Magnificent France is a country of romance and loving hearts. Traveling to France is the dream of every couple in love. It has everything for a romantic getaway.
Lovely cozy cafes, wonderful hotels, a lot of entertainment and nightclubs. Holidays in France will appeal to any person, no matter what tastes he may have. This is a unique, very diverse country. And if you also communicate with its inhabitants, you will fall in love with this wonderful corner of the Earth.
But in order to communicate with the local population, you need to know at least the basics French, or have at hand our Russian-French phrasebook, which consists of important sections.
Common phrases
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Yes. | Oui. | Wee. |
| No. | Non. | Non. |
| Please. | S'il vous plait. | Sil wu ple. |
| Thank you. | Mercy. | Mercy. |
| Thanks a lot. | Mercy beaucoup. | Merci to the side. |
| I'm sorry but I can't | excusez-moi, mais je ne peux pas | ekskuze mua |
| Fine | bien | bian |
| OK | d'accord | dakor |
| Yes, sure | oui, bien syr | wow bian sur |
| Now | tout de suite | tou de suite |
| of course | bien syr | bian sur |
| Deal | d'accord | dakor |
| How can I be of service (official) | comment puis-je vous aider? | coman puizh wu zede? |
| Friends! | camarades | camarade |
| colleagues! (official) | cheres collegues! | shar colleague |
| young woman! | Mademoiselle! | mademoiselle! |
| I'm sorry, I didn't hear. | je n'ai pas entendu | zhe ne pa zantandu |
| please repeat | repetez, si’il vous plait | repete, sil woo play |
| please … | ayez la bonte de … | aye la bonte deu... |
| Sorry | pardont | sorry |
| excuse me (getting attention) | excusez-moi | excuze mua |
| we already know each other | nous nous sommes connus | well, catfish |
| Pleased to meet you | je suis heureux(se) de faire votre connaissance | jo sui yoryo(h) de faire votre conesance |
| I am very happy) | je suis heureux | jo sui yoryo (yoryo) |
| Very nice. | enchante | anshante |
| My last name … | mon nom de family est … | mon nom de surname e ... |
| Let me introduce myself | parmettez - my de me presenter | permete mua de meu prezanté |
| let me present | permettez - my de vous presenter le | permet mua de wu prezante le |
| get acquainted | faites connaissance | fat consensus |
| what is your name? | comment vous appellez - vous? | coman wu cry? |
| My name is … | Je m'appelle | jeu mapel |
| Let's get acquainted | Faisons connaossance | Feuzon consensus |
| there's no way I can | je ne peux pas | wow wow pa |
| I would love to, but I can't | avec plaisir, mais je ne peux pas | avek plezir, me zhe no pe pa |
| I have to refuse you (official) | je suis oblige de refuser | zhe sui oblizhe de ryofuse |
| in no case! | jamais de la vie! | jamais de la vie |
| never! | jamais! | jamais |
| it is absolutely out of the question! | c'est impossible! | se tenposible! |
| thanks for the advice … | mersi puor votre conseil … | mesri pur votre consei ... |
| I will think | je penserai | same pansre |
| I will try | je tacherai | same tashre |
| I will listen to your opinion | je preterai l'ireille a votre opinion | je pretre leray a votre opignon |
Appeals
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello) | bonjour | bonjour |
| Good afternoon! | bonjour | bonjour |
| Good morning! | bonjour | bonjour |
| Good evening! | (bon soire) bonjoure | (bonsoir) bonjour |
| Welcome! | soyer le(la) bienvenu(e) | suae le(la) bienvenyu |
| Hello! (not official) | salut | salu |
| Greetings! (official) | je vous salue | woo salu |
| Goodbye! | au revoir! | o revoir |
| best wishes | mes couhaits | me suet |
| all the best | mes couhaits | me suet |
| see you soon | a bientot | a biento |
| till tomorrow! | a demain! | a demen |
| Farewell) | adieu! | adyo |
| excuse me (official) | permettez-moi de fair mes adieux! | permeté moix de faire me zadieu |
| Bye! | salut! | salu |
| Good night! | bon nuit | bon nuit |
| Bon Voyage! | bon voyage! bonnet route! | bon voyage! bon rut! |
| hello yours! | saluez votre family | salue votre family |
| How are you? | comment ça va? | koman sa wa |
| What's up? | comment ça va? | koman sa wa |
| OK, thank you | merci, ça va | merci, sa wa |
| Everything is fine. | ça va | sa wa |
| everything is old | comme toujours | com toujour |
| Fine | ça va | sa wa |
| Wonderful | tres bien | tre bien |
| not complaining | ça va | sa wa |
| doesn't matter | tout document | tu dusman |
At the station
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| where is the waiting room? | qu est la salle d'attente& | u e la sal datant? |
| already announced registration? | a-t-on deja annonce l'enregistrement? | aton deja announce lanrejiströman? |
| already announced boarding? | a-t-on deja annonce l'atterissage? | aton deja announce laterisage? |
| please tell me flight number … is not delayed? | dites s’il vous plaît, le vol numero … est-il retenu? | dit silvuple, le wol numero ... ethyl rёtenyu? |
| where does the plane land? | Òu l'avion fait-il escale? | have lavion fatil escal? |
| is this flight direct? | est-ce un vol sans escale? | es en wol san zeskal? |
| what is the duration of the flight? | combien dure le vol? | combienne dur le vol? |
| please give me a ticket to... | s’il vous plaît, un billet a des tination de … | strong wupple, en biye a destination de ... |
