Getting home in France when public transport has stopped running can be a real worry, and unless you’re right next to a taxi stand, it can be very difficult to find a cab. If you’re at a venue late, ask this question to one of the staff. This is one of the best French phrasebook features if you’re traveling for a significant amount of time.

Saying parlez plus lentement, s’il vous plaît will let your speaking partner realize they might be going a little too fast for you, but that you would still like to continue. If the next word begins with a vowel, a consonant may be pronounced; this is called liaison. For example, allez-y (≈ go ahead / off you go), is pronounced al-ay-ZEE, while mes amis (my friends) is pronounced MEZ-ah-MEE . The singular indefinite article ("a" and "an" in English) also corresponds to the noun's gender: un for masculine and une for feminine. Unlike English, French has a plural indefinite article – des, which works for both genders – and three partitive articles – du (m), de la (f), and de l’ (before vowels and some instances of the letter "h"), which precede uncountable nouns. Thus:In a manner similar to many other Romance languages, French verbs all end in either -er, -ir, or -re in their infinitive forms, for example écouter (to listen), finir (to finish), and vendre (to sell). Verbs in French conjugate differently according to tense, mood, aspect and voice. This means that there are many more possible conjugations for French verbs than English verbs, and learning how to conjugate each verb in different scenarios can be a challenge for English speakers. Fortunately for you, the vast majority of verbs follow a regular conjugation pattern. The singular definite article ("the" in English) of each noun depends on its gender: le (m), la (f) or l’ (before all singular nouns starting with a vowel and some starting with "h", regardless of gender). The plural definite article for both genders is les. Thus:

When you’re a traveler there might be specific information you need to get your hands on in a hurry and, if this is the case, you need look no further than Penguin. After you’ve made your initial introductions, it’s likely that a person with whom you’re speaking will ask about the time you’re spending in France. While many people travel to the country for vacation, this isn’t always the case, so informing the other person of your reasons for traveling can help fuel the conversation you have. A diaeresis (") may also be used to prevent diphthongs on "e", "u" and "i". Example: maïs ( Indian corn or maize). Wherever you go in France, you’ll find a whole host of things that make the area unique. Whether it’s local French cooking, events or linguistic differences, it pays to research the place you’re going and, if necessary, learn a few basic French phrases relating to whatever may be going on around you. Elsewhere, French is an official language of many former French and Belgian colonies in Africa, like Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo, and is unofficial but carries prestige in others, namely Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. It is an important administrative, educational, and cultural language in the former French Southeast Asian possessions of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. In the Indian Ocean, Réunion and Mayotte are French overseas departments, while French is also an official language in Mauritius, the Seychelles, and Comoros. In Oceania, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna remain overseas territories of France, and French is also one of the official languages of Vanuatu.Quebec French sometimes has vestigial diphthongs where French from France no longer does. For example, while a Parisian would pronounce the word maître as MET-ruh, a Québécois would pronounce it more like MIGHT-ruh.

Très bien cuit – This should get you a "well done" steak that is totally cooked through. Mais, attention! If chef is not used to catering to les Anglo-Saxons, he might just overdo it and give you a plate of leather. French ( français) is a Romance language, and one of the most widely spoken languages in the world: 277 million people speak French, including about 100 million native speakers. While the French language originated in France, in modern times it is spoken on every continent; it is an official language of 29 countries, an important business, cultural, or minority language in dozens of other countries and regions, and is used officially by scores of international organisations including the United Nations, the European Union, and the International Olympic Committee. French was the main international lingua franca well into the 20th century, and at one point, French was the language spoken in most of the royal courts of Europe. To this day, it remains de rigueur for educated people in many societies around the world to have some level of basic French ability. If there are a group of you, replace ma photo (my photo) with notre photo (our photo). And to be polite, start your request with excusez-moi monsieur/madame.

What Was That? Clarifying French Phrases

Nevertheless, all Francophone Canadians, including Québécois, learn standard French in school, and most of the differences between the two varieties are limited to informal speech. This means that while you may not understand conversation among locals, they will be able to converse with you in standard French if required. And of course, your French phrasebooks or regional travel guides can offer you insight into customs, culture, etiquette and holidays. Make a list of activities

Use this phrase to explain to your new friends where you’re staying, as well as how long you’re staying. l’hôpital (the hospital) What Was That? Clarifying French Phrases Je ne comprends pas. (I don’t understand.) Practice and reinforce all the vocabulary you've learned in a given video with learn mode. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning, and play the mini-games found in our dynamic flashcards, like "fill in the blank."Getting to grips with all food types is essential and, with this phrasebook’s in-depth menu decoder, you’ll never have to face an unknown plate again! point – "Perfectly cooked", and the most popular among the French, but still rare by British or American standards. Bien cuit – "Well cooked", but not well done. More like medium, with pink on the inside, though there should be no blood.