When I first arrived in France, I thought I needed all the grammar before I could talk. So I stayed quiet, nodding like a wise yak while understanding about three words per conversation. Then one day in a bakery, I finally used my ultra-basic toolkit:
Bonjour /bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/ — hello
Une baguette, s’il vous plaît /yn ba.ɡɛt sil vu plɛ/ — a baguette, please
Merci /mɛʁ.si/ — thank you
That was it. Three phrases. I walked out with bread, dignity, and the shocking realization that you can do a lot with a small set of words.
This guide gives you 100 super useful French words and phrases to actually start speaking: greetings, polite expressions, little “glue words,” and survival phrases for cafés, streets, and small talk. Use it as your first “French toolbox” — not perfect sentences, but enough to function like a slightly confused yet charming yak in France.
Quick Primer: How To Use This 100-Word Toolkit
Before we dive into the list (yes, a real 100), a few basics.
On first mention, I’ll show words like this:
- bonjour /bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/ — hello
Format:
- French
- IPA (pronunciation)
- Clear English meaning
The words and phrases are grouped into:
- Greetings & introductions
- Please, thank you, sorry
- Café, restaurant, and shopping
- Getting around (directions & transport)
- Numbers, time, and days
- Feelings, problems, and help
- Small-talk glue (yes, no, maybe, etc.)
You don’t have to memorize everything at once. Think of it like building a LEGO yak: start with greetings, then add café phrases, then glue words. Very soon, you’ll be able to mix and match into your own sentences.
1. Greetings And Introductions (Start Every Conversation Right)
These are the phrases that open doors — literally.
| French | IPA | English |
| Bonjour | bɔ̃.ʒuʁ | Hello / good morning / good afternoon |
| Salut | sa.ly | Hi / bye (informal) |
| Bonsoir | bɔ̃.swaʁ | Good evening (greeting) |
| Au revoir | o ʁə.vwaʁ | Goodbye |
| À bientôt | a bjɛ̃.to | See you soon |
| À demain | a də.mɛ̃ | See you tomorrow |
| À plus | a ply(s) | See you / later (informal) |
| Oui | wi | Yes |
| Non | nɔ̃ | No |
For introductions:
- je m’appelle /ʒə ma.pɛl/ — my name is
- Comment vous appelez-vous ? /kɔ.mɑ̃ vu za.pə.le vu/ — What’s your name? (formal)
- Comment tu t’appelles ? /kɔ.mɑ̃ ty ta.pɛl/ — What’s your name? (informal)
| French | IPA | English |
| Je m’appelle [Name]. | ʒə ma.pɛl | My name is [Name]. |
| Enchanté(e). | ɑ̃.ʃɑ̃.te | Nice to meet you. |
| Ça va ? | sa va | How’s it going? |
| Ça va. | sa va | I’m fine. / It’s okay. |
| Ça va bien. | sa va bjɛ̃ | I’m doing well. |
| Comme ci, comme ça. | kɔm si kɔm sa | So-so. |
That’s already about 20 words/phrases in your pocket.
2. Please, Thank You, And Sorry (Polite Yak Toolkit)
Politeness in France is non-negotiable. These phrases keep you on the good side of humans who have coffee, croissants, and patience.
On first mentions:
- s’il vous plaît /sil vu plɛ/ — please (formal)
- s’il te plaît /sil tə plɛ/ — please (informal)
- merci /mɛʁ.si/ — thank you
- merci beaucoup /mɛʁ.si bo.ku/ — thank you very much
- de rien /də ʁjɛ̃/ — you’re welcome
- pardon /paʁ.dɔ̃/ — excuse me / sorry (for bumping)
- désolé(e) /de.zɔ.le/ — sorry
- excusez-moi /ɛk.sky.ze mwa/ — excuse me (to get attention)
| French | IPA | English |
| S’il vous plaît. | sil vu plɛ | Please. (formal) |
| S’il te plaît. | sil tə plɛ | Please. (informal) |
| Merci. | mɛʁ.si | Thank you. |
| Merci beaucoup. | mɛʁ.si bo.ku | Thank you very much. |
| De rien. | də ʁjɛ̃ | You’re welcome. |
| Avec plaisir. | a.vɛk ple.ziʁ | My pleasure. |
| Pardon. | paʁ.dɔ̃ | Excuse me / sorry (small) |
| Excusez-moi. | ɛk.sky.ze mwa | Excuse me. (formal/plural) |
| Désolé(e). | de.zɔ.le | Sorry. |
| Ce n’est pas grave. | sə nɛ pa ɡʁav | It’s not a big deal. |
You can already be very polite with those. Your grandparents would approve.