| how to get to the airport? | comment puis-je arriver a l'aeroport? | coman puijarive and laeroport? |
| how far is the airport from the city? | est-ce que l'aeroport est loin de la ville? | esque laeroport e luen de la ville? |
At customs
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| customs inspection | controle douanier | duanye control |
| customs | douane | duan |
| I have nothing to declare | je n'ai rien a daclarer | zhe ne ryen a deklyare |
| can i take my bag with me? | est-ce que je peux prendre ce sac dans le salon? | eskyo same pyo prandre sak dan le salyon? |
| I only have hand luggage | je n'ai que mes bags a main | je ne kyo me luggage ah man |
| business trip | pour affaires | pur afer |
| tourist | comme tourist | com tourist |
| personal | sur invitation | sur evitación |
| This … | je viens… | oh wien... |
| exit visa | sortie | de sorti |
| entry visa | d'entree | dantre |
| transit visa | de transit | de transit |
| I have … | j’ai un visa … | je en visa... |
| I am a citizen of Russia | je suis citoyen(ne) de Russie | zhe suy situayen de rucy |
| here is the passport | voici mon passeport | voissy mont paspor |
| Where is passport control? | qu controle-t-on les passeport? | u control tone le passor? |
| I have ... dollars | j’ai … dollars | zhe … dolyar |
| They are gifts | ce sont des cadeaux | sho son dae kado |
In a hotel, hotel
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| can i reserve a room? | Puis-je reserver une chambre? | Puige reserve young chambre? |
| number for one. | Une chambre pour une personne. | Un shambra pur young person. |
| room for two. | Une chambre pour deux personnes. | Un chambre pour de person. |
| I have booked a number | on m'a reserve une chambre | he ma rezerve un shambre |
| not very expensive. | Pas tres cher. | Pa tre sher. |
| how much is the room per night? | Combien coute cette chambre par nuit? | Combian koot set shaumbre par nui? |
| one night (two nights) | Pour une nuit (deux nuits) | Pur yun nyui (de nyui) |
| I would like a room with telephone, TV and bar. | Je voudrais une chambre avec un telephone, une television et un bar. | Jeo woodray yun shambre avec on telafon yun telavizion e on bar |
| I booked a room in the name of Katherine | J'ai reserve une chambre au nom de Katrine. | Jae rezerve yun chaumbre o nome de catrin |
| please give me the keys to the room. | Je voudrais la clef de ma chambre. | Jeu woodray la claf de ma chambre |
| are there any messages for me? | Avewu de masage pur moa? | |
| what time do you have breakfast? | Avez vous des messages pour moi? | And kel yor servevu babble dezhene? |
| hello, receptionist, could you please wake me up tomorrow at 7 am? | Hello, la reception, pouvez-vous me reveiller demain matin a 7 heures? | Ale la reception puwe wu me reveie deman matan a set(o)yor? |
| I would like to pay. | Je voudrais regler la note. | Zheu woodray ragle la music. |
| I will pay in cash. | Je vais payer en especes. | Jo ve paye en espez. |
| i need a single room | pour une personne | jae byouin dune chambre puryun person |
| number… | dans la chambre il-y-a … | dan la chambre ilya… |
| with phone | telephone | en phone |
| with bath | un salle de bains | un sal de bain |
| with shower | un douche | un shower |
| with TV | un post de television | en post de television |
| with refrigerator | un refrigerateur | en refrigerator |
| room for a day | (une) chambre pour un jour | un shambre pour en jour |
| room for two nights | (une) chambre pour deux jours | un chambre pour de jour |
| what is the price? | combien coute … ? | combo kut...? |
| what floor is my room on? | a quel etage se trouve ma chambre? | and calletazh setruv ma chaumbre? |
| where is … ? | qu ce trouve (qu est ...) | u setruv (u uh) ...? |
| restaurant | restaurant | le restaurant |
| bar | le bar | le bar |
| elevator | l'ascenseur | dancer |
| cafe | la cafe | le cafe |
| room key please | le clef, s'il vous plait | le clae, sil vu ple |
| please take my things to my room | s'il vous plait, portez mes valises dans ma chambre | sil vu ple, porte me valise dan ma chambre |
City walks
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| where can i buy...? | qu puis-je acheter …? | u puizh ashte...? |
| city map | le plan de la ville | le plan de la ville |
| guide | le guide | le guide |
| what to see first? | qu'est-ce qu'il faut regarder en premier lieu? | caesquilfo régarde en premier leu? |
| my first time in paris | c'est pour la premiere fois que je suis a Paris | sé pour la premier fua kyo zhe suy e Pari |
| what is the name of …? | comment s’appelle …? | coman sapel...? |
| this street | cette rue | set ryu |
| this park | ce parc | sho park |
| Here "- where exactly …? | qu se trouve...? | sho truv...? |
| railway station | la gare | la garde |
| please tell me where is...? | dites, s'il vous plait, où se trouve...? | dit, silvuple, u sho truv ...? |
| hotel | l'hotel | flying |
| I'm a newcomer, help me get to the hotel | je suis etranger aidez-moi, a arriver a l'hotel | jo sui zetrange, ede-mua a ariwe a letel |
| I'm lost | je me suis egare | jyo myo sui zegare |
| How can I get to …? | comment aller …? | koman tale...? |
| to city center | au center de la ville | o centre de la ville |
| to the station | a la gare | a la garde |
