Phrasebook

Phr

aseb

ook

Includes: 21 language lessons

Free

sample *mp3

Phrasebooksamplesample *

mp3l *

Fren

ch

Où habitez-vous ? Where do you live?

Au dernier étage.On the top fl oor.

Fre nchFrenchPhrasebook

Visiting Paris, Nice or the French countryside? The creator of the famous Assimil language-learning method has developed this indispensable companion for your break or business trip to France.

• Getting started in French: 21 mini-lessons• Useful words and phrases• Phonetic pronunciations • Essential vocabulary for a range of contexts

* Download a free sample of the audio that accompanies

the phrasebook at www.assimil.com

or scan this QR code with your smartphone:

Discover the complete phrasebook audio

(in French and English) at www.assimil.com

€5.50ISBN : 978-2-7005-0574-0

Free

sample *mp3

-:HSMHKA=ZUZ\YU:

� Numbers 1 un an 11 onze ohnz

2 deux duh 12 douze dooz

3 trois trwa 13 treize trehz

4 quatre katruh 14 quatorze katorz

5 cinq sank 15 quinze kanz

6 six sees 16 seize sehz

7 sept set 17 dix-sept deeset

8 huit weet 18 dix-huit deezweet

9 neuf nuhf 19 dix-neuf deeznuhf

10 dix dees 20 vingt van

21 vingt et un vant eh an

22 vingt-deux vant duh

30 trente trahnt

40 quarante karahnt

50 cinquante sankahnt

60 soixante swasahnt

70 soixante-dix swasahnt dees

71 soixante et onze swasahnt eh ohnz

72 soixante-douze swasahnt dooz

80 quatre-vingt(s) katruh van

81 quatre-vingt-un katruh van an

90 quatre-vingt-dix katruh van dees

91 quatre-vingt-onze katruh van ohnz

100 cent sahn

200 deux cents duh sahn

1000 mille meel

� Useful words and expressions

Common words and expressionsYes/No Oui/Non wee/nohn

Excuse me! Excusez-moi ! ekskewzay mwa

Hello. (day/eve.) Bonjour./Bonsoir. bohnjzoor/bohnswar

Goodbye. Au revoir. oh ruhvwar

How are you? Comment ça va ? komahn sa va

Very well. Très bien. treh byan

Please. S’il vous plaît. seel voo pleh

Sorry. Pardon. pardohn

Thanks a lot. Merci beaucoup. mehrsee bohkoo

You’re welcome! De rien ! duh ryan

The bill L’addition ladeesyon

And just in case you’re struggling …I don’t understand. Je ne comprends pas. jzuh nuh kohnprahn pa

Can you repeat that? Pouvez-vous répéter ? poovay voo raypaytay

Can you speak more slowly?

Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement ?

poovay voo parlay plew lahntmahn

Do you speak English? Parlez-vous anglais ? parlay voo ahngleh

I don’t speak French well.

Je ne parle pas bien français.

jzuh nuh parl pa byan frahnsay

What does … mean? Que veut dire … ? kuh vuh deer

© Assimil 2013ISBN 978-2-7005-0574-0Graphic design: Atwazart

French

Estelle Demontrond-Box

B.P. 25 94431 Chennevières sur Marne cedex

France

4

This phrasebook doesn’t claim to be a substitute for a language course, but if you devote a bit of time to reading it and learning a few useful phrases, you’ll quickly find that you’re able to participate in basic exchanges with French speakers, enriching your travel experience.

A word of advice: don’t aim for perfection! Those you’re speaking to will forgive any mistakes and appreciate your efforts to communicate in their language. The main thing is to leave your inhibitions behind and speak!

