French Greetings and Good

7/30/2019 French Greetings and Good

1/20

French Greetings and Good-Byes

How are you? How's it going?

Asking how someone is doing is a common greeting in the U.S. How many times a day

do we hear or say these brief greetings at the beginning of our conversations? So manytimes, in fact, that half the time, we don't even pay attention. These pleasantries arecommon in French-speaking countries as well.

The most common ways to ask how someone is doing are:

Comment a va?(Hows it going?) Comment vas-tu? (How are you? [Informal]) Comment allez-vous? (How are you? [Formal]) a va? (Hows it going? [Informal])

As you'd expect, when someone asks you how you're doing, there are many possibleresponses.

a va bien.Its going well.) Tout va bien. (Everything is going well.) Je vais bien, merci.(Im fine, thank you.) Je vais trs bien.(Im very well.) Je ne vais pas trs bien.(Im not doing very well.) Je vais comme-ci, comme-a.(Im so-so.)

Once you've said that you're fine, or good, or so-so, it is customary to ask how the other

person is doing. You can do this easily by saying Et toi? (And you? [informal]) orEtvous? (And you? [formal]).

Saying good-bye

As many ways as there are to greet someone, you'll find plenty of ways say goodbye, aswell.

Au revoir. (Good-bye.) Salut. (Good-bye. [Informal]) bientt. (See you soon.) tout de suite. (See you in a minute.) plus tard. (See you later.) la prochaine. (Until next time.) demain. (See you tomorrow.) la semaine prochaine. (See you next week.) lundi. (See you on Monday.) Bonne journe! (Have a good day!) Bonne chance! (Good luck!)


2/20

Bonne nuit. (Good night. Used only when someone is going to sleep or retiringfor the evening.)

Aside from a few exceptions, final consonants arent pronounced in French. Pronouncea final consonant only if its followed by a vowel.

Basic courtesies

Being polite is important anywhere you go, here or abroad, because it shows respect forthe person and the culture. The following words and phrases cover most of thepleasantries required for polite conversation. After all, learning to say the expressions ofcommon courtesy in French is just good manners.

oui (yes) non (no) Sil te plat. (Please. [informal])

S'il vous plat. (Please. [formal]) Merci. (Thank you.) Merci beaucoup. (Thank you very much.) Je ten prie.(Youre [informal] welcome.) Je vous en prie.(Youre [formal] welcome.) Il ny a pas de quoi.(Its nothing.) Excusez-moi. (Excuse me.)

Once you've mastered the common pleasantries, the next important thing to learn ishow to refer to people politely. When meeting people in French-speaking countries, besure to use the appropriate formal title. A man would be called Monsieur, which is the

same as Mr. or Sir. An older or married woman is called Madame and a young lady iscalled Mademoiselle.

Gender and personal pronouns

The next most common way we refer to people is by using personal pronouns. InFrench, the pronouns (you and they) are complicated by gender and formality. You'lluse slightly different variations of these words depending on who you are referring toand how well you know them.

je (I)

Usej instead ofje if the verb begins with a vowel or a mute h.

il (he)

elle (she)

nous (we)


3/20

tu (you [singular/informal])

vous (you [singular/formal or plural])

ils (they [masculine or mixed group]); elles (they [feminine])

Use tu with people you know well, like members of your family, friends, children, andpeers. Vous, on the other hand, is more formal and you'll want to use that with peopleyou dont know well and with your superiors, like your boss, you r teacher, or elders.

Although vous can mean the plural of you, it can also refer to one person when usedformally.

It is also helpful to know the correct vocabulary term for referring to people based ontheir age, gender, or relationship to you. The indefinite articles (a and an) in French areun (masculine) and une (feminine):

un homme(a man)

une femme (a woman)

un garon (a boy)

une fille (a girl)

un enfant (M); une enfant (F) (a child)

un pre (a father)

une mre (a mother)un ils (a son)

une fille (a daughter)

un frre (a brother)

une sur(a sister)

un mari (a husband)

un poux (a spouse) (M)

une femme (a wife)

une pouse (a spouse) (F)

un ami (a friend) (M)

une amie (a friend) (F)


4/20

Phrases for travelers

There are some phrases that are particularly helpful to international travelers. Below areseveral phrases that might come in handy during your stay in a French-speakingcountry.

