Are you planning on studying or teaching in France? Do you know the most common classroom phrases in French for students or teachers alike? Whether you’re about to join a university as a foreign student or to teach your native language as a teacher in a French school, you will have to learn how to communicate in the classroom.

If you’re a student, not only will you need to learn how to address your teachers, but also to understand their instructions. And vice versa if you’re in the teacher’s shoes! You will also need to learn some basic vocabulary, such as school subjects and supplies, as well as infrastructure.

In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know as a teacher or a student, from common phrases to vocabulary, instructions, and a list of school subjects. It will teach you how to ask questions or give instructions and allow you to focus solely on the topic at hand rather than struggling with the common classroom interactions. Get your pencil case ready, and let’s jump straight into it!

Levez la main avant de répondre. (“Raise your hand before answering.”)

Table of Contents

1. School Vocabulary
2. Teacher’s Phrases
3. Student’s Phrases
4. Subjects’ List
5. Tests Instructions
6. Le mot de la fin

1. School Vocabulary

Before we get to the common french phrases, let’s get some basic school vocabulary. To get your way around the schoolyard or the campus, you will need to know about the infrastructure as well as the stationaries.

1- Educational Infrastructures

Une salle de classe	Classroom
Un bâtiment	Building
Un amphithéâtre	Amphitheater
La cantine	Canteen
Le restaurant universitaire	University canteen
La cafétéria	Cafeteria
Une salle d’examen	Exam room
Le secrétariat	Secretariat
La salle des professeurs	Teachers’ room
La bibliothèque	Library

2- School Supplies

Un cahier	Notebook
Un classeur	Binder
Une feuille	Sheet of paper
Un livre	Book
Un stylo	Pen
Un crayon	Pencil
Une trousse	Pencil case
Une gomme	Eraser
Un cartable	Schoolbag
Un sac à dos	Backpack
Une calculatrice, Une calculette	Calculator
Des ciseaux	Scissors
Une règle	Ruler
Un taille-crayon	Pencil sharpener

➜ For more school essentials and classroom vocabulary, be sure to explore our free vocabulary lists of French words with audio recordings. It’s free on FrenchPod101.

Des fournitures scolaires (“School supplies”)

2. Teacher’s Phrases

Whether you’re a student or a teacher in a French class, this section is for you! As a teacher, you need to know how to address your class, and as a student, you’d better understand what the teacher is saying. Let’s see some of the most common French teacher’s phrases.

1- Instructions

Aujourd’hui, nous allons apprendre la conjugaison. (“Today we are going to learn conjugation.”)

Ouvrez votre livre à la page 12. (“Open your book on page 12.”)

Prenez une feuille de papier. (“Take a sheet of paper.”)

Levez la main si vous avez la réponse. (“Raise your hand if you have the answer.”)

Ecoutez et répétez après moi. (“Listen and repeat after me.”)

Regardez l’image à l’écran / Regardez l’image au tableau. (“Look at the picture on the screen.” / “Look at the picture on the board.”)

Écrivez cette phrase. (“Write this sentence.”)

Épelez ce mot. (“Spell this word.”)

Faites une phrase avec le mot “demain”. (“Make a sentence with the word “tomorrow.””)

Comment dit-on “tomorrow” en français ? (“How do you say “tomorrow” in French?”)

Travaillez deux par deux. (“Work in pairs.”)

Nous allons former de petits groupes. (“We will form small groups.”)

2- Questions

Vous comprenez cette phrase ? (“Do you understand this sentence?”)

Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ? (“What does that mean?”)

Qui peut répondre à cette question ? (“Who can answer this question?”)

Quelle est la bonne réponse ? (“What is the correct answer?”)

Qui veut lire à voix haute ? (“Who wants to read aloud?”)

3- Discipline

Asseyez-vous. (“Take a seat.”)

Un peu de silence. (“Silence, please.”)

Faites attention. (“Be careful.”)

Taisez-vous au fond. (“Shut up in the back.”)

➜ Would you like to live on a French campus? Never get lost with our free vocabulary list on School campus, complete with examples and recordings, on FrenchPod101.

Travailler en petits groupes (“To work in small groups”)

3. Student’s Phrases

France is renowned for its high education and affordable studies, making it one of the 5 most popular destinations for foreign students. For more information on the various programs, financing options, and campus sites, the website Campus France is the most official online resource you’ll find.

1- Talking About Teachers

In primary school, school teachers are referred to as:

• [Male] Un maître (Literally: “Master”)
• [Female] Une maîtresse (Literally: “Mistress”)

In University and High school, they are called Professeur (“Professor”)
There is also a short casual version: Prof

You can use these words when talking about teachers:

• La maîtresse est absente jusqu’à demain. (“The teacher is away until tomorrow.”)
• Je suis professeur à l’université de la Sorbonne. (“I am a professor at the Sorbonne University.”)
• Mon prof d’anglais a un accent Écossais. (“My English teacher has a Scottish accent.”)

2- Addressing Teachers

At every level, unless told otherwise, students address their teachers using the words:

• [Male] Monsieur (“Sir”)
• [Female] Madame (“Madam”)

Here are a few examples:

• Madame, j’ai une question. (“Madam, I have a question.”)
• Monsieur, est-ce que je peux utiliser un crayon ? (“Sir, can I use a pencil?”)

As a teacher, whether it’s your colleagues or your students, you can simply call them by their names.

3- I have a Question

What is the most important information to convey during a class? When you don’t understand something. Whenever it happens, you shouldn’t wait until it magically clicks. It’s best to be proactive and talk about it right away.

Similarly, you will probably have some questions along the way, and being able to articulate them clearly is a valuable skill.

Je ne comprends pas. (“I don’t understand.”)

Je ne comprends pas la terminaison de ce mot. (“I don’t understand the ending of this word.”)

J’ai du mal à conjuguer ce verbe. (“I have trouble conjugating this verb.”)

Vous pouvez répéter s’il vous plaît ? (“Could you repeat that please?”)

Vous pouvez répéter plus lentement ? (“Can you repeat slower?”)

Je ne sais pas dire ça. (“I don’t know how to say that.”)

Comment ça se prononce ? (“How do you pronounce it?”)

Quelle page ? (“What page?”)

4- I have a Problem

We’re spending so much time in the classroom that we’re bound to face some trouble. It is not much of a problem to have an unforeseen event or an accident, as long as you know how to explain it.

J’ai oublié mon livre. (“I forgot my book.”)

Je n’ai pas de stylo. (“I don’t have a pen.”)

J’ai perdu mon cahier. (“I lost my notebook.”)

J’ai un problème. (“I have a problem.”)

Est-ce que je peux emprunter une gomme ? (“Can I borrow an eraser?”)

J’ai besoin d’un peu plus de temps. (“I need a little more time.”)

J’ai presque terminé ! (“I’m almost done!”)

Je peux aller aux toilettes ? (“Can I go to the bathroom?”)

Je m’excuse pour le retard. (“I apologize for the delay.”)

Je ne pourrai pas venir au prochain cours. (“I won’t be able to come to the next class.”)

Je n’ai pas fait mes exercices. (“I didn’t do my exercises.”)

J’ai oublié mes devoirs (“I forgot my homework.”)

Le chat a vomi sur mes devoirs et mon cartable a pris feu. (“The cat threw up on my homework and my schoolbag caught fire.”)

➜ Are you one to break the rules? Feeling too cool for school? Check out our Top 15 phrases for bad students, on FrenchPod101.

Je ne comprends rien. (“I don’t understand anything.”)

4. Subjects’ List

You probably already know how to talk about what you’re studying or teaching, but whenever you’re chatting with your fellow students or teachers, a variety of other subject matters may come up.

Les mathématiques	Math
La biologie	Biology
La chimie	Chemistry
L’informatique	Computing
La physique	Physics
L’art	Art
Le dessin	Drawing
Le français	French
L’anglais	English
L’allemand	German
La littérature	Literature
La philosophie	Philosophy
Le latin	Latin
La poésie	Poetry
L’éducation civique	Civics
L’économie	Economy
La politique	Politics
La comptabilité	Accounting
La psychologie	Psychology
La sociologie	Sociology
L’anthropologie	Anthropology
L’histoire	History
La géographie	Geography
Le commerce	Business
La musique	Music
Le solfège	Music theory
L’EPS (éducation physique et sportive)	Physical education (PE)

And here’s how to talk about these subjects:

Je vais en cours d’histoire. (“I’m going to history class.”)

Ma matière préférée est la philo. (“My favorite subject is philosophy.”)

J’ai de bonnes notes en biologie. (“I have good grades in biology.”)

Passer un examen (“To take a test”)

Je dois réviser le dernier cours de solfège. (“I need to review the last music theory class.”)

➜ To practice your pronunciation, be sure to stop by our free vocabulary list on School Subjects, with recorded words and example phrases, on FrenchPod101.

Un cours de physique (“A physics course”)

5. Tests Instructions

When you pass an exam in a foreign country, the last thing you want is to be stressed about the instructions and simple interactions, instead of focusing on the content of the exam itself. Even if you’re well prepared, you have to understand how the exam will take place and exactly what you have to do.