5CONTENTS

Section I INTRODUCTION

How to use this book ............................................................................. 9

France: facts & fi gures ......................................................................... 10

A bit of history .......................................................................................... 11

The French language ............................................................................ 13

Section II GETTING STARTED

Day 1 to 21 .................................................................................................... 15

Section III CONVERSING

First contact ................................................................................................. 57

Greetings ..................................................................................................... 57

Off ering wishes ........................................................................................ 58

Agreeing and disagreeing ................................................................ 59

Asking questions .................................................................................... 60

Thanking someone ............................................................................... 60

Body language ......................................................................................... 60

Making yourself understood .......................................................... 61

Meeting people ......................................................................................... 62

Running into someone ...................................................................... 62

Introducing yourself ............................................................................ 64

Saying where you’re from ................................................................ 65

Giving your age ........................................................................................ 66

Talking about your family ................................................................. 67

Saying what you do ............................................................................. 69

Expressing opinions .............................................................................. 71

CONNVEERSSINGG 57

INTROODUUCTTIONN 9

GEETTIING STAARTTEDDG G 15

6

Accepting invitations ........................................................................... 72

Meeting up ... ............................................................................................. 73

... and chatting up ................................................................................. 74

Religion and traditions ....................................................................... 75

Important festivals ............................................................................... 76

Public holidays ........................................................................................ 77

The weather ................................................................................................. 77

Time and the calendar ........................................................................ 78

Telling the time ....................................................................................... 78

Days, months and dates .................................................................... 80

The seasons ................................................................................................. 81

Talking about ‘when’ and ‘how oft en’ ..................................... 82

Asking for assistance ............................................................................ 83

Emergencies .............................................................................................. 83

Signs, notices and abbreviations ................................................. 84

Signs and notices .................................................................................... 84

Abbreviations............................................................................................. 85

Travelling ....................................................................................................... 86

Passport control and customs ....................................................... 86

Money ............................................................................................................. 87

Flying ............................................................................................................... 88

Going by bus or train ........................................................................... 90

Going by boat ............................................................................................. 92 Going by taxi ............................................................................................. 92

Cycling ............................................................................................................ 93

Driving ............................................................................................................ 94

Getting around town .............................................................................. 98

7CONTENTS

Finding your way around .................................................................. 98

Taking public transport .................................................................... 100 Going to the museum ....................................................................... 100

Places of interest .................................................................................. 101

Posting a letter ....................................................................................... 102

Making a phone call ........................................................................... 103

Going online ............................................................................................. 105

Reporting a theft or loss .................................................................. 106

Going to a performance ................................................................... 107

At the hairdresser’s ............................................................................. 107

Outdoor activities ................................................................................. 108

Recreational sports ............................................................................. 109

At the pool or the beach ................................................................. 109

Camping ...................................................................................................... 110

Trees and plants..................................................................................... 112

Animals ........................................................................................................ 113

Insects and allergies ........................................................................... 114

Accommodation ..................................................................................... 115

Making a reservation ......................................................................... 115

At the hotel ............................................................................................... 116

Breakfast ..................................................................................................... 117

Resolving issues ..................................................................................... 119

Checking out ............................................................................................ 120

Eating and drinking ............................................................................. 120

At the restaurant ................................................................................... 121

Specialities and traditional dishes ........................................... 123

Food vocabulary .................................................................................... 124

Cheeses ........................................................................................................ 129

8

Drinks ........................................................................................................... 130

Other beverages .................................................................................... 132

Shopping ...................................................................................................... 132

Shops and services............................................................................... 132

Books, newspapers, magazines and music ......................... 134

Laundry and dry cleaning ............................................................... 135

Shopping for clothes .......................................................................... 136

Smoking ...................................................................................................... 139

At the photo shop ................................................................................ 140

Toiletries ..................................................................................................... 140

Souvenirs .................................................................................................... 141

Business meetings ................................................................................. 142

Making an appointment by phone ........................................... 142

Job titles ...................................................................................................... 142

In the workplace .................................................................................... 143

Business vocabulary ........................................................................... 144

Fairs and trade shows ........................................................................ 145

Health ............................................................................................................. 146

If you need medical attention ... ............................................... 146

Symptoms .................................................................................................. 147

Pains and body parts ......................................................................... 148

Women’s health ..................................................................................... 149

Getting treatment ................................................................................ 150

At the dentist’s ....................................................................................... 151

At the optician’s .................................................................................... 152

At the pharmacy .................................................................................... 153

Section IV INDEXINDDEXX 156

15GETTING STARTED

Getting started � DAY 1

Je m’appelle…My name is…

1 Bonjour ! Comment vous appelez-vous ? bohnjzoor komahn voo zaplay voo

hello! how you( formal) call-yourself?

