The reputation of the French as cold to tourists who do not speak their language is mostly a Paris-specific myth, and even in Paris it is more nuanced than it sounds. What French people do notice — and respond to warmly — is the effort. Starting a conversation in French, even badly, even with an obvious accent, signals something. It signals that you think their language is worth the trouble.
This guide covers three situations: cafés and restaurants, public transport, and shopping. The phrases are the ones that actually come up — not theoretical vocabulary, but the sentences you will need in real moments.
A word on tone first
French has a formal register (vous) and an informal one (tu). With strangers — shopkeepers, waiters, anyone you do not know — always use vous. Using tu with a stranger can come across as rude. The phrases below use vous throughout.
Also: always begin with Bonjour (good morning/afternoon) or Bonsoir (good evening). Walking into a shop or approaching a counter without greeting is considered abrupt. A simple Bonjour, monsieur/madame before you say anything else sets the right tone immediately.
At the café and restaurant
French café culture is one of the great pleasures of travel in France. Knowing how to navigate it properly — without pointing at the menu or defaulting immediately to English — is worth the effort.
Ordering drinks:
- Un café, s'il vous plaît — A coffee, please (in France, this means espresso)
- Un café crème, s'il vous plaît — A coffee with cream/milk
- Un café allongé — A longer, weaker espresso (closer to an Americano)
- Une bière, s'il vous plaît — A beer, please
- Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît — A jug of tap water, please (always free)
- Un verre de vin rouge/blanc — A glass of red/white wine
At the table:
- La carte, s'il vous plaît — The menu, please
- Qu'est-ce que vous recommandez? — What do you recommend?
- C'est quoi, exactement? — What is this, exactly?
- Je suis allergique à... — I am allergic to...
- Sans [ingredient], s'il vous plaît — Without [ingredient], please
- C'est délicieux — It's delicious (always appreciated)
Paying:
- L'addition, s'il vous plaît — The bill, please
- Le service est compris? — Is service included?
- On peut payer par carte? — Can we pay by card?
- C'est pour moi — It's on me (I'm paying)
The phrase you will use most: S'il vous plaît (please) and merci (thank you). Use them constantly, with everyone, for everything. French service culture responds to politeness in a way that surprises most visitors.
On public transport
Paris has one of the best metro systems in the world — and one of the most confusing for first-time visitors. Outside Paris, regional trains (TER), intercity trains (TGV), and buses require a small but specific vocabulary.
Buying tickets:
- Un billet pour [ville], s'il vous plaît — One ticket to [city], please
- Aller simple — Single (one way)
- Aller-retour — Return (round trip)
- À quelle heure part le prochain train? — What time does the next train leave?
- Le train est direct? — Is the train direct?
- Faut-il changer? — Do I need to change trains?
On the metro or bus:
- C'est quel arrêt pour...? — Which stop is it for...?
- Ce bus va à...? — Does this bus go to...?
- Je dois descendre à quelle station? — Which station do I get off at?
- C'est composter le billet? — Do I need to stamp/validate the ticket?
When lost:
- Excusez-moi, vous pouvez m'aider? — Excuse me, can you help me?
- Où est...? — Where is...?
- Comment je vais à...? — How do I get to...?
- À droite / À gauche / Tout droit — Right / Left / Straight ahead
- C'est loin? — Is it far?
Shopping
French shops — especially smaller ones in market towns — expect a greeting and a brief exchange before any transaction. The self-service silence of a supermarket is not the norm in a boulangerie or a fromagerie.
In a shop:
- Combien ça coûte? — How much does this cost?
- Vous avez ça en quelle taille? — What sizes do you have?
- Je peux l'essayer? — Can I try it on?
- Je le prends — I'll take it
- Je regarde seulement, merci — Just browsing, thanks
- C'est pour offrir — It's a gift (staff will often wrap it)
At a market:
- C'est combien le kilo? — How much per kilo?
- Donnez-moi deux cents grammes de... — Give me 200 grams of...
- C'est mûr? — Is it ripe?
- Qu'est-ce que vous conseillez? — What do you recommend?
Useful everywhere:
- Je ne comprends pas — I don't understand
- Vous pouvez répéter plus lentement? — Can you repeat that more slowly?
- Comment ça s'écrit? — How is that spelled?
- Vous parlez anglais? — Do you speak English?
How to prepare these before you travel
French pronunciation is not obvious from the spelling, and the gap between reading a phrase and saying it correctly is significant. Silent letters, liaisons (where the final consonant of one word merges with the first vowel of the next), and nasal vowels all need to be heard before they can be reproduced.
Listen before you read. For every phrase you want to use, find a recording of a native speaker saying it. Learn the sound first. Then connect the spelling to the sound you already know.
Practise the greeting separately. Bonjour, madame/monsieur before every interaction is the single highest-leverage thing you can do. It is easy, it costs nothing, and it changes how the rest of the conversation goes.
Accept a French accent as inevitable. You will sound like a foreigner. That is fine. French people do not expect perfection. They expect effort. The effort is the point.
The goal on a first trip to France is not fluency. It is enough French to show respect, navigate the practical moments, and have small interactions that are better than they would have been with pointing and hoping. That is achievable in a few weeks of preparation, and the return on that investment is genuine.