Pass in Paris
Planning a trip to Paris
Sights in France
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.