Learn French for your trip, free
The phrases you'll actually use, with audio and flashcards so they stick, then practice ordering, checking in and asking the way with an AI partner before you go.
Greetings and politeness
| French | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bonjour | hello, good morning | Bonjour, madame ! Hello, madam! |
| bonsoir | good evening | Bonsoir, tout le monde. Good evening, everyone. |
| salut | hi, bye (informal) | Salut, ça va ? Hi, how are you? |
| au revoir | goodbye | Au revoir et à demain ! Goodbye and see you tomorrow! |
| à bientôt | see you soon | Merci, à bientôt ! Thanks, see you soon! |
| merci | thank you | Merci beaucoup ! Thank you very much! |
| de rien | you're welcome | Merci ! – De rien. Thanks! – You're welcome. |
| s'il vous plaît | please (formal) | Un café, s'il vous plaît. A coffee, please. |
| excusez-moi | excuse me (formal) | Excusez-moi, où est la gare ? Excuse me, where is the station? |
| désolé | sorry | Je suis désolé, je suis en retard. I'm sorry, I'm late. |
At the café and restaurant
| French | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| le pain | bread | Je voudrais du pain. I'd like some bread. |
| le fromage | cheese | La France a beaucoup de fromages. France has lots of cheeses. |
| l'œuf | egg | Deux œufs, s'il vous plaît. Two eggs, please. |
| les légumes | vegetables | Mange tes légumes ! Eat your vegetables! |
| le sel | salt | Tu peux me passer le sel ? Can you pass me the salt? |
| l'eau | water | Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît. A jug of water, please. |
| le jus | juice | un jus d'orange an orange juice |
| le vin | wine | du vin rouge red wine |
| manger | to eat | On mange à midi. We eat at noon. |
| boire | to drink | Je bois du thé. I drink tea. |
Getting around
| French | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| la ville | town, city | en ville in town |
| la rue | street | J'habite rue Victor Hugo. I live on Victor Hugo street. |
| la gare | train station | La gare est loin ? Is the station far? |
| la voiture | car | en voiture by car |
| le vélo | bike | à vélo by bike |
| à pied | on foot | J'y vais à pied. I'm going on foot. |
| à gauche | (on the) left | Tournez à gauche. Turn left. |
| tout droit | straight ahead | Allez tout droit. Go straight ahead. |
| près de | near | près de la gare near the station |
| le voyage | trip, journey | Bon voyage ! Have a good trip! |
Shopping
| French | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| la taille | size (clothes), waist | Quelle est votre taille ? What size are you? |
| essayer | to try (on) | Je peux l'essayer ? Can I try it on? |
| la randonnée | hike | faire de la randonnée to go hiking |
| s'amuser | to have fun | On s'est bien amusés. We had a great time. |
French shopping, clothes & leisure vocabulary: the full list
Practise the situations before you go
Role-play these with the AI partner, at your level:
- Introducing yourself
- Ordering a coffee
- Buying a baguette
- At the café
- Asking for directions
- Checking into a hotel
- Shopping for clothes
- At the doctor's
- Booking a train ticket
- Talking about your weekend
- Renting a flat
Then keep going: the free A1 course covers the grammar for asking questions and talking about plans, and audio lessons let you practise on the plane.
Questions
How much French do I need for a trip to France?
A few dozen phrases go a long way: greetings, please and thank you, ordering, asking the way and numbers. Two to four weeks of 15–30 minutes a day gets most people there, and saying bonjour first makes every exchange friendlier.
What are the most useful French phrases for travel?
Bonjour, merci, s'il vous plaît, excusez-moi, je voudrais…, où est…?, combien ça coûte ?, l'addition s'il vous plaît, and parlez-vous anglais ? Start with the lists on this page; the app adds audio and spaced repetition.
Can I practise ordering in French before I go?
Yes. Role-play the café, the hotel, the train station or a shop with SparkAI's AI partner at your level, free, and get corrections when you want them.
How long until I can have real conversations?
Real back-and-forth starts around A2, roughly 180 hours of study from zero according to the Alliance Française. For a trip, A1 phrases plus confidence are usually enough.
Start free, right now
A complete French course from A0 to C2, free during the beta. No account, no payment details, no ads.
Start travel French free