7 Essential French Words and Phrases for Travelers

In a major tourist city like Paris, you’ll find many people speak English. Servers at restaurants, shop attendants, front desk staff at hotels, and many others, especially those in the hospitality industry familiar with tourists, often know a little bit — or a lot — of English.

Can you visit Paris without knowing a lick of French? Certainly, you can. Plenty of people have done it.

But although many of the people you’ll come across in your travels will have some level of understanding of English, you will find locals appreciate it when you make an effort to speak a few works in their language. It can also make it a lot easier to communicate when you find yourself somewhere without an English-speaking local nearby. Head off the beaten path in a charming neighborhood like Saint-Germain-des-Prés, much less dense with tourists, and this could easily happen.

Of course, if you have your phone or a trusty translation tool, you can look up French phrases on the go. But it’s so much more fun to practice them before your visit — and casually drop them into conversations when you return from your Parisian adventure — so why not start now?

Learning a few basic French phrases can make a world of difference when visiting any French-speaking country, France included. In this guide, I’ll share not only the words to know and their translation, but also the context in which to use them as I’ve learned it from living in France (and years of studying the language and culture from native speakers).

Context matters in French. Case in point? The very first word on this list.

I’ve also included pronunciation for each of these common French phrases, but you can also find them all over YouTube. I chose phonetic spelling that hopefully makes it easy to understand what to say, but to sound a bit more French, tighten your lips and give it your best French accent. But even pronouncing these phrases simply as they’re written, people will understand you, so don’t stress too much.

Lastly, I’ve included a few bonus phrases related to each word. Want to level up and learn even more French? Dig into these sections and have fun! Want to stick to the basics and keep it simple? Simply skip the bonus sections. You’ll be fine if you learn only these key French phrases.

And now, here they are — the seven essential French words and phrases for travelers.

1. Bonjour

Translation: Hello

Pronunciation: bon-zhoor

Undoubtedly the most well-known way of saying hello in French, “bonjour” is acceptable in formal and informal situations. It literally translates to “good day,” so you typically say it only from morning until the evening starts. Around 6 p.m. or so, people will usually switch to saying “bonsoir” (prounounced bon-swar), which means “good evening.” The difference in the two isn’t a big deal, however. I’ve heard French speakers say, “bonjour” even at night sometimes, so don’t worry too much about that.

What most tourists don’t realize is that saying bonjour is expected when you enter a shop or start a conversation with someone. It’s considered polite and friendly. I remember an attendant at a French train station information desk who I approached to ask a question. I began with my polite question in French to ask if he could tell me about a certain train time. He interrupted to say “bonjour,” clearly perturbed that I hadn’t bothered to give him this standard French greeting.

Similarly, shopkeepers expect a greeting when you step into their store — not if it’s a giant place like Zara, of course, but a small pâtisserie where it’s just a few patrons and someone behind the counter is the perfect place to trot out your friendly bonjour.

Bonus: Looking for another casual way of greeting people? Try “salut” (prounounced sah-loo). This is much more informal, used for greeting friends or those you know well, but it has the advantage of meaning both “hi” and “bye.”

Another bonus: Here’s another extra. As you leave a shop or part from someone, you can say “bonne journée” during the day or “bonne soirée” at night. This isn’t required. A simple “au revoir” (goodbye) will do, but it’s a pleasant to wish someone a good rest of their day or evening.

2. Oui / Non

Translation: Yes / No

Pronunciation: wee / nohn

These are words that you probably already know, but we want to put on our list anyway because they certainly qualify as essential. Nearly everyone you encounter in Paris is likely to recognize the English words “yes” and “no,” but it’s so much nicer to say these words in the local tongue. They’re one syllable each and not at all difficult to pronounce, and it can come handy in almost every place you go, such as stores, restaurants, and hotels.

The word for no has a slight nasal sound at the end that makes the final “n” consonant almost silent. You could simply say “non” with an anglophone accent while shaking your head slightly, and everyone will understand you, but if you want to get the nuanced pronunciation just right, here’s a video to help.

3. S’il vous plaît

Translation: Please

Pronunciation: see voo play

Just like in English, adding please to your questions or requests is polite. Combine it with what you’ve learned above to say “yes, please.” If a waiter asks if you’d like another glass of wine, you can smile confidently and say “oui, s’il vous plaît.”

If you’re interested in French grammar or just wondering why there are so many words to say what is just one word in English, I’ll tell you — it’s actually four words. Literally, the phrase translates to “if it you pleases,” that is, “if it pleases you.” And before you go thinking that’s odd, it’s worth noting that we got our “please” from the French, and back in the day, we anglophones used to say “if you please” all the time.

Bonus: There’s another way to say this phrase when you’re talking to friends. French has a formal and informal version of the word “you.” So while you’ll stick with the phrase you learned above for all interactions with people in Paris you meet whom you don’t know, there’s another way to say please to a friend. It’s “s’il te plaît,” pronounced see tuh play. If you’re unsure, it’s always best to stick to “s’il vous plaît.”