1- Basic Vocabulary

Passer un examen (“To take an exam”) Réussir un examen (“To pass an exam”) Rater un examen (“To fail an exam”)

You should not confuse Passer un examen with “To pass an exam” These 2 sentences are false friends. In this sentence, the French verb passer means “To take” and has no implication on the outcome. “To pass” would translate to Réussir (“To succeed”)

Passer un examen (“To take a test”)

Un examen oral / Un oral (“Oral exam”)

Un diplôme (“Degree”)

Une salle d’examen (“Exam room”)

Un surveillant d’examen (“Test supervisor”)

Un formulaire (“A form”)

2- Instructions

Lisez le texte (“Read the text”)

Lisez les phrases (“Read the sentences”)

Cochez la bonne réponse (“Check the right answer”)

Cochez les cases (“Check the boxes”)

Remplissez les blancs (“Fill in the blanks”)

Complétez ces phrases (“Complete these sentences”)

Mettez ces images dans le bon ordre (“Put these images in the right order”)

Soulignez la bonne réponse (“Underline the correct answer”)

Barrez les mauvaises réponses (“Cross out the wrong answers”)

Écoutez l’exemple (“Listen to the example”)

Décrivez cette image (“Describe this image”)

Écrivez environ 200 mots (“Write about 200 words”)

Résumez ce texte en 100 mots (“Summarize this text in 100 words”)

Remplissez la grille ci-dessous (“Fill in the grid below”)

Il révise pour son examen. (“He is studying for his exam.”)

6. Le mot de la fin

In this guide, you have learned all the most common classroom words and phrases in French, for students and teachers alike. From school vocabulary to test instructions, how to address your teacher or to conduct your class, this guide should provide you with a solid foundation for your daily life in a French school.

Did we forget any important French classroom phrases, or some specific topic you’d like to read about? Make sure to share with your fellow students in the comments below!

To go deeper into the topic, you can explore FrenchPod101, as it has plenty of Free resources for you to practice your grammar and learn new words. The Vocabulary lists are also a great way to revise the words and learn their pronunciation.

Remember that you can also use our premium service, MyTeacher, to get personal 1-on-1 coaching and have your own private teacher to practice with classroom words and more.

Along with assignments, personalized exercises, and recording audio samples just for you, your teacher will review your work and help improve your pronunciation. Happy learning on FrenchPod101!

About the Author: Born and bred in the rainy north of France, Cyril Danon has been bouncing off various jobs before he left everything behind to wander around the wonders of the World. Now, after quenching his wanderlust for the last few years, he’s eager to share his passion for languages.

Going to a restaurant in a foreign country when you don’t speak the language fluently can be unnecessarily stressful for several reasons: 

• You don’t know French etiquette: how should I behave? How do things work? How do I address the waitress? Should I leave a tip?
• You don’t know the language: How do I ask for a drink? How do you say “Main course?” What’s the phrase to ask for more bread?

Knowing the basic French restaurant phrases is one thing, but learning about the ins and outs of French dining beforehand will truly take you to the next level.

In this article, we’ll go through the six steps of going to a restaurant, and, for each phase, we’ll list the most common and useful French phrases, as well as the restaurant etiquette and unwritten rules you need to know. Fasten your napkin, and let’s dive right into it.

Un restaurant entre amies (“A restaurant with friends”)

Table of Contents

1. Booking a Restaurant
2. Entering a Restaurant
3. Time for Drinks
4. Food on the Table
5. During the Meal
6. Here Comes the Bill
7. Conclusion

1. Booking a Restaurant

A- Should I book? Can I book?

Booking a restaurant is rarely an obligation in France, and you can almost always show up unannounced. Without booking, there’s no guarantee you’ll find a table, though, and in the most popular joints, you may be in for some discouragingly long lines.

There must be some upper-class restaurants that only accept customers with a booking, but I’ve never seen it myself. On the other hand, don’t be surprised if some restaurants don’t take reservations. They prefer to stick to the “first come, first served” rule and won’t block tables.

B- When should I book?

Cheap brasseries and mid-range restaurants with strategic locations can get extremely packed for lunch during the week, as workers from the neighboring companies all flock there at the same time during their synchronized lunch breaks. As a result, booking for lunch is generally a good idea.
Other restaurants, especially in the city center, are very popular dinner options and can attract long lines. If you know that you’re aiming at some sort of iconic or renowned place, it’s better to book in advance.

C- How do I book?

Some restaurants have their own booking system on their official website. Some use thefork.fr or other similar third-party services. In most cases, you can simply make a phone call. Booking information and phone numbers are usually available on Maps.

D- Conversation Example

Here is a phone conversation between a client and a restaurant employee:

Bonjour, Restaurant “Le Loup”, comment puis-je vous aider ? (“Hello, “Le loup” restaurant, how may I help you?”) Bonjour, je voudrais réserver une table pour demain soir. (“Hello, I would like to book a table for tomorrow evening.”) Bien sûr. Combien de personnes ? (“Certainly. How many people?”) Quatre personnes. (“Four people.”) Vous voudriez manger à l’intérieur ou en terrasse ? (“Would you like to eat inside or on the terrace?”) En terrasse, si c’est possible. (“On the terrace if that’s possible.”) D’accord. À quelle heure souhaitez-vous réserver ? (“Okay. What time would you like to book?”) À 20h30. (“At 8:30 pm.”) Pas de problème. Demain soir à 20h30, 4 personnes en terrasse. C’est réservé. (“No problem. Tomorrow night at 8:30, 4 people on the terrace. It’s booked.”) Parfait. Merci beaucoup ! Au revoir. (“That’s fine. Thank you very much! Goodbye.”)

It is useful to know all possible questions, but with experience, you can cut through a lot of this back and forth and simply ask:

Bonjour, je voudrais réserver pour ce midi à 12h40, pour six personnes. (“Hello, I would like to make a reservation for lunch at 12:40 for six people.”)

Réserver une table (“To book a table”)

2. Entering a Restaurant

If you already know the menu and even booked a table, this part of the process will be as simple as introducing yourself at the entrance :

Bonjour, j’ai une réservation au nom de Jack Bauer. (“Hello, I have a reservation under the name of Jack Bauer.”) Bonsoir, j’ai réservé au nom de Jack Bauer, pour six personnes. (‘Good evening, I have a reservation under the name of Jack Bauer, for six people.’)

And you will be shown your table.

If you’re not that prepared, there are a few things you need to know when choosing a restaurant:

• What’s on the menu?
• How much is the food?
• Does it look pretty enough?

A- Can I See the Menu?

Many restaurants have their menu displayed outside, on a sign, or in the restaurant’s window. This is convenient if you want to quietly check your options before entering, as many people are too shy to leave once they set foot inside the premises.

If you can’t find any menu, I would simply advise that you ask for it before sitting down and, if you don’t like what you see, just give it back, thank them politely, and leave. No sane person will take offense, and it’s not considered bad etiquette.

Est-ce que je peux voir le menu, s’il vous plaît ? (“Can I please see the menu?”) Merci, bonne soirée ! (“Thank you, have a good evening!”)

B- Typical Questions and Answers

Once you enter a restaurant, the staff may ask you some questions:

Bonsoir, c’est pour manger ? (“Good evening, are you here to eat?”) Please, refrain from answering, “No, I’m here to play squash.” It’s not as stupid a question as it sounds. Most restaurants also serve drinks, and it’s customary to ask the question so they can place you accordingly. Oui. (“Yes.”) Non, juste pour prendre un verre. (“No, just to have a drink.”)

Vous souhaitez manger à l’intérieur ou en terrasse ? (“Would you like to eat inside or on the terrace?”) À l’intérieur, s’il vous plaît. (“Inside, please.”)

Combien de personnes ? (“How many people?”) Pour deux personnes ? (“For two people?”) Once again, it might be tempting to answer, “No, the third one is hiding under my coat,” but this poor employee is merely doing their job! You might be expecting more friends to join, and the waiter needs to know what table size you need. Pour trois personnes. (“For three people.”)

➜ You can find more words and practice your pronunciation with our vocabulary list on Restaurants, on FrenchPod101.

Le menu (“The menu”)

3. Time for Drinks

Now is the most exciting time! There’s delicious food on the menu, and you’re one order away from having it on your table. No time to get nervous: ordering is usually fairly simple as you can refer to the menu and ask for more information if you’re not familiar with some of the dishes.

But, first, more restaurants will ask you if you want an apéritif. This French word stands for the alcoholic beverage served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. It is usually dry rather than sweet and might come with dry nuts, olives, or breadsticks if you’ve picked a cool place. 

A- Ordering Apéritifs

The apéritif drinks are often listed in a specific section of the menu and are not mandatory. If you don’t feel like having one, simply decline it. It’s also perfectly fine not to have one when you’re among other people, and they order some apéritifs.

Also, keep in mind that restaurants generally make the most margin on drinks, so they’ll never fail to ask you whether you want apéritifs, wine, beer, bottled water, digestifs, and so on.

Est-ce que vous voulez des apéritifs ? (“Do you want to order apéritifs ?”) Je voudrais un pastis, s’il vous plaît. (“I would like a pastis, please.”) Non merci. (“No, thank you.”)

