Essential Greetings - Your First French Words
Master these before anything else
Every night, I watch travelers arrive nervous about their French. But here's what I've learned: if you can say hello, goodbye, and thank you properly, people will help you with everything else. These six phrases open every door in France.
The Foundation Six
Bonjour
Hello / Good morning
โป
Pronunciation: bon-ZHOOR
Use through afternoon; switch to bonsoir around 5-7pm
Pronunciation: bon-SWAHR
When it's getting dark
Pronunciation: oh ruh-VWAHR
Formal departure
Pronunciation: mehr-SEE
Say it often
S'il vous plaรฎt
Please (formal)
โป
Pronunciation: seel voo PLEH
Opens every request
Excusez-moi
Excuse me
โป
Pronunciation: ex-kew-zay-MWAH
Getting attention
Philippe's Tip:
Never say "Bonne nuit" when leaving a restaurant. It means you're going to sleep. Use "Bonne soirรฉe" instead. I hear this mistake every night!
Numbers 1-100 - Essential for Everything
Room numbers, prices, times, and addresses
During my rounds, I help guests find their rooms every night. Room 47. Room 82. Room 13. Numbers are how you navigate France - prices, metro lines, street addresses, phone numbers. Master these and you'll never be lost.
Numbers 1-20 (Foundation)
Tens (20-100)
kah-rahnt
quarante-deux (42)
sank-ahnt
cinquante-sept (57)
swah-sahnt
soixante-huit (68)
swah-sahnt-DEES
Literally "sixty-ten"
KAH-truh-van
Literally "four-twenties"
KAH-truh-van-DEES
"four-twenty-ten"
sahn
No "s" for one hundred
Spelling Rules That Matter
โข 21/31/41/51/61: Use et un (e.g., vingt-et-un)
โข 71: soixante-et-onze (France); septante et un (Belgium/Switzerland)
โข 81/91: No et โ quatre-vingt-un, quatre-vingt-onze
โข quatre-vingts drops s when followed: quatre-vingt-trois
โข cent takes s only when exact and not followed: deux cents vs deux cent dix
Formal Politeness - The French Way
Tu vs. Vous and essential polite phrases
In France, politeness isn't just nice - it's required. The biggest mistake tourists make? Being too casual too quickly. Let me show you how to be respectful without overthinking it.
Essential Polite Phrases
Pardon
Sorry / Pardon me
โป
par-DON
Getting past someone
Je vous en prie
You're welcome (polite)
โป
zhuh voo ahn pree
Formal response to merci
duh ree-AN
Casual response
S'il te plaรฎt
Please (informal)
โป
seel tuh pleh
With friends
Est-ce que je peux...?
May I...?
โป
ess-kuh zhuh puh
Polite request
Pourriez-vous...?
Could you...?
โป
poor-ee-ay voo
Formal request
Tu vs. Vous - When to Use Each
Use VOUS with anyone you don't know, anyone older, anyone in professional settings. Use TU only with close friends, family, or children. When in doubt? Always use VOUS.
Present Tense Basics - Three Essential Verbs
รTRE (to be), AVOIR (to have), ALLER (to go)
You don't need to master all French grammar tonight. But these three verbs? They're in almost every sentence. Learn these conjugations and you can build basic conversations.
รTRE (to be)
zhuh swee
Je suis amรฉricain(e)
Tu es
You are (informal)
โป
Vous รชtes
You are (formal)
โป
Ils/Elles sont
They are
โป
Essential Hotel Phrases
Navigate any hotel with confidence
These are the exact phrases I hear every night. Master these and you'll never struggle at check-in, asking for directions, or getting help at a hotel anywhere in France.
Check-in & Help
J'ai une rรฉservation
I have a reservation
โป
zhay oon ray-zehr-vah-see-on
Oรน est...?
Where is...?
โป
Le Wi-Fi ne fonctionne pas
WiFi doesn't work
โป
luh wee-fee nuh fonk-see-on pah
J'ai perdu ma clรฉ
I lost my key
โป
Les toilettes
The restrooms
โป
lay twah-let
Public restrooms (not salle de bain)
Plus lentement, s'il vous plaรฎt
More slowly, please
โป
ploo lon-tuh-mahn, seel voo pleh
Floor Logic:
Rez-de-chaussรฉe (RDC) = ground floor; 1er รฉtage = one level above ground.
Ready to Practice with Philippe?
"You've learned the basics - numbers, greetings, politeness, and essential verbs. Now it's time to use them. Come practice with me during my night shift. I'll speak slowly, correct gently, and help you build confidence one phrase at a time." - Philippe