des)
 Subject pronouns (je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous,
ils/elles)
30. Ordering Food:

 Je voudrais... (zhuh voo-dray) - I would like...

 L'addition, s'il vous plaît. (lah-dee-syohn seel
voo pleh) - The bill, please.
 Est-ce qu'il y a des plats végétariens ? (ehs-kuh
eel yah day plah vey-zhay-tah-ree-ahn) - Are
there vegetarian dishes?

31. Describing People:

 Grand (grah(n)) - Tall

 Petit (puh-tee) - Short
 Beau (boh) - Handsome / Beautiful
 Sympathique (seem-pah-tee(k)) - Friendly
 Intelligent(e) (ahn-teh-lee-zah(n)(t)) -
Intelligent

32. Expressing Time:

 Quelle heure est-il ? (kehl uhr eh-teel) - What

time is it?
 Il est... heures. (eel eh ... uhr) - It's... o'clock.

33. Jobs and Professions:

 Médecin (may-deh-sahn) - Doctor

 Enseignant(e) (ahn-sey-nyah(n)(t)) - Teacher
 Ingénieur(e) (ahn-zhay-nyuhr) - Engineer
  Artiste (ahr-teest) - Artist
 Étudiant(e) (ey-too-dee-yah(n)(t)) - Student

Remember, language learning is a gradual process,

so take your time to absorb and practice these
concepts. Regular practice, exposure to native
speakers, and utilizing language resources will
greatly aid your progress in learning French.
Continue building your vocabulary and exploring
more complex grammar as you become more
comfortable with the language. Bonne
continuation! (Good luck with your continued
learning!)
Certainly, here are more advanced French phrases
and topics to further enhance your learning:

34. Expressing Opinions:

 À mon avis (ah mohn ah-vee) - In my opinion

 Je pense que... (zhuh pahns kuh) - I think that...
 Pour moi (poor mwah) - For me
 Selon moi (seh-loh mwah) - According to me

35. Describing Places:

 Animé(e) (ah-nee-may) - Lively

 Calme (kahlm) - Calm
 Pittoresque (pee-toh-resk) - Picturesque
  Moderne (moh-dehrn) - Modern
 Historique (ee-stoh-reek) - Historic

36. Invitations and Responses:

 Tu veux sortir ce soir ? (too vuh soo-tir suh

swahr) - Do you want to go out tonight?
 Avec plaisir ! (ah-vek pleh-zheer) - With
pleasure!
 Désolé(e), je ne peux pas. (day-zoh-lay, zhuh
nuh puh pah) - Sorry, I can't.

37. Cultural Concepts:

 La gastronomie française (lah gah-stroh-noh-

mee frahn-sehz) - French cuisine
 La mode (lah mohd) - Fashion
 L'art (lahrt) - Art
 La littérature (lah lee-teh-rah-toor) - Literature

38. Talking About the Past:

 Hier (ee-yehr) - Yesterday

 La semaine dernière (lah suh-mehn dehr-
nyehr) - Last week
 L'année dernière (lahn-eh dehr-nyehr) - Last
year
 Autrefois (oh-truh-fwah) - In the past
39. Expressing Future Plans:

 Je vais... (zhuh vay) - I'm going to...

 Demain (duh-meh(n)) - Tomorrow
 Le week-end prochain (luh wee-kah(n) proh-
shahn) - Next weekend
 Dans quelques jours (dah(n) kehlk joohr) - In a
few days

40. Discussing Movies and Books:

 J'ai vu un bon film hier. (zhay voo uhn bohn

feelm ee-yehr) - I watched a good movie
yesterday.
 Je lis un roman intéressant. (zhuh lees uhn roh-
mahn ahn-teh-ray-sah(n)) - I'm reading an
interesting novel.
 L'histoire était captivante. (lees-twar eh-tay
kahp-tee-vahnt) - The story was captivating.

41. Formal Expressions:

 Veuillez accepter mes salutations distinguées.

(vuh-yay ahk-sep-tay may sah-loo-tah-syon
dees-tahn-gwee-yay) - Please accept my
distinguished greetings.
 Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame/Monsieur,
l'expression de mes sentiments respectueux.
 (zhuh voo pree dah-gray, mah-dahm/muh-
syuh, leks-preh-syon duh may sah(n)-tee-
mahn rehs-pehk-too-euh) - I beg you to
accept, Madam/Sir, the expression of my
respectful sentiments.

42. Expressing Doubt and Uncertainty:

 Je ne suis pas sûr(e). (zhuh nuh swee pah soor)

- I'm not sure.
 Peut-être (puht-ehtr) - Maybe
 Je doute que ce soit vrai. (zhuh doot kuh suh
swah vray) - I doubt it's true.

43. Formal Social Interactions:

 Comment vous portez-vous ? (koh-mahn voo

pohr-tey voo) - How are you? (formal)
 Enchanté(e) (ah(n)-shahn-tay) - Nice to meet
you.
 Je vous en prie. (zhuh vooz ahn pree) - You're
welcome. (formal)

44. Discussing Current Events:

 As-tu entendu parler des nouvelles ? (ahs-too

ah(n)-toohn-doo par-lay day noo-vehl) - Have
you heard about the news?
  Il y a beaucoup de discussions sur ce sujet. (eel
yah boh-koo duh dees-kew-syon syoor suh
sooh-jay) - There's a lot of discussion about
this topic.