B- Ordering Drinks

Some restaurants phrase it differently and ask if you want to order some drinks. This could happen as soon as you’re seated when you have no idea what’s on the drink menu. You could order an apéritif but also order something to drink with your food, such as table wine or beer.

Qu’est-ce que vous voulez boire ? (“What do you want to drink?”) Est-ce qu’il y aura des boissons ? (“Will there be drinks?”) Je voudrais un demi de blonde, s’il vous plaît. (“I’d like a half-pint of blond beer, please.”) Non merci. (“No, thank you.”) Rien pour moi. (“Nothing for me.”) Peut-être plus tard. (“Maybe later.”)

C- Free Water Tastes Better

Whatever else you’re having, now is also the best time to order some water.

Tap water is always free in France (by law), and it’s drinkable all over the country. If you’re fine with simple water in a pitcher and not fancy bottled sparkling water, this is the way to go. Bottled water is sold at absurd prices in restaurants, so it’s never worth ordering it when you can have free tap water. 

This is an amazing feature of French restaurants, especially if you’re on a budget. And it’s also much more eco-friendly than drinking from a disposable bottle.

To ask for your free water, don’t just ask for water: sneaky waiters could interpret your order as mineral water and charge you for it. Instead, use this phrase:

Une carafe d’eau s’il vous plaît. (“A jug of water, please.”) Be sure to emphasize the word Carafe (“Jug”). This is what differentiates free water from a paid order of mineral water. And, if you run out, you can refill as much as you need. Est-ce que je pourrais ravoir de l’eau, s’il vous plaît ? (“Can I have more water, please?”)

➜ Feeling thirsty? Head to our free vocabulary list on Drinks, on FrenchPod101.

Prendre l’apéritif (“To have an aperitif”)

4. Food on the Table

Ok, you’ve waited long enough. Let’s put some food on this table!

In most cases, you’ll have a menu right in front of you, but some restaurants do things differently. It may be on a blackboard somewhere on the wall or in the room, and I’ve been to places with digital menus where you scan a QR code and browse it on your phone.

Most inexpensive brasseries or mid-range restaurants have a Menu du jour (“Menu of the day”) or at least a Plat du jour (“Today’s special” but literally: “Dish of the day”), but some dodgy places could spot that you’re a tourist and decide to give you the regular menu that is usually more expensive.

Quel est le plat du jour ? (“What is today’s special?”) Je voudrais le plat du jour. (“I would like today’s special.”) Je voudrais le menu du jour. (“I would like the menu of the day.”) Je voudrais la formule du midi. (“I would like the lunch menu.”)

If you need to know more about a specific dish, don’t hesitate to ask:

La tartiflette, qu’est-ce que c’est ? (“The tartiflette, what it is?”) C’est un plat à base de pommes de terre, avec du fromage et des lardons. (“It is a potato-based dish with cheese and bacon.”)

Whether you’re ordering from the specials or à la carte, here are a few examples:

En entrée, je voudrais la salade composée. (“As a starter, I would like the mixed salad.”) Comme plat, je voudrais un steak au poivre. (“As a dish, I would like a steak au poivre.”) En dessert, je voudrais la mousse au chocolat. (“For dessert, I would like the chocolate mousse.”)

If you have any allergy or a special diet, now is the time to talk about it:

Je suis allergique aux cacahuètes. (“I’m allergic to peanuts.”) Est-ce que ce plat contient des cacahuètes ? (“Does this dish contain peanuts?”) Avez-vous des plats végétariens ? (“Do you have vegetarian dishes?”) Avez-vous des plats végans ? (“Do you have vegan dishes?”)

➜ For more sentences on how to order in a restaurant, you may want to check our vocabulary list with Useful phrases and vocabulary for ordering food. It’s free on FrenchPod101.

Un filet de saumon (“A salmon filet”)

5. During the Meal

Food has come to the table and is currently traveling toward your stomach. Everything’s going well, but you may have some requests for the waiter, or worse: what if they ask you some questions?

A thoughtful waiter might ask you if everything is going well or if you need anything.

Est-ce que tout se passe bien ? (“Is everything going well?”) Tout va bien ? (“Is everything okay?”) Oui, très bien, merci ! (“Yes, very good, thank you.”) Est-ce que je pourrais avoir plus de pain, s’il vous plaît ? (“Could I have some more bread, please?”) Je voudrais reprendre un verre de vin, s’il vous plaît. (“I’d like another glass of wine, please.”) Est-ce que vous avez des sauces pour les frites ? (“Do you have some sauce for the fries?”)

If you need to call for a waiter, try to make eye contact or get their attention with a simple: Excusez-moi (“Excuse me”)

Now it’s time for dessert, isn’t it? You don’t want to miss out on the local delicacies!

Est-ce que vous prendrez des desserts ? (“Will you have some desserts?”) Vous voulez la carte des desserts ? (“Do you want to see the desserts menu?”) Je voudrais les profiteroles, s’il vous plaît. (“I’d like the profiteroles, please.”) Profiteroles are small balls of soft choux pastry filled with whipped cream or ice cream and covered with hot chocolate sauce. They’re served in heaven and in every good French restaurant.

It is common for the French to order a coffee after their meal and most waiters will ask if you’d like one:

Est-ce que vous prendrez un café ? (“Will you have a coffee?”)

➜ Are you missing a fork or a spoon? Make sure to visit our vocabulary list on Utensils and Tableware, on FrenchPod101.

Des profiteroles (“Profiteroles”) (Credit: Annie Smithers Bistrot, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0)

6. Here Comes the Bill

Once you’re done with the main course or with the whole meal, waiters will sometimes ask for your feedback. It’s often just protocol, but you may want to go the extra mile if you really had a great time.

Tout s’est bien passé ? (“Did everything go well?”) Très bien, merci. (“Very well, thank you.”) C’était délicieux, merci ! (“It was delicious, thank you.”) C’était vraiment excellent. Mes compliments au chef. (“It was really excellent. My compliments to the chef.”) This last one is very formal and may sound awkward if you’ve just had a kebab.

A- Check Please

When it comes to the bill, there are mainly three types of restaurants:

• Fast food restaurants where you pay at the counter when you order
• Restaurants where you pay at the counter after the meal
• Restaurants where you pay at your table after the meal

When in doubt, look around you for clues or simply ask a waiter:

Est-ce que je pourrais avoir l’addition, s’il vous plaît ? (“Could I have the bill, please?”) Je vous l’apporte tout de suite. (“I’ll bring it to you right away.”) Vous pouvez régler directement au comptoir. (“You can pay directly at the counter.”)

Then, when it’s time to pay:

Vous voulez payer séparément ou ensemble ? (“Do you want to pay separately or together?”) Je vais régler pour tout le monde. (“I will pay for everyone.”) Séparément, s’il vous plaît. (“Separately, please.”)

B- What About the Tip?

In France, the 15% service fee is always included in the prices as they appear on the menu. Unlike other countries such as Canada or the US, the tip is not seen as something mandatory, and many French don’t tip or only tip when they feel like they have a good reason to do so (outstanding service or amazing food).

French waiters don’t survive on tips, but they’re rarely paid well for a physical and often stressful job, making the tip a welcome bonus to their wage.

Tips are usually left on the table in the form of coins or a bill or in a dedicated tip box at the counter. The average tip would be around 5% of the bill, but there are no strict rules about it, and you should not feel forced. On the other hand, a higher bill is always appreciated.

➜ Would you like to see more phrases with recorded examples to work on your pronunciation? Why not stop by our vocabulary list of Key phrases for restaurants on FrenchPod101?

L’addition s’il vous plaît ! (“The bill please!”)

7. Conclusion 

In this guide, you have learned everything you need to know when eating in a French restaurant, from making a reservation to apéritifs, drinks, ordering food and desserts, as well as handling the check.

For each step, you need to know the tricks and secret rules, as well as the basic French restaurant phrases. Did we forget some specific situations you’d like to learn more about?

Make sure to explore FrenchPod101, as it has plenty of free resources for you to practice your grammar and learn new words. The vocabulary lists are also a great way to revise the words and learn their pronunciation.

Remember that you can also use our premium service, MyTeacher, to get personal 1-on-1 coaching and have your own private teacher to practice with restaurant phrases and more.

Along with assignments, personalized exercises, and recording audio samples just for you, your teacher will review your work and help improve your pronunciation. Happy learning on FrenchPod101!

About the Author: Born and bred in the rainy north of France, Cyril Danon jumped around from job to job before he left everything behind to wander around the wonders of the world. Now, after quenching his wanderlust for the last few years, he’s eager to share his passion for languages.

Are you an advanced French learner, or are you trying to become one? If you’ve decided to step up your game and start aiming toward content made for native speakers, such as French books or movies in their original version, I bet you’re getting more than a little confused. This is largely because advanced French phrases, necessary as they are to learn, are often put by the wayside. 

Traditionally, when learning a language, we study new words and grammar structures. Then, we learn how to combine it all to make nice and sophisticated sentences. You might still be doing so at an advanced level, but that’s not enough anymore.

