tourist office in french

Consulate General of France in Washington Visa Section

Home > Discover France > French Tourist Office > French Government Tourist Office

• Bigger font
• Smaller font

French Government Tourist Office

• print this page

For information on tourism in France :

https://www.atout-france.fr/?utm_source=ambassade&utm_medium=site_web&utm_campaign=ambassades

https://www.france.fr/en/happening-now-in-france

https://www.france.fr/en/places-to-go

https://www.france.fr/en/theme-cuisine

http://www.visitfrenchwine.com/

Last modified on 23/02/2023

Quick access

• Address, Hours and public holidays

French translation of 'tourism office'

• tourism office

Examples of 'tourism office' in a sentence

Kick off at the tourism office (between port and beach) for news of 50 sea activities.

Today it operates as a town tourism office and exhibition centre.

The tourism office works with tour companies and provides revenue by bringing in foreigners.

Today, this floor accommodates the town's tourism office .

Today it became the tourism office of the archipelago.

Entry for ‘office’ in English - French dictionary office

Entry for ‘tourism’ in english - french dictionary tourism, browse collins english collocations tourism office.

Browse alphabetically tourism office

• tourism destination
• tourism economy
• tourism infrastructure
• tourism promotion
• tourism trade
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'T'

Wordle Helper

Scrabble Tools

• Access the entire site, including the Easy Learning Grammar , and our language quizzes.
• Customize your language settings. (Unregistered users can only access the International English interface for some pages.)
• Submit new words and phrases to the dictionary.
• Benefit from an increased character limit in our Translator tool.
• Receive our weekly newsletter with the latest news, exclusive content, and offers.
• Be the first to enjoy new tools and features.
• It is easy and completely free !

To support our work, we invite you to accept cookies or to subscribe.

You have chosen not to accept cookies when visiting our site.

The content available on our site is the result of the daily efforts of our editors. They all work towards a single goal: to provide you with rich, high-quality content. All this is possible thanks to the income generated by advertising and subscriptions.

By giving your consent or subscribing, you are supporting the work of our editorial team and ensuring the long-term future of our site.

If you already have purchased a subscription, please log in

What is the translation of "tourist office" in French?

"tourist office" in french, tourist office {noun}.

• volume_up office du tourisme
• office de tourisme

tourist office manager {noun}

• volume_up directeur d'office de tourisme
• directrice d'office de tourisme

Translations

• open_in_new Link to source
• warning Request revision

Context sentences

English french contextual examples of "tourist office" in french.

These sentences come from external sources and may not be accurate. bab.la is not responsible for their content.

Monolingual examples

English how to use "tourist office" in a sentence, english how to use "office de tourisme" in a sentence, similar translations, similar translations for "tourist office" in french.

• touristique
• bureau de tourisme
• syndicat d'initiative
• charge publique
• fonctions officielles
• entrer en fonction
• accéder au trône
• renversement
• siège social
• agence pour l'emploi
• services administratifs
• charge élective
• cabinet d'avocats
• bureau des messageries
• tourist infrastructure
• tourist island
• tourist itinerary
• tourist landmark
• tourist line
• tourist lodge
• tourist magnet
• tourist map
• tourist mecca
• tourist mill
• tourist office
• tourist office manager
• tourist paradise
• tourist park
• tourist profession
• tourist resort
• tourist revenue
• tourist route
• tourist season
• tourist shop
• tourist sights

More translations in the English-Hungarian dictionary .

Why register?

Enjoy an enhanced experience.

• Access all dictionaries for free
• Browse the whole site in any of 24 languages
• Translation tool with additional allowance

Home Explore France Official Tourism Board Website

• Explore the map

Inspiration

Reading time: 0 min Published on 4 January 2023

France.fr, the official website of tourism in France

Atout France, the France Tourism Development Agency is responsible for promoting France to the UK and Irish public. Feel free to browse our website to:

• Discover everything the destination has to offer - from well-known must-sees to hidden gems!
• Find practical information and advice on France
• Keep up to date with the latest news on your destination
• Get the answers on everything you’ve always wanted to know about holidays in France and make the most of your stay across the Channel!

