Unlock the art of meaningful French conversation. Whether you’re interacting with French-speaking acquaintances, business partners, or strangers, the ability to hold an excellent conversation is invaluable. Whether you’re making small talk while traveling or conducting important business discussions, mastering the basic building blocks of French conversation is essential. By internalizing these foundational elements while studying French, you will be able to navigate any encounter with confidence. While the structure of a French conversation shares similarities with other languages, having a repertoire of essential phrases at your disposal is crucial. From greetings to inquiries about your well-being to appropriate responses, these conversational building blocks will enable you to move seamlessly from “bonjour” to “au revoir” on your next trip and leave a lasting impression.
Greetings for a French conversation
| English | Français |
|---|---|
| Hello | Salut |
| Good day | Bonjour |
| Hello, how are you? | Salut, ça va? |
| very pleased (nice to meet you) | Enchanté(e) |
| Good afternoon | Bonjour / Bon après-midi |
| Good evening | Bonsoir |
| Sorry / excuse me | pardon / excusez-moi |
Introducing yourself
| English | Français |
|---|---|
| What is your name? | Comment tu t’appelles? |
| What is your name? (formal) | Comment vous appellez-vous? |
| My name is... | Je m’appelle… |
| I am... | Je suis… |
| Where are you from? | D’où viens-tu? / D’où venez-vous? |
| I come from USA. | Je viens d’États-Unis. |
| Where do you live? | Où vivez-vous? Où vivez-vous? |
| Where do you reside? | Où habites-tu? Où habitez-vous? |
| I live in Paris. | J’habite à… / Je vis à… |
| How old are you? | Quel âge avez-vous? / Quel âge as-tu? |
| I am 30 years old. | J’ai 30 ans. |
| How was your weekend? | Comment s’est passé ton / votre week-end? |
| How was your trip? | Comment était ton / votre voyage? |
| good | bien |
| bad | mal |
| What languages do you speak? | Quelles langues parles-tu / parlez-vous? |
| I speak French, English, and German. | Je parle français, anglais et allemand. |
| What are your hobbies? | Quels sont tes / vos loisirs / passe-temps? |
| This is... (introducing someone) | C’est… |
Questions and answers
| English | Français |
|---|---|
| How are you? | Comment ça va? (short: Ça va?) |
| I'm (very) well, thank you. | Ça va (très) bien, merci. |
| I'm not feeling well. | Ça va mal. |
| And you? | Et toi? |
| So-so / Not particularly good | Comme ci, comme ça |
| Agreed | D'accord |
| Yes | Oui |
| No | Non |
| Do you have your business card with you? | Vous avez votre carte de visite sur vous? |
| Would you like to give me your phone number? | Voulez-vous me donner votre numéro de téléphone? |
| Could you please help me? | Pourriez-vous m'aider, s'il vous plaît? |
| What are your plans for today? | Que faites-vous aujourd'hui? |
| Would you like to go for a coffee? | Voulez-vous aller prendre un café? |
| Would you like to join us at the restaurant? | Venez-vous avec nous au restaurant? |
Ending a conversation in French
| English | Français |
|---|---|
| Goodbye | Salut |
| Good night | Bonne nuit |
| Goodbye (formal) | Au revoir |
| See you soon | à plus tard |
| See you later | à plus |
| See you soon | à la prochaine, à bientôt |
| See you tomorrow | à demain |
| (I wish you) a good day! | Bonne journée! |
| (I wish you) a good evening! | Bonne soirée! |