Advanced French content tends to be full of idioms, slang, expressions, and weird structures that make no sense when simply translated word for word. A traditional approach won’t cut it, and you’ll have to learn not just words but actual phrases. 

Some of them will sound straightforward and easy to understand, but others are heavily idiomatic and will require you to just memorize them as they are. It’s perfectly normal! Most people use countless expressions in their native language without knowing where they come from or what the logic is behind the seemingly nonsensical combinations of words.

Who doesn’t want to sound smart and sophisticated?

Table of Contents

1. Useful Phrases for Structuring Your Thoughts
2. Power Phrases for Your Cover Letter
3. Outsmart Everyone at a Business Meeting
4. Strange, Colorful Idioms for Connoisseurs
5. Le mot de la fin

1. Useful Phrases for Structuring Your Thoughts

If you want to be convincing, prove your point, or simply express your ideas with confidence and eloquence, what you’re gonna need is structure. The following advanced French sentences will help you organize your speech, articulate your thoughts, and prioritize the steps to smoothly guide your reader toward your point.

Tout d’abord  “First of all”

Tout d’abord, nous allons définir notre projet. “First of all, we will define our project.”

Dans un premier temps  “Firstly” / “Initially”

Dans un premier temps, la commission européenne n’était pas opposée à ce projet. “Initially, the European Commission was not opposed to this project.”

Par ailleurs / En outre / De plus  “Furthermore” / “In addition”

En outre, ces mesures devaient être temporaires. “Furthermore, those measures were supposed to be temporary.”

En revanche / Par contre  “However” / “On the other hand”

En revanche, le financement avait déjà été approuvé. “However, the funding had already been approved.”

Premièrement, ___. Deuxièmement, ___. Troisièmement, ___. “Firstly, ___. Secondly, ___. Thirdly, ___.”

Premièrement, ce n’est pas ce que j’ai dit. Deuxièmement, je ne fais plus partie de ce groupe. “Firstly, that’s not what I said. Secondly, I’m not part of this group anymore.”

Par conséquent / Dès lors  “Therefore” / “Consequently”

Par conséquent, je ne souhaite pas en parler davantage. “Therefore, I don’t wish to elaborate on that.”

En d’autres termes / Autrement dit  “In other words”

Nous sommes débiteurs, autrement dit, vulnérables. “We are in debt, in other words, vulnerable.”

Dans la même optique / Dans le même ordre d’idées “By the same token” / “Along the same line” / “In the same vein”

Dans la même optique, une attitude positive apporte les meilleurs résultats. “In the same vein, a positive attitude brings the best results.”

Il convient de / Il est nécessaire de  “It is necessary to”

Tout d’abord, il convient de rappeler les faits. “First of all, it is necessary to review the facts.”

En matière de / Sur le plan de  “In terms of”

Ils sont presque autosuffisants en matière d’énergie. “They’re almost self-sufficient in terms of energy.”

➜ Using connecting adverbs is a great way to give structure to your ideas. Make sure to stop by our free vocabulary list on FrenchPod101.com for a quick reminder!

If you can’t explain something, people might think you don’t understand it.

2. Power Phrases for Your Cover Letter

Writing a cover letter is usually not an exercise in creativity and improvisation. More often than not, it obeys strict rules and follows a rather codified template. This means that most letters kinda look the same, with a set of key phrases defining their structure and introducing their different parts.

There could be many reasons why you would want to break the rules, but even if you want to be different, you’ll first have to know the tried and true formula. Study the advanced French structures below to get a head start and a strong feel for how to write your cover letter. 

Je me permets de vous contacter concernant ___ “I’m contacting you about ___ ”Literally: “I allow myself to contact you about ___”

Je me permets de vous contacter car je pense être la bonne personne pour ce poste. “I’m contacting you because I believe I’m the right person for this position.”

Votre offre d’emploi a particulièrement retenu mon attention. “Your job offer really got my attention. ”Literally: “Your job offer, in particular, got my attention.”

Disposant d’une longue expérience dans le domaine de ___ “Having extensive work experience in (the field of) ___”

Mes études en ___ m’ont permis d’acquérir de nombreuses compétences en ___ “My studies in ___ have provided me with lots of skills in ___”

Souhaitant donner un nouvel essor à ma carrière, ___ “Wishing to give my carrier a new boost, ___”

Je serai heureux de vous rencontrer pour discuter de ma candidature. “I will be happy to meet you and talk about my application.”

Je serai ravi de vous rencontrer et de vous convaincre de mon adéquation à ce poste. “I will be happy to meet you and convince you of my adequacy for this position.”

Je souhaite mettre mes compétences à votre service pour ___ “I wish to put my skills at your disposal for ___”

Je vous prie d’agréer l’expression de mes salutations distinguées. Veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, mes meilleures salutations. Veuillez recevoir, Madame, Monsieur, mes respectueuses salutations. “Please receive, Madam, Mister, my best / respectful salutations.”

➜ For an in-depth look at the art of crafting a French resume or writing impactful cover letters, make sure to view our complete guide on FrenchPod101.com.

A great cover letter is a recipe for a striking first impression.

3. Outsmart Everyone at a Business Meeting

We all want to shine in social gatherings and make a lasting first impression. But if there is one context where you’ll want to impress your audience, it’s certainly the business meetings. There is a primal and territorial aspect to business that makes you want to sound assertive. 

Search for your words, mumble a little, and you might lose your momentum or weaken your argument. Mastering some advanced business French phrases will help build your confidence and boost your public speaking skills by a fair amount.

L’ordre du jour  “The agenda” / “The order of the day”

Ce projet est à l’ordre du jour depuis des années. “This project has been on the agenda for years.”

Avoir les choses en main  “To have things under control” Literally: “To have things in hands”

Ne vous inquiétez pas, nous avons les choses bien en main. “Don’t worry; we have everything under control.”

Garder la tête froide  “To keep a cool head”

Vous avez gardé la tête froide, jusqu’à présent. “You’ve kept a cool head until now.”

Aborder la question de ___  “To address the issue of ___”

Je voudrais aborder la question de l’éthique environnementale. “I would like to address the issue of environmental ethics.”

Jusqu’à preuve du contraire  “Until proven otherwise”

Jusqu’à preuve du contraire, nous devons supposer que le logiciel n’est pas compatible. “Until proven otherwise, we must assume the software is not compatible.”

À titre d’exemple / Par exemple  “As an example” / “For example”

J’utiliserai, à titre d’exemple, ce processus de validation. “I will use, as an example, this validation process.”

La date butoir  “The deadline”

2024 est la date butoir pour publier nos résultats. “2024 is the deadline to publish our results.”

Sans entrer dans les détails  “Without going into details”

Sans entrer dans les détails, disons que la réunion ne s’est pas passée comme prévu. “Without going into details, let’s say the meeting didn’t go as planned.”

Apporter la touche finale  “To put the finishing touches”

Le logiciel est presque prêt, il ne nous reste qu’à apporter la touche finale. “The software is almost ready; we only have to put the finishing touches.”

Peser le pour et le contre  “To weigh the pros and cons”

Après avoir pesé le pour et le contre, j’ai décidé de décliner cette offre d’emploi. “After I weighed the pros and cons, I decided to decline this job offer.”

➜ Business meetings require a solid knowledge of a very specific vocabulary. Be sure you come prepared with our full guide to French business vocabulary on FrenchPod101.com.

It’s your time to shine!

4. Strange, Colorful Idioms for Connoisseurs

Once you reach an advanced level of proficiency in French and start reading content created for native speakers, you’ll enter a new world of peculiar expressions, full of animals and unintuitive word associations. 

Learning French expressions and idioms is your ticket to fluency. They might seem daunting at first, with their odd structures and atypical vocabulary, and you’ll have to learn many of them by heart. But they draw the line between a linguistic enthusiast and a true master of the Art of Frenching like a real Frenchie.

Être à cheval sur ___  “To be a stickler for ___” Literally: “To be on horseback about ___”

Il est à cheval sur la ponctualité. “He’s a stickler for punctuality.”

Prendre un coup de vieux  “To get old” Literally: “To take a blow of aging”

Salut, ça faisait un bail ! Dis donc, t’as pris un coup de vieux ! “Hi! It’s been a while! Gosh, you’ve gotten old!”

Prendre un coup de vieux can be about aging, but it’s also often used to describe the sudden feeling of getting old, a brutal realization of it: the first time someone calls you “Madam,” a receding hairline, a beard turning gray, or realizing that your favorite movie was released 20 years ago when it feels like yesterday.

Tiré par les cheveux  “Far-fetched” Literally: “Pulled by the hair”

J’admets que ce raisonnement est tiré par les cheveux. “I admit that this reasoning is far-fetched.”

Au pied de la lettre  “To the letter” / “Literally” Literally: “By the foot of the letter”

Ne prenez pas ses remarques au pied de la lettre. “Don’t take his remarks literally.”

Tourner autour du pot  “To beat around the bush” Literally: “To turn around the pot”

Arrêtez de tourner autour du pot et expliquez-vous ! “Stop beating around the bush and explain yourself!”