| how to get outside...? | comment puis-je arriver a la rue …? | coman puig arive a la rue...? |
| it is far from here? | c'est loin d'ici? | se luan disi? |
| can you get there on foot? | puis-je y arriver a pied? | puizh and arive and drink? |
| I'm looking for … | je cherche… | oh shersh... |
| bus stop | l'arret d'autobus | lare dotobus |
| exchange office | la bureau de change | la bureau de change |
| where is the post office? | qu se trouve le bureau de poste | u sho truv le bureau de post? |
| please tell me where is the nearest department store | dites s'il vous plait, qu est le grand magasin le plus proche | dit silvuple u e le grand store le plus prosh? |
| telegraph? | le telegraph? | lo telegraph? |
| where is the pay phone? | q est le taxiphone | Do uh le taxiphone? |
In transport
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where can I get a taxi? | Ou puis-je prendre un taxi? | Have puig prandre en taxi? |
| Call a taxi, please. | Appelez le taxi, s’il vous plait. | Aple le taxi, sil wu ple. |
| How much does it cost to get to...? | Quel est le prix jusqu'a...? | Kel e le pri juska...? |
| Take me to... | Deposez-moi a… | Depoze mua a... |
| Take me to the airport. | Deposez-moi a l'aeroport. | Depoze mua a la aeroport. |
| Take me to the train station. | Deposez-moi a la gare. | Deposé mois a la garde. |
| Take me to the hotel. | Deposez-moi a l'hotel. | Depoze mua a letel. |
| Take me to this address. | Conduisez-moi a cette adresse, s'il vous plait. | Conduize mua a set address sil vu ple. |
| Left. | A gauche. | And gosh. |
| Right. | A droit. | A druath. |
| Directly. | Tout droit. | Tu druah. |
| Stop here, please. | Arretez ici, s'il vous plait. | Arete isi, sil vu ple. |
| Could you please wait for me? | Pourriez-vouz m'attendre? | Purye wu matandr? |
| It's my first time in Paris. | Je suis a Paris pour la premiere fois. | Jo sui a pari pour la premier foie. |
| I'm not here for the first time. The last time I was in Paris was 2 years ago. | Ce n'est pas la premiere fois, que je viens a Paris. Je suis deja venu, il y a deux ans. | Sho ne pa la prime fua kyo zhe vyan a Pari, zhe sui dezhya venyu ilya dezan |
| I've never been here. It is very beautiful in here | Je ne suis jamais venu ici. C'est tres beau | Zhe ne sui jame venyu isi. Se tre bo |
In public places
Emergencies
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | Au secours! | O sekur! |
| Call the police! | Appelez la police! | Apple la polis! |
| Call a doctor. | Appelez un medecin! | Apple en medsen! |
| I'm lost! | Je me suis egare(e) | Zhyo myo sui egare. |
| Stop the thief! | Au voleur! | Oh wolf! |
| Fire! | Au Feu! | Oh phe! |
| I have a (small) problem | J'ai un (petit) probleme | same yon (pet) problems |
| help me please | Aidez-moi, s'il vous plait | ede mua sil wu ple |
| What's wrong with you? | Que vous arrive-t-il? | Kyo vuzariv til |
| I feel bad | J'ai un malaise | Zhe (o) yon malez |
| I'm sick | J'ai mal au coeur | Same mal e ker |
| I have a headache/stomach | J'ai mal a la tete / au ventre | Je mal a la tete / o ventre |
| I broke my leg | Je me suis casse la jambe | Zhe myo sui kase lajamb |
Numerals
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | un, une | en, young |
| 2 | deux | doyo |
| 3 | trois | trois |
| 4 | square | katr |
| 5 | cinq | senk |
| 6 | six | sis |
| 7 | sept | set |
| 8 | huit | wit |
| 9 | neuf | noef |
| 10 | dix | dis |
| 11 | onz | onz |
| 12 | douse | duz |
| 13 | Treize | trez |
| 14 | quatorze | kyatorz |
| 15 | quinze | kenz |
| 16 | seize | sez |
| 17 | dix-sept | diset |
| 18 | dix-huit | disuit |
| 19 | dix-neuf | diznoef |
| 20 | vingt | van |
| 21 | vingt et un | wen te en |
| 22 | vingt deux | wen doyo |
| 23 | vingt trois | vin trois |
| 30 | trente | grant |
| 40 | quarante | tran te en |
| 50 | cinquante | senkant |
| 60 | soixante | suasant |
| 70 | soixante dix | suasant dis |
| 80 | square vingt(s) | katre van |
| 90 | square-vingt-dix | quatre van dis |
| 100 | cent | dignity |
| 101 | cent un | santen |
| 102 | cent deux | san deo |
| 110 | cent dix | san dis |
| 178 | cent soixante-dix-huit | san suasant de suite |
| 200 | deux cents | do san |
| 300 | trois cents | trois san |
| 400 | square cents | katryo san |
| 500 | cinq cents | sank san |
| 600 | six cents | si san |
| 700 | sept cents | set sun |
| 800 | Huit cents | yui san |
| 900 | neuf cents | neuf san |
| 1 000 | mille | miles |
| 2 000 | deux mille | de mi |
| 1 000 000 | un million | en million |
| 1 000 000 000 | un billion | en milyar |
| 0 | zero | zero |
In the shop
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| please show me this. | Montrez-moi cela, s'il vous plait. | montre mua sela, sil vu ple. |
| I would like to… | Je voudrais… | wowdray... |
| give it to me please. | Donnez-moi cela, s'il vous plait. | done moa sela, sil vu ple. |
| How much does it cost? | Combien ca coute? | combine sa kut? |
| what is the price? | C'est combien? | jumpsuit cut |
| please write it down. | Ecrivez-le, s’il vous plait | ekrive le, sil wu ple |
| too expensive. | C'est trop cher. | se tro cher. |
| it's expensive/cheap. | C'est cher / bon marche | sais cher / bon marchai |
| sale. | Soldes/Promotions/Ventes. | Sold/Promotion/Vant |
| can i measure it? | Puis-je l'essayer? | Puige l'esayer? |
