A comprehensive overview of French small talk vocabulary, covering common topics like weather, daily life, hobbies, and more to help you converse naturally.
Small talk in French covers everyday topics that help break the ice and keep conversations flowing. From greeting someone to talking about the weather, daily routines, or hobbies, these are the building blocks of friendly conversation in French.
- Includes common topics like greetings, weather, daily life, and hobbies
- Features key phrases and vocabulary for each topic
- Helps build confidence for natural, everyday conversations
- Suitable for beginners to intermediate learners
Greetings are the first step in any conversation. In French, there are different ways to say hello depending on the time of day and the level of formality.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example (Singular) | English Example (Singular) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonjour | Bonjour | Hello / Good morning | Hello / Good morning | Bonjour, comment ça va ? | Hello, how are you? |
| Salut | Salut | Hi | Hi | Salut, ça va ? | Hi, how’s it going? |
| Bonsoir | Bonsoir | Good evening | Good evening | Bonsoir, comment s’est passée ta journée ? | Good evening, how was your day? |
| Ça va ? | Ça va ? | How are you? | How are you? | Ça va ? | How are you? |
| Comment ça va ? | Comment ça va ? | How are you? | How are you? | Comment ça va aujourd’hui ? | How are you today? |
Talking about the weather is a classic small talk topic in French, just like in many other languages. It’s a simple way to start a conversation with almost anyone.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example (Singular) | English Example (Singular) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Il fait beau | Il fait beau | The weather is nice | The weather is nice | Il fait beau aujourd’hui. | The weather is nice today. |
| Il pleut | Il pleut | It’s raining | It’s raining | Il pleut ce matin. | It’s raining this morning. |
| Il fait chaud | Il fait chaud | It’s hot | It’s hot | Il fait chaud en été. | It’s hot in summer. |
| Il fait froid | Il fait froid | It’s cold | It’s cold | Il fait froid ce soir. | It’s cold tonight. |
| Il y a du vent | Il y a du vent | It’s windy | It’s windy | Il y a du vent aujourd’hui. | It’s windy today. |
Il y a du ___.
Translate 'It’s windy today' into French.
vent
'Il y a du vent' means 'It’s windy'. The other options mean rain (pluie), sun (soleil), and snow (neige).
Talking about daily routines is a common way to share a bit about yourself and learn about others. These phrases cover simple questions and answers about everyday activities.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example (Singular) | English Example (Singular) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je travaille | Nous travaillons | I work | We work | Je travaille de 9h à 17h. | I work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Je vais au marché | Nous allons au marché | I go to the market | We go to the market | Je vais au marché le samedi. | I go to the market on Saturdays. |
| Je prépare le dîner | Nous préparons le dîner | I prepare dinner | We prepare dinner | Je prépare le dîner à 19h. | I prepare dinner at 7 p.m. |
| Je me couche tôt | Nous nous couchons tôt | I go to bed early | We go to bed early | Je me couche tôt en semaine. | I go to bed early on weekdays. |
| Je fais du sport | Nous faisons du sport | I exercise | We exercise | Je fais du sport trois fois par semaine. | I exercise three times a week. |
Talking about hobbies is a great way to find common ground and keep a conversation going. These phrases cover a variety of popular activities.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example (Singular) | English Example (Singular) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je lis | Nous lisons | I read | We read | Je lis un roman policier. | I’m reading a detective novel. |
| Je joue au foot | Nous jouons au foot | I play soccer | We play soccer | Je joue au foot le weekend. | I play soccer on weekends. |
| Je regarde des séries | Nous regardons des séries | I watch series | We watch series | Je regarde des séries le soir. | I watch series in the evening. |
| Je cuisine | Nous cuisinons | I cook | We cook | J’aime cuisiner des desserts. | I like cooking desserts. |
| J’écoute de la musique | Nous écoutons de la musique | I listen to music | We listen to music | J’écoute de la musique classique. | I listen to classical music. |
Expressing preferences helps make conversations more personal. These phrases cover common ways to say what you like or dislike.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example (Singular) | English Example (Singular) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J’aime le chocolat | Nous aimons le chocolat | I like chocolate | We like chocolate | J’aime le chocolat noir. | I like dark chocolate. |
| Je n’aime pas les épinards | Nous n'aimons pas les épinards | I don’t like spinach | We don’t like spinach | Je n’aime pas les épinards. | I don’t like spinach. |
| J’adore voyager | Nous adorons voyager | I love traveling | We love traveling | J’adore voyager en été. | I love traveling in summer. |
| Je déteste la pluie | Nous détestons la pluie | I hate the rain | We hate the rain | Je déteste la pluie. | I hate the rain. |
| J’aime sortir avec des amis | Nous aimons sortir avec des amis | I like going out with friends | We like going out with friends | J’aime sortir avec des amis le weekend. | I like going out with friends on weekends. |
J’adore voyager en ___.
Translate 'I love traveling in summer' into French.