Poser un lapin  To fail to meet someone for a date without informing them beforehand Equivalent: “To stand someone up” Literally: “To put a rabbit”

On devait se voir hier mais elle m’a posé un lapin. “We were supposed to meet yesterday, but she stood me up.”

Ne faire ni chaud ni froid  To arouse no reaction whatsoever Literally: “To do neither hot nor cold”

Pleure tant que tu veux, ça ne me fait ni chaud ni froid. “Cry all you want; it makes no difference to me.”

Quelque chose qui cloche  “Something amiss”

Il y a quelque chose qui cloche, j’en suis sûr. “Something isn’t right, I’m sure of it.”

The French verb clocher means “to be wrong” or “to not add up.”

Connaître sur le bout des doigts  “To know inside out” / “To know by heart” Literally: “To know on the tip of the fingers”

Je connais sa biographie sur le bout des doigts. “I know his biography inside out.”

En avoir le cœur net  “To find out for sure” Literally: “To have a sharp heart about it”

Trêve de spéculations, nous devons en avoir le cœur net. “Enough speculation; we must find out for sure.”

➜ You can find more expressions in our vocabulary list Essential Idioms That Will Make You Sound Like a Native Speaker. It’s available for free on FrenchPod101.com.

C’est vraiment tiré par les cheveux ! (“It’s really far-fetched!”)

5. Le mot de la fin

In this guide, you have learned many advanced French conversational phrases, from common idioms and expressions to essay structures, power phrases for your cover letter, and even a handy toolkit for business meetings.

Did we forget any important structure or expression you’d like to learn more about? Feel free to share it with your fellow students in the comments below!

Make sure to explore FrenchPod101.com, as we have plenty of free resources to help you practice your grammar and learn new words. Our vocabulary lists are also a great way to review words and learn their pronunciation.

Remember that you can also upgrade to Premium PLUS in order to use our MyTeacher service. This gives you personal 1-on-1 coaching with your own private teacher, who can help you practice with advanced French phrases and more. In addition to providing you with assignments, personalized exercises, and recorded audio samples, your teacher will review your work and help improve your pronunciation. 

Happy learning on FrenchPod101.com!

About the Author: Born and bred in rainy Northern France, Cyril Danon was bouncing off various jobs before he left everything behind to wander around the wonders of the world. Now, after quenching his wanderlust over the last few years, he’s eager to share his passion for languages.

Are you having trouble bridging the gap from beginner to intermediate level? It can feel like a daunting task when you have to leave the comfort of simple structures in the present tense. This is especially true once you start treading the uncharted grounds of expressing complex ideas or subtle feelings.

But once you’re confident with the basics and realize the only way is up, you’ll find a lot of satisfaction in honing your skills on something a bit more challenging (like the intermediate French phrases introduced in this article). And I say “a bit” because French has this weird tendency to look way more complicated than it actually is.

The tenses, for example, are not nearly as overwhelming as they seem at first glance. With only a couple of them (namely: passé composé and futur proche), you’ll be surprised how fast you can progress and how much you can express. Similarly, the French conjunctions are numerous, but many of them have direct English equivalents and are used exactly the same way.

In this article, we’ll have a look at some of the most useful structures with over 50 examples of common intermediate French phrases. Learning these structures will allow you to talk about past events, make plans for the future, explain your reasons, and more.

Table of Contents

1. Anecdotes and Stories
2. Let’s Make Plans
3. A Few Reasons Why
4. Praise and Complain
5. Are You Kidding Me?
6. Yes, Milord
7. Le mot de la fin

1. Anecdotes and Stories

When you’re beginning with French, chances are you’ll only use the present tense for a while. Even when telling stories about past events or interesting experiences you’ve had, you can often get away with using the present tense. Sometimes, even native speakers do this in order to make the story more vivid and engaging. 

However, unless you’re fluently and seamlessly handling the transition, doing so can create this awkward moment when your audience is trying to place your anecdote and adapt to the uncommon choice of tense. In most cases, I’d say that using the past tense is a better choice, and learning how to juggle between its different forms will be well worth your time. 

Here are a few simple French phrases for the intermediate level that make use of the past tense. 

C’était une très bonne soirée !

That was a really good night!

On a passé un super moment.

We had a great time.

Literally: We have passed a great moment.

On s’est bien amusés !

We had fun!

Literally: We entertained ourselves well!

C’était le pire jour de ma vie.

That was the worst day of my life.

Je travaille ici depuis deux ans et demi.

I’ve been working here for two and a half years.

Literally: I work here since two years and a half. This sentence uses the present tense because we’re talking about something that is still ongoing. I am working here (present), and this action started two and a half years ago.

L’année dernière, j’ai voyagé en Argentine.

Last year, I traveled to Argentina.

J’ai fait du Karaté pendant deux ans.

I’ve practiced karate for two years.

Literally: I have done karate during two years.

➜ There are many different forms of the past tense in French, but luckily, only a few are ever used in conversations. Be sure to stop by our complete guide to French tenses, freely available on FrenchPod101.com.

C’était une très bonne soirée ! (“That was a really good night!”)

2. Let’s Make Plans

Now that you have a better grasp on the past, let’s jump back to the future. As you’ll see, there are many different options, and the future tense is not often mandatory. Using its different forms is quite simple, though, and I’d recommend that you give them a try!

Usually, mentioning the date of the event will be enough for the other person to understand that you’re talking about the future. From that point on, whether you use the present, future, near future, or conditional is a matter of preference.

Est-ce que vous seriez disponible la semaine prochaine ?  [Formal]

Would you be available next week?

Literally: Is it that you would be available the next week?

Tu seras dispo dimanche ? [Casual]

Will you be available on Sunday?

Literally: You will be available on Sunday?

Vous voulez manger japonais ?  [Formal]

Would you like to eat Japanese?

Ça te dit de manger japonais ?  [Casual]

Would you like to eat Japanese?

Literally: Does it tell you to eat Japanese?

On se fait un jap ?  [Very Casual]

Care for some Japanese food?

Literally: Are we doing ourselves a Jap?

Je peux venir avec mon copain ? / Je peux venir avec ma copine ?

Can I come with my boyfriend? / Can I come with my girlfriend?

On peut reporter à la semaine prochaine ?

Can we postpone it to next week?

Literally: We can postpone to next week?

On en discutera plus tard en réunion.

We will discuss it later in a meeting.

On se voit dimanche ? (“Shall we meet on Sunday?”)

➜ We’re just scratching the surface here. If you want to learn how to talk more about your plans, this free vocabulary list is just what you need.

3. A Few Reasons Why

Stating facts or describing things that you’ve done is a great start, but your conversations will get much more interesting once you can explain your actions and understand people’s motivations. It can be as simple as saying that you don’t want dessert because you’re full, or as complex as elaborating on your tastes in music or movies.

Describing your reasons is quite straightforward in French. You just need a few key intermediate French words and phrases, and you’ll be able to talk about causes and consequences. 

Je ne mange ni œufs ni poisson car je suis allergique.

I eat neither eggs nor fish because I’m allergic.

J’espère que tu viens ce soir, sinon tu vas me manquer.

I hope you’re coming tonight, or I will miss you.

Literally: I hope that you come tonight, otherwise I will miss you.

J’aime cette musique parce qu’elle me détend.

I love this music because it relaxes me.

J’ai un peu bu, alors je vais rentrer à pied.

I’ve been drinking a little, so I’ll walk back home.

Literally: I have drunk a little, so I will go back on foot.

Comme j’étais épuisé, j’ai dormi jusqu’à midi.

Because I was exhausted, I slept until noon.

Je parle doucement pour ne pas la réveiller.

I’m speaking softly so I won’t wake her up.

J’ai choisi cette ville pour trois raisons : D’abord, sa taille, ensuite, son climat, mais surtout pour ses bars !

I chose this city for three reasons: First of all, its size; secondly, its weather; but most of all, for its bars!

J’ai dormi jusqu’à midi car j’étais épuisé. (“I slept until noon because I was exhausted.”)

➜ Learning more conjunctions is one of the best ways to start creating elaborate and interesting sentences. Feel free to check our extensive guide to French conjunctions on FrenchPod101.com.

4. Praise and Complain

Sharing our opinions and insights helps us create bonds and allows us to learn from each other’s experiences. Whether you want to recommend something or discourage your friends from anything terrible, you can do so using these useful French phrases and patterns. 

C’est mon cinéma préféré.

This is my favorite movie theater.

You can use this sentence pattern with anything. You should just keep in mind that préféré agrees with the object in both gender and number.

• C’est ma musique préférée. (“This is my favorite music.”)
• Ce sont mes films préférés. (“These are my favorite movies.”)
• Ce sont mes séries préférées. (“These are my favorite series.”)

C’est le meilleur film d’action depuis John Wick.

This is the best action movie since John Wick.

C’est la meilleure adresse pour manger japonais.

This is the best address to eat Japanese food.

Je te conseille de le voir en version originale.  [Casual]	Je vous conseille de le voir en version originale.  [Formal]
I recommend that you see the original version.

J’ai beaucoup aimé ce film, je le reverrais avec plaisir.

I really enjoyed this movie. I would gladly watch it again.

Literally: I have really liked this movie. I would see it again with pleasure.

