Unlike in English, where we say “I am looking for…” the French don’t use a preposition (“for”) after the verb, and simply follow this phrase with what they’re searching for.

An apéritif is a beverage one drinks before eating—typically something alcoholic like whiskey, vodka or pastis, for example. Je voudrais… (I would like…) This one will really impress people. This is some real français soutenu (formal French), and you’ll rarely hear a young French person say this. On prend l’apéro ensemble ? (Let’s have an apéritif together?) 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. France is notorious for its etiquette rules and, if you’re not aware of them, you could find yourself in a very tight spot. Helping you to separate your tu from your vous, and to spot the correct greeting for any situation, the Lonely Planet guide can be an invaluable tool to use. Saying “hello” and “goodbye” to people in official settings is essential in France, and something that you might not naturally do.

There are many differences between French spoken in Québec and that spoken in France. One is state and one is king french. The two main differences are that Québec has retained many 18th & 19th century French words, while French spoken in France has incorporated many English words. Furthermore, aside from Europe & Québec, many French-speaking regions have incorporated many local words or formed a distinctive dialect/language known as creole. You’re sure to exude a certain je ne sais quoi (“I don’t know what”) as well as an ease with pronouns. Going Hard(ish) in the Club In the combination "geo", the "e" should not be pronounced, it is only there to force the prononciation of "g" as in "sabotage" (in the case the "e" should be pronounced, it is indicated with an accent mark as in géologie). Vowels in French can have accent marks, which generally have no noticeable impact on pronunciation, but they often distinguish between homophones in writing ( ou, meaning or, and où, meaning where, are pronounced the same). The only really important one is é, which is always pronounced "ay", and changes the meaning of the word. A great tip is to try and memorize a few essential words before you go, such as bonjour (hello), merci (thank you) and s’il vous plaît (please). Getting these under your belt will also help with pronunciation down the road.

Guess what? Those pronunciation "rules" you just read have a ton of exceptions! For example, the rule that a final r is pronounced is not true in the combination "-er", normally found in verb infinitives; this letter combination is pronounced ay. The plural ending "-ent" for verbs is silent (except for the t, in cases of liaison), even though it is pronounced when it appears in other words. Sometimes, whether to pronounce the final consonant of a word is denoted by its grammatical function; for example, the final "s" in tous (all) is silent when used as an adjective, but pronounced when used as a pronoun, while the final "f" in nouns such as cerf (deer) and œuf (egg) is pronounced in the singular form, but in the plural form ( cerfs, œufs) the "f" and the "s" are both silent. Where many other guides merely feed you new information, the “Collins French Phrasebook” is created with user comprehension in mind. While the pronunciation guide will help you to get to grips with speaking in French, the basic grammar lessons will make structuring sentences very simple. Pouvez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît ? (Could you repeat that, please?) Parlez plus lentement, s’il vous plaît. (Speak a little slower, please.) Similarly, the third person pronouns also depend on the grammatical gender of the subject: il (m – he or it) or elle (f – she or it), with ils and elles respectively being the masculine and feminine plurals (they). When there are groups of mixed-gender people or objects, ils is always used. Everyone loves a souvenir, and it’s likely that you’ll take your camera along with you to capture precious memories. In touristy zones, natives are used to being asked to take photos, but if you’re going to do it, it’s especially nice to be able to inquire in French.

When there is an accent mark on "e", it prevents diphthongs. Letters should be pronounced separately, following the rule for the accented letter. Example: réunion (meeting). 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. 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 .

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. When there is an accent mark on "e", it prevents diphthongs. Letters should be pronounced separately, following the rule for the accented letter. Example: énergumène, (rowdy character), réunion (meeting).

What Was That? Clarifying French Phrases

In the unlikely scenario that you get into trouble when in France, it’s really important to have armed yourself with the right words to get out of a bind. Even just knowing this phrase is incredibly handy. If you’re learning French, chances are you’ll want to practice your language skills when you go out there. However, it can be intimidating approaching a native—letting them know that you’re not fluent will really put your mind to rest! The phrases in the book relate to traveling abroad, finding a hotel or hostel and exchanging currencies and are sure to make your travel time a breeze!