french vocab

250+ Common French Words to Survive Most Situations [Plus Pronunciation]

Learning vocabulary is one of the cornerstones of learning French.

By knowing the most common vocabulary, you’ll get better at everyday communication—which gets you closer to interacting with some of the 300 million people who speak French around the world

In this post, we’ll get you started with more than 250 easy and common French words!

You’ll be well on your way to having a solid base in the French language in no time. 

Contents

Most Common French Words

hello in french

Let’s start with some essential vocabulary that you’ll end up using a lot in French conversations: 

Important French Verbs

running up a mountain

Aside from the conversational words and phrases above, you’ve also got to know the absolute most common French verbs:

These verbs are irregular, meaning they don’t follow the same rules of usage (or conjugation) that so-called regular verbs do.

Most French verbs are regular, meaning you only have to learn the endings of their group.

In French, there are three groups of so-called regular verbs, denoted by their infinitive (unconjugated) endings: -er verbs, -ir verbs and -re verbs.

Here are the most common verbs in each group:

-Er Verbs

-Ir Verbs

-Re Verbs

With all these different kinds of verbs, it’s handy to have a verb conjugation tool, like the one from Reverso.

Another option is to study these verbs in action with FluentU, which features authentic French videos with interactive subtitles. Click on any French verb or other word used in the video to see its definition, along with grammar notes and examples.

You can then add new words to flashcards and take personalized quizzes to grow your French vocabulary. 

The language learning program is also available on iOS and Android, so you can take your French study with you wherever you go. 

French Question Words

French questions

Looking for directions? Do you want to know the price of something?

Whatever you do on your trip to France, you’re definitely going to need to ask for help or direction at some point.

Here are some common expressions to help you get around:

Of course, the beauty of learning language is to be able to communicate with native speakers, which means people might also ask you questions!

Key phrases:

des États-Unis — from the United States

du Royaume-Uni — from the United Kingdom

d’Espagne — from Spain

d’Allemagne — from Germany

du Canada — from Canada

d’Australie — from Australia

Are you from a country that’s not included on this list? Take a look at this map of the world to learn your country’s name.

French Household Words

easy-french-words

It’s crucial to learn the French words that describe the places where we live.

Check out the following common words that denote specific rooms and spaces in our households.

Common words associated with rooms in the house:

French Words for Food & Drinks

easy-french-words

Hungry or thirsty? Check out the most common French words for food and drinks.

French Words for School or Work

easy-french-words

Headed to a French-speaking region for employment or to study? Then the following words are essential!

The following are common words associated with jobs and work:

French Words for Making Descriptions

diverse people

The following are common words that can be used to describe yourself, others or inanimate things.

Keep in mind that some adjectives change genders depending on the gender of the noun it describes.

In this list, the masculine forms are given first, with the feminine forms being either those with an added -e or the second form of the adjective.

Interested in more adjectives? Check out how to say common colors in French as well!

French Words for Animals & Nature

easy-french-words

The following are common French words that can be used to describe animals or nature.

 

And just like that, you have 250+ words to bring your French to the next level. Practice these words often and watch your French comprehension and production vastly improve!

Bonne chance ! (Good luck!)

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