Official Language of France

The official language of France is French.

It is the primary language used in government, education, media, and business throughout the country. French is also one of the official languages of the United Nations and is spoken by millions of people around the world as either a first or second language.

In addition to standard French, various regional languages and dialects are spoken across France, including Alsatian, Breton, Corsican, Occitan, and others. However, these regional languages have a more limited use in public life and are more commonly found in cultural and familial contexts.

Here's a list of essential French words and phrases for travelers:

Greetings

1. Bonjour - Hello/Good morning (bohn-zhoor)

2. Bonsoir - Good evening (bohn-swahr)

3. Salut - Hi (informal) (sah-loo)

4. Au revoir - Goodbye (oh ruh-vwahr)

5. Merci - Thank you (mehr-see)

6. S'il vous plaît - Please (seel voo pleh)

7. Excusez-moi - Excuse me (ex-kew-zay mwah)

8. Oui - Yes (wee)

9. Non - No (nohn)

10. À bientôt - See you soon (ah byan-toh)

Basic Conversational Phrases and Pronouns

1. Comment ça va ? - How are you? (koh-mahn sah vah)

2. Très bien, merci - Very well, thank you (treh byan, mehr-see)

3. Parlez-vous anglais ? - Do you speak English? (par-lay voo ahn-glay)

4. Je ne comprends pas - I don't understand (zhuh nuh kom-prahn pah)

5. Pouvez-vous m'aider ? - Can you help me? (poo-vay voo meh-day)

6. Je - I (zhuh)

7. Vous - You (formal) (voo)

8. Tu - You (informal) (tyoo)

9. Il/Elle - He/She (eel/ehl)

10. Nous - We (noo)

Accommodations

1. Hôtel - Hotel (o-tel)

2. Chambre - Room (shahm-bruh)

3. Réservation - Reservation (ray-zehr-vah-syon)

4. Clé - Key (clay)

5. Lit - Bed (lee)

6. Salle de bain - Bathroom (sahl duh bahn)

7. Nuit - Night (nwee)

8. Combien coûte... ? - How much is... ? (kohm-byen koot)

9. Propre - Clean (prohpr)

10. Calme - Quiet (kahlm)

Directions

1. Où est... ? - Where is... ? (oo ay)

2. Gauche - Left (gohsh)

3. Droite - Right (drwat)

4. Tout droit - Straight ahead (too drwah)

5. Près de - Near (preh duh)

6. Loin de - Far from (lwan duh)

7. Carte - Map (kart)

8. Rue - Street (roo)

9. Nord - North (nord)

10. Sud - South (sood)

Transportation

1. Train - Train (trahn)

2. Bus - Bus (boos)

3. Métro - Subway (may-tro)

4. Billet - Ticket (bee-yay)

5. Horaires - Schedule (or-air)

6. Gare - Station (gar)

7. Arrêt de bus - Bus stop (ah-ray duh boos)

8. Taxi - Taxi (tak-see)

9. Location de voitures - Car rental (loh-kah-syon duh vwah-tewr)

10. Vélo - Bicycle (vay-lo)

Health and Wellness

1. Pharmacie - Pharmacy (far-mah-see)

2. Médecin - Doctor (may-duh-san)

3. Hôpital - Hospital (o-pee-tal)

4. Aide - Help (ehd)

5. Urgence - Emergency (ewr-zhahns)

6. Malade - Sick (mah-lahd)

7. Douleur - Pain (doo-luhr)

8. Médicament - Medicine (may-dee-kah-mahn)

9. Allergie - Allergy (ah-ler-zhee)

10. Assurance - Insurance (ah-soo-rahns)

Restaurant and Food/Dietary Restrictions

1. Menu - Menu (may-noo)

2. L'eau - Water (lo)

3. Végétarien - Vegetarian (vay-zhay-tah-ree-an)

4. Végétalien - Vegan (vay-zhay-tah-lyan)

5. Sans gluten - Gluten-free (sahn gloo-tan)

6. Allergie - Allergy (ah-ler-zhee)

7. Serveur/Serveuse - Waiter/Waitress (sair-vuhr/sair-vuhz)

8. Addition - Bill (ah-dee-syon)

9. Pourboire - Tip (poor-bwar)

10. Réservation - Reservation (ray-zehr-vah-syon)

Shopping and Money

1. Combien ? - How much? (kohm-byen)

2. Magasin - Shop (mah-gah-zan)

3. Prix - Price (pree)

4. Carte de crédit - Credit card (kart duh cray-dee)

5. Espèces - Cash (es-pehs)

6. Marché - Market (mar-shay)

7. Soldes - Sale (sold)

8. Taille - Size (tah-ee)

9. Remboursement - Refund (rahm-boor-smahn)

10. Facture - Receipt (fak-toor)

Emergency

1. Aidez-moi ! - Help me! (ehd-mwah)

2. Police - Police (po-lees)

3. Feu - Fire (fuh)

4. Accident - Accident (ak-see-dahn)

5. Urgence - Emergency (ewr-zhahns)

6. Hôpital - Hospital (o-pee-tal)

7. Médecin - Doctor (may-duh-san)

8. Pharmacie - Pharmacy (far-mah-see)

9. Je suis perdu - I am lost (zhuh swee pair-dew)

10. Vol - Theft (vohl)

Days of the Week and Numbers 1-10

1. Lundi - Monday (lun-dee)

2. Mardi - Tuesday (mar-dee)

3. Mercredi - Wednesday (mair-cruh-dee)

4. Jeudi - Thursday (zhuh-dee)

5. Vendredi - Friday (vahn-druh-dee)

6. Samedi - Saturday (sam-dee)

7. Dimanche - Sunday (dee-mahnsh)

8. Un - One (uhn)

9. Deux - Two (duhr)

10. Trois - Three (trwah)

11. Quatre - Four (katr)

12. Cinq - Five (sank)

13. Six - Six (sees)

14. Sept - Seven (set)

15. Huit - Eight (weet)

16. Neuf - Nine (nuhf)

17. Dix - Ten (dees)

These phrases and words should help cover basic needs and situations while traveling in France.