French Vocabulary

Imagine that your French friend Marie just picked you up at the airport in Paris and hosted you in her lovely home for 3 days.

You are grateful and would like to thank her so you say merci when you leave and give her a box full of delicacies from your hometown.

Then you wonder: wasn’t there a better way to say thank you? Merci did feel a bit…short.

While merci is a safe choice in almost all situations and will rarely offend people, it’s not always the best way to thank people in French.

Here are 19 other ways to say thank you in French!
[Read more…] about 20 Ways to Say Thank You in French

7 years of bad luck (or bad sex depending on who you ask).

That’s what anyone who doesn’t respect the subtle rules of the French toasting ritual should expect.

That’s at least what the tradition says.

Truth is, French drinking traditions are totally insane.

You need to use the right words with the right people but also follow a precise set of rules that were created in the Middle Ages so people could make sure their drink didn’t contain poison (such a lovely period). [Read more…] about How to Say “Cheers” in French (and Avoid 7 Years of Bad Luck)

[Read more…] about 100 Strange Idioms That’ll Help You Sound More French

Ordering food in a French restaurant can be stressful.

How should you order? What does entrecôte mean? How do you ask for water? Do you need to pay for it? Should you leave a tip?

The answer to all these questions is in this article.

After reading it, you’ll know exactly what each item on a French menu is, how to order food like a local and whether you should leave a tip or not. [Read more…] about These 105 Words Will Make Ordering Food in French Restaurants Much Easier

Greeting French people the way you greet American, British or even Spanish people is a recipe for disaster.

You see, the French follow a strange greeting ritual and breaking its unspoken rules is guaranteed to land you into the “rude tourist” category.

Luckily, greeting the French like a local is simple once you know a few basic principles. These are the secret rules you’ll discover in the first part of this article.

Once you know the basics, check out the second part of this article to learn the essential French greeting words that’ll help you unlock French people’s hearts.

[Read more…] about 8 French Greeting Words That’ll Help You Sound Like a Local

When someone thanks you, you only have a few seconds to answer with the appropriate “you’re welcome”.

This can be very stressful if you don’t know the differences between “de rien”, “je vous en prie” and “ya pas de quoi”.

Is your answer polite enough? Is it too formal? Do French people actually use that phrase?

After reading this article, you’ll know which French equivalent of “you’re welcome” to use in every situation! [Read more…] about 9 Polite and Not So Polite Ways to Say “You’re Welcome” in French

You just ate in a lovely restaurant in the centre of Bordeaux. You paid, left a tip to the friendly waiter and are about to leave.

And you wonder…Should you say “au revoir”? Or is it “salut”? You want to sound friendly, but not too informal.

Oh and you’d love to communicate your desire to come back to try that fondant au chocolat the couple sitting at the next table is eating.

If only you knew how to say “see you soon” in French!

You’ll after reading this article!
[Read more…] about 20 Authentic Ways to Say Goodbye in French

You walk to your friend, ask him “comment allez-vous ?” (how are you) and expect a passionate answer about what’s he’s been up to lately.

Instead, your friend simply answers “good, and you?”.

What did you do wrong?

Not much.

In fact, the only mistake you made was to use the wrong “how are you”.

In French, there are at least 15 ways to say “how are you”.

Use the right “how are you” and French people will open up to you and gladly tell you about their day, thoughts and feelings.

Use the wrong form and they’ll tell you “bien merci” while you’re left wondering what to say next.

Today, I’d like to show you 10 common ways to say “how are you” in French and explain when and how to use each variation so you can easily connect with people, start conversations and show how much you care.

[Read more…] about How to Say “How Are You” in French Like a Local