French Conversation 101: Survival Guide For Beginners

Maybe you’ve studied French for just a few weeks in preparation for study abroad. Perhaps you’re a Francophile and have plans of wooing a young lady or dapper man in a Parisian cafe. Or, it’s possible you dream of working at the United Nations and want to brush up on one of its six official languages. Either way, in order to learn a language, like French, you need to have French conversations.

Meaning, speaking with people who speak French. Easy enough, right?The American Council of Teaching Foreign Language (ACTFL) considers French a Group I language. This means that it’s far easier to learn than Arabic, Korean or Japanese. According to the ACTFL, it takes around 480 hours of professional curriculum to speak French at a mid-advanced level.

To help get you there, we’ve put together a beginners survival guide to French Conversation 101. We’ll discuss a brief history of the French language, top things to know about French culture, important dos and don’ts, conversation starters, and much more.
‍

History of the French language

As with other Romance languages, like Spanish or Italian, French comes from the Indo-European language family. It came from the Roman Empire, and was later influenced by Celtic and Frankish languages, due to various invasions.

Before the world was fully mapped out, it was a much more “conquer or be conquered” way of life. So when the French began their own conquests, into Africa and the Caribbean, they took their language with this. This is why a place like Haiti speaks French Creole, and African countries, like Algeria, Mauritius and Ivory Coast.

Today, over 220 million people speak French, and it’s the official language of 29 different countries. It’s the third most-spoken language in the European Union, and in 2011, Bloomberg Businessweek said that behind English and Mandarin, French is the most useful language for business. So know that when you’re speaking French, you’re not just an individual stumbling his/her way through the language of love, but a larger part of history!
‍

Top 8 things to know about French culture

Many people claim that becoming fluent is more than being able to have a French conversation with native speakers; it’s also becoming fluent in the culture of the places it’s spoken. Below are ten things to know about French culture to help you achieve true fluency.
‍

‍Hours of commerce

‍The French, like other European nations, are known for their love of taking month-long holidays, casually sipping a glass of wine during lunch and not being workaholics. The same extends to their hours of commerce. Shops, restaurants and other places are often closed on Sundays and Mondays. They may also close between 12pm and 2pm for lunch. Before you plan on visiting that amazing restaurant or museum you read about, it’s a good idea to call them to see if they’re open.
‍

‍Kiss, kiss

‍In France, kissing people (on the cheek!) whom you’ve never met before isn’t taboo in non-professional settings. The exact number of kisses varies from province to province, but usually ranges between three and four. And even if you’re not a kisser, don’t be a hugger! This is because the French aren’t huge huggers, even amongst close friends.

Breakfast

‍While you may be tempted to order a huge pile of bacon and eggs for breakfast, don’t. The French eat light for breakfast, opting for yogurts, toast and fruit.

‍Boozy appetizers

‍When visiting someone’s home for a meal, you’ll usually be offered a light alcoholic beverage, known as an apértif. It’s considered rude to refuse it, so even if you don’t drink alcohol, just ask for something else.
‍

‍A tough world for vegetarians

‍Even though the world is becoming more globalized, catering to hundreds of different dietary needs and restrictions, being a vegetarian in France is still tough. However, don’t be afraid to speak up if there’s nothing on their meat-heavy menus that you can’t eat. Most places will accommodate you.
‍

‍‍

‍Politeness

‍When entering many places (restaurants, stores, etc.) in Western Europe, France included, it’s expected to say hello to the individual managing it. If it’s during the daytime, say bonjour, and if you’re heading into somewhere at night, say bonsoir. Please (S'il vous plaît) and thank you (merci) are, of course, also expected.
‍

‍Quiet down!

Being a noisy American, or person in general, is frowned upon. The French aren’t loud people, and appreciate that others don’t make a raucous when they’re trying to enjoy a quiet meal.
‍

‍Turn your swagger up

‍When people think of French people, they often think of high fashion and style. This is because many people in France, especially in Paris, dress incredibly well. If you want to fit the part, wear your Sunday best and hit the Champs-Élysées like a pro.
‍

Pronouncing French words correctly

Even if you do a pretty good French impersonation, you’ll want to make sure you are pronouncing the words correctly. It’s one of those languages where mispronunciation could either get you in a world of trouble during a French conversation.

One of the words below, comment (how) looks like the English word, “comment,” right? However, in French, you drop the “nt” part of the word and pronounce it with a nasally sound at the end. So instead of sounding like the English, “comment,” it’s more so “come on.”

