150+ Basic Words in French for Students

Planning to study abroad and in a French-speaking country, here’s your guide to basic French words. This article incorporates 150+ basic French words for day-to-day use. Based on different requirements like for asking directions, understanding numbers or even food, here’s a guide for everything but for basic words in French.

When you study abroad in a country where a different language is spoken, you must learn at least the basics. So if you are going to study in France or French-speaking countries, then you can refer to this guide for understanding basic French words with English meaning for making conversations with people abroad.

Importance of Learning Basic Words in French

The students who will be studying in a French-speaking country, would require at least basic knowledge of French words so that they can talk and move around. It is important to learn basic French also because:

• Indian students may not always find English speakers in French-speaking countries.
• Students may get stuck and may feel handicapped if they do not know the language.
• Moving around the country and being able to find directions, food or essentials.
• It may be required to get help also.
• Interacting with locals gets easier and learning about new places and other attractions can be useful. 

Hence, it is important to learn basic French words to be able to navigate your way through things or situations as an international student.

Check out:

• How to Learn French Language to Study Abroad?
• Building Communication Skills to Study Abroad

Basic Rules of French Grammar

Understanding the rules of French grammar is essential for beginners so that can form sentences slowly and learn. Keeping a basic framework in mind will help students in trying to formulate their thoughts and keep up with the communication. Let us look at the basic rules of French grammar: 

• Each noun is denoted by a gender in French, either it is ‘le’ which is for male or ‘la’ for feminine denotion.
• The adjectives used for each of the nouns must agree with the gender of the noun.
• Each noun requires an article before it is written. Like English, nouns are singular and plural in French also.
• The French language follows the SVO (subject-verb-object) rule for sentence formation, just like the English grammar rule.
• There is also tense in French - past, present and future, and all of them are written differently.
• There are two major verbs in French which do not change their form when used and that is Être (to be) and Avoir (to have).

These are some of the very basic rules of French grammar and usage, thus, Indian students should at least keep these in mind. They will be helpful for students in being able to form sentences slowly and communicate at the basic level.

Greetings and Introductions in French

Like any other language, there are a few basic French vocabulary words for greeting one another and for introductions. Check out the following sections about greetings and introductions in French which international students can use. 

Essential Greetings in French Language

Want to learn how to greet someone in the French language? Check out some basic French vocab for essential greetings in French language with English translations:

Basic Greeting French Word	English Translation
Bonjour	Hello
Salut	Hi
Bonsoir	Good evening
Bonne journée	Good day
Bonne soirée	Good evening
Bonne nuit	Good night
Enchanté(e)	Nice to meet you
Ravie(e)	Delighted to meet you
Comment allez-vous? Or Comment vas-tu?	How are you?
Ça va.	I'm doing well.
Au revoir	Goodbye
À bientôt	See you soon
Salut!	Bye!
Enchante(e) de faire votre connaissance	Pleased to meet you

Based on formal or informal settings, Indian students can use these basic French words to greet one another. 

Everyday Essential French Words for Conversation

Students who are learning basic French words can incorporate them in their day-to-day lives by using them often. Here’s a list of 150+ basic French words for daily conversations for international students going to study abroad. 

Numbers in French

In French language, numbers are also essential for day-to-day conversations. Students who are travelling to France or any other French-speaking country for the first time, should be aware of the basic numbers at least in French. Following is a list of 1-20 in French: 

Numbers in French	English Translation
1-10 Numbers in French
Un	One
Deux	Two
Trois	Three
Quatre	Four
Cinq	Five
Six	Six
Sept	Seven
Huit	Eight
Neuf	Nine
Dix	Ten
11-20 Numbers in French
Onze	Eleven
Douze	Twelve
Treize	Thirteen
Quatorze	Fourteen
Quinze	Fifteen
Seize	Sixteen
Dix-sept	Seventeen
Dix-huit	Eighteen
Dix-neuf	Nineteen
Vingt	Twenty

Students who are interested in learning the full list of numbers, can check out some French course books or online materials and learn. This is just a brief of how numbers are denoted in French. 