Join us on social media:

Our team will be more than happy to answer any question you may have or simply chat away on France and its treasures. Just click on any link below to join the conversation:

Still need more? Sign up to our newsletter:

Click here to sign up

• Legal information

By France.fr

The magazine of the destination unravels an unexpected France that revisits tradition and cultivates creativity. A France far beyond what you can imagine…

Holidays at Galeries Lafayette

Air France, the best and most comfortable way to get to France

French Wine Tasting with Duclot La Cave

Gift vouchers for your shopping at Galeries Lafayette

The Christmas Windows Display and Characters

A Fairy Tale 1, 2, 3 Christmas!

8 Luxurious Boutiques in Paris

A historical and cultural melting pot in French Polynesia

Tahiti-French Polynesia

• Go to the main menu
• Go to the mobile menu
• Go to main content
• Press Room Press Room

• Increase text size
• Decrease text size
• Add our RSS feed
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Facebook
• Partager sur Linkedin

Destination France: The recovery and transformation plan for tourism

“Consolidate France’s position as the number one tourist destination in the world.” This is the goal set by the President of the French Republic at the first Destination France Summit on 4 November 2021.

France has been the world’s leading tourist destination for more than 30 years. In 2019, 90 million international tourists visited France to discover our rich natural and architectural heritage and to enjoy our world-renowned hospitality and way of life. In France, tourism accounts for 8% of GDP. This is thanks to the millions of people, passionate about their jobs and their country, who uphold its excellent reputation day after day.

During a trip to Amboise in the department of Indre-et-Loire, French Prime Minister Jean Castex – accompanied by the Minister of State for Tourism, French Nationals Abroad and Francophonie, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne – presented the goals set out in the Destination France plan.

Announced on 2 June 2021 by the President of the French Republic, this plan aims to set a trajectory of 10 years for the tourism sector to bounce back after being hit particularly hard by the public health crisis. The plan will consolidate France’s stable position as the world’s number one tourist destination.

“Today, we want this position to mean greater benefits for all stakeholders throughout our territories. Increasing the length of stays, making it easier to get around, becoming the world’s leading sustainable tourism destination and focusing on quality will be the essence of French tourism for the coming decade.” Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne

On the same topic

Coming to France

Official portal for wine tourism in France

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters

Where to Find Paris Tourist Information Offices?

And How to Make The Most of Their Resources

Many people feel comfortable navigating a new city using only their wits (and maybe their smartphones). But for other visitors, finding a good tourist information center and seeking some advice from local experts is key to feeling informed and relaxed.

Paris has several tourist "welcome centers" dotted around the city, where you can get free advice and maps, buy special discount cards and passes, and find most other info related to your stay. Here are the main ones you should look out for. We suggest noting down which is closest to your hotel or apartment, and making your way there early on in your stay. 

Armed with plenty of information and advice, including on tours, top attractions and special events, you'll be more likely to enjoy your sojourn to the fullest. 

Main Welcome Center at Pyramides

25, rue des Pyramides 1st arrondissement Metro: Pyramides (line 7 or 14) RER: Auber (line A) Tel.: 0892 68 3000 (0,34 € per min.)

June 1st-October 31st: Mon.-Sun., 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

November 1st-May 31st: Mon.-Sat, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Sundays and bank holidays: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Resources at this branch include: 

• Brochures and information on Paris tourist attractions
• Hotel and attractions bookings
• Paris public transport passes; Paris Museum Pass , and other discount cards
• Center is accessible to visitors with disabilities or limited mobility

Carrousel du Louvre Tourist Welcome Center

This welcome center is especially useful if you want to explore the greater Paris region and take day trips to nearby cities and attractions such as the Palais de Versailles or Disneyland Paris.  

Carrousel du Louvre,  Place de la Pyramide Inversée 99, rue de Rivoli 1st arrondissement Metro: Palais Royal Musée du Louvre (line 1 and 7) Tel.: 0892 68 3000 (0,34 € per min.)