Je ne comprends pas. (I dont understand.) Pouvez-vous rpter? (Can you repeat that?) Rptez, sil vous plat. (Please repeat.) Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement? (Could you speak slower?) Je ne parle pas bien franais.(I dont speak French very well.) Pouvez-vous traduire pour moi? (Can you translate for me?) Parlez-vous anglais? (Do you speak English?) Oui, je parle anglais. (Yes, I speak English.) Est-ce que je peux vous aider? (May I help you?) Oui, merci. (Yes, thank you.)

De quoi avez-vous besoin? (What do you need?) Jai besoin de renseignements. (I need some information.) Je suis perdu.(Im lost.) O est lhtel? (Where is the hotel?) O allez-vous? (Where are you going?) Je ne sais pas.(I dont know.) Je voudrais du caf. (I would like some coffee.) Avec plaisir. (With pleasure.) Quel temps fait-il?(Whats the weather like?) Il fait chaud.(Its hot.) Je rentre. (Im going home.)

Les toilettes sont votre droite. (The restroom is on your right.) Ces places-l sont prises. (Those seats are taken.)

Most of the people in French-speaking countries have learned at least a little English.When you travel to their country, they expect you to have done the same with theirlanguage. If yo

u can demonstrate that you've learned basic words and phrases, most people will bemore willing to help you.

Introducing yourself

First impressions are important they can start a friendship or set the tone for yourinteraction with someone.

1. Start with a greeting.

The simplest greeting is Bonjour, which means Hello or Good Morning.


5/20

2. Introduce yourself.

The two most common ways to introduce yourself are to say Je mappelleName(My name is Name) orJe suisName (I'm Name).

3. Since you are meeting the person for the first time, you should use the formalform of you.

When youre meeting someone for the first time, its always more polite to usethe vous, which is more formal. Of course, you can use the tu form whenspeaking to children even if youre meeting them for the first time. The followingquestions are posed in both the tu and vous forms.

Comment tappelles-tu?(Whats your name? [Informal])

Comment vous appelez-vous?(Whats your name? [Formal])

4. After they tell you their name you should respond.

Its customary to acknowledge the introduction by making an expression ofpleasure. Common ways to express this are:

Enchant (Delighted).

Enchant de faire votre connaissance. (Delighted to make your acquaintance.)

Cest un plaisir de vous rencontrer.(Its a pleasure to meet you.)

If theyve beaten you to the punch and said one of these lines to you first, theappropriate response is Dememe (Likewise).

Where are you from?

Don't stop at basic introductions. You could also talk about where each of you is from orintroduce someone else. If you're from the United States, you can tell them whereyou're from, by saying Je suis des tats-Unis. (Im from the United States.) To askwhere the person is from, you can say:

De quel pays es-tu? (What country are you from? [Informal]) De quel pays tes-vous? (What country are you from? [Formal])

If you want to talk about where you live on the other hand, you can use the verbshabiterorvivre, both of which mean to live:

J'habite Chicago. (I live in Chicago.) Je vis Chicago. (I live in Chicago.)


6/20

The second most common type of introduction is to introduce someone else, such asyour spouse, child, or friend:

Je vous prsente Fabienne, ma femme. (Let me introduce you my wife,Fabienne).

Voici Jean Paul, mon ami. (My friend, Jean Paul.)How do you ask basic questions in French? Well, Frenchinterrogativewords mean thesame as they do for English: who, what, when, where, why, and how. By knowing basicFrench interrogatives, you'll be able to express your questions, even without anextensive vocabulary.

For example, say you're at a French street market and you want find a beautiful antiqueclock. You can ask the vendorCombien est cette hor log e ant ique?(How much is thisantique clock?). But if you don't know enough vocabulary, you can simply point to theclock and say Combien?(How much?) and the seller will understand that you want to

know the price.Know how to ask questions with these interrogatives:

Qui? (kee) (Who?)

Quest-ce que? (kehs-kuh) (What?)

Quand? (kahN) (When?)

O? (oo) (Where?)

Pourquoi? (poor-kwah) (Why?)

Comment? (koh-mahN) (How?)

Combien? (kohm-biahN)(How much? How many?)

Quelle? (kehl) (Which?)

Y a-t-il? (yah-teel)(Is there? Are there?)

Take a look at some different ways to put these interrogatives into some useful phrases.

quelle heure le restaurant ferme? (What time does the restaurant close?) O habite ta fille? (Where does your [informal] daughter live?) Quand est la runion? (When is the meeting?) Comment est-ce que je vais au bureau? (How do I get to the office?) O est le distributeur automatique? (Where is the ATM?) Quand faut-il rgler la note? (When is checkout time?)

