Metric measurements in General
Planning a trip to General
I'm a size what? European clothing sizes measures and shoe sizes and how to convert American clothes sizes to European (and British) ones
I'm a size what? European clothing sizes measures and shoe sizes and how to convert American clothes sizes to European (and British) ones
Topics in General
Pounds and kilos, grams and ounces, stone and tons (and tons, and tonnes)—Deciphering weights in France
Useful French phrases
Useful French for rail travel
| English (anglais) | French (français) | Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
| Where is? | Où est? | ou eh |
| ...train station | la gare | lah gar |
| train | train | traah |
| ticket | un billet | uhn bee-YAY |
| ticket counter | les guichet | lay ghee-SHAY |
| departures within the hour | départs dans l'heure | day-PAR dohn luhr |
| local departures | départs banlieue | day-PAR bahn-LYOO |
| long-distance departures | départs grandes lignes | day-PAR grahnd leenyh |
| departure time | heure de départ | uhr de day-PAR |
| arrival time | heure d'arrivée | urh dar-ree-YAV |
| first class | première classe | pruh-mee-YAIR klahs |
| second class | seconde classe | say-COHN-duh klahs |
| one way ticket | un billet simple | uhn bee-YAY SAHM-pluh |
| round trip (return) ticket | un billet aller-retour | uhn bee-YAY ah-LAY RAY-tour |
| I would like to reserve a seat | Je voudrais réserver une place | dzuh voo-DRAY RAY-sair-vay ooun plahs |
| I have a Eurailpass | J'ai Eurailpass | dzay ao-rail-PAHS |
| sleeping couchette | une couchette | ooun koo-SHET |
| berth in a sleeping car | une place en voiture-lit | ooune plahs uhn vwa-TOUR-lee |
| track | voie or quai |
vwa or kay |
| car / carriage | voiture | vwa-TOUR |
| punch your ticket | composter de billet | cohm-poh-STAY de bee-YAY |
| departures | le départ | luh day-PAR |
| arrivals | l’arrivée | lah-ree-VAY |
| connection | correspondance | ko-ray-spon-DOHNZ |
| coming from | en provenance de | un pro-veh-NONS de |
| going to | a destination de | ah des-tee-nah-tzee-YOWN de |
| Is this the right platform for the Paris train? | Est-ce que c’est le quai pour le train de Paris? | es kuh say le kay poo-rh leh traah de pah-REE |
| delayed | en retard | hn ruh-TAR |
| information | information | een-for-mah-tzee-YOHN |
| left luggage | consigne | cone-sah-NYEH |
| exit | sortie | sohr-TEE |
Useful French for air travel
| English (anglais) | French (français) | Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
| Where is... | Où est? | ou eh |
| ...the airport | l'aéroport | lair-oh-POR |
| the airplane | l'avion | lah-vee-YOHn |
| terminal | terminal | tehr-me-NAHL |
| flight | vol | vohl |
| gate | porte | pohrt |
| customs | douane | do-AHN |
| to the right | à droite | ah dwa-t |
| to the left | à gauche | ah go-sh |
| straight ahead | tout droit | too dwa |
| departures hall | Hall de départ | ahl de day-PAR |
| arrivals hall | Hall d’arrivée | ahl da-ree-VAY |
| exit | sortie | sohr-TEE |
| delayed | en retard | hn ruh-TAR |
| on time | à l’heure | ah LOUR |
| early | en avance | hn ah-VAHNS |
| check-in | l’enregistrement | lun-rej-ee-stray-MUN |
| immigration | l'immigration | lim-ee-grah-SYON |
| security check | le contrôle de sécurité | luh kon-TROLL de say-cure-ee-TAY |
| shuttle | la navette | lah na-VET |
| boarding pass | une carte d’embarquement | ooun kart dem-bark-eh-MUHn |
| baggage claim | la livraison des bagages | la lee-vray-SOHn day bah-GA-j |
| carry-on luggage | les bagages à main | lay bah-GA-j ah meh |
| checked luggage | les bagages enregistrés | lay bah-GA-j on-ray-jee-STRAY |
Useful French for car travel
| English (anglais) | French (français) | Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
| car | une voiture or une auto |
ouhn vwa-TOUR or ouhn ow-TOH |
| scooter/motorboke | une moto | ouhn mo-TOH |
| gas station | station-service | stah-see-YOHN sair-VEES |
| gas | de l'essence | deh lay-SAWNS |
| diesel | le gasolio or le gazole |
leh gah-SOL-lyo or luh gag-ZOHL |
| Fill it up, please | faire le plein, s'il vous plaît | fair le plahn seel voo play |
| Where is... | Où est? | ou eh |
| ...the highway | l'autoroute | lao-toh-ROOT |
| ...the road | la route | lah root |
| ...the street | la rue | lah roo |
| ...the road for Paris | la route de Paris |
lah root de pah-REE |
| to the right | à droite | ah dwa-t |
| to the left | à gauche | ah go-sh |
| keep going straight | tout droit | too dwa |
| to cross | traverser | trah-vair-SAY |
| toll | un péage | uhn PAY-ahj |
| parking | stationner | stah-see-yo-NAIR |
| road map | carte routière | kahrt roo-tee-YAIR |
| roundabout | rond point | rohn pwea |
| junction | carrefour | cah-ruh-FOUr |
