French Vocabulary Lessons + Lists

Even if you're just going to France for a week, you should know some survival French - a few essential words and phrases that you'll use over and over. Learn essential French vocabulary and phrases like do you speak English, yes, no, and I don't know.

Learn the most useful and common French phrases.

Not all vocabulary is created equal. There are some French phrases that you will hear literally every day, multiple times a day, and odds are that you should be using them that often too. Here are five truly essential everyday French phrases for you to use every day.

Words, words, words! Languages are made up of words, and French is no exception. Here are all kinds of French vocabulary lessons, practice ideas, and tips to help you get better at learning and remembering French words.

There are more than 2,500 sound files on this site which you can use to work on your French pronunciation and listening skills.

Studying endless lists of French vocabulary can get tedious. One way to make learning vocabulary more interesting and interactive is with the use of flash cards. This article has information and tips on creating French flash cards and putting them to good use.

Over the years, the English language has borrowed a great number of words and expressions from French. Some of this vocabulary has been so completely absorbed by English that speakers might not realize its origins. Other words and expressions have retained their "Frenchness" - a certain "je ne sais quoi" which speakers tend to be much more aware of.

Increase your vocabulary with this list of 1,700 French-English cognates - words which are identical in the two languages and share at least one meaning.

Words that look very similar in French and English might have very different meanings, so watch out for these false cognates.

Think accents don't matter when writing or typing in French? Think again! There are dozens of French word pairs which are spelled (though not always pronounced) the same other than accents. To avoid confusion, you should always distinguish between these words by using the correct accents.

My lessons on French gestures are among the most popular pages on my site, partly because gestures are so frequently used when speaking French, and partly because many gestures are not commonly taught in French classes. Among the dozens of gestures and facial expressions in my lessons, there are ten that really stand out.

Which French words do I really need to know?

If you spend a lot of time reading/writing French, especially on the computer, having a good French dictionary program (or two) can make life a lot easier. I recently purchased several French dictionary programs and already can't remember what life was like without them. Based on my own preferences as well as extensive research, here are the best French dictionary programs you can buy.

Before You Know It is a software program that can help you learn and remember French vocabulary.

Homophones are words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings and, sometimes, spellings. Therefore, French homophones can cause difficulties in oral comprehension and spelling. These pages should help you to understand the difference between the most common French homophones.

If you're wondering how to say something in French, you've come to the right place. Here are some ideas and resources to help you find out how to say anything in French.

If you are having trouble learning and remembering new French vocabulary, these specialized books can help.

Vocabulary is one of the keys to language. When people talk about fluency, they usually include some reference to the minimum number of words that one must know. To make it easier for you to find essential French vocabulary pages, I've put them together into a handy top 15 list that you can bookmark for future reference.