The following questions show how you can use these interrogative words in a variety ofways.

Jean Paul: Qui est cet homme? (Who is that man?)
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-ask-questions-in-french.seriesId-150043.html#glossary-interrogativehttp://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-ask-questions-in-french.seriesId-150043.html#glossary-interrogativehttp://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-ask-questions-in-french.seriesId-150043.html#glossary-interrogativehttp://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-ask-questions-in-french.seriesId-150043.html#glossary-interrogative


7/20

Francois: Cest le grant. (Hes the manager.)

Jean Paul: Qui sont ces gens? (Who are these people?)

Francois: Ce sont des tudiants. (Theyre students.)

Jean Paul: O vas-tu? (Where are you [informal] going?)

Franois: Je vais au muse. (Im going to the museum.)Jean Paul: O sont les billets? (Where are the tickets?)

Francois: Ils sont dans le tiroir. (Theyre in the drawer.)

Jean Paul: O se trouve le Louvre? (Where is the Louvre located?)

Franois: Dans le premier arrondissement. (In the first district.)

Jean Paul: Quand partons-nous? (When do we leave?)

Franois: Nous partons demain matin. (We leave tomorrow morning.)

Jean Paul: Combien de valises avez-vous? (How many suitcases do you have?)

Franois: Jai deux valises. (I have two suitcases.)Jean Paul: Quest-ce que tu fais? (What are you [informal] doing?)

Franois: Je fais la cuisine. (Im cooking.)

By changing the form of the word you from tu to vous and using the corresponding verbform, you change the question from informal to formal.

Quest-ce que tu veux? (What do you [informal] want?) Quest-ce que vous voulez? (What do you [formal] want?)

Exploring French-speaking countries can be quite an adventure, but you need to knowhow to ask for directions in French and to understand what you're told. After all, if youdon't understand the directions, you might miss the very things you hoped to see.

The first thing you need is to know how to ask for directions. To get help, you can sayEst-ce que je peux vous demander mon chemin? (May I ask you for directions?); orPouvez-vous me dire o a se trouve? (Can you tell me where that is?). If you'rereally having a hard time finding a place, you might ask the person to show you whereto go by saying Pouvez-vous me montrer o a se trouve? (Can you show me where

that is?)When someone in a French-speaking country shows you where to go, they will oftensay Le/la voil (Here/there it is) when you find the place.

The following words can be used when asking for or receiving directions in French-speaking countries.


8/20

nord (north)

sud (south)

ouest (west)

est (east)

tournez droite (turn right)tournez gauche (turn left)

tout droit (straight)

droite (on the right)

gauche (on the left)

une carte (map)

au coin de (at the corner of)

centre (center)

derrire (in back of)devant (in front of)

la prochaine rue (the next street)

l-bas (over there)

le centre-ville (downtown)

rue [f] (street

ct de (next to)

Here's some typical dialogue that shows how to ask for and give directions in French:

Julie:O est lhtel? (Where is the hotel?)

Jean Paul: Lhtel est ct de la gare. (The hotel is next to the train station.)

Julie: Dans quelle rue se trouve le cinma? (What street is the movie theater on?)

Jean Paul: Le cinma est votre droite. (The movie theater is on your right.)

Julie: Est-ce que lcole est loin dici? (Is the school far from here?)

Jean Paul: Lcole est au centre de la ville. Allez tout droit et vous le trouverez.(The school is in the center of town. Go straight and youll find it.)

Julie: Comment est-ce que je vais au muse? (How do I get to the museum?)

Jean Paul: Le muse est peu prs un kilomtre et demi dici. (The museum isabout 1 kilometer and a half from here.)

Julie: O est la banque la plus proche? (Where is the nearest bank?)

Jean Paul: Tournez droite et cest la premire rue votre gauche. (Turn right, andits the first street on your left.)


9/20

How to Order Food in French

Knowing how to order food in French is essential, whether you're on a short visit to aFrench-speaking country or planning to live there. Eating out at French restaurants andcafes can be a lot of fun, especially if you know some basic restaurant (rehs-toh-rahn)

(restaurant) vocabulary.The following phrases might help you when you're dining at a restaurant.

