Are you trying to settle into the French capital but struggling to master the language? Parisians talk fast and don’t wait around to be understood, so don’t worry, it’s a challenge that many newcomers face.
However, to get the best from Parisian people, you need to have mastered a few essential French phrases. Mômji is on hand to give you all you need!
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And go to this page if you want to learn French and work in France
1. Bonjour/Bonsoir
Most likely, you’ve already mastered the simple ways of saying hello in French. ‘Bonjour’ is used during the day and ‘Bonsoir’ in the evening. There is a difference, so make sure you use the right one at the right time.
It’s important to remember them too. Despite their slightly stingy reputation (which is often not warranted), the Parisians greet each other no matter what. When you walk into a shop, if someone joins you in a lift, if you see someone in your apartment block – be sure to always pass a greeting as the bare minimum.
2. Ça va ?
When you see a French friend, you’re guaranteed to be asked ‘ça va ?’. It simply means
‘how’s it going?’ or ‘are you okay?’. It often comes just after a ‘bonjour’ and isn’t necessarily
the French people wanting the story of your day.
A simple reply of ‘ça va’ for ‘good, thanks’ or a ‘ça va bien’ for ‘it’s going well’ will suffice,
and don’t forget to ask ‘ça va ?’ back.
3. Comment ?
If you can’t understand something a Parisian says, you shouldn’t normally reply with ‘quoi ?’, the French word for ‘what’. ‘Quoi’ can come across quite short and rude. ‘Pardon?’ which is the same word in English does work well, and is politer, but if delivered with an English accent can be a marker that you haven’t mastered the French language.
‘Comment’, which literally translates to ‘how’, is best when asking for repetition in a casual conversation.
4. Comment dit-on ___ en français ?
If you’re struggling to find a French word, you can always try asking for a translation from English. A lot of Parisians do have at least a basic grasp of English and might be able to give you a hand.
Just insert the English word into ‘comment dit-on __ en français’. For example, ‘comment dit-on supermarket en français ?’ is ‘how do you say supermarket in French?’.
5. Où se trouve la station de métro la plus proche ?
If you’re travelling around Paris, you’ll need to get to grasps with the metro service. The underground train system is one of the best and most efficient in the world. Normally, you can’t walk more than 300 metres without seeing a ‘M’ sign sticking up in the air marking an entrance, but if you’re in a rush you can ask, ‘où se trouve la station de métro la plus proche ?’. A Parisian will always know the answer to that.
6. Tout droit / à gauche/ à droite
If you’re going to ask for directions, you’ll need to be able to understand the response. ‘Tout droit’ means straight on, ‘à gauche’ is take a left and ‘à droite’ is take a right.
7. Pardon, excusez-moi.
And then, once you’re on the metro, you’ll need to be able to get back off! If you’re travelling in the middle of the day, there’s often plenty space on the trains, but if moving about at rush hours then the carriages can be crammed like sardines. Parisians are normally great at making space for people at the back to get off, you’ll just need to say a bold, ‘pardon, excusez-moi’.
8. L’additon, s’il vous plait
In French restaurant culture, you only get the bill when you ask. A difference that shocks many British and American tourists, where waiters can’t wait to clear you off the table, there’s no rush in Parisian restaurants.
If you’re ready to go, you’ll have to flag down the ‘monsieur’ and ask for the bill saying, ‘l’addition, s’il vous plaît’.
9. J’habite dans le ___ arrondissement
Paris works in ‘arrondissements’. There are 20 that spiral out from the city centre and each is different from the next.
If someone asks you where you live, the normal response is by naming your arrondissement. You can do that by saying, ‘J’habite dans le __ arrondissement’.
10. Parlez-vous anglais ?
If all else fails, you can always ask if someone speaks English. You’re best off trying your French as long as you can, but if in desperation you can ask, ‘parlez-vous anglais ?’.