été
'Été' means summer, matching the English sentence. The others are different seasons.
Asking questions keeps the conversation going. These are some common question formats used in French small talk.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example (Singular) | English Example (Singular) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qu’est-ce que tu fais ? | Qu’est-ce que vous faites ? | What are you doing? | What are you doing? | Qu’est-ce que tu fais ce soir ? | What are you doing tonight? |
| Tu as des hobbies ? | Vous avez des hobbies ? | Do you have any hobbies? | Do you have any hobbies? | Tu as des hobbies ? | Do you have any hobbies? |
| Tu travailles où ? | Vous travaillez où ? | Where do you work? | Where do you work? | Tu travailles où ? | Where do you work? |
| Tu viens d’où ? | Vous venez d’où ? | Where are you from? | Where are you from? | Tu viens d’où ? | Where are you from? |
| Tu as passé une bonne journée ? | Vous avez passé une bonne journée ? | Did you have a good day? | Did you have a good day? | Tu as passé une bonne journée ? | Did you have a good day? |
Ending a conversation politely is just as important as starting one. Here are some common ways to say goodbye in French.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example (Singular) | English Example (Singular) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Au revoir | Au revoir | Goodbye | Goodbye | Au revoir, à bientôt ! | Goodbye, see you soon! |
| Bonne journée | Bonne journée | Have a good day | Have a good day | Bonne journée ! | Have a good day! |
| À bientôt | À bientôt | See you soon | See you soon | À bientôt, prends soin de toi. | See you soon, take care. |
| Salut | Salut | Bye | Bye | Salut, à demain ! | Bye, see you tomorrow! |
| Bonne soirée | Bonne soirée | Have a good evening | Have a good evening | Bonne soirée ! | Have a good evening! |
Talking about time and date is a common part of small talk, especially when making plans or talking about routines.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example (Singular) | English Example (Singular) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quelle heure est-il ? | Quelle heure est-il ? | What time is it? | What time is it? | Quelle heure est-il ? | What time is it? |
| C’est lundi | Ce sont des lundis | It’s Monday | They are Mondays | C’est lundi aujourd’hui. | It’s Monday today. |
| Quel jour sommes-nous ? | Quels jours sommes-nous ? | What day is it? | What days are we? | Quel jour sommes-nous ? | What day is it? |
| À quelle heure ? | À quelles heures ? | At what time? | At what times? | À quelle heure commence la réunion ? | What time does the meeting start? |
| Ce week-end | Ces week-ends | This weekend | These weekends | On se voit ce week-end ? | Are we seeing each other this weekend? |
Food is a universal conversation starter. Here are some common French phrases for talking about meals, favorites, and ordering.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example (Singular) | English Example (Singular) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J’ai faim | Nous avons faim | I’m hungry | We’re hungry | J’ai faim, on mange quoi ? | I’m hungry, what are we eating? |
| J’ai soif | Nous avons soif | I’m thirsty | We’re thirsty | J’ai soif, je prends de l’eau. | I’m thirsty, I’m having water. |
| Mon plat préféré | Mes plats préférés | My favorite dish | My favorite dishes | Mon plat préféré, c’est la ratatouille. | My favorite dish is ratatouille. |
| Je prends un café | Nous prenons un café | I’ll have a coffee | We’ll have coffee | Je prends un café, s’il vous plaît. | I’ll have a coffee, please. |
| On sort dîner ? | On sort dîner ? | Shall we go out for dinner? | Shall we go out for dinner? | On sort dîner ce soir ? | Shall we go out for dinner tonight? |
Talking about travel experiences is a fun way to share stories and learn about new places. These phrases cover basic travel-related vocabulary for small talk.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example (Singular) | English Example (Singular) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je voyage | Nous voyageons | I travel | We travel | Je voyage en train ce soir. | I’m traveling by train tonight. |
| J’ai visité Paris | Nous avons visité Paris | I visited Paris | We visited Paris | J’ai visité Paris l’été dernier. | I visited Paris last summer. |
| Où es-tu allé ? | Où êtes-vous allés ? | Where did you go? | Where did you go? | Où es-tu allé en vacances ? | Where did you go on vacation? |
| J’adore les voyages | Nous adorons les voyages | I love traveling | We love traveling | J’adore les voyages à l’étranger. | I love traveling abroad. |
| Je prends des photos | Nous prenons des photos | I take photos | We take photos | Je prends des photos des monuments. | I take photos of the monuments. |
Small talk is all about sharing and listening. With these sections, you have a solid vocabulary foundation to engage in friendly French conversations on everyday topics.
Je prends des photos des ___.
Translate 'I take photos of the monuments.' into French.
monuments
'Monuments' refers to landmarks. The other options mean beaches, museums, and street.
Flashcards (1 of 50)
- English Singular: Hello / Good morning
- English Plural: Hello / Good morning
- English Example (Singular): Hello, how are you?
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