| where is the dressing room located? | Ou est la cabine d'essayage? | Have e la cabins deseiyazh? |
| my size is 44 | Je porte du quarante-quatre. | Jeu port du carant quatr. |
| do you have it in size XL? | Avez vous cela en XL? | Ave wu sela en ixel? |
| what size is it? (cloth)? | C'est quelle taille? | Se kel tai? |
| what size is it? (shoes) | C'est quelle pointure? | Se kel pointure? |
| I need a size… | J'ai besoin de la taille / pointure… | Je bezouan de la tai / pointure |
| do you have….? | Avez vous…? | Awe woo...? |
| do you accept credit cards? | Acceptez-vous les cartes de credit? | Axeptavu le carte de credite? |
| do you have an exchange office? | Avez vous un bureau de change? | Is he a bureau de change? |
| until what time do you work? | A quelle heure fermez vous? | And kel yor farme wu? |
| whose production is this? | Ou est-il factory? | Have an ethyl factory? |
| something cheaper for me | je veux une chambre moins chere | joe wo un shaumbre mouin cher |
| I'm looking for a department... | je cherche le rayon … | or shersh le rayon ... |
| shoes | des chaussures | de chosure |
| haberdashery | de mercerie | do mersori |
| cloth | des vetements | de whatman |
| can I help you? | puis-je vous aider? | puizh wuzede? |
| no thanks, i'm just looking | non, merci, je regarde tout simplement | non, merci, zhe regard tou sampleman |
| When does the store open/close? | quand ouvre (ferme) se magasin? | kan uvr (farm) sho shop? |
| Where is the nearest market? | q'u se trouve le marche le plus proche? | do sho truv le marche le plus prosh? |
| you have …? | avez-vous...? | wow…? |
| bananas | des bananas | de banana |
| grape | du raisin | du raisin |
| fish | du poisson | du poisson |
| please kilos... | s’il vous plait un kilo … | strong wupple, en kile ... |
| grapes | de raisin | do rezen |
| tomato | de tomatoes | de tomato |
| cucumbers | de concombres | de concombre |
| give me please … | donnes-moi, s'il vous plait ... | done-mua, silpuvple ... |
| a pack of tea (oil) | un paquet de the (de beurre) | en pake do te (do ber) |
| a box of chocolates | une boite de bonbons | un boit de bonbon |
| jar of jam | un bottled confiture | en glass de confiture |
| juice bottle | une bou teille de jus | un butei do ju |
| loaf of bread | baguette | un baguette |
| a carton of milk | unpaquet de lait | en paké de le |
At the restaurant
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| what is your signature dish? | qu set-ce que vous avez comme specialites maison? | keskyo vvu zave com special mason? |
| Menu, please | le menu, s'il vous plait | le menu, silvuple |
| what do you recommend to us? | que pouvez-vouz nous recommander? | kyo puwe-wu nu ryokomande? |
| not busy here? | la place est-elle occupee? | la dance etal ocupé? |
| tomorrow at six o'clock in the evening | pour demain a six heures | pour demain a sizeur du soir |
| Hello! Can I book a table...? | hello! puis-je reserver la table...? | hello, puizh rezerve la table ...? |
| for two | pour deux | pur do |
| for three persons | pour trois | pour trois |
| for four | pour square | pur katr |
| I invite you to a restaurant | je t'invite au restaurant | same tanvit o restaurant |
| let's have dinner at the restaurant tonight | allons au restaurant le soir | al'n o restaurant le soir |
| here is the cafe. | boire du cafe | boir du cafe |
| where can …? | qu peut-on …? | u peton...? |
| eat tasty and cheap | manger bon et pas trop cher | manjae bon ae pa tro shar |
| have a quick bite | manger sur le pouce | mange sur le pus |
| to drink coffee | boire du cafe | boir du cafe |
| Please … | s’il vous plait… | silvople.. |
| Omelet with cheese) | une omlette (au fromage) | un omelet (o fromage) |
| sandwich | une tarine | un tartin |
| Coca Cola | un coca-cola | en coca cola |
| ice cream | une glace | unglazed |
| coffee | un cafe | en cafe |
| i want to try something new | je veux gouter quelque chose de nouveau | jo ve goute kelkeshoz de nouveau |
| please tell me what is...? | dites s'il vous plait qu'est ce que c'est que ...? | dit silvuple kyoskyose kyo...? |
| Is this a meat/fish dish? | c'est un plat de viande / de poisson? | satan pla de viand / de poisson? |
| would you like to taste the wine? | ne voulez vous pas deguster? | ne voule-woo pa deguste? |
| what do you have …? | qu’est-ce que vous avez….? | keskyou wu zawe...? |
| for a snack | comme hors-d'oeuvre | com order |
| for dessert | comme dessert | com deser |
| what kind of drinks do you have? | qu'est-se que vous avez comme boissons? | keskyo wu zawe com boisson? |
| bring it please … | apportez-moi, s'il vous plait ... | aporte mua silvouple… |
| mushrooms | les champignons | le champignon |
| chicken | le poulet | le poole |
| Apple pie | une tart aux pommes | un tart o pom |
| me some vegetables please | s'il vous plait, quelque chose de legumes | silvouple, kelkö chaus de legum |
| I am a vegetarian | je suis vegetarien | je sui vezhetarien |
| me please... | s’il vous plait… | silvople... |
| fruit salad | une salade de fruits | un salad d'fruy |
| ice cream and coffee | une glace et un cafe | un glyas e en cafe |
| delicious! | c'est tr'es bon! | se tre bon! |
| you have a great kitchen | votre cuisine est excellente | votre quizine etexelant |
| The check, please | l'addition, s'il vous plait | ladison silvuple |