Days of the Week in French

The days of the week in French are very different from how we speak in English. The following table summarises the days of the week in French with phonetic transcriptions and English translations: 

Les Jours De La Semaine	Phonetic Transcription	The Days of the Week
Lundi	/lœ̃.di/	Monday
Mardi	/maʁ.di/	Tuesday
Mercredi	/mɛʁ.kʁə.di/	Wednesday
Jeudi	/ʒø.di/	Thursday
Vendredi	/vɑ̃.dʁə.di/	Friday
Samedi	/sam.di/	Saturday
Dimanche	/di.mɑ̃ʃ/	Sunday

These basic French words with pronunciations for the days of the week are also an essential part of building basic vocab. Phonetic transcriptions are given so that the Indian students get some clarity in terms of pronunciations. 

Common Verbs in French

There are three types of verbs in French, one that ends in ‘re’ the other that ends with ‘er’ and the third one which ends in ‘ir’. Since verbs are the most essential part of a language, here are a few commonly used verbs in French language: 

French Verbs	English Meanings
Aller	To go
Faire	To do
Dire	To say
Penser	To think
Vouloir	To want
Manger	To eat
Boire	To drink
Dormir	To sleep
Étudier	To study
Parler	To speak
Comprendre	To understand
Choisir	To choose
Demander	To ask
Regarder	To look/watch
Trouver	To find
Venir	To come

There are over 12,000+ verbs in French which are used for communication. Thus, this list is not exhaustive and there is a verb for everything that the student wants to denote or say or express about.

Note: French verbs conjugation changes with how they end with - ‘ir’, ‘er’ or ‘re’. 

Basic Adjectives in French

Adjectives in French are also gender-based, if students are learning the French language, they should understand this rule too when they use adjectives. Some of the most commonly used adjectives in French are as follows:

Adjectives in English	Adjective Usage for Males in French	Adjective Usage for Females in French
Beautiful	Beau	Belle
Intelligent	Intelligent	Intelligente
Small or Little	Petit	Petite
Good	Bon	Bonne
Big	Grand	Grande
Hot	Chaud	Chaude
Cold	Froid	Froide
Kind	Gentil	Gentille
Bad	Mauvais	Mauvaise
Round	Rond	Ronde
New	Neuf	Neuve
Old	Vieil	Vieille

Not all adjectives in French change their gender when used in a context, there are a few which do not change. Following is a list of those French adjectives which do not change their form irrespective of gender use:

• Good - bien 
• Great - super
• Difficult - difficile 
• Easy - facile
• Young - jeune 
• Magnificent - magnifique

There are also a couple of adjectives in French that change form when they are used for plural nouns. For example - grand becomes grands, chaussure becomes chaussures and furious becomes furieux. Thus, rules apply differently for each case scenario, once you’ll get the basics, it’ll be easier to get to the advanced use of language. 

Related Read: List of Basic Greek Words for International Students

Questions in French Language

In French language, there are various question types just like the English language. Students learning basic French words must also know about them. The questions in French are as follows with English translations:

French Questions	English Translation
Qui?	Who?
Quoi?	What?
Où?	Where?
Quand?	When?
Pourquoi?	Why?
Comment?	How?
Combien?	How much/How many?
Est-ce que?	Is it…?

Students can remember these basic French question types and incorporate in their communications too. 

Directions in French Language

Here is a list of phrases that can be used for asking for directions in French language if you get stuck somewhere.

French Phrase	English Translation
Tout droit	Straight ahead
À gauche	To the left
À droite	To the right
En face de	In front of
À côté de	Next to
Derrière	Behind
Au coin de la rue	On the corner of the street
Tout au bout de la rue	At the end of the street
Tournez à droite	Turn right

These are very basic directions in French language which can be used by students going to study abroad in a French-speaking country. 

Common Food Items in French

Finally, coming down to the common food items that are essential for survival in French-speaking country are as follows:

• Fromage - cheese
• Pain - bread
• Oeuf - egg
• Viande - meat
• Poisson - fish
• Légume - vegetable
• Herbe - herb
• Épice - spice
• Pizza - Pizza

Students who are learning basic French words should also consider learning similar vocabulary so that they can build on their communication. 

French is a very dynamic language, with so many variations and similarities or even dissimilarities with the English language. Students who wish to learn the French language, can definitely begin with the above-mentioned words first and then go on towards the advanced level of language use.