Languages › French The 20 Most Common French Words Print Westend61 / Getty Images French Vocabulary Pronunciation & Conversation Grammar Resources For Teachers By ThoughtCo Team Updated on April 20, 2019 If you want to learn French, of course, it's important to study grammar, such as the rules for conjugating verbs, and practicing French dialogues is also vital. Just as important, however, is learning the most common French words. 01 of 02 Top 10 Most Common French Words Here are the top 10 most common French words. 1) le, la, l', les: the 2) être: to be 3) avoir: to have 4) de: of, from 5) un, une, des: a, an, some 6) je: I 7) il / ils*: he, it / they 8) ce: this 9) pas: not 10) à: to, in *We would have listed il and ils separately, but they were combined in the source document. Read More Important French Words to Learn By ThoughtCo Team 02 of 02 Top French Words: 11-20 11) et: and 12) on: one, you, we 13) vous: you 14) ça: this, that 15) que: that 16) ne: not 17) faire: to do, make 18) qui: who/what 19) oui: yes 20) alors: then, so Source: Gougenheim 2.00. Fréquences orales et de production Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Team, ThoughtCo. "The 20 Most Common French Words." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/most-common-french-words-1372759. Team, ThoughtCo. (2023, April 5). The 20 Most Common French Words. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/most-common-french-words-1372759 Team, ThoughtCo. "The 20 Most Common French Words." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/most-common-french-words-1372759 (accessed April 19, 2024). copy citation