Tourism
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the nearest exchange office? | Ou se trouve le bureau de change le plus proche? | Wu se true le bureau de change le plus prosh? |
| Can you change these travelers checks? | Remboursez vous ces cheques de voyage? | Rambourse wu se shek de voyage? |
| What is the exchange rate? | Quel est le cours de change? | Quel et le court de change? |
| How much is the commission? | Cela fait combien, la commission? | Sala fe combian, la commission? |
| I want to exchange dollars for francs. | Je voudrais changer des dollars US contre les francs francais. | Woodray change de dolyar U.S. counter le franc français. |
| How much will I get for 100 dollars? | Combien toucherai-je pour cent dollars? | Kombyan tusrezh pur san dolyar? |
| Until what time do you work? | A quelle heure etes-vous ferme? | And kel er etwu farme? |
Greetings - a list of words that you can use to greet the people of France or say hello to them.
Standard phrases are all that is needed to maintain or develop a conversation. Common words used in daily conversation.
Station - frequently asked questions at train stations and common words and phrases that will come in handy both at the railway and at any other station.
Passport control - upon arrival in France, you will have to go through passport and customs control, this procedure will be easier and faster if you use this section.
Orientation in the city - if you do not want to get lost in one of the big French cities, keep this section from our Russian-French phrasebook handy. With it, you will always find your way.
Transport - Traveling in France, you will often have to use public transport. We have compiled a translation of words and phrases that will be useful to you in public transport, taxi and more.
Hotel - translation of phrases that will be very useful to you during registration at the hotel and throughout your stay in it.
Public places - with the help of this section you can ask passers-by what interesting things you can see in the city.
Emergencies are a topic that should not be neglected. With its help, you can call an ambulance, the police, call passers-by for help, tell you that you feel bad, etc.
Shopping - when going shopping, do not forget to take a phrase book with you, or rather this topic from it. Everything that is in it will help you make any purchases, from vegetables on the market to branded clothes and shoes.
Restaurant - French cuisine is famous for its sophistication and you will most likely want to try its dishes. But in order to order a meal, you need to know at least minimal French in order to be able to read the menu or call the waiter. In this, this section will serve you as a good helper.
Numbers and numbers - a list of numbers, starting from zero and ending with a million, their spelling and correct pronunciation French.
Tours - translation, spelling and correct pronunciation of words and questions that every tourist will need more than once on a trip.
Let's start with the rules of reading. I only beg you: do not try to learn them right away! Firstly, it will not work - after all, there are a lot of them, and secondly, it is not necessary. Everything will settle down over time. You can just periodically peep at this page. The main thing is to read them carefully (not even in one sitting), look at the examples, try to do the exercises and check yourself - there is a sound next to the exercises - how the French pronounce the same words.
In the first six lessons in a separate tab you will find a cheat sheet for all French reading rules, so that you will always have all the material from this page in a compressed form at your fingertips. :)
In the first six lessons, in a separate tab, you will find a cheat sheet on all French reading rules, so you will always have all the material from this page in a compressed form at your fingertips. :)
The main thing you need to remember is that the rules of reading There is. This means that, knowing the rules, you can always - almost always - read an unfamiliar word. This is why French does not require transcription (only in the case of rather rare phonetic exceptions). The beginnings of the first five lessons are also devoted to the rules of reading - there you will find additional exercises to consolidate your skills. Starting from the third lesson, you can download sound and listen to detailed explanations of reading rules made by a professional phonetician.
Let's start learning :) Let's go!
In French, the stress ALWAYS falls on the last syllable... This is news to you, isn't it? ;-)
-s, -t, -d, -z, -x, -p, -g (as well as their combinations) at the end of words DO NOT READ.
Vowels
e, è, ê, é, ё under stress and in a closed syllable it reads like "e": fourchette [buffet] - a fork. "But there is a nuance" (c), which on initial stage can be neglected. Reading a letter e in all its manifestations is discussed in detail in the iii-th lesson from the very beginning - I must say, there is a lot.
e V unstressed syllable reads approximately like the German "ö" - like the letter "e" in the word Möbius: menu [menu], regarder [regarde]. In order to produce this sound, you need to stretch your lips forward with a bow (as in the picture below) and at the same time pronounce the letter "e".