Je voudrais de leau.(zhuh-voo-dreh- dehl-oh )(I would like some water.) Servez-vous du jus dorange?(Sehr-veh-voo dew zhew doh-rahnzh) (Do you

serve orange juice?) Quelle sorte de lgumesavez-vous?(kehl-sohrt deh leh-gewm aveh-voo)

(What kind of vegetables you have?) Quelle sorte de poissonsavez-vous au menu?(kehl sohrt deh pwa-sohn

aveh-voo oh meh-nee) (What kind of fish is on the menu?)

Quel est le plat du jour?(kehl eh leh plah dew zhoor)(What is todays special?) Je voudrais du pain, s'il vous plait.(zhu-voo-dreh dew p an, seel-vo o-pleh)(Id like some bread, please.)

Hungry? Which meal?

To tell someone you're hungry in French, say J'ai faim.(zheh fehm)(Im hungry) orJeveux manger(zhuh veh mahn-zhehr) (I want to eat). If you want to ask somebody if heor she is hungry, you say tes vous affam(eh-teh-voo ah-fah-meh) (Are youhungry?).

In French-speaking countries, as in most of the rest of the world, there are three mainrepas (ruh-pah) (meals) of the day:

petit djeuner(puh-tee day-zhuh-nay) (breakfast)

djeuner(day-zhuh-nay) (lunch)

diner(dee-nay) (dinner)

Menu items

Here are some food (nourriture) items you can order.

banane (ba-naN) [f] (banana)

crudits (krew-dee-tay) [f] (raw vegetables)

fraise (frehz) [f] (strawberry)

fromage (fro-mazh) [m] (cheese)


10/20

fruits (lay frwee) [m] (fruit)

glace (glahs) [f] (ice cream)

lgumes (lay-gewm) [m] (vegetables)

pain (pan) [m] (bread)

petitspois (puh-tee pwa) [m] (peas)

poisson (pwa-sohn) [m] (fish)

poivre (pwavr) [m] (pepper)

pomme (pohm) [f] (apple)

pommesdeterre (pohm duh tehr) [f] (potatoes)

porc (pohr) [m] (pork)

poulet (poo-leh) [m] (chicken)

sel (sehl) [m] (salt)

sucre (sewkr) [m] (sugar)

tomate (to-maht) [f] (tomato)

veau (vo) [m] (veal)

viande (vyahnd) [f] (meat)

You might want to use the following adjectives to describe to yourgaron (gahr-sohN)/serveur(sehr-vuhr) (waiter/waitress) how you want the food prepared.

chaud (sho) (warm; hot)

petit (puh-teet) (small; short)

grand (grahNd) (big; tall; large)

froid (frwah) (cold)

Thirst quenchers

To tell someone you're thirsty in French, say J'ai soif. When you want to ask somebodywhether he or she is thirsty, you say avez-vous (Are you thirsty?). To order your drink,say je voudrais. . . (I would like . . .). Then add the name of the drink you want.


11/20

caf (kah-fay) (coffee [m])

th (tay) (tea [m])

bire (byehr) (beer [f])

eau (lo) (water [f])

vin (van) (wine [m])

Time to pay up

After you're done eating, you'll need to know these words:

addition (ah-dee-syohn) [f] (check)

pourboire (poor-bwar) [m] (tip)

billet (bee-yeh) [m] (ticket)

carte de crdit (kahr-tuh duh cray-dee) [f] (credit card)

French Travel-Related Words and Phrases

Traveling in French-speaking countries can be confusing if you can't read the signs orunderstand the instructions you're given. Learn some useful travel-related words andphrases in French before you begin your trip. You'll save time and reduce yourfrustration level.

Here are a few general travel-related terms that everyone should know.

passeport [m] (passport)

valise [f] (suitcase)

une valise (suitcase)

coffre [m] (trunk)

un sac dos (backpack)

un sac (bag)

des bagages (baggage)

un billet(uhn bee-yeh) (ticket)

une rservation (reservation)


12/20

Making travel arrangements

While traveling in a French-speaking country, you often need to make or change yourtravel arrangements. Whether you are scheduling a flight or a train trip, the followingwords can help you with the reservation and ticket-buying process.

aller-retour[m] (round trip ticket)

aller-simple [m] (one-way ticket)

sige [m] (syezh) (seat)

gare [f] (train station)

train [m] (train)

vol [m] (flight)

aroport (airport)

The following phrases are some of the most common questions that you might need toask when making travel arrangements in French-speaking countries.