This center is open seven days a week, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Resources at this branch include brochures and information on Paris tourist attractions, as well as information on tourist attractions and events in the greater Paris (Ile de France) region.

Gare de Lyon Tourist Welcome Center

20, Boulevard Diderot 12th arrondissement Metro: Gare de Lyon (line 1 or 14) RER: Gare de Lyon (line A) Tel.: 0892 68 3000 (0,34 € per min.)

This center is open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed Sunday and bank holidays. Resources here include:

• Paris public transport passes; Paris Museum Pass, and other discount cards

Gare du Nord Tourist Welcome Center

18, rue de Dunkerque 10th arrondissement Look for the "Welcome" kiosque under the glass roof of the Gare du Nord train station, "Ile de France" section. Metro: Gare du Nord (line 2,4, or 5) RER: Gare du Nord (line B, D) Tel.: 0892 68 3000 (0,34 € per min.)

Monday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed Dec. 25th, Jan. 1st, and May 1st. Resources at this center include:

Porte de Versailles/Paris Expo Welcome Center

1, Place de la Porte de Versailles 15th arrondissement The Porte de Versailles Convention Center hosts many of Paris' most interesting trade fairs. The tourist office here can provide detailed information on trade fairs and special events at Paris Expo. Metro: Porte de Versailles (line 12) Tramway: Porte de Versailles (T3) Tel.: 0892 68 3000 (0,34 € per min.)

This center near the southern tip of the city is open from 11 am-7 pm during trade fairs. Resources here include: 

• Bookings for hotels and popular attractions

Montmartre Tourist Office

21, place du Tertre 18th arrondissement Metro: Abbesses (line 12), Anvers (line 2), funicular Tel.: 0892 68 3000 (0,34 € per min.)

This center is open 7 days a week, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Brochures and information on Paris tourist attractions are among the resources at this branch. 

Anvers Tourist Welcome Center

Located on the median strip facing 72, boulevard Rochechouart 18th arrondissemen t Metro: Anvers (line 2) Tel.: 0892 68 3000 (0,34 € per min.)

Daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed on December 25th, January 1st and May 1st. Resources at this branch include:

• Bookings for hotels and attractions

Clémenceau Tourist Welcome Center

Located on corner of Avenue des Champs-Elysées and Avenue Marigny 8th arrondissement Metro: Champs-Elysées-Clémenceau (line 1 and 13) Tel.: 0892 68 3000 (0,34 € per min.)

April 6th to October 20th, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed July 14th. Resources at this branch include:

Why to Visit in Person? 

For first-time visitors to Paris, the city can feel overwhelming and confusing. If you're unsure about how to spend your time, want to get some information and advice in person from tourism officials, pick up some helpful documentation and even look into buying Paris metro tickets or discount cards such as the Paris Museum pass , you'll find it more than useful to beeline over to one of the city's friendly information centers, conveniently located in several neighborhoods.

Related Articles

More related articles.

Unconventional language hacking tips from Benny the Irish polyglot; travelling the world to learn languages to fluency and beyond!

Looking for something? Use the search field below.

Home » Articles » 60+ Essential French Phrases for Beginners to Start Speaking Now

Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. ?

written by Benny Lewis

Language: French

Reading time: 18 minutes

Published: Jan 11, 2021

Updated: Jun 6, 2024

60+ Essential French Phrases for Beginners to Start Speaking Now

What are some French sayings? What are the most common phrases in French? And can learning a few powerful French phrases really help you start speaking right away?

Absolutely!

Even if you'll only be spending a short time in the country, learning a few basic French phrases can be very rewarding and make a big difference to your trip.

Let’s start by mastering some of the most common French phrases you need to know as a beginner:

I've long advocated that set phrases are the best thing for beginners to learn when starting out.

After all, isn't the goal of language learning to communicate?

How do you expect to communicate with anybody if the only thing you've learned so far is a verb table?

So whether you're planning to travel to Paris for a week or move to Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! for the rest of your life, here are the most important and useful French phrases that you should learn A.S.A.P.