Hello! What’s your name?

2 Je m’appelle Alexandre. Enchanté ! jzuh mapel aleksahndruh ahnshantay

i myself-call alexandre. enchanted!

My name is Alexandre. Pleased to meet you!

3 D’où venez-vous ?doo vuhnay voofrom-where come-you

Where are you from?

4 Je viens d’Australie. J’habite à Brisbane.jzuh vyan dohstralee jzabeet ah breesbani come from-australia. I-live at brisbane.

I am from Australia. I live in Brisbane.

NotesThere are two ways to say you in French: tu and vous. Tu is the informal you when speaking to a relative, friend or child. Vous is formal and should be used to address someone older or who you don’t know well. Vous is also the plural you, for addressing more than one person. The formal vous should be used virtually

16

any time you address a stranger, along with the vous form of the conjugated verb (the second-person plural).

Je m’appelle (‘I call myself’) is the equivalent of My name is. The verb s’appeler to call oneself includes a refl exive pronoun, indicating that the subject is performing the action on itself (eg, myself, yourself, himself, etc.). These are oft en left out in English, but must be included in French. Here are some various forms:

Comment t’appelles-tu ?

What’s your name? (informal singular)

Tu t’appelles… Your name is … (inf. sing.)

Il/Elle s’appelle… His/Her name is …

Vous vous appelez… Your name is … ( form.) / Your names are … (pl.)

In French you need to say where you ‘come’ from, rather than where you ‘are’ from: Je viens de (I come from) + the country. If the country starts with a vowel, Je viens de becomes Je viens d’ � Je viens d’Australie.

Practice – Translate the following sentences:1. What’s your name? (inf.)2. Where are you from? (form.)3. Je m’appelle Sophie.4. J’habite à New York.

Answers:1. Comment t’appelles-tu ?2. D’où venez-vous ?3. My name is Sophie.4. I live in New York.

57CONVERSING

Conversing � First contact

The French have retained certain etiquette that may seem somewhat formal to English speakers. This doesn’t necessarily imply reserve, but is more a question that good manners are consi-dered to be respectful. One of the ways the French indicate polite-ness is embedded in their language with the tu and vous forms of you. Tu is the familiar, informal you used with people you know well. Vous is the formal, polite you for addressing basically everyone else (or if speaking to more than one person). Use vous whenever you address a stranger (in a restaurant, hotel, shop, the street, etc.).

GreetingsIn France, it is customary to greet people with Bonjour when you walk in somewhere (a shop, a waiting room, an offi ce, etc.) and to say Au revoir when leaving. In these contexts, monsieur, madame or mademoiselle are the norm; fi rst names are only used in more informal situations. With relatives and friends, cheek kissing (la bise) is the usual greeting (and parting). The number of kisses depends on the region.

Saying hello

Hello! (day) Bonjour ! bohnjzoor

Hello! (evening) Bonsoir ! bohnswar

Hi! Salut ! salew

How’s it going? Ça va ? sa va

Are you well? (inf. sing.) / ( form./pl.)

Tu vas bien ? Vous allez bien ?

tew va byan voo zalay byan

How are you? ( formal) Comment allez-vous ? komahn talay voo

58

Taking leave

Goodbye! Au revoir ! oh ruhvwar

Bye! Ciao ! chow

See you tomorrow! À demain ! ah duhman

See you later! À tout à l’heure ! ah too tah luhr

See you soon! À bientôt ! ah byantoh

See you next year! À l’année prochaine ! ah lanay proshen

Have a nice day! Bonne journée ! bon jzoornay

Have a good week! Bonne semaine ! bon suhmen

Good night! Bonne nuit ! bon nwee

Addressing someone

Mrs, Madam Madame madam

Miss Mademoiselle maduhmwazel

Ladies and gentlemen Mesdames et messieurs

maydam zeh maysyuh

Mr, Sir Monsieur muhsyuh

Off ering wishesOn holiday

Welcome! Bienvenue ! byanvuhnew

Enjoy your stay! Bon séjour ! bohn sayjzoor

Have a good trip! Bon voyage ! bohn vwahyajz

Have a nice holiday! Bonnes vacances ! bon vakahns

59CONVERSING

In everyday situations

Cheers! (when toasting) Santé ! sahntay

Congratulations! Félicitations ! fayleeseetasyohn

Enjoy your meal! Bon appétit ! bon apaytee

Good luck! Bonne chance ! bon shahns

Best of luck! Bon courage ! bohn koorajz

Special occasions

Happy Birthday! Joyeux anniversaire !

jzwahyuh zaneevehrsehr

Happy New Year! Bonne année ! bon anay

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël ! jzwahyuh noel

Agreeing and disagreeingThe gestures that accompany these expressions are similar to those in English, though the French may fl ick their index fi nger right to left when saying no.

