Going to France? Learn some basic French words

If you go to Paris and know English well, you wouldn’t have a difficult time at all, since English is widely used in France. But to have an even better time, it doesn’t hurt to know the basic french words so that you can have a good time.

The basic courtesy calls for wishing everyone when entering and leaving a room or place. A simple hello (Bonjour!) and goodbye (Au Revoir) go a long way in keeping good relations with everyone around. Evenings are the time when Paris comes out alive with people, so wishing them a good evening is not a bad idea. Say ‘Bonsoir’ for this. Wish the hotels and restaurants a good night (Bonne Nuit). Couple it with a smile, and it’s the perfect way to round off your evenings. ‘Monsieur’ is used for a gentleman and ‘Madame’ is used to address a lady. If you want to say yes to someone’s question, say ‘Oui’. This is the simplest of the words and is very helpful.

If you need any help from people around, don’t expect your English to be understood by all. Just ask ‘Peux-tu nous aider?’ This will guarantee a quick response from people. Thank them with the words ‘Merci’. Impress people by saying ‘Enchante’, which means nice to meet you.

To know how people are, ask ‘Comment ça va?’ For a sunny day, say ‘Ensoleille’. A staircase is called ‘Escalier’ and a garden is called ‘jardin’. You can say ‘Salle de bain’ if you want to go the washroom and ‘logement’ is you want an accommodation. Refuse something by saying ‘non’, address yourself with ‘moi’ and others by ‘tu’. ‘Rien’ means nothing and ‘jour’ means day. Some other important words to remember are ‘autre’ which means other and ‘vouloir’ which means want.

Though it’s not necessary to learn french when you are in France, it doesn’t hurt to know a few words which you can learn and use. This will not only increase your knowledge, but will also help you to make friends when in an alien world.