Listen to the French Phrases:

Here's a quick “French phrases” video I made that will help you with pronunciation for most of the phrases in this article:

Before we get started, if you’re looking for an online French course, here’s the course I recommend: French Uncovered – Learn French Through the Power of Story, a course with a fascinating new method by my friend Olly.

French Greetings and Polite Phrases

Bonjour – “hello”.

There are many ways in French to say “hello” , but bonjour is undoubtedly the most well-known. It's universally polite and friendly, whether the situation is formal or informal.

Bonjour is a combination of the words bon (“good”) and jour (“day”).

In the evening, you could also say bonsoir (“good evening”). A more casual way to greet people is salut , which can mean either “hi!” or “bye!”.

S'il vous plaît / s'il te plaît – “Please”

As a tourist, the last thing you want to be is rude. So when in France, remember what your mother taught you, and say s'il vous plaît (“please”) when making a request.

You can also say s'il te plaît. What's the difference? It's all about “you”:

In French there are two ways of saying “you”.

Tu is what you'd use when addressing a friend. Vous is a more polite and formal version, best used when talking to a stranger or older person.

( Vous is also what you should use when addressing a group of people in any situation, similar to saying “you guys” or “you all” in English).

So s'il vous plaît and s'il te plaît both mean “please” (literally, “if it pleases you”), but s'il vous plait is the more polite version. If in doubt, use s'il vous plaît .

(Why is it s'il te plait and not s'il tu plait ? It's a grammatical thing that you don't need to worry about as a beginner. Just learn the phrase as a whole for now, and things will become clear later.)

In fact, when asking for something in French – e.g. asking a stranger for directions or asking to see a menu in a restaurant, you should start with “ Bonjour. S'il vous plaît… ” It literally means “Hello, please…”, which would sound a bit strange in English, but it's the normal way to start a polite request in French.

Comment vous appelez-vous? / Comment t'appelles-tu? – “What’s your name?”

When meeting anyone, one of the first things you'll want to know is their name.

In French, you can find it out by asking “ Comment vous appelez-vous? ” (formal) or “ Comment t'appelles-tu? ” (informal).

Literally, these questions mean “what do you call yourself?”. You could also ask “ c'est quoi ton nom? ” – which is a more literal translation of “what's your name?”

If you're on the receiving end of this question, answer with “ Je m'appelle… ” (“my name is”, literally “I call myself”) or a simple “ Je suis… ” (“I am…”).

Oui/Non/Si – “Yes/No”

Two essential words to learn in any language are “yes” and “no”. In French, “yes” is oui and “no” is non .

Informally, it's also common to say ouais or ouaip instead of oui – like saying “yeah” or “yep” in English.

Then you have si . This is a handy little word that has no direct equivalent in English. Use it to say “yes” when someone asks you a negatively phrased question.

To illustrate what I mean, imagine that someone asks you, in English, “haven't you been to Paris?”

If you reply “yes”, it's not exactly clear what you're saying. Do you mean “yes, I have been to Paris – contrary to your assertion” or “yes, you're correct: I haven't been to Paris”?

French avoids this confusion with the word si . It means “yes”, but more specifically it contradicts the assertion in the question. In the above example, if you say si , it clearly conveys that you have, in fact, been to Paris.

Si is one of many linguistic features that I sorely miss when I speak English.

Comment allez-vous? – “How are you?”

This is the polite way of saying “how are you?” in French. Note the use of the polite vous rather than the informal tu .

Another, more informal way to say “how are you?” is ça va ? This phrase is extremely common – when in France you'll likely hear it several times per day.

If someone asks you “ ça va? ”, you can respond with a simple “ ça va bien ” – “it's going well”.

Excusez-moi – “Excuse me”

To get someone's attention, whether they're a waiter in a restaurant or a stranger on the street, say “ excusez-moi ”, “excuse me”.

This is also the polite way to ask someone to get out of your way. For example, if you're trying to exit a crowded train, a soft “ excusez-moi ” should (hopefully) be enough to make people step aside.