3. Café, Restaurant, And Shopping Life (Order Like You Live There)
This is where your French will actually earn you coffee.
On first mentions:
- je voudrais /ʒə vu.dʁɛ/ — I would like
- combien /kɔ̃.bjɛ̃/ — how much
- l’addition /la.di.sjɔ̃/ — the bill
- une table /yn ta.bl/ — a table
- de l’eau /də lo/ — some water
Core phrases:
| French | IPA | English |
| Je voudrais… | ʒə vu.dʁɛ | I would like… |
| Je prends… | ʒə pʁɑ̃ | I’ll have… |
| C’est combien ? | sɛ kɔ̃.bjɛ̃ | How much is it? |
| L’addition, s’il vous plaît. | la.di.sjɔ̃ sil vu plɛ | The bill, please. |
| Une table pour deux. | yn ta.bl puʁ dø | A table for two. |
| De l’eau, s’il vous plaît. | də lo sil vu plɛ | Some water, please. |
| Un café. | œ̃ ka.fe | A coffee. |
| Un thé. | œ̃ te | A tea. |
| Un verre de vin. | œ̃ vɛʁ də vɛ̃ | A glass of wine. |
| C’est bon. | sɛ bɔ̃ | It’s good / That’s fine. |
| C’est très bon. | sɛ tʁɛ bɔ̃ | It’s very good. |
| C’était délicieux. | se.tɛ de.li.sjø | It was delicious. |
| Je regarde juste. | ʒə ʁə.ɡaʁd ʒyst | I’m just looking. |
| Vous avez… ? | vu za.ve | Do you have…? |
Add food words as you go, but this core lets you survive in cafés and shops without pointing at random croissants in panic.
4. Getting Around: Directions, Transport, And Not Getting Too Lost
On first mentions:
- où /u/ — where
- ici /i.si/ — here
- là /la/ — there
- loin /lwɛ̃/ — far
- près /pʁɛ/ — near
Core travel phrases:
| French | IPA | English |
| Où est… ? | u ɛ | Where is…? |
| Où sont… ? | u sɔ̃ | Where are…? |
| Où est la gare ? | u ɛ la ɡaʁ | Where is the train station? |
| Où est le métro ? | u ɛ lə me.tʁo | Where is the metro? |
| C’est loin ? | sɛ lwɛ̃ | Is it far? |
| C’est près d’ici ? | sɛ pʁɛ di.si | Is it near here? |
| À droite. | a dʁwat | To the right. |
| À gauche. | a ɡoʃ | To the left. |
| Tout droit. | tu dʁwa | Straight ahead. |
| Ici. | i.si | Here. |
| Là-bas. | la.ba | Over there. |
| Un ticket. | œ̃ ti.kɛ | A ticket. |
| Un billet. | œ̃ bi.jɛ | A ticket (train/longer) |
| Un plan de la ville. | œ̃ plɑ̃ də la vil | A map of the city. |
With these and some pointing, you can roam most of France without needing a rescue helicopter.
5. Numbers, Time, And Days (Mini Toolkit Only)
I’ll give you a starter set — enough to understand prices and set up meetups. You can expand later.
On first mentions:
- un /œ̃/ — one
- deux /dø/ — two
- trois /tʁwa/ — three
- quatre /katʁ/ — four
- cinq /sɛ̃k/ — five
| French | IPA | English |
| Un | œ̃ | One |
| Deux | dø | Two |
| Trois | tʁwa | Three |
| Quatre | katʁ | Four |
| Cinq | sɛ̃k | Five |
| Six | sis | Six |
| Sept | sɛt | Seven |
| Huit | ɥit | Eight |
| Neuf | nœf | Nine |
| Dix | dis | Ten |
Time basics:
| French | IPA | English |
| Aujourd’hui | o.ʒuʁ.dɥi | Today |
| Demain | də.mɛ̃ | Tomorrow |
| Hier | jɛʁ | Yesterday |
| Maintenant | mɛ̃.tə.nɑ̃ | Now |
| Bientôt | bjɛ̃.to | Soon |
Days of the week (just the core words):
| French | IPA | English |
| Lundi | lœ̃.di | Monday |
| Mardi | maʁ.di | Tuesday |
| Mercredi | mɛʁ.kʁə.di | Wednesday |
| Jeudi | ʒø.di | Thursday |
| Vendredi | vɑ̃.dʁə.di | Friday |
| Samedi | sam.di | Saturday |
| Dimanche | di.mɑ̃ʃ | Sunday |
You now have enough French to arrange meeting someone on Friday, pay 8 euros, and complain that it’s too soon.