In the middle of words in an open syllable, this letter is thrown out at all during pronunciation (e is fluent). So, for example, the word carrefour (crossroad) is read as [kar"fur] (unstressed "e" in the middle of the word is not pronounced). It will not be a mistake to read it [carrefour], but when you speak quickly, it drops out, as it turns out to be a weak sound Épicerie (grocery) reads like [epis "ri]. Madeleine- [Madeleine].
Madeleine metro station in Paris
And so - in many words. But you shouldn't be scared - weak "e" will fall out on their own, because it's natural :)
We also have this phenomenon in speech, we just don’t think about it. For example, the word "head": when we pronounce it, the first vowel is so weak that it falls out, and we practically do not pronounce it and say [head]. I'm not talking about the word "eleventh", which we pronounce as [eleventh] (I found this in my son's notebook; at first I was horrified: how could so many mistakes be made in one word, and then I realized that the child simply wrote down this word by ear - we really pronounce it that way :).
e at the end of words (see exceptions below) is not readable (it is sometimes pronounced in songs and poems). If there are any icons above it, it is always readable, no matter where it stands. For example: régime [mode], rosé [rose] - rose wine.
In single words e at the end of words it is read - if you don’t read it there, you won’t form a syllable at all. These are articles, prepositions, pronouns, demonstrative adjectives: le [le], de [de], je [zhe], me [me], ce [se].
Unreadable ending -s, which forms the plural of nouns (something familiar, right?) and adjectives, if it appears, does not make a letter -e at the end of the word readable: régime and régimes are read the same way - [mode].
-er at the ends of words is read as "e": conférenci er[entertainer] - speaker, ateli er[atelier], dossi er[dossier], canotier, collier, croupier, portier and finally foyer [foyer]. You will find -er at the end of all regular verbs: parl er[parle] - to talk, mang er[mange] - is; -er is the standard ending for French regular verbs.
a- reads like "a": valse [waltz].
i(including with icons) - reads like "and": vie [vi] - life (quickly remember "C" est la vie" :).
o- reads like "about": locomotive [locomotive], compote[compote] - fruit puree.
u reads like "yu" in the word "muesli". Example: cuvette reads [cuvette] and means "cuvette", parachute [parachute] - means "parachute" :), the same happens with purée (mashed potatoes), and c configuration(jam).
To get an open sound "u", a combination is used ou(this is familiar from English: you, group [group], router [router], tour [tour]). Souvenir [souvenir] - memory, fourchette [buffet] - fork, carrefour [carrefour] - crossroads; pronouns nous (we) read [well], vous (you and you) read [woo].
Consonants
Letter l it is read softly: étoile [etoile] - star, table [table] - table, banal [banal] - banal, canal [channel], carnaval [carnival].
g reads like "g", but before e, i And y it is read as "zh". For example: général - read [general], régime [mode], agiotage [hype]. Good example at the word garage - it reads [garage] - the first g before a is read firmly, and the second g before e- like "w".
letter combination gn reads like [n] - for example, in the name of the city Cognac[cognac] - Cognac, in the words champi gn ons [champignon] - mushrooms, champa gn e [champagne] - champagne, lor gn ette [lorgnette] - binoculars.
c read as "to", mas ca rade [masquerade], already mentioned by us co mpote and cu vette. But before three vowels e, i And y it is read as "s". For example: ce rtificat reads [certificate], vélo ci pède - [bike], moto cy cle - [motorcycle].
If you need to change this behavior, that is, to make this letter read like [s] before other vowels, a ponytail is attached to it at the bottom: Ç And ç . Ça is read as [sa]; garçon [garcon] - boy, maçon (mason), façon (style), façade (facade). The famous French greeting Comment ça va [koma ~ sa va] (or more often just ça va) - means "how are you", but literally "how it goes". In films you can see - they say hello like that. One asks: "Ça va?", the other answers: "Ça va, ça va!".
At the ends of words c is rare. Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule when it is read and when it is not. It is simply remembered for each word - there are few of them: for example, blanc [bl "en] - white, estomac [estoma] - stomach and tabac[taba] is not readable, but cognac and avec are readable.
h never read. As if she doesn't exist. Except for the "ch" combination. Sometimes this letter acts as a separator - if it occurs inside a word between vowels, then this indicates their separate reading: Sahara [sa "ara], cahier [ka" ye]. In any case, she herself is not readable. For this reason, by the way, the name of one of the most famous cognac houses Hennessy it is correctly pronounced (surprise!) as [ansi]: “h” is not readable, “e” is fluent, double ss stands to drown out s and double [s] is not readable (see the rule for reading the letter s below); other pronunciations are categorically incorrect. I bet you didn't know that! :) Combination ch gives the sound [w]. For example, chance [chance] - luck, luck, chantage [blackmail], cliché [cliche], cache-nez [muffler] - scarf (literally: hides the nose);
ph reads like "f": photo. th reads like "t": théâtre [theater], thé [those] - tea.
p reads like Russian "p": portrait [portrait]. In the middle of the word, the letter p before t is not readable: sculpture [skultyur].
j- reads like Russian "zh": bonjour [bonjour] - hello, jalousie [blinds] - envy, jealousy and blinds, sujet [plot] - plot.
s reads like Russian "s": geste [gesture], régisseur [director], chaussée [highway]; between two vowels s sounds and reads like "z": fuselage [fuselage], limousine [limousine] - very intuitive. If it is necessary to make s deaf between vowels, it is doubled. Compare: poison [poison] - poison, and poisson [poison] - fish; the same Hennessy - [ansi].
