French belongs to the Gallo-Romance branch of the Indo-European language family, and is most closely related to languages such as Occitan, Francoprovençal, and to some extent Walloon and Catalan. It is spoken by around 300 million people worldwide, a figure that includes both native speakers (estimated at 80–100 million) and second-language speakers who use French in education, business, or daily life.
In Europe, French is an official language in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Monaco. While not official in Italy, French is recognized as a regional language in the Aosta Valley, where it has co-official status. French is also one of the 24 official languages of the European Union.
Outside Europe, French is widely spoken across North Africa (particularly Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia), West and Central Africa (in countries like Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo), the Caribbean (especially Haiti, Guadeloupe, and Martinique), and in Canada, primarily in Quebec, but also in parts of Ontario and New Brunswick. It also holds official status in various Pacific territories (such as French Polynesia and New Caledonia) and is still used in former French colonies in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
Pronunciation
Most letters in French are similar to their English equivalents, although there are some that can cause confusion:
é: as the ‘ay’ in ‘may’
è: a little longer than the ‘e’ in ‘very’
ê: like the ‘e’ in ‘met’
u: like the ‘u’ in ‘urn’
c: before e and I like ‘s’, before a, o and u like ‘k’
ç: like ‘s’ in ‘sit’
j: like the ‘s’ in ‘leisure’
Basics
Hello: Bonjour
Good evening: Bonsoir
Good night: Bonne niut
Good bye: Au revoir
Yes: Oui
No: Non
Please: S’il vous plai
Thanks you: Merci
You’re welcome: je vous en prie
Excuse me: Excusez-moi
Sorry: Pardon
How are you?: Comment allez-vous?
Fine thanks: Bien, merci
What’s your name?: Comment appelez-vous?
My name is.: Je m’appelle .
Where are you from?: De quell pays êtes-vous?
Do you speak English?: Parlez-vous anglais?
I don’t understand: Je ne comprends pas
Transport
What time does the.leave/arrive?: À quelle heure part/arrive.?
Airplane: l’avion
Bus: l’autobus
Ferry: le ferry
Train: le train
I’d like a .. Ticket: je voudrais un billet..
One way: aller-simple
Return: aller-retour
Directions
How do I get to.? Comment est-ce que je dois aller pur arriver à .?
Is it near/far?: Est-ce près/loin?
Turn left: Tournez à gauche/droite
Behind: derriére
In front of: devant
Opposite: en face de
I’m looking for.: je cherche.
Bank: une banque
Embassy: l’ambassade de.
An exchange office: le bureau de change
Post office: le bureau de poste
Public toilet: les toilettes
Accommodation
I’d like to book.: je voudrais réserver.
A single room: une chamber pour une personne
A double: une chamber pour deux personnes
How much is it per nuit?: Quel est le prix par nuit?
Is breakfast included? Est-ce que le petit déjeuner est compris?
Time
What time is it? Quelle heure est-il?
Its 2 o’clock: Il est deux heures
When?: Quand
Today: aujourd’hui
Tonight: ce soir
Tomorrow: demain
Yesterday: hier
Food
Breakfast: le petit déjeuner
Lunch: le déjeuner
Dinner: the diner
Vegetable: legume
Fish: poisson
Meat: viande
Poultry: volaille
I don’t eat meat: Jen e mange pas de viande
Beer: bière
Wine: Vin
Numbers
1: un
2: deux
3: trois
4: quatre
5: cinq
6: six
7: sept
8: huit
9: neuf
10: dix
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