A French frequency list can be a game-changer when learning the language. Instead of spending hours and hours studying hundreds or thousands of vocabulary words, you can start with the most common.
It’s the more efficient way to learn the language and improve your comprehension. In this post, you’ll get 500 of the most frequently used French words, along with four other places to find great French frequency lists for your studies.
A French frequency list is a curated compilation of words ranked by their frequency of use in the French language. It serves as a strategic tool for language learners by highlighting the most commonly used words in written and spoken French.
By prioritizing the study of words based on their occurrence in everyday communication, you can streamline your efforts, focusing on the essentials for effective communication and comprehension.
Using a French frequency list enhances vocabulary acquisition, accelerates language proficiency and provides a structured approach to mastering the language.
500 Most Common French Words
Here are 500 of the most common words in the French language:
French
English
comme
as, like
je
I
son
his, her, sound
que
that, what, than
il
he, it
était
was
pour
for
sont
are
avec
with
ils
they
être
be
à
at, to
un
one, a, an
avoir
have
ce
this
partir
leave
par
by, through
chaud
hot, warm
mot
word
mais
but
certains
some
est
is, east
vous
you
ou
or
eu
had, got
la
the
de
of, off
et
and
dans
in
nous
we, us
boîte
can, box
dehors
out
autre
other
étaient
were
qui
which, who
faire
do, make
leur
their
temps
time
si
if, so
volonté
will
comment
how
chaque
each
dire
tell, say
ne
does
ensemble
set, together, whole
trois
three
vouloir
want
air
air
bien
well
aussi
also
jouer
play
petit
small
fin
end, fine
mettre
put
maison
house, home
lire
read
main
hand
port
port
grand
large, big, great
épeler
spell
ajouter
add
même
even, same
terre
land, earth
ici
here
tel
such
suivre
follow
faut
must
acte
act
pourquoi
why
interroger
ask
hommes
men
changement
change
allé
go
lumière
light
gentil
kind
besoin
need
image
picture
essayer
try
encore
again, still, yet
animal
animal
point
point
mère
mother
monde
world
près
near
construire
build
soi
self
père
father
tout
any
nouveau
new
travail
work
partie
part
prendre
take
obtenir
get
lieu
place
fabriqué
made
vivre
live
où
where
après
after
arrière
back
peu
little, few
seulement
only
tour
round, turn, ride
homme
man
année
year
montrer
show
tous
every, all
bon
good
moi
me
donner
give
notre
our
sous
under
nom
name, noun
très
very
juste
just
forme
form, shape
phrase
sentence
penser
think
aider
help
faible
low
ligne
line
différer
differ
cause
cause
beaucoup
much, many
signifier
mean
avant
before, front
déménagement
(house) move
droit
right
garçon
boy
vieux
old
trop
too
elle
she
là
there
quand
when
utiliser
use
votre
your
manière
way
sur
on, about, over
puis
then
les
them
écrire
write
voudrais
would
ces
these
long
long
chose
thing
voir
see
lui
him
deux
two
a
has
regarder
look, watch
jour
day
pourrait
could
aller
go
venir
come
fait
did, fact
nombre
number
aucun
no
plus
more, most
personnes
people
ma
my
savoir
know
eau
water
appel
call
première
first
peut
may
vers
toward, towards
côté
side
été
been, summer
maintenant
now
trouver
find
tête
head
supporter
stand
propre
own
page
page
devrait
should
pays
country
trouvé
found
réponse
answer
école
school
croître
grow
étude
study
apprendre
learn
usine
factory
couvercle
cover
nourriture
food
soleil
sun
quatre
four
entre
between, among
état
state
garder
keep
œil
eye
jamais
never, ever
dernier
last
laisser
let, leave
pensée
thought
ville
city, town
arbre
tree
traverser
cross
ferme
farm
dur
hard
début
start
puissance
might, power
histoire
story
scie
saw
loin
far
mer
sea
tirer
draw, pull
gauche
left
tard
late
courir
run
presse
press
proche
close
nuit
night
réel
real
vie
life
nord
north
livre
book, pound
porter
carry
a pris
took
science
science
manger
eat
chambre
room
ami
friend
a commencé
began
idée
idea
poisson
fish
montagne
mountain
arrêtez
stop
base
base
entendre
hear
cheval
horse
couper
cut
sûr
sure
couleur
color
face
face
bois
wood
principal
main
ouvert
open
paraître
seem
suivant
next
blanc
white
enfants
children
commencer
begin
marcher
walk
exemple
example
facilité
ease
papier
paper
groupe
group
toujours
always
musique
music
ceux
those
marque
mark
souvent
often
lettre
letter
mile
mile
rivière
river
voiture
car
pieds
feet
soins
care
deuxième
second
assez
enough
plaine
plain
fille
girl
habituel
usual
jeune
young
prêt
ready
au-dessus
above
rouge
red
liste
list
sentir
feel
parler
talk, speak
oiseau
bird
bientôt
soon
corps
body
chien
dog
famille
family
direct
direct
pose
pose
chanson
song
mesurer
measure
porte
door
produit
product
noir
black
court
short
chiffre
numeral
classe
class
vent
wind
question
question, matter
arriver
happen
complète
complete
navire
ship
zone
area
moitié
half
rock
rock
ordre
order
feu
fire
sud
south
problème
problem
pièce
piece
dit
told, said
savait
knew
passer
pass
depuis
since
haut
top, high
roi
king
rue
street
pouce
inch
multiplier
multiply
rien
nothing
cours
course
rester
stay
roue
wheel
plein
full
force
force
bleu
blue
objet
object
décider
decide
surface
surface
profond
deep
lune
moon
île
island
pied
foot
système
system
occupé
busy
test
test
record
record
bateau
boat
commun
common
or
gold
possible
possible
plan
plan
place
space, room
sec
dry
se demander
wonder
rire
laugh
mille
thousand
courir
run
vérifier
check
jeu
game
assimiler
assimilate
manquer
miss
apporté
brought
chaleur
heat