Pardon – “Sorry”

Picture getting off a crowded train, being careful you don't bump into anyone as you walk through the crowded metro station. But if a collision does occur, it's fine. Just say pardon , “sorry”, and all will be forgiven.

“ Pardon? ” is also how you'd ask someone to repeat themselves if you didn't hear or understand what they said. In this case, you should say it with a rising tone to indicate that it's a question.

Another way to say this is “ pourriez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît ?” – “Could you repeat, please?”

Merci beaucoup – “Thanks a lot”

And of course, don't forget to say thank you!

The French word for “thank you” is merci . Or you can make it stronger by saying merci beaucoup – “thanks very much”.

Use merci in all the same situations you'd say “thank you” in English.

Other Must-Know French Greetings and Polite Phrases:

• Nice to meet you – Enchanté
• How’s it going? – Comment ça va?
• And you? – Et toi?
• Are you well? – Vous allez bien?
• What’s new? / What’s up? – Quoi de neuf?
• Good, thanks! – Bien, merci!
• So-so / It’s okay – Comme ci, comme ça (Literally: “like this, like that”)
• Same as always – Comme d’hab
• It could be worse – Ça pourrait être pire
• You’re welcome – Je t'en prie
• Don’t mention it / You’re welcome – De rien
• Goodbye – Au revoir
• See you soon – À bientôt!

French Phrases for Maintaining a Conversation

Je voudrais parler français – “i would like to speak french”.

The French are famously protective of their language. Sometimes they can be a bit impatient with us anglophones, and reply in English to your imperfect French questions.

It's frustrating when this happens, but if you ever want to make progress in a foreign language, you absolutely must stop speaking English !

Be polite but firm when someone tries to speak English with you – tell them “ Je voudrais parler français ” – “I'd like to speak French.”

Note that, unlike in English, names of languages are not written with a capital letter in French.

Je ne comprends pas – “I don’t understand”

Sometimes pardon doesn't quite cut it. If you really can't figure out what the other person is saying, try telling them “ je ne comprends pas ” – “I don't understand.”

There's no shame in being a beginner! Just remember not to fall back to English when the going gets tough. If you don't understand something, persevere in French anyway – it's the only way you'll learn.

Que veut dire ça? – “What does that mean?”

Maybe the reason you didn't understand is because there was a specific word you didn't recognise. If that's the case, say “ que veut dire X? ” – “What does X mean?”

You can also phrase this as “ ça veut dire quoi? ” – “What does that mean?”

Plus lentement – “More slowly”

Sometimes, vocabulary isn’t the problem. You’d know the words if you could make them out, but you can't because the other person is talking too fast!

In this case, try saying plus lentement – “more slowly”.

Better yet, say a full sentence: “ Pourriez-vous parler plus lentement, s’il vous plaît? ” – “Can you speak more slowly, please?”

Comment dit-on __ en français? – “How do you say __ in French?”

What if you need to say something in French, but the exact word escapes you?

Just fill in the blank in the above sentence: “ Comment dit-on X en français? ” means “How do you say X in French”?

A side note: the pronoun on , seen above, is an interesting one. It’s a colloquial alternative to nous (“we”). However, on is also used to refer to an unspecified person or people in general, like the word “one” is sometimes used in formal English. (If you speak German, note that on in this sense is like the German word man .)

One doesn't use the word “one” very much in modern English – one finds it rather old-timey and stuffy. These days you normally use “you” when you're talking about people in general.

Comment ça s'écrit? – “How do you spell that?”

If you learn a new French word using the phrase above, you might want to write it down before you forget it.

Unfortunately, French spelling isn't the easiest.

The relationship between spelling and French pronunciation can be complicated. Generally, it's easier to figure out a word's pronunciation from its spelling than it is to know its spelling from its pronunciation. I wrote a guide to help you with French pronunciation here .

So if you're not sure, ask someone “ comment ça s'ecrit? ” – “How do you spell that?” Literally: “How does that write itself?”

Or if you don't trust your own transcription abilities, try asking them to write it for you: say “ Est-ce que vous pouvez l'écrire? ” – “Can you write it (down)?”