6. Feelings, Problems, And Asking For Help
On first mentions:
- je suis /ʒə sɥi/ — I am
- j’ai /ʒe/ — I have
- je ne comprends pas /ʒə nə kɔ̃.pʁɑ̃ pa/ — I don’t understand
- parler /paʁ.le/ — to speak
Core feeling and help phrases:
| French | IPA | English |
| Je suis fatigué(e). | ʒə sɥi fa.ti.ɡe | I’m tired. |
| J’ai faim. | ʒe fɛ̃ | I’m hungry. |
| J’ai soif. | ʒe swaf | I’m thirsty. |
| J’ai chaud. | ʒe ʃo | I’m hot. |
| J’ai froid. | ʒe fʁwa | I’m cold. |
| Ça va mal. | sa va mal | I’m not doing well. |
| Je ne comprends pas. | ʒə nə kɔ̃.pʁɑ̃ pa | I don’t understand. |
| Vous pouvez répéter ? | vu pu.ve ʁe.pe.te | Can you repeat? (formal) |
| Plus lentement, s’il vous plaît. | ply lɑ̃.tə.mɑ̃ sil vu plɛ | More slowly, please. |
| Je parle un peu français. | ʒə paʁl œ̃ pø fʁɑ̃.sɛ | I speak a little French. |
| Vous parlez anglais ? | vu paʁ.le ɑ̃.ɡlɛ | Do you speak English? |
| Aidez-moi, s’il vous plaît. | e.de mwa sil vu plɛ | Help me, please. |
These are your “don’t panic” phrases. Very important for both humans and yaks.
7. Small-Talk Glue: Tiny Words, Big Power
These are short words that make your French sound less like flashcards and more like actual conversation.
On first mentions:
- et /e/ — and
- mais /mɛ/ — but
- ou /u/ — or
| French | IPA | English |
| Et | e | And |
| Mais | mɛ | But |
| Ou | u | Or |
| Parce que | paʁs kə | Because |
| Peut-être | pø.tɛtʁ | Maybe |
| Très | tʁɛ | Very |
| Un peu | œ̃ pø | A little |
| Beaucoup | bo.ku | A lot |
| Toujours | tu.ʒuʁ | Always |
| Souvent | su.vɑ̃ | Often |
| Parfois | paʁ.fwa | Sometimes |
| Jamais | ʒa.mɛ | Never |
| Ici | i.si | Here |
| Là | la | There |
| Oui, d’accord. | wi da.kɔʁ | Yes, okay. / Agreed. |
| Super. | sy.pɛʁ | Great. |
| Génial. | ʒe.njal | Awesome. |
| Peut-être plus tard. | pø.tɛtʁ ply taʁ | Maybe later. |
Between these glue words and your other phrases, you can build surprisingly natural little sentences like:
Je suis fatigué mais ça va. /ʒə sɥi fa.ti.ɡe mɛ sa va/
I’m tired but I’m okay.
Mini Dialogues: Your First 100 Words In Action
Let’s put some of these words to work in real (but short) conversations.
1. First Time In A Café
Bonjour, je voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît.
/bɔ̃.ʒuʁ ʒə vu.dʁɛ œ̃ ka.fe sil vu plɛ/
Hello, I’d like a coffee, please.
Bien sûr, ça fait deux euros.
/bjɛ̃ syʁ sa fɛ dø.z‿ø.ʁo/
Of course, that’s two euros.
Voilà. Merci beaucoup.
/vwa.la mɛʁ.si bo.ku/
Here you go. Thank you very much.
Avec plaisir, bonne journée.
/a.vɛk ple.ziʁ bɔn ʒuʁ.ne/
My pleasure, have a good day.
2. Asking For Directions
Pardon, où est le métro, s’il vous plaît ?
/paʁ.dɔ̃ u ɛ lə me.tʁo sil vu plɛ/
Excuse me, where is the metro, please?
C’est tout droit, puis à gauche.
/sɛ tu dʁwa pɥi a ɡoʃ/
It’s straight ahead, then to the left.
Merci, c’est loin ?
/mɛʁ.si sɛ lwɛ̃/
Thank you, is it far?
Non, c’est près d’ici.