neige
snow
pneu
tire
apporter
bring
oui
yes
lointain
distant
remplir
fill
peindre
paint
langue
language, tongue
unité
unit
certain
certain
voler
fly
tomber
fall
conduire
lead
cri
cry
sombre
dark
machine
machine
note
note
patienter
wait
figure
figure
étoile
star
domaine
field
se reposer
rest
correct
correct
capable
able
terminé
done
beauté
beauty
entraînement
training
résisté
stood up
contenir
contain
enseigner
teach
semaine
week
finale
final
donné
gave
vert
green
oh
oh
rapide
quick, fast
développer
develop
océan
ocean
gratuit
free
minute
minute
fort
strong
spécial
special
esprit
mind
derrière
behind
clair
clear
queue
tail
produire
produce
espace
space
entendu
heard
meilleur
best
heure
hour
mieux
better
vrai
true
pendant
during
cent
hundred
cinq
five
rappeler
remember
étape
step
tôt
early
tenir
hold
ouest
west
sol
ground
intérêt
interest
atteindre
reach
verbe
verb
chanter
sing
écouter
listen
six
six
table
table
voyage
travel
moins
less
matin
morning
dix
ten
simple
simple
plusieurs
several
voyelle
vowel
guerre
war
poser
lay
contre
against
modèle
pattern
lent
slow
centre
center
amour
love
personne
person
argent
money
servir
serve
apparaître
appear
route
road
carte
map
pluie
rain
règle
rule
gouverner
govern
froid
cold
avis
notice
voix
voice
énergie
energy
chasse
hunt
probable
probable
lit
bed
frère
brother
œuf
egg
cellule
cell
croire
believe
peut-être
perhaps
choisir
pick
soudain
sudden
compter
count
carré
square
raison
reason
longueur
length
représenter
represent
art
art
sujet
subject
région
region
taille
size
varier
vary
régler
settle
poids
weight
général
general
glace
ice
cercle
circle
paire
pair
inclure
include
fracture
divide
syllabe
syllable
feutre
felt
grandiose
grand
balle
ball
vague
wave
tomber
drop
cœur
heart
présent
present
lourd
heavy
danse
dance
moteur
engine
position
position
bras
arm
large
wide
voile
sail
matériel
material
fraction
fraction
forêt
forest
s’asseoir
sit
course
race
fenêtre
window
magasin
store
train
train
sommeil
sleep
prouver
prove
seul
lone
jambe
leg
exercice
exercise
mur
wall
capture
catch
monture
mount
souhaiter
wish
ciel
sky
conseil
board
To learn more words that are commonly used in the French language, you can use an immersive language learning program like FluentU.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
Whether you’re a beginner building your basic vocabulary or a more advanced student looking to fill in the gaps, the following three online resources are well-suited to optimal learning. As a bonus, they’re all completely free!
AnkiWeb offers a flashcard deck containing the 5,000 most frequently used French words and their English translations conveniently sorted by order of frequency.
They come with the part of speech, frequency, example sentences in English and French and audio recordings of the words and example sentences.
After downloading the flashcards, you can make personal changes to them like adding notes or flagging difficult words. To download these flashcards, you’ll need to download the Anki program first, which is free and easy to do.
This PDF list of 5,000 common French words was compiled from written and spoken resources by several professors at Brigham Young University.
You can search the list by frequency, alphabetically or by themes like animals or verbs of communication. There are also tons of helpful example sentences included.
This frequency list is one of the easiest to read as the entries are exactly as you’d expect to find them in a dictionary, with English translations of both the words and example sentences.
This website is run by Le Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale (the National Ministry of French Education) and contains lists of the 1,500 most frequently used words.
The lists contain the same information but are organized differently, such as by alphabetical order and order of frequency. English definitions aren’t provided, but the lists are still helpful for knowing what to study.
The lists are available to be downloaded as Excel spreadsheets, PDFs or Open Office documents and each contains additional information on the words such as part of speech, frequency, etc.
Now that you have some great resources to get you started, try to master the most commonly used words on the lists above before moving on to the rest.
Use them daily, practice with a good French flashcard app and look out for them being used in context in French conversation and media.
Soon these French frequency lists will be secured in your memory and become part of your natural vocabulary!
If you like learning French at your own pace and from the comfort of your device, I have to tell you about FluentU.
FluentU makes it easier (and way more fun) to learn French by making real content like movies and series accessible to learners. You can check out FluentU's curated video library, or bring our learning tools directly to Netflix or YouTube with the FluentU Chrome extension.
One of the features I find most helpful is the interactive captions—you can tap on any word to see its meaning, an image, pronunciation, and other examples from different contexts. It’s a great way to pick up French vocab without having to pause and look things up separately.
FluentU also helps reinforce what you’ve learned with personalized quizzes. You can swipe through extra examples and complete engaging exercises that adapt to your progress. You'll get extra practice with the words you find more challenging and even be reminded you when it’s time to review!
