So you’ve decided to go to Paris (great choice!), but don’t know a single French word and have an awful memory for remembering new vocabulary. There is still hope! I not only have compiled some of the most useful French phrases to know for your trip to Paris, but have also created some wacky mnemonic devices for each phrase so that it’s not only easy to remember them, but it’s also fun.
Many tourists miss out on amazing experiences because they do not speak the language. After learning these French phrases, you’ll be well-equipped to explore the more authentic side of Paris and make richer memories of your special vacation.
Let’s get started!
14 Must-Know French Phrases for Your Paris Adventure
Basic French Courtesies
Bonjour (bohn-ZHOOR) – “Hello”
Mnemonic: Giving a BONbon to every person you meet on your JOURney as a friendly way to say HELLO.
Literally means: good (bon) day (jour).
Common Mistake #1: Pronouncing the “n” in “on”
“Bon” in “bonjour” is not pronounced like the “bon” in the English pronunciation of “bonnet?” French uses something called nasal vowels, which means that generally when you see a vowel paired with “n,” you don’t directly pronounce the “n,” but instead change the pronunciation of the vowel to be more nasalized. That’s right, you use your nose to speak French! Could the fact that the French generally have bigger noses be an evolutionary adaptation to their nasal vowels?!
Au revoir (oh ruh-VWAR) – “Goodbye”
Mnemonic: OH, I think my word REseVOIR is full from this conversation, goodbye!
Literally means “til we see each other again” where the “til” is “au” and the “see again” is “revoir.”
Common Mistake #2: Pronouncing French vowels the same as English vowels
A super common mistake I see English speakers make is to pronounced vowels the same way you would in English, rather than as crisp, singular sounds. For instance, a lot of English speakers will pronounced “au” from “au revoir” as “oh” just like you would in English, but they don’t realize they are actually saying two vowel sounds: “o” and “oo.” Try saying “oh” slowly and see if you can hear the moment when “o” turns into “oo.” Once you can do that, congrats! Now just use the first “o” when saying “au revoir.”
Merci (mair-SEE) – “Thank you”
Mnemonic: MESSI shakes your hand and tells you THANK YOU for not choking on this French R!
Common Mistake #3: Over-exaggerating the notorious French R
It’s easy to understand that the French R sound is made in the throat, but some learners take it way too far by thinking this means you need to clear your throat of all its mucus. My little hack is to just ignore the R altogether and say the word as if there were no R. As a native speaker of French, I personally think this sounds MUCH more pleasing to the ear than hearing someone choke and spittle their way through every R, or worse, substitute the English “r” sound. Same applies to “bonjour.” If you really want to nail this R, check out this great post walking you through how to create this difficult sound.
S’il vous plaît (seel voo PLEH) – “Please”
Mnemonic: “PLEASE help me clear my CEILing of its VOOdoo spells that bring PLAgue to my home!”
Literally means: if (s’) it pleases (plaît) you (vous)
Getting Around in Paris
Excusez-moi (eks-kue-zih MWAH) – “Excuse me”
Mnemonic: “When my EX COOS at MOI (me), I politely tell her ‘excuse me, I think I have to leave.’”
Literally means: excuse (excusez) me (moi)
Où est le métro? (oo eh luh meh-TRO) – “Where is the Metro?”
Mnemonic: “OOh, ELLA is using an oven MIT to ROW to Paris? I guess she didn’t know how to ask WHERE THE METRO IS.”
Literally means: Where (où) est (is) the (le) metro (métro)
Où sont les toilettes? (oo soh lih twah-LET) – “Where are the bathrooms?”
Mnemonic: “OOh! My SON LIT my WALLET on fire! Where is the bathroom so I can extinguish it?”
Literally means: Where (où) is (sont) the (les) restrooms (toilettes)
Shopping & Dining in Paris
Combien ça coûte? (kohm-bee-EN sah KOOT) – “How much does this cost?”
Mnemonic: “How much would it cost to COMB BEYONCe into a CUTE hairdo?”
Literally means: How much (combien) it (ça) cost (coûte)?
Je voudrais ceci (zhuh voo-DREH suh-SEE) – “I would like this”
Mnemonic: “I would like… SHAWn (mendes) to do VOOdoo magic on (dr.) DRE to make him sing like a SASSY girl.”