Je voudrais rserver un billet (I would like to reserve a ticket.). Jaimerais prendre le vol de sept heures. (I would like to take the 7:00 flight.) Je voudrais acheter deux billets pour New York. (I would like to purchase two

tickets to New York.) A quelle heure faut-il arriver? (What time should I arrive?) Combien cote le billet? (How much does the ticket cost?) Nous avons trois valises et deux sacs main. (We have three suitcases and

two handbags.) Est-ce que je peux prendre ce sac en cabine avec moi? (Can I take this bag

as a carry-on?) Avez-vous un rabais pour tudiants? (Do you have any discounts for

students?)

At the hotel

Although many of the larger hotels in French-speaking countries have English-speaking

staff, you rarely find that in the smaller hotels and in the smaller towns. The followingphrases can help you make or change your hotel reservations.

Quelles chambres avez-vous de disponible? (What rooms do you haveavailable?)

Je voudrais une chambre pour deux.(Id like a double room.) Est-ce que la chambre a la climatisation? (Does the room have air

conditioning?)


13/20

Je voudrais une chambre avec douche et WC. (I'd like a room with a privateshower and toilet.)

Je voudrais avoir un lit une place.(Id like to have a twin-size bed.) Nous voulons annuler notre rservation. (We want to cancel our reservation.) Service en chambre, sil vous plat. (Room service, please.)

Quel htel est moins cher? (Which hotel is cheaper?) Est-ce que lhtel est loin de la gare? (How far is the hotel from the trainstation?)

Vous devez rgler la note avant midi. (You need to check out by 12:00.)

Travel-related verbs

When talking about traveling in French-speaking countries, it helps to know the rightverbs to express what you want to do. The following are common French travel-relatedverbs.

voyager(to travel)rester(to stay)

voir(vwahr) (to see)

rserver(to reserve)

annuler(to cancel)

arriver(to arrive)

partir(to leave)

chercher quelquun (to pick up someone [from the airport, for example])

At The Restaurant

Do you know a good place to have alight meal?

Connaissez-vous une brasserie onous pouvons manger un casse-crote?

Do you know a place where we canhave an ice cream and a cup of tea?

Connaissez-vous un caf o nouspouvons prendre une glace et unetasse de th?

Do you know a restaurant with regionaldishes?

Connaissez-vous un restaurant decuisine rgionale?

I would like to make a reservation for Je voudrais retenir une table pour ce


14/20

tonight. soir.

Waitress, what is the average price ofan entree?

Mademoiselle, quel est le prix moyend'une entre?

We would like to eat dinner now. Nous voudrions dner maintenant.

A table for two near the window please.Une table pour deux prs de la fentres'il vous plat.

Can we please see a menu? La carte, s'il vous plat?

What do you recommend? Quest-ce que vous recommandez?

What is the house specialty? Quelle est la spcialit de la maison?

What is todays special? Quel est le plat du jour?

Do you serve childrens portions?Servez-vous des demi-portions pourdes enfants?

More below Continuez en bas

What is the house wine? Quel est le cuve du patron?

Is that wine dry, sweet or mellow?Est-ce que ce vin est sec, doux omoelleux?

Waitress, could you please bring usbread and butter?

Mademoiselle, pourriez-vous nousapportez du pain et du beurre s'il vous

plat?

Waiter, I need a fork / spoon / teaspoon/ knife.

Garon, jai besoin dune fourchette /

une cuillre soupe / une cuillre caf / un couteau.

I would like a glass of milk / waterjuice.

Je voudrais un verre de lait / de l'eau /de jus.

Waitress, I need another napkin.Mademoiselle, jai besoin dune autreserviette.

Can I have another roll, please?Est-ce que je peux avoir un autre petit

pain.s'il vous plat?

What do you have for desserts?Quest ce que vous avez comme

desserts?

Je prefer fish / chicken / beef.Je prfre du poisson / du poulet / duboeuf.

Do you recommend the Cod or theFlounder?

Recommandez-vous la morue ou lecarrelet?

The cod is really good. La morue est vraiment bonne.


15/20

I prefer a good cut of meat. Je prfre un morceau de viande.

More below Continuez en bas

Ill take a steak with French fries.Je prendrai un biftec avec des pommesfrites.

Please bring us a bottle of your housewine and a bottle of Evian.

Aportez-nous une botelle de vin de lamaison et une boteille d'Evian s'il vous

plat?

For starters, I will have some oystersand my wife will have some shrimp.

Pour commencer je vais prendre deshuitres et my femme prendrai lescrevettes.