Typical road signs
| English (anglais) | French (français) |
| Speed limit | Limit de vitesse |
| Slow down | Ralentissez |
| Stop | Arrêt |
| Exit | Sortie |
| Give way | Cedez le passage |
| Give way to traffic coming from the left/right | Priorité à gauche / à droit |
| No passing | Interdiction de doubler/dépasser |
| One-way | Sens-unique |
| No entry | Sens interdit |
| Road closed | Route barrée |
| Detour | Déviation |
| Risk of ice | Verglas |
| Dead-end | Impasse |
| Speed camera | Radar de vitesse |
| Pedestrian crossing | Passage piéton |
| Parking prohibited | Stationnement interdit |
| Pedestrian zone | Zone piétonnne |
Basic phrases in French
| English (anglais) | French (français) | pro-nun-see-YAY-shun |
| thank you | merci | mair-SEE |
| please | s'il vous plaît | seel-vou-PLAY |
| yes | oui | wee |
| no | non | no |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais? | par-lay-VOU on-GLAY |
| I don't understand | Je ne comprende pas | zhuh nuh COHM-prohnd pah |
| I'm sorry | Je suis desolée | zhuh swee day-zoh-LAY |
| How much does it cost? | Combien coute? | coam-bee-YEHN koot |
| That's too much | C'est trop | say troh |
| Good day | Bonjour | bohn-SZOURH |
| Good evening | Bon soir | bohn SWAH |
| Good night | Bon nuit | bohn NWEE |
| Goodbye | Au revoir | oh-ruh-VWAH |
| Excuse me (to get attention) | Excusez-moi | eh-skooze-ay-MWA |
| Excuse me (to get past someone) | Pardon | pah-rRDOHN |
| Where is? | Où est? | ou eh |
| ...the bathroom | la toilette | lah twah-LET |
| ...train station | la gare | lah gahr |
Days, months, and other calendar items in French
| English (anglais) | French (français) | Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
| When is it open? | Quand est-il ouvert? | coan eh-TEEL oo-VAIR |
| When does it close? | Quand est l'heure de fermeture? | coan eh lure duh fair-mah-TOUR |
| At what time... | à quelle heure... | ah kell uhre |
| Yesterday | hier | ee-AIR |
| Today | aujoud'hui | ow-zhuhr-DWEE |
| Tomorrow | demain | duh-MEHN |
| Day after tomorrow | après demain | ah-PRAY duh-MEHN |
| a day | un jour | ooun zhuhr |
| Monday | Lundí | luhn-DEE |
| Tuesday | Maredí | mar-DEE |
| Wednesday | Mercredi | mair-cray-DEE |
| Thursday | Jeudi | zhuh-DEE |
| Friday | Vendredi | vawn-druh-DEE |
| Saturday | Samedi | saam-DEE |
| Sunday | Dimanche | DEE-maansh |
| a month | un mois | ooun mwa |
| January | janvier | zhan-vee-YAIR |
| February | février | feh-vree-YAIR |
| March | mars | mahr |
| April | avril | ah-VREEL |
| May | mai | may |
| June | juin | zhuh-WAH |
| July | juillet | zhuh-LYAY |
| August | août | ah-WOOT |
| September | septembre | sep-TUHM-bruh |
| October | octobre | ok-TOE-bruh |
| November | novembre | noh-VAUM-bruh |
| December | décembre | day-SAHM-bruh |
Numbers in French
| English (anglais) | French (français) | Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
| 1 | un | ehn |
| 2 | deux | douh |
| 3 | trois | twa |
| 4 | quatre | KAH-truh |
| 5 | cinq | sank |
| 6 | six | sees |
| 7 | sept | sehp |
| 8 | huit | hwhee |
| 9 | neuf | nuhf |
| 10 | dix | dees |
| 11 | onze | ownz |
| 12 | douze | dooz |
| 13 | treize | trehz |
| 14 | quatorze | kah-TOHRZ |
| 15 | quinze | cans |
| 16 | seize | sez |
| 17 | dix-sept | dee-SEP |
| 18 | dix-huit | dee-SWEE |
| 19 | dix-neuf | dee-SNEUHF |
| 20 | vingt | vahn |
| 21* | vingt et un * | vahnt eh UHN |
| 22* | vingt deux * | vahn douh |
| 23* | vingt trois * | vahn twa |
| 30 | trente | truhnt |
| 40 | quarante | kah-RAHNT |
| 50 | cinquante | sahn-KAHNT |
| 60 | soixante | swaa-SAHNT |
| 70 | soixante-dix ‡ | swa-sahnt-DEES |
| 80 | quatre-vents ‡ | kat-tra-VAHN |
| 90 | quatre-vents-dix ‡ | kat-tra-vanht-DEES |
| 100 | cent | sant |
| 1,000 | mille | meel |
| 5,000 | cinq mille | sank meel |
| 10,000 | dix mille | dees meel |
* You can form any number between 20 and 99 just like the examples for 21, 22, and 23. For x2–x9, just say the tens-place number (trente for 30, quarante for 40, etc.), then the ones-place number (35 is trente cinq; 66 is soixsante six). The only excpetion is for 21, 31, 41, etc. For x1, say the tens-place number followed by "...et un" (trente et un, quarante et un, etc.).
‡ Yes, the French count very strangely once they get past 69. Rather than some version of "seventy,' they instead say "sixy-ten" (followed by "sixty-eleven," "sixty-twelve,' etc. up to "sixty-nineteen.") And then, just to keep things interesting, they chenge it up again and, for 80, say 'four twenties"—which always make me thinks of blackbirds baked in a pie for some reason. Ninety becomes "four-twenties-ten" and so on up to "four-nineties-ninteen" for 99, which is quite a mouthful: quartre-vingts-dix-neuf.