Top 100 Beginner French Phrases for Daily Conversation

Would you like to sound natural when speaking French? Memorizing grammar charts won’t get you there. Learning real, everyday expressions will.

Below are 100 essential beginner French phrases to boost your confidence. They’re grouped by situation, with notes on usage, so you can start speaking today.

If you want to practice these phrases live, check out online French conversation lessons to speak French with a tutor and get real-time feedback.

Polite greetings and courtesies help start conversations on the right note. Use the correct phrase for the time of day, add politeness words, and introduce yourself clearly.

Use “bonjour” for daytime and “bonsoir” for evenings to sound natural and polite. Say “salut” with friends or peers.

Say “merci” or “je vous remercie” for thank you. Let’s practice short exchanges:

• 1. Bonjour, bonsoir — Hello or good morning / good evening

• 2. Salut — Hi (casual)

• 3. Bonne journée, bon(ne) après-midi— Have a good day, a good afternoon (feminine or masculine)

• 4. Bonne soirée, bonne nuit  — Have a good evening, a good night

• 5. Comment ça va ? — How’s it going?

• 6. Ça va. — I’m fine.

• 7. Ça ne va pas. — Not great.

• 8. Enchanté(e) / Ravi(e) de te/vous rencontrer. — Nice/pleased to meet you.

• 9. Merci / Je vous remercie (more formal) — Thank you / I thank you

• 10. C’est gentil — It’s very nice, kind

You should use “tu” when you’re talking to friends, family members, children and peers of the same age or younger, in casual settings.

Use “vous” for people you have never met, elders or people in a position of authority (boss, teacher, officials) and a group of people. However know that there is a growing trend of using “tu” at work, in younger startups.

Politeness keeps conversations smooth. Say “s’il vous plaît” when asking for something formally and “s’il te plaît” with friends. Common quick lines:

• 11. S’il vous plaît. — Please (formal)

• 12. S’il te plaît. — Please (informal)

• 13. Excusez-moi. — Excuse me.

• 14. Pardon. — Sorry / passing by

• 15. Je suis (vraiment) désolé(e). — I’m (truly) sorry.

• 16. Pas de problème / Aucun problème / Pas de souci. — No problem / no worries.

• 17. Bien sûr, d’accord. — Of course, agreed / Ok

• 18. Je comprends / Je ne comprends pas — I understand / I don’t understand

• 19. De rien. — You’re welcome.

• 20. Je t’en prie / Je vous en prie — You’re welcome (formal / informal)

This final expression is, in fact, the older French term for “I beg you,” which gradually evolved into “you’re welcome / please / go ahead.” as shown:

• je = I

• te / vous = you

• en = “of it / about that” (referring to what was just said or asked)

• prie = from prier → “to beg, to request, to implore” (same root as prayer, from Latin precari)

Asking questions in French  and more precisely help is all about intonation, word order, and a few key question words. Here are some useful questions :

• 21. Pouvez-vous m’aider ? — Can you help me?

• 22. Comment on dit… en français ? — How do you say… in French?

• 23. Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ? — What does that mean?

• 24. Pouvez-vous répéter ? — Can you repeat?

• 25. Plus lentement, s’il vous plaît. — Slower, please.

• 26. Pouvez-vous me montrer…, s’il vous plaît. — Can you show me, please.

• 27. Où puis-je trouver… ? — Where can I find…?

• 28. C’est possible ? — Is it possible?

• 29. Ça marche / Ça roule — It workds

• 30. Merci pour ton / votre aide. — Thanks for your help.

To show even greater politeness, we often employ the conditional tense at a more sophisticated level.

You might already be familiar with some expressions such as “je voudrais” (I would like) or “est-ce que je pourrais avoir..?” (Could I have..?).

A bit of casual conversation can make a big difference in French. Here are some of the most frequently used everyday phrases, along with examples and brief notes to help you sound more natural :

• 31. Qu’est-ce que tu fais aujourd”hui ? — What are you up to today? (casual)
• 32. Il fait beau / chaud / froid — It’s nice/hot/cold
• 33. Tu travailles / bosses dans quoi ? — What do you do for work? (“bosser” is familiar language)
• 34. Tu viens souvent ici ? — Do you come here often?
• 35. C’est intéressant / ennuyeux — That’s interesting / boring
• 36. Vraiment ? / C’est vrai ?  — Really ? / Is it true ?
• 37. Tu en penses quoi ? — What do you think about it ?
• 38. C’est pas mal. — It’s not bad (We tend to drop the “ne” in conversation)
• 39. Je suis fatigué(e). — I’m tired.
• 40. Je ne suis pas libre demain, je suis occupé(e). — I’m not free tomorrow, I’m busy.

“C’est pas mal” means it’s not bad but can mean “It’s pretty good!” / “Not bad at all.” So it’s mildly positive, not neutral. French speakers often use it when they like something — just not over-the-moon about it.

These phrases help you start polite conversations, show respect, and leave a positive impression. Use the right greeting for the time of day, add simple politeness words, and state your name or role clearly.

When you travel to France, you may need help with directions. Getting around in France is much easier if you know some directions and navigation phrases. Here’s a practical guide.

• 41. Où est / Où sont… ? or Où se trouve(nt)…? — Where is…./ Where are ?

• 42. À droite / À gauche — To the right / to the left

• 43. Au bout de la rue / du couloir —At the end of the street / hallway

• 44. Tout droit — Straight ahead (be careful as the pronunciation is different than “à droite)

• 45. Près / loin d’ici ? — Near / far from here?

• 46. Je cherche… — I’m looking for…

• 47. En voiture vs à pied — By car or by foot (“en” when you are in the transportation)

• 48. Combien de temps dure le trajet ? — How long does the journey take?

• 49. À quelle heure passe le bus ? — At what time does the bus arrive?

