The 100 most common French words

Just 100 words carry a surprising amount of any language. Here are the 100 most frequent French words, each with its English translation and a natural example sentence — the fastest, highest-leverage place to start building a French vocabulary.

de preposition · A1

of / from / about

C'est le chien de mon voisin. — It is my neighbor's dog.
je pronoun · A1

I

Je vais au supermarché. — I am going to the supermarket.
est verb · A1

is / east

C'est une bonne idée. — That is a good idea.
pas adverb / noun · masculine · A1

not / step

Je ne sais pas quoi faire. — I do not know what to do.
le article / pronoun · masculine · A1

the / him / it

Le soleil brille aujourd'hui. — The sun is shining today.
que conjunction / pronoun · A1

that / what / whom / than / only

Je pense qu'il est parti. — I think that he left.
la article / pronoun · A1

the / her / it

Je prends la pomme. — I am taking the apple.
vous pronoun · A1

you (plural or formal)

Comment allez-vous ? — How are you?
tu pronoun · A1

you (singular informal)

Tu viens avec nous ? — Are you coming with us?
un article / numeral · A1

a / an / one

Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. — I would like a coffee, please.
c' pronoun · A1

it / this / that

C'est une excellente idée. — It is an excellent idea.
à preposition · A1

to / at / in

Je vais à la boulangerie. — I am going to the bakery.
et conjunction · A1

and

Je voudrais un croissant et un café. — I would like a croissant and a coffee.
il pronoun · A1

he / it

Il travaille dans une banque. — He works in a bank.
a verb · A1

has

Il a une nouvelle voiture. — He has a new car.
l' article / pronoun · A1

the / him / her / it

J'ouvre l'enveloppe. — I open the envelope.
ne adverb · A1

not / only

Je ne comprends pas. — I do not understand.
les article / pronoun · A1

the / them

Où sont les clés ? — Where are the keys?
j' pronoun · A1

I

J'ai faim. — I am hungry.
en pronoun / preposition · A2

in / of it / some

Elle est née en mai. — She was born in May.
on pronoun · A1

we / one / people / someone

On a faim. — We are hungry.
ça pronoun · A1

that / it / this

Comment ça va ? — How is it going?
une article / number · A1

a / an / one

J'ai acheté une pomme au marché. — I bought an apple at the market.
d' preposition · A1

of / from / some / any

J'ai besoin d'aide. — I need help.
ce determiner / pronoun · A1

this / that / it

Combien coûte ce pantalon ? — How much are these pants?
qu' conjunction / pronoun · A1

that / what / whom / than

Je pense qu'il a raison. — I think that he is right.
pour preposition · A1

for / in order to

J'ai acheté ce livre pour mon frère. — I bought this book for my brother.
ai verb · A1

I have

J'ai une question pour vous. — I have a question for you.
n' adverb · A1

not

Je n'aime pas le café. — I do not like coffee.
des article / preposition · A1

some / of the / from the

Je vois des oiseaux dans le ciel. — I see some birds in the sky.
qui pronoun · A1

who / which / that

C'est la femme qui travaille avec moi. — That's the woman who works with me.
mais conjunction · A1

but / however

Je veux venir, mais je dois travailler. — I want to come, but I have to work.
dans preposition · A1

in / inside / within

Il y a un chat dans la boîte. — There is a cat in the box.
nous pronoun · A1

we / us / ourselves

Nous avons un petit problème. — We have a little problem.
elle pronoun · A1

she / it / her

Elle a trente ans. — She is thirty years old.
me pronoun · A1

me / to me / myself

Il me regarde. — He is looking at me.
bien adverb · A1

well / good / very

Je vais bien, merci. — I am doing well, thank you.
si conjunction / adverb · A1

if / so / yes

Si tu as faim, prends une pomme. — If you are hungry, take an apple.
du article / preposition · A1

some / of the / from the

Je voudrais du pain, s'il vous plaît. — I would like some bread, please.
y pronoun · A2

there / to it / about it

J'y vais tout de suite. — I am going there right away.
suis verb · A1

am / follow

Je suis prêt à partir. — I am ready to leave.
non adverb · A1

no / not

Tu veux du café ? — Non, merci. — Do you want some coffee? — No, thank you.
t' pronoun · A1

you / to you / yourself

Je t'écoute. — I am listening to you.
avec preposition · A1

with

Je vais au cinéma avec mes amis. — I am going to the movies with my friends.
tout adjective / pronoun / adverb · A1

all / everything / very / whole

Il a mangé tout le gâteau. — He ate the whole cake.
plus adverb · A1

more / anymore / most

Je voudrais un peu plus de café. — I would like a little more coffee.
mon adjective · A1

my

Où est mon téléphone ? — Where is my phone?
m' pronoun · A1

me / to me / myself

Il m'a donné un livre. — He gave me a book.
te pronoun · A1

you / to you / yourself

Je te donne mon numéro. — I give you my number.
au preposition · A1

to the / at the / in the

Je vais au supermarché. — I am going to the supermarket.
fait noun · masculine · A2