Other Helpful Phrases for Maintaining a French Conversation:

• Can you speak more slowly please? – Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement s'il vous plaît?
• Can you say it one more time? – Pouvez-vous le dire une fois de plus?
• Do you speak French? – Parlez-vous français?
• Do you understand? – Comprenez vous?
• What do you do for a living? – Qu’est-ce que tu fais dans la vie?
• How old are you? – Quel âge as-tu?
• I’m _ years old – J’ai _ ans
• Where are you from? – D'où êtes-vous?
• I’m from… – Je viens…
• Are you married? – Es-tu marié?
• Are you single? – Es-tu célibataire?
• When can we meet? – Quand pouvons-nous nous rencontrer?
• What’s your phone number? – Quel est ton numéro de téléphone?

French Phrases for Getting Around

Où est… – “where is…”.

Struggling to find your way around? Not to worry. Just get a stranger's attention (remember what phrase would you use to do this?) and ask “ où est X ” – “Where is X?”

“X” could be many things: la Tour Eiffel, le Louvre, Notre Dame … or perhaps something less exotic, like le metro or un restaurant .

Où se trouve la station de métro la plus proche? – “Where is the closest metro station?”

Another way of saying “where is it?” is où se trouve , literally “where is (it) found”.

Here's an example of où se trouve combined with another handy phrase to know: la station de métro la plus proche means “the closest metro station”.

One more piece of useful vocabulary: once you're in the metro station, you might want to ask someone “ où est le guichet? ” – “Where is the ticket window?”

Je voudrais acheter un billet – “I would like to buy a ticket”

Now that you've found the guichet , you probably want to buy a billet – a ticket. But what type of ticket do you want?

• un billet aller simple – a one-way ticket
• un billet aller retour – a round-trip ticket

Make your decision, and tell the assistant “ je voudrais un billet aller simple/retour pour X ” – “I would like to buy a one-way/round-trip ticket to X”, where X is your destination.

C'est combien? – “How much is it?”

France isn't the cheapest of countries – so whether you're at the guichet or elsewhere, it doesn't hurt to be price-conscious.

To ask how much something costs, say “ c'est combien? ” – “how much is it?” You can also say “ Combien ça coûte? ” – literally, “how much does it cost?”

Où sont les toilettes? – “Where are the toilets?”

It's worth learning this phrase, because you might need it in a hurry! Où sont les toilettes means “where are the toilets?”

Although if you want to use a public toilet, you could be searching for a long time.

They aren't very common in France – and if you do find one, you'll probably have to pay to use it. You're probably better off buying something in a café and using their toilets instead.

(Why is it “ où sont “, when previously we used “ où est “? Easy: sont means “are” while est means “is”. Since toilettes is plural, you must use sont , not est – “where are the toilets?”, rather than “where is the toilets”, which wouldn’t make sense.)

À quelle heure est-ce qu’il faut régler la note? – “What time is check out?”

If you're checking into a hotel in a French-speaking country, one useful thing to know the checkout time.

One way to find this out is to ask “ à quelle heure est-ce qu’il faut régler la note? ” – “What time must we check out?”

Another similar expression is: “ quelle est l'heure limite d'occupation? ” (Lit: “What is the occupancy cut-off time?”

La carte/le menu, s’il vous plaît. – “The menu, please.”

France is famous for its food, so while you're there, you'll probably want to dine in a restaurant or two!

When dining out in any language, there are usually a few subtleties around how to order. Here I'll explain one of the more important things to know in French: the words for “menu”.

I say “words” because there are two main ways to say “menu” in French.

The general word is carte , which you may recognise from the expression à la carte .

A carte is what you typically think of when you hear the word “menu”. It's a list of individually-priced options; you pick and choose what you want, then add up the prices to get your total bill.

But you can also ask for a menu , which is usually called a “fixed-price menu” in English. When ordering from a menu , you pick an option for each course (starter, main course, etc.) and pay the same, fixed price no matter what you selected.

