The “j” in “bonjour” is soft; it’s a “zh” sound, or a combination between “sh” and “j. ” Pronounce the “n” just slightly, but try not to let the tip of your tongue hit the roof of your mouth as you would in English. French is pronounced with the back of the mouth and nose more than front of the mouth. Bonjour literally means “good day,” and is a more formal way to say hello. Say “salut” (sa-loo) for an informal expression, like “hi” in English. It’s also best to use bonjour during the day. At night, say, “bonsoir” (bon-swarh), which means “good evening. ”
You can also say, “bonne nuit” (bon-nwee), which means “goodnight. ”
Pronounce the alphabet in French like this: “ah (a), bay (b), say (c), day (d), eh (e), eff (f), zhee (g), osh (h), ee (i), zhay (j), kay (k), elle (l), em (m), en (n), oh (o), pay (p), koo (q), air (r), ess (s), tay (t), oo (u), vay (v), doo-bluh-vay (w), eex (x), ee-grek, (y), zed (z). ” Practicing the alphabet can help you get to know how vowel and consonant sounds work in French. This can improve your pronunciation, even if you just want to learn how to say a few practical phrases.
The numbers 1 through 10 in French are “un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix. ” Say them like this: “uhn (1), duh (2), trwah (3), katreh (4, the “reh” is subtle, and isn’t a distinct syllable), sank (5), sees (6, the “s” sounds are soft, like “cease”), sept (7), weet (8), nuhf (9, it sounds like “surf” without the “r”), dees (10, it rhymes with “cease”). For a list of numbers with a helpful pronunciation feature, see http://www. languageguide. org/french/numbers.
To ask “Do you speak English,” say, “Parlez-vous anglais?” (par-lay voo ahn-glay). For the informal version, ask “Parle-tu anglais?” (parl-too ahn-glay). If you’re at a restaurant, say, “Je voudrais” (zhuh voo-dray), which means “I would like. ” For instance, tell the waiter, “Je voudrais une salade” (zhuh voo-dray oon sah-lod), which means “I would like a salad. In an informal setting ask, “Où sont les toilettes?” (oo, sohn lay twah-lette) if you need to find the restroom. If you’re at a formal dinner party at someone’s home, ask the host, “Excusez-moi, où est-ce que je peux me rafraîchir?” (eh-skew-zay-mwah, oo ess-kuh zhuh puh muh rah-fray-sheer), which means “Excuse me, where can I freshen up?” Many French speakers know English but, if you’re in France, it’s polite to excuse yourself for not knowing French: “Je suis désolé, mais je ne parle pas français” (Zhuh swee day-zo-lay, may zhuh-nuh parl pah frahn-say). This means “I’m sorry, but I don’t speak French. [6] X Research source
The formal way of saying “please” is “s’il vous plaît” (see voo play). Say, for instance, “Excusez-moi, s’il vous plaît, parle-tu anglais?” (eh-skew-zay-mwah, see voo play, parl-too ahn-glay), which means “Excuse me, please, do you speak English?” The less formal version of “please” is “s’il te plaît” (see teh play). Ask your friend, “Je voudrais de l’eau, s’il te plaît” (zhuh voo-dray deh low, see teh play), which means “I’d like some water, please. ” “Merci” (mair-see) means “thank you. ” To say “Thank you very much” or “Thanks a lot,” say “Merci beaucoup” (mair-see bow-koo) or “Merci bien” (mair-see bee-ehn). To say “You’re welcome,” use “Je vous en prie” (zhuh voo-zawn pree), which is more polite, or “De rien” (deh ree-ehn), which is less formal.
If someone asks how you’re doing, you could respond, “Très bien (treh bee-ehn), which means “very good. ” Other responses include “Pas mal” (pah mahl), which means “not bad,” and “Ça va” (sah vah), or “It’s going. ”
To ask someone their name, ask “Comment vous appelez-vous?” (koh-mah voo zah-play voo), which is more polite, or “Comment tu t’appelles? (koh-mah too tah-pell), which is informal. Ask, “Quel âge as-tu” (kell-ozh ah-too) or the formal “Quel âge avez-vous” (kell-ozh ah-vay-voo) to ask someone’s age. To respond, say, “J’ai 18 ans” (zhay deez-weet ahn), which literally means “I have 18 years. ” “Où habitez-vous” (oo ah-bee-tay voo) and Où habites-tu?” (oo ah-beet too) mean “Where do you live. ” You’d say, “J’habite à New York, mais je suis de Canada” (zha-beet ah New York, may zhuh swee deh Canada), which means “I live in New York, but I’m from Canada. ”
One of the best ways to improve your pronunciation is to get a French speaker to correct your mistakes. If you know a native speaker or someone who’s fluent, ask them to help you develop a better accent. [11] X Research source
Additionally, if a noun is plural, an adjective that describes it must also be plural. You’d use “Sam est petit,” (Sam eh puh-tee) to say Sam, who’s a boy, is short. If Sam and Beth, who are girls, are both short, you’d say “Sam et Beth sont petites” (Sam aye Beth sohn puh-teet). Articles, such as “the” and “a,” also need to match the gender and number. “Un” and “une” (uh and oohn) are the masculine and feminine versions of “a. ” “Le,” “la,” and “les” (luh, lah, and lay) are the masculine, feminine, and plural ways of saying “the. ” You’d use “l’” for words that begin with vowels: “l’école. ” If you’re describing yourself, make sure the adjective matches your gender. For instance, “Je suis américain” (zhuh sweez-ah-may-ree-keh) is masculine, and “Je suis américaine” (zhuh sweez-ah-may-ree-kenn) is feminine.
To ask someone if they’re hungry, use “Avez-vous faim?” (ah-vay voo feh) or “As-tu faim? (ah-too feh). Swap out “faim” with “soif” (swof) to ask if they’re thirsty, and “sommeil” (soh-may) to ask if they’re sleepy. The verb “to have” is always used to express conditions such as hunger, thirst, and fatigue. Use “être” (to be) for adjectives such as gender and nationality.
When you study, review your previous list or word to keep it fresh, then move on to new material. Try making themed lists, such as foods, body parts, and household objects. If you’re traveling to a francophone country and want to study vacation-related vocabulary words, check out https://www. laits. utexas. edu/fi/html/toc/03. html.
Seeing, writing, and speaking the translations out loud can help you commit your vocabulary words to memory. [16] X Research source
You may be able to select French dubbing for English TV shows and movies on DVD, so check audio menus.
Look online or at a library for French children’s books. You can also download free or cheap ebooks on your e-reader or other electronic device.
For instance, you might write, “Aujourd’hui c’est dimanche, le 7 Octobre. J’ai déjeuné avec ma cousine. J’ai mangé une salade de poulet, de la laitue, des épinards, des oignons, et des tomates. ” That translates to “Today is Sunday, October 7. I had lunch with my cousin. I had a salad with chicken, lettuce, spinach, onions, and tomatoes. ” If you have a friend or relative who speaks French, ask them to read your entries and correct any errors.