Marc wants the onion soup before themeal but Danielle prefers a salad.

Marc voudrias une soupe loignonmais Danielle prfre une salade avantle repas.

How about a fruit tart for dessert? Une tarte de fruits, a te dit quelguechose?

No, but I would like an ice cream. Non, mais j'aimerai une glace.

A caramelized custard for me please.Une crme brule pour moi s'il vous

plat.

We'll take two black coffees. Nous predrions deux cafs noirs.

I would prefer a herb tea like chamomiletea..

Je prfre une tisane la camomille.

Wait, I prefer mint tea. Attendez, je prfre une th lamenthe.

I would like two sugars with my tea. Je voudrais deux sucres avec mon th .

I take lemon also. Je prends du citron aussi.

Where is the hotel (name) - o est l'htel (oo ay loh-tell)My name is... - mon nom est... (mohn nohm ay...)This is a beautiful country c'est un beau pays (sayt ahn bo pay)

Where is the bathroom - o est la salle de bains (ooh ay luh sahl deh bahn)My dog has no nose - mon chien n'a pas de nez (moan shee-en nah pah deh nay)How does he smell Comment est-ce qu'il sent? (com-ohnt ess-se-kill-sahn)Terrible terrible (tare-ee-bluh)

My dog has no nose - mon chien n'a pas de nez (moan shee-en nah pah deh nay)How does he smell Comment est-ce qu'il sent? (com-ohnt ess-se-kill-sahn)Terrible terrible (tare-ee-bluh)


16/20

This is my stop - Ceci est mon arrt (seh-see ay moan are-ett)Help Me! - aidez-moi (aye-aid-ay mwa)May I have a large plate of poutine with extra gravy - puis-je avoir une grosse assiete depoutine avec extra sauce

English French Pronunciation

Where is the nearestpetrol station/garage?

O est la station-service laplus proche/le garage leplus proche?

oo ay lah stah-syong sair-veeslah plew prosh/ler gah-rahzh lerplew prosh

Fill it up, please. Le plein, s'il vous plat. ler plang, seel voo play

(25) litres of 4star/diesel/ unleaded,please.

(25) litres de super/de gas-oil/de sans plomb, s'il vousplat.

(vangt-sangk) leetre der sew-pair/der gah-zwahl/der sahng plong,seel voo play

How much do I oweyou?

Combien est-ce que jevous dois?

kong-byang essker zher voodwah

Could you checkthe...?

Pouvez-vous vrifier...? poovay voo vay-ree-fyay

oil level le niveau d'huile ler nee-voh dweel

tyre pressure la pression des pneus lah pray-syong day pner

battery la batterie lah bah-tree

A litre of oil, please. Un litre d'huile, s'il vousplat. ang leetr dweel, seel voo play

Would you clean thewindscreen?

Pourriez-vous laver lepare-brise?

poo-ree-ay voo lah-vay ler pahr-breez

Can you mend thispuncture?

Est-ce que vous pouvezrparer ce pneu?

essker voo poovay ray-pah-rayser pner

Can you change the...? Pouvez-vous remplacer...? poovay voo rahng-plah-say

spark plugs les bougies lay boo-zhe

tyre le pneu ler pner

bulb l'ampoule lahng-pool

fan belt la courroie de ventilateurlah koo-rwah der vahng-tee-lah-terr


17/20

Taxi:


Can I have areceipt?

Est-ce que vous pouvez medonner un reu?

essker voo poovay mer donnayung rer-sew

Can you take me tothis address?

Est-ce que vous pouvezm'emmener cette adresse?

essker voo poovay mahng m-nay ah set ah-dress

Could you wait forme?

Pouvez-vous m'attendre? poovay voo mah-tahngdr

How much is it?Combien est-ce que je vousdois?

kong-byang essker zher voodwah

I'll be back in twominutes.

Je reviens dans deux minutes.zher rer-vyang dahng der mee-newt

I'm in a hurry. Je suis press(e). zher swee pray-say

It's here. C'est ici. sayt ee cee

Straight ahead. Tout droit. too drwah

The airport, please. L'aroport, s'il vous plat. lay-ay-roh-por seel voo play

The city centre,please. Le centre ville, s'il vous plat. ler sahngtr veel seel voo play

The station, please. La gare, s'il vous plat. lah gahr seel voo play

To the left here. gauche ici. ah gosh ee-see

To the right here. droite ici. ah drwah tee-see

Where can I find ataxi?

