100 Essential French Phrases: Speak Fluently Without Fear

1. Greetings and Politeness (Tu vs. Vous)

French culture places great value on politeness. Using the wrong pronoun might sound disrespectful:

• Bonjour (Hello - daytime) / Bonsoir (Good evening).
• Comment allez-vous ? (How are you? - Formal vous for strangers and elders).
• Ça va ? (How's it going? - Informal for friends, equivalent to tu).
• S'il vous plaît (Please - formal) / Merci beaucoup (Thank you very much).

2. Introducing Yourself

These basic French phrases help you make a great first impression:

• Je m'appelle Lan. (My name is Lan).
• Je suis vietnamien / vietnamienne. (I am Vietnamese - male/female).
• Enchanté(e) ! (Nice to meet you).
• J'apprends le français. (I am learning French).

3. Asking for Directions, Shopping, and Ordering Food

Crucial survival phrases for traveling or living in a French-speaking country:

• Où sont les toilettes, s'il vous plaît ? (Where is the restroom, please?).
• C'est combien ? (How much is this?).
• Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. (I would like a coffee, please).
• L'addition, s'il vous plaît. (The bill, please).

4. Numbers and Telling Time

Mastering numbers prevents costly misunderstandings when paying bills or catching trains:

• Quelle heure est-il ? (What time is it?).
• Il est huit heures. (It is eight o'clock).
• Key numbers: Un (1), Deux (2), Trois (3), Dix (10), Cent (100).

5. How to Master Every Phrase: Listen – Type – Record

Rote memorization fades within days. On tuhocta.com, practice with this 3-step loop:

1. Listen to native audio: Play a short sentence and focus on liaisons and rhythm.

2. Type what you hear: Transcribe every letter so the system can verify your spelling and accents.

3. Record and evaluate: Speak into the mic to let AI score your pronunciation syllable by syllable.

Start today with Section 1 (Greetings). Perfect your first 10 phrases with the listen-type method, and speaking French will quickly feel natural!