45. Politics and Society:

 La politique (lah poh-lee-teek) - Politics

 Les droits de l'homme (lay drwah dluh-ohm) -
Human rights
 Les inégalités sociales (lay ee-neh-gah-lee-tay
soh-see-ahl) - Social inequalities
 La démocratie (lah day-moh-krah-mee) -
Democracy

Remember that as you advance in your language

learning journey, you'll naturally encounter more
complex sentence structures and nuanced
vocabulary. Don't hesitate to use resources like
online language courses, language exchange
partners, and reading materials in French to
continue improving. Bonne chance! (Good luck!)
Certainly, here are more advanced French phrases
and topics to continue your learning:

46. Discussing Technology:

  Les nouvelles technologies (lay noo-vehl tekh-
noh-loh-zee) - New technologies
 L'intelligence artificielle (lah(n)-teh-lee-zah(n)s
ar-tee-fee-syah(l)) - Artificial intelligence
 Les réseaux sociaux (lay ray-zoh soh-syoh) -
Social media
 Les appareils électroniques (lay ah-pah-rey eh-
lehk-troh-neek) - Electronic devices

47. Expressing Hypotheticals:

 Si j'étais riche, je voyagerais autour du monde.

(see zhay-ray reesh, zhuh vwah-yah-ray zhoor
doo mohnd) - If I were rich, I would travel
around the world.
 Si tu avais plus de temps, que ferais-tu ? (see
too ah-veh ploo duh tah(n), kuh feh-ray tyoo) -
If you had more time, what would you do?

48. Environmental Issues:

 Le changement climatique (luh shahnzh-

mah(n) klee-mah-teek) - Climate change
 La pollution de l'air (lah poo-loo-syon duh
lehr) - Air pollution
  La conservation de la nature (lah koh(n)-sahr-
vasyon duh lah nah-toor) - Conservation of
nature
 Les énergies renouvelables (lay zayn-zher-zhee
ruh-noo-vuh-lahbl) - Renewable energies

49. Expressing Agreement and Disagreement:

 Je suis d'accord. (zhuh swee dah-kohr) - I

agree.
 Je ne suis pas d'accord. (zhuh nuh swee pah
dah-kohr) - I disagree.
 Tu as raison. (too ah ray-zoh(n)) - You're right.
 Je ne suis pas sûr(e) que ce soit une bonne
idée. (zhuh nuh swee pah soor kuh suh
swah(n) oo-nuh bohn ee-day) - I'm not sure
it's a good idea.

50. Cultural Topics:

 Le patrimoine culturel (luh pah-tree-mwahn

kewl-tew-rel) - Cultural heritage
 La musique classique (lah moo-zeek klah-
see(k)) - Classical music
 L'art contemporain (lahrt koh(n)-tohn-prah(n)-
tay) - Contemporary art
  La littérature francophone (lah lee-teh-rah-
toor frahn-koh-fohn) - Francophone literature

51. Giving Advice:

 Si j'étais toi, je prendrais des vacances. (see

zhay-ray twah, zhuh prah(n)-dray dey vah-
kah(n)s) - If I were you, I would take a vacation.
 Tu devrais essayer cette nouvelle recette. (too
duh-vray es-say-yey set noo-vehl ruh-seht) -
You should try this new recipe.

52. Discussing Health and Well-being:

 Le bien-être physique et mental (luh byan-et-

ray fee-zee-kal ey meh(n)-tal) - Physical and
mental well-being
 Méditer peut aider à réduire le stress. (mey-
dey-tey puh eh-dey ah reh-dweer luh strehs) -
Meditating can help reduce stress.
 Il est important de maintenir un équilibre entre
le travail et la vie personnelle. (eel eh(n) port-
tah(n) duh meh(n)-teh-neer uh-nay-kwee-lee-
bruh ah(n)tr luh trah-vah-yey ehl lah vee per-
soh-nel) - It's important to maintain a balance
between work and personal life.

53. Education and Learning:

  L'apprentissage tout au long de la vie (lah-
prah(n)-tees-ahzh too oh lohng duh lah vee) -
Lifelong learning
 Les nouvelles méthodes d'enseignement (lay
noo-vehl may-tohd dohn-sahn-yuh-mah(n)) -
New teaching methods
 Les avantages de l'éducation en ligne (lay ah-
vahntahzh duh lay-doo-kah-syon ah(n) leen) -
Advantages of online education

54. Social Issues:

 L'égalité des genres (lay-gah-lee day zhah(n)r)

- Gender equality
 L'inclusion sociale (la(n)-kloo-zyon soh-see-
ahl) - Social inclusion
 La lutte contre la discrimination (lah loot
koh(n)-truh lah dees-kreem-ee-nah-syon) -
Fight against discrimination
 Les droits LGBTQ+ (lay drwah LGBTQ+) -
LGBTQ+ rights

55. Using Idiomatic Expressions:

 C'est la goutte d'eau qui fait déborder le vase.

(seh lah goot doh kee fay day-bor-day luh
 vahz) - That's the straw that broke the camel's
back.
 Mettre de l'eau dans son vin. (meh-tr duh loh
doh(n) soh(n) va(n)) - To tone down, to
compromise.

56. Advanced Grammar Concepts:

 Subjunctive mood
 Complex sentence structures
 Conditional tense
 Direct and indirect object pronouns

As you continue to explore advanced topics in

French, remember that consistent practice and
exposure are crucial for improving your language
skills. Engaging with authentic French content,
such as movies, books, news articles, and podcasts,
will further enhance your comprehension and
fluency. Keep up the great work!