French Words to Learn Before Leaving for Your Trip to Paris

Daydreaming of sipping wine at a petite street cafÃ?© in Paris while Parisians rush by on their way to somewhere fills the days. Closing your eyes and envisioning the illumination of Paris from the Eiffel tower at night captivates you with anticipation. Not even a fire will keep you from the vacation of your dreams; so you’ve tucked the plane ticket and passport in an iron box. But wait a minuteâÂ?¦ can you speak French? What if you run into people who can’t speak English? What will you do? How will you communicate? How will you tell them where you want to go? Learn a few important words in French before you make the trip and voila! You’re set to not only have a fabulous time but to understand and be understood.

Announcing the top ten most important words you should know before you pack your bags for FranceâÂ?¦ Ok, so it’s 10 + 10 or so, but who’s really counting? Let’s begin with greetings. You’ll want to be able to greet people with a glowing smile as you sayâÂ?¦.”Bonjour!” (Hello!) and when you leave, “Au revoir.” (Good-bye). These are simple courtesies that everyone feels good about. Add a couple more greetings and you’ll feel incredibly Parisian. When you pass someone on the street with the sun setting in shades of lavender, pink and gold you might wish them, “Bonsoir” (Good evening). You’re tired and ready to head back to the hotel to relax before ending your day. The appropriate words to use are “Bonne nuit.” (Good night)

You rise early the next day to head off to the Louvre for a day of beauty and culture. You meet a friendly couple Mr. Peugeot (Monsieur Peugeot) and his charming wife, Mrs. Peugeot (Madame Peugeot). They ask your name and without hesitation and filled with the confidence of a fine croissant filled with chocolate you announce, “Je m’appelle Teresa.” (My name is Teresa) You spend the next hour walking with them and saying “Oui” (yes) to their every question.

Hunger pangs begin whispering and you realize it’s time for dinner. You pass by the quaint restaurant, La brassiere du Belvedere, searching for Le Deux Margots, a cafÃ?© that Hemingway frequented in his hey day. French cafÃ?© fare may include pain (bread), baguette (most of us know what a baguette is), fromage (cheese), vin (wine), and dessert which is dessert no matter how you say it! “Je voudrais” (I would like) is an important phrase to use when helping others understand your desires whether it’s food, directions, or shopping. Add “s’il vouz plait” (please) and you are requesting something with courtesy and aplomb. Put it all together and you’ll have, “Je voudrais fromage, pain, vin, s’il vouz plait.” (I would like cheese, bread, wine, please)

Idly you nibble at cheese and hearty bread while sipping wine as you people watch and ponder Hemingway’s memoir of life in Paris during the 1920s, A Moveable Feast. It’s once again time to wander the streets of Paris. You ask, “Combien?” (How much?) The waiter hands you your bill and after paying you say the number one most important word to use while in ParisâÂ?¦ “Merci beaucoup!” (Thank you very much!)

Back in the midst of humanity strolling to and fro you stop a well-dressed man on the street with “Excusez-moi.” (Excuse me) and ask, “OÃ?¹?” (Where?) The complete sentence, “Excusez-moi, oÃ?¹ is the Eiffel tower?” is enough French for the man to understand and hopefully direct you with simple words you can understand. What are those words? Two common words that may help get you where you want to be are, right (droit) and left (gauche). He points down the street, and you ask, “Droit?” (left) and he replies, “No, noâÂ?¦gauche.” (right) You nod and flash a coquettish smile as you say “Merci beaucoup!” and with a wave of the hand you’re off toward your destination.

The last words that will lead you down the path of pleasant, charming, considerate visitor in the fair city of Paris are the numbers 0 – 9. If you know these numbers you can ask for and understand all kinds of money matters and addresses. ZÃ?©ro (zero), un (one), deux (two), trois (three), quatre (four), cinq (five), six (six), sept (seven), huit (eight), neuf (nine). You wish to go to cinq Rue Mouffetard,” you tell the concierge. He’ll know exactly where you where you wish to go. It’s the oldest outdoor market in Paris on a colorful street filled with vendors of breads, meats, fruits and vegetables, desserts, and much more.

Make your trip to Paris, France as grand and wonderful as you possibly can. One of the secrets of being a charming tourist is to know the very basics of the language. If you can communicate in the most simplistic form you’ll feel more confident about being an American in Paris. Bon voyage!

Below is the list of words to learn:
Merci beaucoup – thank you very much
Bonjour – Hello
Bonsoir – Good evening
Bonne nuit – Good night
Au revoir – Good-bye
Je m’appelle – My name isâÂ?¦
Madame – Mrs.
Monsieur – Mr.
Oui – Yes
S’il vouz plÃ?¢it – Please
Je voudrais – I would likeâÂ?¦
Vin – Wine
Pain/Baguette – Bread
Fromage – Cheese
Combien – How much?
OÃ?¹ – Where
Gauche – Left
Droit – Right
Numbers: Un – One, Deux – Two, Trois – Three, Quatre – Four, Cinq – Five, Six-Six, Sept – Seven, Huit – Eight, Neuf – Nine, ZÃ?©ro – Zero