French is spoken in France, but also in many other countries in Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia. In a station, a cafe, a hotel or a street, a few words are enough to greet, ask for information or run a small errand. Saying a few simple phrases opens the door to useful exchanges in everyday life.

In the morning and during the day, we say bonjour. In the evening, we say bonsoir. In familiar situations, among friends or among young people, we can say salut to say hello and also to say goodbye. To leave someone, one can say au revoir in almost all situations. With close ones, à bientôt serves when you think you will see the person again soon, and à tout à l’heure when you will see them later in the same day.

In a shop, at a restaurant or at the reception of a hotel, merci serves to thank. To ask for something politely, one adds s’il vous plaît. If one wants to interrupt someone or pass in a narrow space, one says pardon. To respond clearly, oui accepts, non refuses, d’accord shows that we accept a proposal, and bien sûr marks a natural and cordial agreement.

To say your first name, we use je m’appelle + first name. For example, je m’appelle Lina. To ask someone how they are, we say ça va ?. The simplest answer is also ça va. We can add oui, ça va if all is well. With another person, we can answer et vous ? or et toi ? to turn the question.

When we don’t understand, we say je ne comprends pas. To ask for something, a service or an action, we use je voudrais + noun. For example, je voudrais de l’eau or je voudrais un café. For an immediate need, we can say je voudrais aller aux toilettes or simply les toilettes, s’il vous plaît. In a conversation, this form allows you to ask without aggression and with clarity.