The rest of the consonants (how many of them are left? :) - n, m, p, t, x, z- read more or less clearly. Some small features of reading x and t will be described separately - rather for order. Well and n And m in combination with vowels give rise to just a whole class of sounds that will be described in a separate, most interesting section.
Here is a list of the words given above as examples - before doing the exercise, it is better to listen to how the French pronounce these words.
menu, regarder, carrefour, régime, rosé, parler, cuvette, parachute, confiture, souvenir, fourchette, nous, vous, étoile, table, banal, canal, carnaval, général, valse, garage, cognac, champignons, champagne, certificat, chance, théâtre, thé, portrait, sculpture, bonjour, sujet, geste, chaussée.
French speech delights listeners with its beauty and melody. Many of us have had the desire to “speak like French” more than once, and we frantically grabbed textbooks, dictionaries and phrasebooks in order to master this art on our own. But speaking French correctly is a real skill, which is not easy and does not come immediately. Getting French pronunciation is very difficult, even taking courses or individually with a teacher. However, this is not a reason to despair and give up this business. In this article we will try to explain, without complex concepts and terms, how to learn to pronounce some sounds of the French language.
Everyone recognizes French speech by a specific sound [r], this is its main hallmark. It is he who presents the greatest difficulty in learning the language. At the same time, it is he who most people associate with the "truly" French pronunciation. So, we learn to pronounce the sound [r] correctly.
There are many various methods, helping to get the correct pronunciation of this "tricky" sound. One of the simplest and most common is gargling with water, and then performing the same actions, but without water. Another effective way is to pronounce two sounds [g] and [r] together.
Some believe that when studying sounds, one should follow the rule: the more you repeat, the better it will turn out. In reality, this is not so. The main thing is to learn how to properly position your tongue in your mouth! Since this is the most important mistake leading to incorrect pronunciation.
Quite often, students instead of beautiful french sound[r] produces a slightly sibilant approximate pronunciation. The sound is not as deep as it should be, that is, not quite French.
One sound - two types of pronunciation
The first option is a “silent”, slightly cutting sound [r]. It is quite difficult to pronounce it, so words consisting of letters, among which there are two consonants in a row, become a real test for students. This is felt when pronouncing words such as groupe (group), travail (work), promenade (walk), proportion (proportion, ratio), etc.
But the second one is easier to pronounce, it is closer to the original speech. As a rule, this is a combination of the [r] sound with some vowel sound. For example, radis (radish), roche (rock), rime (rhyme), etc.
What is the difference? The fact is that in the two described variants, the tongue in the mouth is in different locations. In the first version, it lies flat, resting against the lower teeth, while in the second, the tongue arches, resting with its tip UNDER the lower dentition. This is a very important feature. By experimenting, you can see that with the position of the tongue, the pronunciation also changes. So, you don't have to spend hours practicing this sound, you just need to understand the principle.
Having dealt with the correct position of the tongue, you can proceed to the consolidation of skills. French sayings with "growling" words will help here. For example, “Mon père est maire, mon frère est masseur” (“My father is a mayor, my brother is a massage therapist”) or “Dans la gendarmerie, quand un gendarme rit, tous les gendarmes rient dans la gendarmerie” (“In the gendarmerie, when a gendarme laughs, all the gendarmes laugh in the gendarmerie).
Vowels [y] and [œ]
The French sound [y] will not be easy to pronounce correctly the first time. If we compare it with the sounds in the Russian language, then it is something in between the phonemes [yu] and [y]. Often, students pronounce this sound as Russian [y], mistakenly believing that there is no difference. However, this is very important, because the incorrect pronunciation of this phoneme can completely change the meaning of the phrase. Here is an example; "C'est une rue" (This is a street) or "C'est une roue" (This is a wheel).
The examples above are harmless, but there are also comical situations that can get you into mispronunciation of certain words. For example, "nous" is "we", and "nu" is translated as "naked"). In order not to make the interlocutors laugh and not to be embarrassed, one must learn to distinguish these vowel sounds and try to pronounce them correctly. The repetition of tongue twisters will help with this: “Douze douches douces” and “As-tu vu le tutu de tulle de Lili d’Honolulu?”.
Say these phrases and you will notice how clearly the difference between [u] and [y] is heard in them. Repeat tongue twisters as often as possible, this will help you learn to distinguish these sounds soon.
In French, there is another special vowel sound [œ], the correct pronunciation of which indicates that you are already a true Frenchman. This sound- this is the middle form between such sounds of the Russian language as [o] and [yo].
How to pronounce this sound correctly? The upper lip must be raised up (remember how chimpanzees do it in the wild world). Next, a pen or pencil should be placed on the raised upper lip and clamped, thus fixing this position. Then, carefully removing stationery from your lips, you should try to pronounce the sound [œ].
To consolidate the result, read the following words several times: acteur, coeur, chaleur, soeur, peur, tracteur, directeur.
nasal sounds
And finally, let's talk about nasal sounds. Their correct pronunciation is again due to the correct setting of the speech apparatus. One rule should be remembered: if it is the sound [e (n] - "pain", then the position of the mouth is the same as when pronouncing the sound [ɛ], and not [a]. Often students make mistakes, confusing these sounds. For comparison: centre-centre.