/nɔ̃ sɛ pʁɛ di.si/
No, it’s near here.
3. Meeting Someone At A Party
Salut, je m’appelle Alex.
/sa.ly ʒə ma.pɛl a.lɛks/
Hi, my name is Alex.
Enchanté, moi c’est Léa.
/ɑ̃.ʃɑ̃.te mwa sɛ le.a/
Nice to meet you, I’m Léa.
Tu parles français ?
/ty paʁl fʁɑ̃.sɛ/
Do you speak French?
Un peu, mais je ne comprends pas tout.
/œ̃ pø mɛ ʒə nə kɔ̃.pʁɑ̃ pa tu/
A little, but I don’t understand everything.
Quick Reference: 100 Starter French Words And Phrases
Here’s a compact table you can screenshot. (Some items are phrases; that’s on purpose — phrases are more useful than isolated words.)
| French | IPA | English |
| Bonjour | bɔ̃.ʒuʁ | Hello / good day |
| Salut | sa.ly | Hi / bye (informal) |
| Bonsoir | bɔ̃.swaʁ | Good evening |
| Au revoir | o ʁə.vwaʁ | Goodbye |
| À bientôt | a bjɛ̃.to | See you soon |
| À demain | a də.mɛ̃ | See you tomorrow |
| À plus | a ply(s) | See you / later |
| Oui | wi | Yes |
| Non | nɔ̃ | No |
| Je m’appelle… | ʒə ma.pɛl | My name is… |
| Enchanté(e). | ɑ̃.ʃɑ̃.te | Nice to meet you. |
| Ça va ? | sa va | How’s it going? |
| Ça va. | sa va | I’m fine / it’s okay. |
| Ça va bien. | sa va bjɛ̃ | I’m doing well. |
| Merci. | mɛʁ.si | Thank you. |
| Merci beaucoup. | mɛʁ.si bo.ku | Thank you very much. |
| De rien. | də ʁjɛ̃ | You’re welcome. |
| S’il vous plaît. | sil vu plɛ | Please. (formal) |
| S’il te plaît. | sil tə plɛ | Please. (informal) |
| Pardon. | paʁ.dɔ̃ | Excuse me / sorry. |
| Excusez-moi. | ɛk.sky.ze mwa | Excuse me. |
| Désolé(e). | de.zɔ.le | Sorry. |
| Je ne comprends pas. | ʒə nə kɔ̃.pʁɑ̃ pa | I don’t understand. |
| Plus lentement, s’il vous plaît. | ply lɑ̃.tə.mɑ̃ sil vu plɛ | More slowly, please. |
| Je parle un peu français. | ʒə paʁl œ̃ pø fʁɑ̃.sɛ | I speak a little French. |
| Vous parlez anglais ? | vu paʁ.le ɑ̃.ɡlɛ | Do you speak English? |
| Je voudrais… | ʒə vu.dʁɛ | I would like… |
| Je prends… | ʒə pʁɑ̃ | I’ll have… |
| C’est combien ? | sɛ kɔ̃.bjɛ̃ | How much is it? |
| L’addition, s’il vous plaît. | la.di.sjɔ̃ sil vu plɛ | The bill, please. |
| De l’eau, s’il vous plaît. | də lo sil vu plɛ | Some water, please. |
| Un café. | œ̃ ka.fe | A coffee. |
| Un verre de vin. | œ̃ vɛʁ də vɛ̃ | A glass of wine. |
| C’est bon. | sɛ bɔ̃ | It’s good / OK. |
| C’est très bon. | sɛ tʁɛ bɔ̃ | It’s very good. |
| Où est… ? | u ɛ | Where is…? |
| Où est la gare ? | u ɛ la ɡaʁ | Where is the train station? |
| Où est le métro ? | u ɛ lə me.tʁo | Where is the metro? |
| C’est loin ? | sɛ lwɛ̃ | Is it far? |
| C’est près d’ici ? | sɛ pʁɛ di.si | Is it near here? |
| À droite. | a dʁwat | To the right. |
| À gauche. | a ɡoʃ | To the left. |
| Tout droit. | tu dʁwa | Straight ahead. |
| Ici. | i.si | Here. |
| Là-bas. | la.ba | Over there. |
| Un ticket. | œ̃ ti.kɛ | A ticket. |
| Un plan de la ville. | œ̃ plɑ̃ də la vil | A map of the city. |
| Un | œ̃ | One |
| Deux | dø | Two |
| Trois | tʁwa | Three |
| Quatre | katʁ | Four |
| Cinq | sɛ̃k | Five |
| Six | sis | Six |
| Sept | sɛt | Seven |
| Huit | ɥit | Eight |
| Neuf | nœf | Nine |
| Dix | dis | Ten |
| Aujourd’hui | o.ʒuʁ.dɥi | Today |
| Demain | də.mɛ̃ | Tomorrow |
| Hier | jɛʁ | Yesterday |
| Lundi | lœ̃.di | Monday |
| Vendredi | vɑ̃.dʁə.di | Friday |