Yes. Oui. wee

Of course. Bien sûr. byan sewr

Yes, I’d love to. Oui, je veux bien. wee jzuh vuh byan

OK. D’accord. dakor

Maybe. Peut-être. puhtetruh

No. Non. nohn

Not at all. Pas du tout. pah dew too

I agree. Je suis d’accord. jzuh swee dakor

I disagree. Je ne suis pas d’accord. jzuh nuh swee pa dakor

Me too./So do I. Moi aussi. mwa ohsee

Neither do I. Moi non plus. mwa nohn plew

Phrasebook

Phr

aseb

ook

Includes: 21 language lessons

Free

sample *mp3

Phrasebooksamplesample *

mp3l *

Fren

chOù habitez-vous ? Where do you live?

Au dernier étage.On the top fl oor.

Fre nchFrenchPhrasebook

Visiting Paris, Nice or the French countryside? The creator of the famous Assimil language-learning method has developed this indispensable companion for your break or business trip to France.

• Getting started in French: 21 mini-lessons• Useful words and phrases• Phonetic pronunciations • Essential vocabulary for a range of contexts

* Download a free sample of the audio that accompanies

the phrasebook at www.assimil.com

or scan this QR code with your smartphone:

Discover the complete phrasebook audio

(in French and English) at www.assimil.com

€5.50ISBN : 978-2-7005-0574-0

Free

sample *mp3

-:HSMHKA=ZUZ\YU:

� Numbers 1 un an 11 onze ohnz

2 deux duh 12 douze dooz

3 trois trwa 13 treize trehz

4 quatre katruh 14 quatorze katorz

5 cinq sank 15 quinze kanz

6 six sees 16 seize sehz

7 sept set 17 dix-sept deeset

8 huit weet 18 dix-huit deezweet

9 neuf nuhf 19 dix-neuf deeznuhf

10 dix dees 20 vingt van

21 vingt et un vant eh an

22 vingt-deux vant duh

30 trente trahnt

40 quarante karahnt

50 cinquante sankahnt

60 soixante swasahnt

70 soixante-dix swasahnt dees

71 soixante et onze swasahnt eh ohnz

72 soixante-douze swasahnt dooz

80 quatre-vingt(s) katruh van

81 quatre-vingt-un katruh van an

90 quatre-vingt-dix katruh van dees

91 quatre-vingt-onze katruh van ohnz

100 cent sahn

200 deux cents duh sahn

1000 mille meel

� Useful words and expressions

Common words and expressionsYes/No Oui/Non wee/nohn

Excuse me! Excusez-moi ! ekskewzay mwa

Hello. (day/eve.) Bonjour./Bonsoir. bohnjzoor/bohnswar

Goodbye. Au revoir. oh ruhvwar

How are you? Comment ça va ? komahn sa va

Very well. Très bien. treh byan

Please. S’il vous plaît. seel voo pleh

Sorry. Pardon. pardohn

Thanks a lot. Merci beaucoup. mehrsee bohkoo

You’re welcome! De rien ! duh ryan

The bill L’addition ladeesyon

And just in case you’re struggling …I don’t understand. Je ne comprends pas. jzuh nuh kohnprahn pa

Can you repeat that? Pouvez-vous répéter ? poovay voo raypaytay

Can you speak more slowly?

Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement ?

poovay voo parlay plew lahntmahn

Do you speak English? Parlez-vous anglais ? parlay voo ahngleh

I don’t speak French well.

Je ne parle pas bien français.

jzuh nuh parl pa byan frahnsay

What does … mean? Que veut dire … ? kuh vuh deer