Here, as in the case of the sounds [u] and [y], the meaning of the phrase depends on the pronunciation (the first word, for example, is translated as “center”, and the second as “hanger”). That is why it is so important to learn how to pronounce them correctly.
In conclusion, it should be noted that if desired, everything is possible. Correct French pronunciation can be obtained if you understand what is the basis of phonetics and practice regularly. Success in learning!
French is one of the most studied languages in the world. Whether you want to go to a university in France, work for a French company, travel around the country, or learn French for fun, before you can speak, you will need to master the French pronunciation properly.
"Language of Love" is also famous for its complex reading rules. Surely you have heard that in a French word, often half of the letters are not readable at all. It may be difficult at the initial stage of learning French, but with regular practice in reading, you will soon notice that you already read French without difficulty and the reading rules are automatically remembered.
For a beginner, the French "R" is especially difficult. To learn how to pronounce correctly French words, at the initial stage of training, we recommend studying with a teacher. In this article, we will look at the general rules for French pronunciation and try to break down some of them.
French alphabet
We should start with the alphabet. Let's listen to the pronunciation of French letters and repeat them after the announcer:
So, in French there are 26 letters, in addition to which there are also spelling marks:
“- trema means that the vowel it is above should be pronounced separately from the previous one: mais .
` - accent grave denotes an open syllable: bière .
? – accent aigu means closed syllable: ecole .
^ - accent circonflexe indicates the longitude of the sound: la fête .
c - c cedille stands for soft sound c: le garçon .
French consonants
- Voiced consonants are always pronounced clearly and are not stunned at the end of a word: parade , telephone , Arabe .
- Under stress and before consonants r,s,z,v,j,g vowels acquire longitude: base ,bagage .
- Double consonants are read as one: personne , address , professeur , class , tasse .
- Letters and letter combinations t,d,s,x, z,g,p, es,ts,ps,ds(and r after e, except for some adjectives and nouns, for example: hiver , Cher ) at the end of the word are not read: appetit , prix , Bernard , nez , aller . Exception: dix , six .
- Letter s between vowels gives the sound [z]: Lise , Basile , surprise . In other cases it is read as [s].
- Letter x between vowels gives the sound: examen , exercise , exotic .
- Letter x gives sound in words: texte , taxi , expedition ,extra .
- Letter c keeps its sound [s] before i,e,y: Alice , Lucie , ici , farce , merci , trace .
- In other cases, the letter c gives the sound [k]: caravane , casino , café . After nasal vowels c at the end of the word is not readable: banc .
- Letter g has a sound [g] before i,e,y: girafe , gelee , agiotage .
- In other cases, the letter g gives a sound - [g]: bagage , grotte , wagon , tango , golfe .
- Combination gn gives the sound [n]: ligne .
- Letter h never read: hobby .
- letter y between vowels it is necessary, as it were, to decompose into two letters i and read according to the rest of the rules: loyal==> loi – ial = .
- Letter l always read softly: London .
- ch gives sound (sh): chapeau .
- ph gives the sound [f]: photo
- Letter t gives sound [s] before i + vowel: alimentation , except amitie , pitie . If before t there is a letter s, That t reads like [t]: question .
- qu reads [k]: quoi .
We looked at the basic rules for pronunciation and reading consonants in French. Practice your pronunciation by listening to the voices of the words above. I also suggest watching a tutorial video and practicing.
French "R"
Now I would like to dwell on the sound, which is of particular difficulty for many who are just starting to learn French. You probably already guessed what it is French "R". Not everyone can pronounce it the first time, but here, as in learning any language, the main thing is constant training. The "R" sound is the back row sound. Try to pronounce the Ukrainian sound "Г". Now, without changing the position of the vocal apparatus, say "R". Practice repeating the words after the speaker in the following video:
Another good "R" workout video.
French vowels
- The stress in a word always falls on the last syllable.
- During speech fluent French e may fall out of pronunciation: acheter .
- Linking in French means that the last silent consonant of a word is connected to the first vowel of the next word: elle est a llemande .
- Letter i before a vowel and combination il after a vowel at the end of the word are read as [j]: ail . Exceptions: Miel ,сiel .
- letter combination ill reads like [j] or : family . Exceptions: ville , mille , tranquille .
- letter combination oi gives a semivowel: сrois .
- letter combination ui gives a semivowel: oui .
- letter combination ou gives the sound [u]: pour .
- letter combinations eau,au give sound [o]: beaucoup , manteau .
- Letter è and letter ê give sound: creme , tete .
- Letter é reads like [e]: tele .
- letter combination eu and letter e(in an open unstressed syllable) are read like this: neuf , regarder .
- letter combinations ai And ei are read like: sais .
- letter combinations an, am, en, em give a nasal sound: enfant .
- letter combinations on, om give a nasal sound: nom .
- letter combinations in,im, ein, aim, ain, yn, ym give a nasal sound: jardin , copain .
- letter combinations un, um give a nasal sound: brown .
- letter combination ien reads: Tien .
- letter combination oin reads: soin .
- Letter y between consonants reads like [i]: style .
- No vowel at the end of words e: league and verb endings ent: ils travaillent .
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