fact / event / deed

C'est un fait indéniable. — It is an undeniable fact.
moi pronoun · A1

me / I

C'est à moi. — It belongs to me.
s' pronoun · A1

himself / herself / themselves / each other / if

Elle s'appelle Sophie. — She calls herself Sophie.
oui adverb · A1

yes

Tu aimes le café ? — Oui, beaucoup. — Do you like coffee? — Yes, a lot.
va verb · A1

goes / is going

Il va à la plage cet après-midi. — He is going to the beach this afternoon.
était verb · A1

was / used to be

Il était fatigué après le travail. — He was tired after work.
as verb · A1

have

Tu as un stylo ? — Do you have a pen?
faire verb · A1

to do / to make

Qu'est-ce que tu fais ? — What are you doing?
ils pronoun · A1

they (masculine / mixed)

Ils arrivent demain matin. — They arrive tomorrow morning.
sur preposition · A1

on / upon / about / out of

Le chat dort sur le canapé. — The cat is sleeping on the couch.
quoi pronoun · A1

what / you know

Tu as dit quoi ? — You said what?
se pronoun · A1

himself / herself / itself / themselves / each other

Il se rase tous les matins. — He shaves himself every morning.
comme conjunction · A1

like / as / since

Il pleure comme un bébé. — He cries like a baby.
sais verb · A1

know / know how to

Je ne sais pas quoi faire. — I don't know what to do.
être verb · A1

to be

Je veux être avec toi. — I want to be with you.
veux verb · A1

want / wish

Je ne veux pas y aller. — I don't want to go there.
ici adverb · A1

here

Je travaille ici tous les jours. — I work here every day.
ma adjective · A1

my

C'est ma maison. — It's my house.
toi pronoun · A1

you

C'est pour toi. — This is for you.
est-ce verb · A1

is it / is this

Est-ce que tu viens avec nous ? — Are you coming with us?
dit verb · A1

says / said / told

Il dit qu'il va pleuvoir. — He says that it is going to rain.
lui pronoun · A1

him / to him / to her

Je lui donne les clés. — I give him the keys.
votre adjective · A1

your

Où est votre manteau ? — Where is your coat?
es verb · A1

are

Tu es prêt pour le départ ? — Are you ready for departure?
pourquoi adverb · A1

why

Pourquoi es-tu en retard ? — Why are you late?
où adverb / pronoun · A1

where / when

Où est la gare ? — Where is the train station?
là adverb · A1

there / here

Qui est là ? — Who is there?
rien pronoun · A1

nothing / anything

Je n'ai rien à dire. — I have nothing to say.
cette adjective · A1

this / that

Je veux acheter cette voiture. — I want to buy this car.
sont verb · A1

are / have (as auxiliary)

Où sont mes clés ? — Where are my keys?
quand conjunction · A1

when

Quand est-ce que tu viens ? — When are you coming?
peux verb · A1

can / am able to

Je ne peux pas venir ce soir. — I cannot come tonight.
dire verb · A1

to say / to tell

Je n'ai rien à dire. — I have nothing to say.
son determiner / noun · masculine · A1

his / her / its / sound

Il a oublié son manteau. — He forgot his coat.
avez verb · A1

have

Vous avez le temps de m'aider ? — Do you have time to help me?
vais verb · A1

go / am going

Je vais au cinéma ce soir. — I am going to the movies tonight.
alors adverb · A1

so / then / in that case

Alors, qu'est-ce qu'on fait ? — So, what are we doing?
ton determiner / noun · masculine · A1

your / tone

C'est ton tour de jouer. — It's your turn to play.
comment adverb · A1

how / what

Comment tu as fait ça ? — How did you do that?
par preposition · A1

by / through / per

Je passe par Paris pour aller à Londres. — I am going through Paris to get to London.
ou conjunction · A1

or

Tu veux du thé ou du café ? — Do you want tea or coffee?
chose noun · feminine · A1

thing / matter

C'est une chose très importante. — It's a very important thing.
bon adjective · A1

good / right / tasty

C'est un très bon livre. — It is a very good book.
ont verb · A1

have

Ils ont beaucoup de chance. — They have a lot of luck.
merci interjection / noun · masculine · A1

thank you / thanks

Merci pour ton aide. — Thank you for your help.
juste adjective / adverb · A1

just / fair / right / only

Ce n'est pas juste ! — That's not fair!
très adverb · A1

very

C'est très gentil de ta part. — That's very kind of you.
jamais adverb · A1

never / ever

Je ne bois jamais de café le soir. — I never drink coffee in the evening.
été noun / verb form · masculine · A1

summer / been

Nous partons en Italie cet été. — We are going to Italy this summer.
aussi adverb · A1

also / too / as

Je veux venir aussi. — I want to come too.

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