• 50. Je suis (un peu) perdu(e). — I’m (a little bit) lost.

Shopping in France is super doable if you’ve got a few set phrases ready. Keep in mind that we say “une taille” when referring to size and “une pointure” for shoe size. Here’s a practical toolkit you can use in shops, markets, and malls in France

• 51. Combien ça coûte ? — How much does it cost ?

• 52. Désolé(e), c’est trop cher / C’est bon marché — Sorry, it’s too expensive / It’s affordable

• 53. Je regarde / Je jette un coup d’oeil — I’m just looking.

• 54. Avez-vous une autre taille / une autre couleur ? — Do you have another size / another color?

• 55. Où sont les cabines d’essayage ? — Where are the fitting rooms?

• 56. Est-ce que je peux essayer ? — Can I try ?

• 57. Je le / la / les prends. — I’ll take it / them

• 58. Je peux payer par carte / en espèces ? — Can I pay by card / by cash ?

• 59. Je peux avoir le ticket de caisse, s’il vous plaît ? — Can I have the receipt, please ?

• 60. Est-ce qu’il y a une garantie ? — Is there a warranty?

Here’s a handy dining-out phrase kit for French restaurants, cafés, and bakeries.

These are exactly what you’ll hear and what locals actually say :

• 61. Une table pour deux / Deux couverts, s’il vous plaît. — A table for two please.

• 62. Est-ce qu’on peut s’asseoir en terrasse ? – Can we sit outside?

• 63. Je pourrais avoir la carte, s’il vous plaît ? — Could I have the menu, please ?

• 64. Qu’est-ce que vous me / nous recommandez ? — What do you recommend me / us ?

• 65. Quel est le plat du jour ? — What’s today’s special?

• 66. Et avec ceci ? / C’est tout or ce sera tout — And with this ? / That’s all

• 67. Une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plaît — A jug of tap water, please. (totally normal to ask!)

• 68. L’addition, s’il vous plaît. — The bill, please.

• 69. Est-ce que c’est inclus / compris ? — Is it included?

• 70. Sur place ou à emporter — Here or to takeout

In France, tipping is way simpler than in the U.S. Tip is already included in restaurant prices (“service compris”). So you don’t have to tip. However most locals still leave a little something when service is nice. For restaurants, we generally leave 5–10% or more for exceptional service.

These phrases help you start polite conversations, show respect, and leave a positive impression. Use the right greeting for the time of day, add simple politeness words, and state your name or role clearly.

Here are natural French phrases for staying in touch, whether you’re saying goodbye, texting later, or reconnecting :

• 71. On se voit bientôt ? — Shall we see each other soon?

• 72. À tout’ / à tout de suite. — See you shortly (in a few minutes or hours)

• 73. À  tout à l’heure —Talk to you later (generally the same day)

• 74. À (très) bientôt. — See you (very) soon

• 75. Tiens-moi au courant — Keep me updated

• 76. Bon week-end ! / Bonnes vacances — Have a good weekend! / good vacation

• 77. On s’écrit ? / On s’appelle ? —We’ll text? / We’ll call ?

• 78. Tu peux me donner ton numéro. — Can you give me your number ?

• 79. On reste en contact. — Let’s keep in touch.

• 80. Tu es dispo quand ? — When are you free? (“dispo” for “disponible”)

In a professional environment, we say “je reviens vers vous,” which translates to “I’m getting back to you.”

Now, let’s explore some useful French phrases for home and daily life. These are the types of expressions that people commonly use at home :

• 81. J’ai faim / soif. — I’m hungry / thirsty

• 82. J’ai chaud / froid — I’m hot / cold

• 83. On y va — Let’s go

• 84. Fais comme chez toi / faites comme chez vous — Make yourself at home.

• 85. J’ai besoin  /envie de… — I need / I feel like

• 86. Ça me plaît / ça ne me plait pas — I like it / I don’t like it

• 87. Il faut faire la lessive / la vaisselle — We have to do the laundry / the dishes

• 88. Ça suffit ! / J’en ai marre ! — That’s enough! / I have enough !

• 89. Attends-moi ! — Wait for me !

• 90. C’est prêt. — It’s ready.

Here’s a useful collection of French phrases for health concerns and emergencies. These are the phrases you’ll truly need if something goes awry. Keep them close at hand :

• 91. J’ai besoin d’un médecin — I need a doctor

• 92. J’ai mal au ventre / à la tête / aux pieds — I have a stomach ache / a headache / sore feet

• 93. J’ai du mal à respirer — I have difficulties to breath

• 94. Je ne me sens pas bien — I don’t feel well

• 95. C’est une urgence — It’s an emergency

• 96. Est-ce qu’il faut une ordonnance ? — Do I need a prescription ?

• 97.  Où est l’hôpital le plus proche ? — Where is the nearest hospital?

• 98. Je tousse beaucoup — I’m coughing a lot.

• 99. Je me suis coupé(e) / brûlé(e) — I cut / burned myself.

• 100. Ça va aller. — It’s going to be okay.

Tip :

• we use “avoir mal au / à la / aux” along with a body part masc. or fem.) to indicate pain.
• However, we say “avoir du mal à” when referring to difficulties in doing something.

Conclusion : How to Practice These Phrases (So They Actually Stick)

These 100 essential French phrases give you a foundation for real-world conversation — not just textbook dialogues. Keep them handy, revisit often, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. French speakers genuinely appreciate the effort.

• Use them in short mini-conversations — even with yourself.

• Record your voice and compare with native speakers.

• Pair phrases with situations (café, metro, store, work).

• Review 10 phrases per day instead of cramming 100 at once.

And if you want to move faster, your private French tutor can build you a speaking plan around your goals. I will gently correct pronunciation and explain cultural nuances.