Another bonus: There’s a word you can add in front of this phrase at restaurants to ask for your bill. Just say, “l’addition, s’il vous plait.” Parisian waiters typically won’t bring you your check unless you ask for it. They’re not being rude or lazy — they’re letting you enjoy the space and not rushing your meal. But if you’re ready to go, say this phrase and they’ll know to bring your bill. (Tip: Can’t catch their eye? Just raise your hand for their attention, and they will come and help you.)

4. Excusez-moi

Translation: Yes / No

Pronunciation: excuzay mwah

Say excusez-moi when you’re trying to get someone’s attention. This could be a waiter at a restaurant or even someone on the street whom you want to ask directions from. You can also use it as a polite way to ask someone to step aside, such as on a crowded sidewalk or train.

Bonus: If you’re passing through the crowded metro and someone needs to get by you, you’ll probably hear them say “pardon,” pronounced like it is in English except with the accent on the second syllable and a nasal end (like “non”). You can use this as well if you wish. I much prefer it as a simpler alternative to excusez-moi when I’m squeezing by people.

5. Merci

Translation: Thank you

Pronunciation: mair-see

You’ll need to know how to say thank you each time you ask someone to help you with directions or when someone hands you tickets or food or drops you off at your hotel.

While it’s important in every culture to say thank you, it’s especially so for the French. For almost every interaction, you could say probably say merci. The French value politeness, and this handy word is a great way to show your gratitude for someone’s assistance and your respect for the local culture since you took the time to learn a simple word of courtesy.

Bonus: To put more emphasis on your thank you, say “thanks a lot.” That’s “merci beaucoup.” The last word is pronounced bow-coo.

6. Où est…?

Translation: Where is…?

Pronunciation: Ooo ay

As a tourist getting around a French-speaking country, “Où est…?” is one of the most useful phrases you can learn. You can use it to ask where your hotel is, where a restaurant is, where the Eiffel Tower is, etc. It’ll help you get where you want to be with the help of local strangers.

You might think you need to know French to finish this question, but if it’s a proper noun, you only need to know the name of the place you’re going and an idea of how to say it in French. Sometimes, you’ll put “le” or “la” (which means “the”) in front of the name, such as le Ritz Paris or la tour Eiffel (aka, the Eiffel Tower).

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So if you need to get to the Ritz, because your budget is far different from mine when in Paris, you might say, Où est le Ritz Paris? Note that Paris is pronounced Paree in French. Again, locals will understand you either way, but it’s nice to give it the right pronunciation. It is the name of their city, after all.

7. Je ne peux pas manger…

Translation: I can’t eat…

Pronunciation: Zhe neuh peuh pah monzhay

A simple phonetic spelling of this one was difficult and looks weird, but it’s easier to explain. If you can pronounce the “j” in bonjour, you can say “je.” And the first three words rhyme. The vowel sound is the same as good (no “d” on the end, of course), so just roll them together. “Manger,” which means “to eat,” has the same “j” sound from bonjour and je.

This phrase is extremely useful if you have any allergies or dietary restrictions. Traveling the world shouldn’t put your health at risk, so politely let your waiter know the things you can’t eat by starting with “je ne peux pas manger…” and completing the sentence with whatever fits. Some common terms are:

• la viande (meat)
• les fruits de mer (seafood)
• les cacahuètes (peanuts)
• les noix (nuts)
• les produits laitiers (dairy products)
• le gluten (gluten)

You can get the pronunciation for this phrase in the video below. It has an extra word “en” if you want to say you can’t eat any of what is before you — “je ne peux pas en manger.” But simply remove the word “en” to use the phrase and described above.

Why learn French phrases for travel?

People sometimes say the French are rude, but I disagree. They actually care about the niceties of language and social custom more than most Americans.

It can be intimidating to speak French when you don’t know the language well, but I find that French people — Parisians included — appreciate the effort.

It may not seem like much, but learning and using these French words and phrases can help make your trip to France better. Even if you don’t remember how to say something, a friendly approach and an attempt to explain can usually get a helpful response.

Of course, if you don’t know any French, and even these phrases seem like a bit much to handle, that’s OK. People in the tourism industry will usually be happy to speak to you in English, and sometimes they seem to enjoy practicing their language skills. And you can practice with them.

In fact, that’s my biggest tip. Practice these phrases before you go and when you’re there. Listen to what people say, and you might even pick up a few more useful phrases.

If you join us on one of our Paris tours — all of which are offered in English — that’s also a great opportunity to get insider tips from your Parisian guide, and they can certainly help you with a few other French words if you ask them. Our guides are passionate about their city and culture and love sharing it with others!

Want to learn a couple other French phrases? Read our guide to nine things that will make you fall hopefully in love with Paris. There are a few (including my favorite, “je ne sais quoi”) sprinkled in there.