The conditional form is a bit tricky here. It sounds exactly like the future je le reverrai, and only the spelling is different. You can find the conjugation of the verb revoir over here.

La suite est très mauvaise. À éviter à tout prix.

The sequel is really bad. To be avoided at all costs.

C’est mon livre préféré ! (“This is my favorite book!”)

➜ In France, we love constructive criticism and—okay, fine, we love to complain! We go on and on about what we dislike and why it’s so terrible. If you want to join in on our verbal jousting, get some ammunition from our free vocabulary list on expressing dislike!

5. Are You Kidding Me?

Let’s change the tempo with some short conversation examples. In this section, you’ll learn how you can react to different statements and express enthusiasm, annoyance, curiosity, or disbelief.

On your road to fluency, being able to express interesting and nuanced reactions (rather than just saying yes or no) is a great step forward that will add a lot of flavor to your conversations.

1 – Great!

A: J’aime beaucoup la série que tu m’as conseillée. (“I really love the series you recommended to me.”)
B: C’est cool, je suis content que ça te plaise. (“That’s great. I’m glad you like it!”)

2 – Sorry.

A: Je suis allergique au poisson. (“I’m allergic to fish.”)
B: Oh, désolé, je ne savais pas. (“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know.”)

3 – I can’t believe it.

A: Je n’aime pas le fromage. (“I don’t like cheese.”)

B: Sérieusement ? (“Seriously?”) [Formal or Casual]
B: T’es sérieux ? (“Are you serious?”) [Casual]
B: Tu rigoles ? (“You kidding me?”) [Casual]
B: C’est pas vrai ! (“No way!”) [Formal or Casual]
B: N’importe quoi… (“Whatever…”) [Mostly Casual]

4 – That’s bad.

A: Je ne peux pas venir ce soir. (“I can’t come tonight.”)

B: Oh, c’est dommage. (“Oh, that’s a shame.”) [Formal or Casual]
B: Ah, c’est nul ! (“Ah, that sucks!”) [Mostly Casual]

5 – Keep me posted!

A: Je ne sais pas si je pourrai venir ce soir. (“I don’t know if I can come tonight.”)

B: OK, tenez-moi au courant ! (“Alright, keep me posted!”) [Formal]
B: Ok, tiens-moi au courant ! (“Alright, keep me posted!”) [Casual]

6. Yes, Milord

France is known for its exquisite etiquette and its slight obsession with polite protocol, so you bet there’s more to it than just s’il vous plaît (“please”) and merci (“thank you”). 

Sure, these two expressions will take you a long way, especially if you stick to casual settings and relaxed, friendly gatherings. But as soon as you step into the business world or any formal event, you’ll be glad to have learned more. And even among friends, pleasantries never hurt!

Below are several polite French phrases for the intermediate level.

Bon appétit.

Enjoy your meal.

Literally: Good appetite.

Faites comme chez vous.  [Formal]	Fais comme chez toi.  [Casual]
Make yourself at home.
Literally: Do like at your home.

Profitez bien de vos vacances !  [Formal]	Profite bien de tes vacances !  [Casual]
Enjoy your vacation!

Bon voyage !

Enjoy your trip!

Literally: Good travel!

C’était un plaisir.

That was a pleasure.

Excusez-moi de vous déranger.  [Formal]

I’m sorry to disturb you.

Literally: Excuse me for disturbing you.

À la vôtre !  [Formal]	À la tienne !  [Casual]
Cheers!
Literally: To yours! This is a shortened version of À votre santé ! [Formal] / À ta santé ! [Casual] (“To your health!”) I personally prefer the shortened version, but it’s a matter of taste.

À vos souhaits.  [Formal]	À tes souhaits.  [Casual]
Bless you.
Literally: To your wishes. This is used when someone is sneezing. If they do it again, you could add à tes amours (“to your loves”) but it’s old-fashioned and mostly used as a joke.

Fais comme chez toi ! (“Make yourself at home!”)

➜ This is just the tip of the iceberg, but if you’re interested in the topic of French etiquette, you’re in luck! We have a complete guide on how to be polite in France. It’s freely available on FrenchPod101.com.

7. Le mot de la fin

In this guide, you have learned a lot of intermediate French phrases with over 50 common examples covering various aspects of our daily lives. 

Did we forget any important topic or some specific structures you’d like to learn about? Feel free to share it in the comments below!

To practice what you learned from our list of intermediate French phrases, I’d recommend following these steps:

• Read the sentence carefully and see if you can understand it.
• Try and translate it yourself using the words and grammar that you already know.
• Compare your results to the given translation (and to its literal translation, when needed).
• Once you understand the words and the grammatical structure, you can make some changes to the sentence to make it more personal.
• Once you’re comfortable enough, you could even try to rephrase it completely or to make it more complex.

Make sure to explore FrenchPod101.com, as we have plenty of free resources to help you practice your grammar and learn new words. Our vocabulary lists are also a great way to review words and learn their pronunciation.

Remember that you can also use our Premium PLUS service, MyTeacher, to get personal 1-on-1 coaching with your own private teacher. They can help you practice with the intermediate phrases you’ll come up with as you work through this list. In addition, your teacher can give you assignments, provide you with personalized exercises, and record audio samples just for you; they can then review your work and help improve your pronunciation. 

Happy learning with FrenchPod101!

About the Author: Born and bred in rainy Northern France, Cyril Danon was bouncing off various jobs before he left everything behind to wander around the wonders of the world. Now, after quenching his wanderlust over the last few years, he’s eager to share his passion for languages.

Why settle for an intermediate level when you can reach the summits of advanced French? It sure takes guts, dedication, and a lot of brainpower, but once you pull it off, there is nothing as rewarding as using your limitless fluency with your French-speaking friends!

Improving at an advanced level is no small feat, and few people have gone as far as you have. At this level, you’re getting hit pretty hard with diminishing returns: The more you learn and add to your vocabulary, the more difficult it becomes.

It can also be difficult to find educational content advanced enough to challenge your skills, and this is where we come in! In this article, you’ll find a large collection of useful advanced French words and phrases, from general terms to linking words, specialized vocabulary, and fancy substitutes for common words to help you stand out in a proficiency exam.

Expand your mind with advanced French words.

Table of Contents

1. General Advanced Words
2. Advanced Business Vocabulary
3. Advanced Medical Vocabulary
4. Advanced Legal Vocabulary
5. Alternative Words
6. Le mot de la fin

1. General Advanced Words

These are the bread and butter of advanced words: verbs, adjectives, and adverbs that you could use in a wide variety of situations. The last section contains a collection of useful linking words that you should use to articulate your speech and connect different phrases into logical structures.

Most of these words have a very specific meaning and allow you to clearly express your ideas. Later in this article, we’ll also talk about some alternative words that you can use to replace simple terms in order to sound a bit more sophisticated.

1 – Verbs

Argumenter	Elle argumente en faveur de cette loi.
To argue / To debate	She’s arguing for this law.

Débattre	On pourrait en débattre toute la journée.
To debate	We could debate this all day.

Apercevoir	J’ai aperçu le sommet de la montagne.
To glimpse	I’ve glimpsed the top of the mountain.

Murmurer	Il murmure à mon oreille.
To whisper	He whispers in my ear.

Recueillir	Nous recueillons des données.
To collect / To gather	We are collecting data.

Assumer	J’assume les risques.
To take responsibility	I take responsibility for the risks.

Constituer	Cela constitue un progrès important.
To be / To make up	This is a huge step forward.

Entraîner	Cette crise entraîne une diminution des revenus.
To lead to	This crisis leads to a decrease in revenue.

Mener à	Cela ne mène à rien de bon.
To lead to	This leads to nothing good.

S’élever	La facture s’élève à €80000.
To amount to / To come to	The bill comes to €80,000.

Il murmure. (“He’s whispering.”)

2 – Adjectives

Bénéfique	Cette mesure est bénéfique pour la France.
Beneficial	This measure is beneficial for France.

Conforme à	Elles sont conformes à mes attentes.
Consistent with / In line with	They are in line with my expectations.

Convenable	Nous cherchons une solution convenable.
Suitable / Adequate	We’re looking for an adequate solution.

Déroutant	Ce film est déroutant.
Puzzling / Confusing	This movie is puzzling.

Détaillé	Un compte rendu détaillé
Detailed	A detailed report

Formidable	C’est formidable !
Great / Wonderful	This is wonderful!

Impeccable	Sa coupe de cheveux est impeccable.
Flawless	His haircut is flawless.

Propice	Ce milieu est propice à la criminalité.
Conducive	This business is conducive to criminal acts.

Raisonnable	C’est une solution raisonnable.
Reasonable	This is a reasonable solution.

Rentable	Mon entreprise n’est plus rentable.
Profitable	My company is not profitable anymore.

Spontané	Une combustion spontanée.
Spontaneous	Spontaneous combustion.

Subtil	Un mélange subtil d’ail et de basilic
Subtle	A subtle blend of garlic and basil

Aléatoire	Un échantillon aléatoire est retenu.
Random	A random sample is selected.

Discutable	C’est moralement discutable.
Debatable	This is morally debatable.