Whichever option you choose, inform the serveur/serveuse (“waiter/waitress”) by saying “ la carte/le menu, s’il vous plaît ” – “the menu/fixed-price menu, please.”

Je ne peux pas manger… – “I can’t eat…”

This doesn't apply to everybody, but for those to whom it does apply, it's very important: informing the waiter about your dietary restrictions.

The simplest way to do this is to say “ je ne peux pas manger de X ” – “I can't eat X”. Here are some of the more common ways to fill in the blank:

• cacahuètes – peanuts
• noix – nuts
• gluten – gluten
• fruits de mer – shell fish
• œufs – eggs
• poisson – fish
• produits laitiers – dairy products
• viande – meat

If you're vegetarian, say so with “ je suis végétarien ” (for men) or “ végétarienne ” (for women.)

A vegan is a “ végétalien(ne) “, although végan/végane is sometimes used too.

You could also explain “ je ne consomme pas de produits animaux .” – “I don't consume animal products”

Nous voudrions commander maintenant. – “We would like to place an order now.”

To “order” in French is commander , when you're talking about ordering something in a restaurant.

Don't confuse this with ordonner , which is used in the sense of “to order a person to do something”, such as in the military.

After receiving the carte or the menu , and perhaps informing the waiter of your dietary restrictions, you may be given some time to make a decision. When you're ready, say “ nous voudrions commander maintenant ” – “we'd like to order now.”

It’s also acceptable in nearly any restaurant to use on instead of nous for we, as I mentioned earlier: On voudrait commander maintenant.

Or if you're by yourself, say je voudrais (I'd like) instead of nous voudrions (we'd like). Bon appétit!

L’addition, s’il vous plaît. – “The bill, please”

One final bit of restaurant-related vocabulary – the bill (or “check” if you're American) is l'addition .

So when you're ready to leave, say l’addition, s’il vous plaît – “the bill, please”.

You’ll often hear la facture used in Quebec instead of l’addition – however both are perfectly understandable to waitstaff.

Other French Phrases for Out and About in France:

• Can you help me please? – Pouvez-vous m'aider s'il vous plaît?
• I would like… – Je voudrais…
• I’d like one of those please – J'en voudrais un s'il vous plait
• Three: Trois
• Four: Quatre
• Five: *Cinq

Learn more: French Numbers: Counting in French from 1 – 100+

Romantic French Phrases

Je t'aime – “i love you”.

Finally, let’s talk about love.

They say that French is a romantic language, so maybe in your travels you'll find love on the road? Or maybe after you get home, you'll want to use your newfound French skills to woo that special someone.

So how do you say “I love you” in French?

The French word for “to love” is adorer – but you generally only use this word when talking about things rather than people, for example to say that you love a place, book, or song.

When talking to a person, say je t'aime . Aimer usually means “like”, but in this context it means “love” in the most romantic of senses. Use it wisely!

Here are some other romantic French phrases:

• My heart – Mon cœur
• My love – Mon amour
• You’re beautiful – Tu es belle (to a woman); Tu es beau (to a man)
• You’re too cute – Tu es trop mignon
• I like you (Lit: “You please me”) – Tu me plais

Bonus: French Slang

Wondering what a famous French saying is that you could use in everyday life? Or how do you say “cool” in French slang?

Here are some bonus French sayings and slang to level up your French:

• Cool – Cool (yes, really! Just say it with a French accent 😉)
• Awesome – Génial
• That sucks – C’est nul
• That’s great – C’est top
• Don’t worry – T'inquiète
• Losing my mind – Perdre la tête

Over to You

Can you think of any other useful French phrases for tourists? What are the most important words and phrases for beginners to know? Let us know in the comments.

And if you’re ready to learn more French, check out the 111 core French words that are commonly used. Or learn some more fun French slang !

Benny Lewis

Founder, Fluent in 3 Months

Fun-loving Irish guy, full-time globe trotter and international bestselling author. Benny believes the best approach to language learning is to speak from day one .

Speaks: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Esperanto, Mandarin Chinese, American Sign Language, Dutch, Irish

Have a 15-minute conversation in your new language after 90 days