6 Basic French Phrases for Surviving Most Any Situation

The French language, French français, is probably the world’s most important Romance language. It was the official language of more than 25 countries at the start of the twenty-first century. It is the first language of approximately 60 million people in France and Corsica, more than 7.3 million in Canada, more than 3.9 million in Belgium, more than 1.8 million in Switzerland (cantons of Neuchâtel, Vaud, Genève, Valais, Fribourg), 80,000 in Monaco, 100,000 in Italy, and 1.3 million in the United States (particularly Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont).

1-Qu’est-ce que vous conseillez? (What suggestions do you have?)

You’ve been looking through the menu and have no idea what to order. Maybe your French is rusty and some of the ingredients are perplexing, or maybe everything looks delicious and you can’t decide.

2-Où se trouve…… (Where can one find…) is another way of saying Où est… (Where is…).

Où se trouve la station de métro la plus proche? (Can you tell me where the nearest metro station is?) If you already know the name of the metro station you need because you’re a savvy traveller, simply replace “la plus proche” (the nearest) with the station’s name, and you’ll be on your way to the Parisian underground.

3-Je dois aller à ….. (I must travel to…..)

Use “Je dois aller à …..” to tell the driver where you need to go. And you’ll be on your way! 

4-La carte, s’il vous plaît. (Please bring the menu.)

Sometimes they’ll bring you a menu right away, but if you need one, just ask.

5-Je voudrais commander maintenant (I would like to order now).

6-Je voudrais ……, s’il vous plaît. (I’d like ___, please.)

It’s a useful phrase to know because you’ll need it to order coffee, drinks at a bar, and crêpes at a crêpe stand. It is a pillar of French survival.

2 bonus phrases!

7-Excusez-moi, où est……. ? (Pardon me, but where is……. ?)

This phrase can be used for anything, including hotels, attractions, and metro stops. Because it translates directly from French to English, it is polite, straightforward, and easy to remember.

You’ll most likely get responses like:

C’est à droite. (It’s to your right.)

C’est près de…. . (It is near .)

C’est à gauche. (It’s to your left.)

C’est à côté de…. . (It’s right next to .)

C’est loin de…. . (It’s a long way from .)

8-Je ne peux pas manger….. .

Food allergies and dietary restrictions are on the other end of the spectrum from having a waiter choose your dish. If something on the menu is unclear to you, make sure to inform the waiter of any dietary restrictions when you place your order.

Here are some more basic French words for common food allergies that you should know for your safety in the Francophone world:

le gluten (gluten)

les produits laitiers (dairy products)

le glutamate de sodium (MSG)

le poisson (fish)

les fruits de mer (shell fish)

la viande (meat)

les œufs (eggs)

la viande rouge (red meat)

le soja (soy)

More than 49 million Africans speak French as a first or second language in countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Kinshasa), Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, and Tunisi. In formal situations, many creole French speakers also use standard French.

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