Fastidieux	Son travail est fastidieux.
Cumbersome / Tedious	His work is tedious.

Laborieux	C’est une tâche difficile et laborieuse.
Painstaking	This is a difficult and painstaking task.

Improbable	Cela me semble hautement improbable.
Unlikely	This seems very unlikely.

Inadmissible	Ces résultats sont inadmissibles !
Unacceptable	These results are unacceptable!

Pénible	Mais qu’est-ce que c’est pénible !
Tedious / Painful	This is so tedious!

Impensable	C’était impensable il y a encore 10 ans.
Unthinkable	This was unthinkable only ten years ago.

3 – Adverbs

Littéralement	Je suis littéralement épuisé.
Literally	I’m literally exhausted.

Brusquement	Nous sommes partis brusquement.
Abruptly	We left abruptly.

Naturellement	Nous devons naturellement partir bientôt.
Naturally	We naturally have to leave soon.

Précisément	C’est précisément le contraire.
Precisely	It is precisely the other way around.

Obstinément	Ils refusent obstinément.
Stubbornly	They stubbornly refuse.

Décidément	Elle est décidément très populaire.
Decidedly / Certainly	She’s certainly very popular.

Résolument	Je suis résolument contre cette loi.
Resolutely	I’m resolutely against this law.

Absolument	Ça n’a absolument aucun sens.
Absolutely	It makes absolutely no sense.

Brillamment	Tu as brillamment relevé le défi.
Brilliantly	You have brilliantly tackled this challenge.

Modérément	Je l’apprécie modérément.
Moderately	I like it moderately.

Un travail pénible (“Tedious work”)

4 – Linking Words

Ainsi	On peut ainsi obtenir de meilleurs résultats.
Thus	Better results can thus be obtained.

Alors que	La musique a commencé alors que je n’étais pas prêt.
Even though	The music started even though I wasn’t ready.

À moins que	Commençons, à moins que tu ne veuilles attendre.
Unless	Let’s start, unless you wish to wait.

Bien que	Bien que je ne puisse pas venir, le rendez-vous aura lieu.
Even though	Even though I cannot come, the meeting will take place.

Cependant	Tu peux cependant venir demain.
Nevertheless	You can nevertheless come tomorrow.

D’autant plus	Cela me chagrine d’autant plus.
All the more	It pains me all the more.

D’autant plus que	D’autant plus que les prix augmentent.
Even more so	Even more so as the prices are increasing.

En tant que	Je travaille en tant que professeur.
As	I work as a teacher.

Malgré	Tu es sorti malgré la pluie ?
Despite	Did you go out despite the rain?

Quant à	Quant à ton rôle, nous en parlerons demain.
As for	As for your role, we’ll talk about it tomorrow.

Quoique	Ces actions sont rentables, quoique souvent instables.
Although	Those stocks are profitable, although often unstable.

Quoi que	Quoi que tu fasses, tu feras le bon choix.
Whatever / No matter what	Whatever you do, you’ll come to the right decision.

Tandis que	Les prix augmentent tandis que la qualité diminue.
While / Whereas	Prices are increasing while the quality is going down.

Aussitôt que	Aussitôt que tu seras prêt, nous pouvons commencer.
As soon as	As soon as you’re ready, we can start.

Néanmoins	Elles doivent néanmoins apporter une solution.
However	They have, however, to provide a solution.

Il est dehors malgré la pluie. (“He’s out despite the rain.”)

2. Advanced Business Vocabulary

Do you plan on finding work or doing business in France? Knowing these advanced French vocabulary words for business will give you a leg up and impress your colleagues or associates. 

Un département	Je travaille au département marketing.
Division	I work in the marketing division.

Le siège social	C’est le siège social de Renault.
Head office	This is the Renault head office.

La sous-traitance	La sous-traitance nous permet de réduire les coûts.
Outsourcing	Outsourcing allows us to cut costs.

Un licenciement	Un licenciement a été envisagé.
Dismissal / Termination	Termination was considered.

Les actifs	Ils ont des actifs pour gérer leurs dettes.
Assets	They have assets to deal with their debts.

Les actions	Les actions présentées vont être évaluées.
Stocks	Submitted stocks will be evaluated.

Un actionnaire	Je suis l’actionnaire unique de mon entreprise.
Shareholder	I’m the only shareholder of my own company.

Le taux d’intérêt	Les taux d’intérêt diminuent chaque année.
Interest rate	Interest rates are decreasing every year.

Les ressources humaines	Les ressources humaines s’occupent de ton contrat.
Human resources	Human resources are taking care of your contract.

Le chiffre d’affaires	Le chiffre d’affaires n’a cessé d’augmenter.
Turnover / Revenue	Revenues have steadily increased.

Des fonds	Nous devons débloquer des fonds.
Funds	We have to release funds.

Une filiale	Nous sommes une filiale de Renault.
Subsidiary	We are a Renault subsidiary.

Les honoraires	Vous trouverez mes honoraires sur mon site web.
Fee	You’ll find my fee on my website.

Un bulletin de salaire	Je n’ai pas encore reçu mon bulletin de salaire.
Payslip	I haven’t received my payslip yet.

Un partenariat	Elle vient de signer un partenariat avec Renault.
Partnership	She’s just signed a partnership with Renault.

Le marché du travail	Les femmes sont souvent discriminées sur le marché du travail.
Labor market	Women are often discriminated against in the labor market.

Rémunérer	Cette mission est bien rémunérée.
To compensate / To pay	This assignment is well compensated.

Postuler	Je postule pour un nouveau boulot.
To apply	I’m applying for a new job.

Une succursale	Nous avons une succursale à Rome.
Branch	We have a branch in Rome.

La comptabilité	Je vote pour une comptabilité simplifiée.
Accounting	I vote for simplified accounting.

Une marque déposée	Android Auto™ est une marque déposée de Google Inc.
Registered trademark	Android Auto™ is a trademark of Google Inc.

Faire faillite	Mon entreprise a fait faillite.
To go bankrupt	My company has gone bankrupt.

Un voyage d’affaires	Elle part en voyage d’affaires.
Business trip	She’s leaving for a business trip.

Un contrat à durée indéterminée

Permanent contract

Un contrat à durée déterminée

Fixed-term contract

→ Do you need some business sentences to play with your new vocabulary? You can stop by our list of essential phrases for doing business.

Un voyage d’affaires (“A business trip”)

3. Advanced Medical Vocabulary

Do you want to study medicine or enter the medical field in France? Or maybe you would like to be prepared just in case you wind up in the ER. In any case, the advanced French words below are a great place to start expanding your medical vocabulary. 

Un traitement	J’essaye un traitement expérimental.
Treatment	I’m trying an experimental treatment.

Bénin	Ce syndrome est bénin.
Benign	This syndrome is benign.

Désinfecter	Tu dois désinfecter la plaie.
To disinfect / To sterilize	You have to disinfect the wound.

Contagieux	Ce virus est très contagieux.
Contagious	This virus is highly contagious.

Anesthésier	Je vais vous anesthésier avant l’opération.
To anesthetize / To sedate	I’m going to sedate you before the operation.

Une allergie	L’allergie à ce produit est très rare.
Allergy	Allergy to this product is very unusual.

La tension artérielle	Il va mesurer ta tension artérielle.
Blood pressure	He will measure your blood pressure.

Une fracture	J’ai une double fracture de la hanche.
Fracture	I have a double hip fracture.

Une radio	Vous allez avoir besoin d’une radio.
X-ray	You’re going to need an X-ray.

Un plâtre	Je porte un plâtre depuis janvier.
Cast	I’ve been wearing a cast since January.

Une crise cardiaque	Il est mort des suites d’une crise cardiaque.
Heart attack	He died after suffering a heart attack.

Le système immunitaire	Mon système immunitaire était affaibli.
Immune system	My immune system was weakened.

Un saignement	Nous devons arrêter le saignement.
Bleeding	We have to stop the bleeding.

Vacciner	Ils veulent vacciner l’ensemble de la population.
To vaccinate	They want to vaccinate the whole population.

Une ordonnance	Tu ne peux pas acheter ce médicament sans ordonnance.
Prescription	You can’t buy this medication without a prescription.

Un effet secondaire	Il n’y a aucun effet secondaire connu.
Side effect	There is no known side effect.

Une prise de sang	Vous devez faire une prise de sang.
Blood test	You have to do a blood test.

La grippe	J’ai attrapé la grippe l’année dernière.
Flu	I got the flu last year.

Démangeaison	Je commence à ressentir une démangeaison.
Itching	I’m starting to feel an itch.

Les règles	C’est un médicament contre les règles douloureuses.
Menstruation	This is a remedy for painful menstruation.

La nuque	La victime a la nuque brisée.
Neck / Nape	The victim got a broken neck.

Un estomac	J’ai mal à l’estomac.
Stomach	I have a stomachache.

La colonne vertébrale	La colonne vertébrale est fragile.
Spine	The spine is delicate.

Les côtes	J’ai mal aux côtes.
Ribs	My ribs hurt.

Les poumons	Le gaz est éliminé par les poumons.
Lungs	The gas is cleared through the lungs.