Words like quand (when) and qui (who), starting with “qu” are pronounced with a “k” sound. So quand is more like “ka,” with the “n” and “d” dropping away, and qui is more like what? Take a second. Okay, time’s up. If you thought, “key,” you’re right – bravo!
‍

20 French words beginners should know

Below is a quick and dirty list of words you must know if you’re going to engage in any French conversation.

‍Responses

‍For yes, simply say oui. For no, non.

‍Questions

‍Asking questions is the best way to get information, so memorize these words like your home phone number!

How = comment
Where = où
Why = pourquoi
When = quand
Who = qui
What = quoi
‍

Pronouns

‍You plan to hold French conversations with other people, right? Okay, that’s what we thought. Practice the following pronouns to make sure people know you’re speaking to them.

I – je
You (singular, informal) – tu
You all (plural, like ya’ll in the South of the US) – vous
You (formal) – vous
She – elle
He – il
We – nous
They – ils / elles (the first one ‘ils’ is used unless the group is only female)
One, We (as in ‘one should not stick their gum under the desk’) – on
‍

Note that the “s” in the words above is silent, as well as the “n” in on. To make sure you have some context when speaking, and asking questions, know that “here” is ici or là, while “there” is là-bas.
‍

Useful questions for your French conversation

Okay, you have your responses, question starters and pronouns, so now we’ll give you a few useful questions to make sure you’re never at a loss for words.

Why are you here? = Pourquoi est-ce tu es ici?
How is she there? = Comment est-elle là-bas?
When am I here? = Quand est-ce que je suis ici?
When are you (plural) there? = Quand est-ce que vous êtes là-bas?
How is it? = C’est comment?
Who is there? = Qui est là? / Qui est là-bas?
Why does she have it? = Pourquoi est-ce qu’elle l’a?
What does she have? = Qu’est-ce qu’elle l’a?
Where is he? = Où est-il?
She has it. = Elle l’a.
Where are we? = On est où? / Où sommes-nous?
‍

French conversation starters

To have a French conversation, even with just yourself, someone needs to start it! Below are a few ways to kick it off:

What are your favorite foods? = Quels sont vos aliments préférés?
What music do you like? = Quelle musique aimes-tu?
Where are you from? = D’oú venez vous?
What is your favorite TV show? = Quelle est votre émission de télévision préférée?
What languages do you speak? = Quelles langues parles-tu?
What are your favorite apps? = Quelles sont vos applications préférées?
What is your favorite place? = Quel est votre endroit préféré?
Do you like to read? = Aimez-vous lire?
What is your dream job? = Quel est le travail de tes rêves?

‍

French idioms to speak like a native

Going back to the idea of becoming fluent in a culture to help you become fluent in the language, below are twelve French idioms to help you speak like a native:

Chapeau! - Here, the word for “hat” also means “congratulations.”

Au pif - In English, if we’re estimating a number, we may say, “on the nose.” In French, pif basically means “shnoz.” So use au pif when making an estimate.

Coup de foudre - This literally translated to “thunderbolt,” but is used for “love at first sight.”

Avoir le cafard - This means “the cockroach.” When you have it, it means you’re homesick or just a bit down.

Avoir un faim de loup - Here, “hunger like a wolf,” means that you’re starving.

Du jour au lendemain - Even though the direct translation is closer to “overnight,” use this whenever something suddenly happens.

Fais gaffe! - Use this for when you’re telling someone to watch out!

Quand on parle du loup - “One speaks about the wolf,” means that you were just talking about someone when they walk into the room. It’s like, in English, “speaking of the Devil…”

Tu m’étonnes - Use this when someone surprises you.

Il pleut des cordes! - In English, we say “it’s raining cats and dogs out.” In French, “it’s raining ropes.”
Appeler un chat un chat - When people speak plainly, we usually say they’re “calling a spade a spade.” It’s the same in French, except they’re calling a cat a cat.
‍

NSFW French words

No beginners survival guide is complete without a few NSFW words, right? We don’t intend to leave you hanging, so below are seven NSFW French words to use at your discretion, and keep an ear out.

Sh*t = Merde
F*ck = Putain
Bastard = Salaud
Shut up = Ta guele
I’m pissed off = Fais chier
Son of a b*tch = Files de Pute
F*ck you = Enculer
‍

The list goes on and on, but we’ll leave it there.