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Foreign Languages · Starter pack
French is a Romance language written in the Latin alphabet, with gendered nouns and a spelling system that hides more letters than it sounds.
First words
The middle column is an approximation built from English sounds — close enough to be understood, not a strict transcription.
| French | Say it like | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bonjour | bon-ZHOOR | Hello / good morning |
| Bonsoir | bon-SWAHR | Good evening |
| Salut | sa-LOO | Hi (to a friend) |
| Comment ça va ? | ko-mon sa VA | How are you? |
| Ça va bien, merci | sa va bee-AN, mair-SEE | I am well, thank you |
| Enchanté / Enchantée | on-shon-TAY | Pleased to meet you (man / woman speaking) |
| Au revoir | oh ruh-VWAHR | Goodbye |
| Bonne nuit | bon NWEE | Good night |
The polite basics
Ten phrases that carry a beginner through a shop, a station and an introduction.
| French | Say it like | English |
|---|---|---|
| S'il vous plaît | seel voo PLEH | Please |
| Merci beaucoup | mair-SEE boh-KOO | Thank you very much |
| Excusez-moi | ex-koo-zay MWAH | Excuse me |
| Je suis désolé(e) | zhuh swee day-zo-LAY | I am sorry |
| Je m'appelle… | zhuh ma-PELL | My name is… |
| Parlez-vous anglais ? | par-lay voo on-GLEH | Do you speak English? |
| Je ne comprends pas | zhuh nuh kom-PRON pah | I do not understand |
| Combien ça coûte ? | kom-bee-AN sa KOOT | How much does it cost? |
| Où est la gare ? | oo eh la GAR | Where is the station? |
| Je voudrais de l'eau, s'il vous plaît | zhuh voo-DREH duh LOH, seel voo PLEH | I would like some water, please |
Counting
Prices, platforms, dates and phone numbers all start here.
Good to know
Full guided lessons are being prepared — the starter pack is ready to use today. What you see on this page is everything French currently holds, and all of it is usable content rather than a placeholder for a lesson that has not been built.