| Samedi | sam.di | Saturday |
| Dimanche | di.mɑ̃ʃ | Sunday |
| Je suis fatigué(e). | ʒə sɥi fa.ti.ɡe | I’m tired. |
| J’ai faim. | ʒe fɛ̃ | I’m hungry. |
| J’ai soif. | ʒe swaf | I’m thirsty. |
| J’ai chaud. | ʒe ʃo | I’m hot. |
| J’ai froid. | ʒe fʁwa | I’m cold. |
| Ça va mal. | sa va mal | I’m not doing well. |
| Aidez-moi, s’il vous plaît. | e.de mwa sil vu plɛ | Help me, please. |
| Et | e | And |
| Mais | mɛ | But |
| Ou | u | Or |
| Parce que | paʁs kə | Because |
| Peut-être | pø.tɛtʁ | Maybe |
| Très | tʁɛ | Very |
| Un peu | œ̃ pø | A little |
| Beaucoup | bo.ku | A lot |
| Toujours | tu.ʒuʁ | Always |
| Parfois | paʁ.fwa | Sometimes |
| Jamais | ʒa.mɛ | Never |
| Ici | i.si | Here |
| Là | la | There |
| Oui, d’accord. | wi da.kɔʁ | Yes, okay. |
| Super. | sy.pɛʁ | Great. |
| Génial. | ʒe.njal | Awesome. |
| Bonne journée. | bɔn ʒuʁ.ne | Have a good day. |
| Bonne soirée. | bɔn swa.ʁe | Have a good evening. |
| Bonne nuit. | bɔn nɥi | Good night (going to sleep). |
| À tout à l’heure. | a tu.ta.lœʁ | See you later (same day). |
| Je suis… | ʒə sɥi | I am… |
| J’ai… | ʒe | I have… |
| C’est… | sɛ | It is / this is… |
(Depending how you count, that’s slightly over 100 “items,” but I’d rather you have a few extra tools than run out of French mid-croissant.)
Five-Minute Practice Plan: Turn This List Into Real French
You don’t learn 100 items by staring at them. Here’s how to make them live in your mouth.
- Greeting Loop (1 minute)
Stand up and pretend you’re entering different places: a shop, a café, a friend’s house. Each time, say one full greeting combo:
Bonjour.
Bonjour, je m’appelle [Name].
Salut, ça va ? - Polite Combo Drill (1 minute)
Say these aloud three times each:
Merci, au revoir, bonne journée.
Merci beaucoup, avec plaisir.
Pardon, excusez-moi, s’il vous plaît. - Café Roleplay (1 minute)
Act out ordering in a café:
Bonjour, je voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît.
C’est combien ?
Merci, bonne journée. - Lost Yak Scenario (1 minute)
Imagine you’re lost (again):
Pardon, où est le métro, s’il vous plaît ?
When “they” answer, reply:
Merci, c’est loin ? / Merci, je ne comprends pas. Plus lentement, s’il vous plaît. - Glue Word Mini-Sentences (1 minute)
Build tiny sentences with glue words:
- Je suis fatigué mais ça va.
- Je parle un peu français, mais pas beaucoup.
- Peut-être demain, pas aujourd’hui.
- Je suis fatigué mais ça va.
Say each out loud twice. Don’t worry about perfection; worry about getting sound out of your mouth.
- Tiny Real-Life Mission
Pick three phrases from this list to use in the next 24 hours — in a message, in your head, or with a real human. Once you’ve used them, they’re no longer “vocab”; they’re part of your French.
From Zero Words To “Yak Who Actually Talks”
You don’t need 5,000 words to start speaking French. You need a small, honest toolkit you actually use. With these 100-ish words and phrases, you can greet people, order food, ask directions, complain you’re tired, and escape politely — which is, to be honest, about 80% of my daily life in France as a yak.
Master these first, and grammar stops being an abstract monster and turns into something that helps you say what you already want to say.