Saying it is the easy half. Understanding what comes back is what turns a transaction into a welcome. Start with the eight phrases that get used most in France, plus a couple of things locals wish visitors knew.
No conjugation tables. Just what you'll actually say at a table, a counter, or a front desk.
"Bonjour" comes before everything. Walking into a shop, a café, or up to a stranger without saying "Bonjour" first is considered genuinely rude in France — not just impolite. Lead with it every time, even if your next sentence is in English, and doors open noticeably wider.
Ordering "un café" gets you an espresso. If you want something closer to American coffee, ask for a "café allongé." And many of France's national museums — including parts of the Louvre — offer free or reduced entry on the first Sunday of the month, a genuinely useful thing to plan around.
The eight phrases above get you started. This one goes deep on a single moment: the whole café exchange in order, what the server asks back, and why the bill never arrives until you ask.
Strasbourg has run a Christmas market since 1570, and it exists because of an argument about saints. The stall phrases, the consigne on the cup, and why Alsace drinks its vin chaud white.
Less than most travelers fear, and the first word matters more than the number. In France, opening with Bonjour before anything else is what makes an exchange polite, and skipping it is the most common mistake visitors make. Past that, eight to twelve phrases covers ordering, paying and asking directions. Understanding the reply is the harder half, and the one worth practicing.
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Voxolo is live on the App Store, and your first lesson is free. The whole session, conversation included — no card, no account.
Get VoxoloReading tips is one thing — actually being able to say them out loud is another. Voxolo builds a full speaking plan around your trip dates, with an AI tutor that plays the waiter, the vendor, the local — so you land ready, not just informed. It's on the App Store now, and your first lesson is free.