O est-ce que je peux trouverun taxi?

oo essker zher per troo-vayang taxee

Bus:


A ticket, please. Un ticket, s'il vous plat. ang tee-kay seel voo play


18/20

A book of tickets,please

Un carnet, s'il vous plat. ang kahr-nay seel voo play

Which line goesto...?

Quelle direction dois-jeprendre pour aller ...?

kell dee-reks-yong dwahzhprahngdr poor ahlay ah

Which is the busfor...?

Quel bus dois-je prendre pouraller ...?

kell bewss dwahzh prahng dr poorahlay ah

Where's the busstop?

O est l'arrt d'autobus? oo ay lah-ray doh-toh-bewss

Train:


Where's the ticket office? O est le guichet? oo ay ler ghee-shay

A single/return to Lille.Un aller (simple)/aller-retourpour Lille.

ang nahlay sangpl/ahlay-rer-toor poor leel

First/Second class Premire/Seconde classeprer-myair/ser-gongklahss

I'd like to reserve a seat. Je voudrais rserver une place.zher voodray ray-zair-vayewn plahss

The first/last/next trainLe premier/dernier/prochaintrain

ler prer-myay/dair-nyay/proshang trang

Can you give me atimetable?

Pouvez-vous me donner leshoraires des trains?

poovay voo mer donnaylay zorrair day trang

What time does this/thattrain arrive?

quelle heure est-ce qu'ilarrive, ce train?

ah kell err ess kee lah-reev, ser trang

What is the fare to Nice? Quel est le tarif jusque'a Nice?kell ay ler tah-reef zhew-skah nees

Is this the right platformfor the Paris train?

Est-ce que c'est le bon quaipour le train de Paris?

essker say ler bong kaypoor ler trang der pah-ree

Is this seat taken? Est-ce que la place est prise?essker lah plahss aypreez

This seat is taken. La place est prise. lah plahss ay preez


19/20

Where are we? O sommes-nous? oo somm noo

Access to platforms Accs aux quais

Main line

arrivals/departures

Arrive/Dpart Grandes Lignes

Suburbanarrivals/departures

Arrive/Dpart/Dpart Banlieue

Punch your ticket Composter votre billet

Entrance Entre

Information Renseignements

French Railways SNCF

Exit Sortie

Airport:


When is the next flightto Marseille?

A quelle heure est leprochain vol pour Marseille?

ah kell err ay le proshain volpoor mahr-sah

I would like to go toLyon.

Je voudrais aller Lyon.

As soon as possible Le plus tt possible ler plew toh poss-eebl

Single/Return Aller simple/Aller-retour ahlay sangpl/ahlay rertoor

I want to confirm myflight.

Je voudrais confirmer marservation sur le vol.

zher voodray kong-feermaymah ray-zair- vahssyong sewrler vol

Is it possible tochange myreservation?

Est-ce qu'il est possible dechanger ma rservation?

ess keelay poss-eebl dershahng-zhay mah ray-zair-vahssyong

What time should Icheck in?

L'enregistrement est quelleheure?

lahng-rer-zhee-strer-mahng aytah kell err

What time does the L'avion part quelle heure? lah vyong pahr ah kell err


20/20

plane take off?

When does it arrive? Il arrive quelle heure? eel ah-ree vah kell err

Is there a bus to the

airport?

Est-ce qu'il y a un bus pour

l'aroport?

esskeelyah ang bewss poor lah-

ay-roh-porArrival Arrive ah-ree-vay

Departure Dpart day-pahr

Flight number Vol numro vol new-may-roh

Where are thetrolleys?

O sont les chariots? oo song lay sha-ree-oh

That's mine. C'est moi, a. say tah mwah, sah

I've lost a case. J'ai perdu une valise. zhay pair-dew ewn vah-leez

Where can I... O est-ce que je peux... oo essker zher per

get a taxi? prendre un taxi? prahng dr ang taxee

get a bus to thecentre?

prendre un bus pour aller enville?

prahng dr ang bewss poorrahlay ahng veel

get the train? prendre le train? prahng dr ler trang

hire a car? louer une voiture? loo-ay ewn vwah-tewr

book a hotel?rserver une chambred'htel?

ray-zair-vay ewn shahng br doh-tel

change some dollars/pounds?

changer des dollars/deslivres sterling?

shahng-zhay day dollahr/dayleevr

Documents

French Greetings and Good