Literally means: I (je) voudrais (would like) this (ceci)
Pro Tip: To be extra polite, add on “s’il vous plâit” which you just learned!
Common Mistake #4: Mispronouncing the French “j”
If you think of it, the English way to say “j” actually is a “d” sound and some variation of a “sh” sound. The word “edge” most clearly shows this. The only difference between the English “sh” and the French “j” is making your vocal cords vibrate. Put your hand on your Adam apple and say the “dge” sound in “edge.” You should feel it vibrate. Now say “sh” and you should feel no vibration. Now try to say “sh” but adding some voice to it. And there you have the French “j” sound!
Seeking Help
Parlez-vous anglais? (par-lih VOO ahn-GLEH) – “Do you speak English?”
Mnemonic: “At the pirate PARLEY, they do VOOdoo magic ON CLAY dolls to ask each other if they speak English, since all they can say is ‘Arrr!’”
Literally means: Speak (parlez) you (vous) English (anglais)?
Pouvez-vous m’aider? (poo-vih VOO meh-DIH) – “Can you help me?”
Mnemonic: “POOH the bear said to his friend VIV, ‘OOps, I forgot my honey MEDIcation, could you help me with this big problem?’”
Literally means: Could (pouvez) you (vous) help me (m’aider)?
Pouvez-vous me prendre en photo? (poo-vih VOO muh prahn-druh ahn FOH-toh) – “Can you take my picture?”
Mnemonic: “POOH the bear and his friend VIV said, ‘OOps, we got PRAWN DRessing ON our PHOTO that we just asked to be taken for us.’”
Literally means: Could (pouvez) you (vous) of me (me) take (prendre) in (en) photo (photo)?
Parlez plus lentement (par-lih plew lahnt-MAHN) – “Please speak more slowly”
Mnemonic: “To punish the pirates for speaking too quickly at the pirate PARLEY, their pirate mom (if such a thing exists) made them PLUme the LAWN one grass blade at a time To appease their pirate MOm––that’ll teach them to speak slower!”
Literally means: Speak (parlez) more (plus) slowly (lentement)
Je ne comprends pas (zhuh nuh kohm-PRAHN pah) – “I don’t understand”
Mnemonic: “SHAWN, UH, don’t COMB PRAWNs with a dog PAW, I don’t understand why you’re doing that.”
Literally means: I (je) ne (don’t) understand (comprends) pas (not)
Pro Tip: Double Negations
We’re used to two negatives cancelling out, and making a positive. “I don’t not like you” is a convoluted way of just saying “I like you.” But in French, two negatives make one negative. As a result, you’ll frequently see “ne” paired with “pas.” Keep your ears peeled!
Pro Tips for these French Phrases and Mnemonics
- Imagine yourself in front of a Parisian – When reviewing these phrases to know in Paris, don’t just regurgitate the French, but actually imagine yourself saying it in front of a Parisian, that way you mentally train yourself to actually use the word, and not just spitting out translations into the void. If you are traveling with someone, practice these phrases together!
- Visualize the mnemonics – The more vivid these are in your mind, the more easily you will remember them. But if you still find them hard to relate to…
- Create your own mnemonics – Don’t like these mnemonics? Go ahead and make your own! Making your own mnemonics is almost always better than using those others have created since the neural connections are stronger in your brain when you put the effort to create the mnemonic.
- Use your flight time – Chances are, you’ll have a long flight coming into Paris. Use that time to review these phrases. By the time you land at Charles de Gaulle Airport, you’ll be ready to start your authentic Parisian adventure!
If you made it this far, congrats! You now know 14 French phrases you can use in Paris. Remember, each phrase you learn is another bridge to meaningful connections with locals. Your efforts to speak French, however basic, show that you’re not just another tourist checking boxes on a sightseeing list – you’re a traveler interested in genuine cultural exchange.
Your Turn!
Have a better mnemonic for a phase? Have a mnemonic that you found particularly helpful? Are there any French phrases you found particularly helpful to know for your trip to France? Let me know in the comments and I’ll make sure to create more like it in the future!