→ There are so many complicated medical words that it would take days to list them all! For more phrases with recorded examples, head to our vocabulary list on medical treatments.

Une douleur à l’estomac (“A stomach pain”)

4. Advanced Legal Vocabulary

Now that you’re more advanced in French, there are some useful legal words and terms you should become familiar with. They’ll help you avoid misunderstandings, keep up with the news, and engage in more complex conversations. 

Accrédité	Je suis représentant accrédité du gouvernement.
Authorized / Accredited	I’m an accredited representative of the government.

À l’amiable	Cette affaire a été réglée à l’amiable.
Settled out of court	This matter was settled out of court.

Casier judiciaire	Je n’ai pas de casier judiciaire.
Criminal record	I don’t have a criminal record.

Un juge d’appel	La décision a été confirmée par le juge d’appel.
Judge in appeal	The decision was confirmed by the judge on appeal.

Un juriste	Nous avons besoin d’un juriste.
Legal counsel	We need legal counsel.

Judiciaire	C’est une affaire judiciaire.
Judicial	This is a judicial case.

Un justificatif	Un justificatif de domicile
Written proof	Written proof of address

Convoquer	Elle a convoqué le témoin.
To summon	She summoned the witness.

Représentant légal	Je suis le représentant légal de Renault.
Legal representative	I’m the legal representative of Renault.

Lettre recommandée	J’ai envoyé le document en lettre recommandée.
Registered letter	I have sent the document in a registered letter.

Un litige	Vous avez deux jours pour ouvrir un litige.
Dispute / Litigation	You have two days to open a dispute.

Un mandat	Je reviendrai avec un mandat.
Warrant	I will come back with a warrant.

Un mandataire	Nous allons désigner un mandataire.
Authorized agent / Representative	We will appoint a representative.

Un notaire	Le document est certifié par un notaire.
Notary	The document is certified by a notary.

Parapher	J’ai besoin que tu paraphes ce contrat.
To initial (a document)	I need you to initial this contract.

PME (Petites et Moyennes Entreprises)	Les PME paient trop de taxes.
SME (Small or Medium size Enterprise)	SMEs are paying too much in taxes.

Un procès	Un procès a été intenté contre Apple.
Lawsuit	A lawsuit was filed against Apple.

Un procureur	Le procureur veut vous parler.
Public prosecutor	The prosecutor wants to talk to you.

Revendiquer	Je revendique le droit de prendre cette décision.
To claim	I claim the right to make this decision.

Un versement	Tu recevras le premier versement en juin.
Payment	You will receive the first payment in June.

Un enlèvement	C’est l’endroit parfait pour un enlèvement.
A kidnapping	This is the perfect spot for a kidnapping.

Un agresseur	Son agresseur était grand et blond.
Assailant	His assailant was tall and blond.

La corruption	La corruption est un crime.
Bribery / Corruption	Bribery is a crime.

Un cambriolage	Le cambriolage a eu lieu dans la nuit du 17.
Burglary	The burglary took place on the night of the 17th.

Faire chanter	Ils m’ont fait chanter pour des informations confidentielles.
To blackmail	They blackmailed me for confidential information.

Un cambriolage (“A burglary”)

5. Alternative Words

One way to shine in a proficiency test is to display competency with a wide array of vocabulary, showing that you can express yourself with subtlety instead of relying on simpler terms.

In this list, you’ll find simple verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, followed by their more sophisticated alternative and an example sentence. The first column is the basic word, and the second is the alternative you might want to use instead.

The meaning often varies between the first and second words, so I’ll mention both throughout the list. Using these words not only allows you to show off your vocabulary but also to express your ideas more accurately.

1 – Alternative Verbs

Commencer	Entamer	J’entame une nouvelle carrière.
To start	To start	I’m starting a new career.

Continuer	Reprendre	Nous pouvons reprendre la réunion.
To continue	To resume	We can resume the meeting.

Écrire	Rédiger	Elle rédige sa lettre de motivation.
To write	To redact	She’s redacting her cover letter.

Donner	Transmettre	Il transmet ses connaissances à ses collègues.
To give	To pass	He’s passing his knowledge on to his colleagues.

Montrer	Dévoiler	Renault a dévoilé sa nouvelle gamme de véhicules.
To show	To reveal / To unveil	Renault has unveiled its new range of vehicles.

Acheter	Acquérir	Nous voulons acquérir ces brevets.
To buy	To acquire	We want to acquire those patents.

Avoir	Posséder	Je possède un cabinet d’avocats.
To have	To own	I own a law firm.

Dire	Affirmer	Elle affirme ne rien savoir.
To say	To claim	She claims she doesn’t know anything.

Dire	Déclarer	Je n’ai rien à déclarer.
To say	To say / To declare	I have nothing to declare.

2 – Alternative Adjectives

Vrai	Véridique	J’atteste que cette déclaration est véridique.
True	True / Truthful	I certify that this statement is true.

Essentiel	Primordial	Il est primordial d’investir dès maintenant.
Essential	Essential	It is essential to invest right now.

Pratique	Commode	La gestion des fichiers est devenue plus commode.
Convenient	Convenient	File management has become more convenient.

Différent	Distinct	Il y a deux formulaires distincts.
Different	Distinct / Separate	There are two separate forms.

Facile	Enfantin	Tu verras, c’est enfantin.
Easy	Very easy	You’ll see, it’s very easy.

3 – Alternative Adverbs

Facilement	Aisément	On peut aisément le remplacer.
Easily	Easily	We can easily replace it.

Maintenant	À présent	Vous devez à présent signer le contrat.
Now	Now	You now have to sign the contract.

Désormais	Dorénavant	Je travaillerai dorénavant dans ce service.
Now / From now on	From now on	From now on, I will work in this department.

Avant	Précédemment	C’est ce que j’ai mentionné précédemment.
Before	Previously	This is what I previously mentioned.

Plus	Davantage	Je veux acheter davantage d’actions.
More	More	I want to buy more stocks.

Cette application est commode. (“This app is convenient.”)

Le mot de la fin

In this guide, you have learned a large collection of general and specialized advanced French words, from medical vocabulary to legal terms and business phrases. Did we forget any important topic you’d like to learn about?

A good way to learn new words efficiently is to try and build sentences around them. Doing so will help you memorize them and understand how to use them in context. You can also use flashcard apps to get started, but you should not overextend yourself and set 150 flashcards right away. Add them little by little for the best results.

Make sure to explore FrenchPod101, as we have plenty of free resources to help you practice your grammar and learn new words. Our vocabulary lists are also a great way to review words and learn their pronunciation.

Remember that you can also use our Premium PLUS service, MyTeacher, to get personal 1-on-1 coaching. Your own private teacher will be available to help you practice with advanced words and phrases. In addition to giving you assignments and personalized exercises, your teacher can provide recorded audio samples just for you and review your own pronunciation. 

Happy learning on FrenchPod101.com!

About the Author: Born and bred in rainy Northern France, Cyril Danon was bouncing off various jobs before he left everything behind to wander around the wonders of the world. Now, after quenching his wanderlust over the last few years, he’s eager to share his passion for languages.

So, you’ve just reached the intermediate level, and nobody can call you a beginner anymore.

Congratulations! You have already outdone most of your fellow students, who get some basics down and then lose interest, can’t find the time or energy, or can’t build a good learning routine. I should know—I’ve been an eternal beginner in too many languages!

One of the first steps now is to learn some intermediate French words and how to use them. But first, a note:

Reaching the intermediate level is an amazing achievement in itself, but this is also when it gets tough. As your fluency level increases, you’ll start experiencing diminishing returns and realize that your progress is no longer linear. The more fluent you get, the more time it takes to improve.

This is when setting clear goals and maintaining long-term study habits really matters. Having a good overview of what’s ahead is a great way to focus on the bigger picture.

In this article, you’ll find a summary of the intermediate French words you should know as you steadily climb your way to the next level. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it’s packed full of invaluable vocabulary, from pronouns and verbs to adjectives and large numbers.

Captivate your audience with the right words.

Table of Contents

1. Pronouns
2. Verbs
3. Numbers
4. Nouns
5. Conjunctions
6. Adjectives
7. Adverbs
8. Prepositions
9. Le Mot De La Fin

1. Pronouns

If you’re seeking to learn intermediate French vocabulary, you should already know the basic pronouns. To be more specific:

• Personal subject pronouns (je, vous, elles, etc.)
• Impersonal pronouns (ça, ce, il)
• Reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, etc.)
• Basic interrogative pronouns (qui, où, quand, etc.)
• A few common indefinite pronouns (tout, rien, etc.)

Now, here are some more advanced French pronouns you should learn at the intermediate level.

1 – Stressed Pronouns

Also known as emphatic pronouns, they may be used in place of a subject or object and can only refer to people.

They can be used after prepositions (de, à, avec, etc.):

• Elle parle de toi. (“She talks about you.”)

Or, they can be used after the word que in comparisons (plus que, moins que):

• Tu es plus grand qu’elle. (“You are taller than her.”)

Person	French pronoun	English
1st person sg.	moi	“me”
2nd person sg.	toi	“you”
3rd person sg.	lui / elle	“he” / “him” / “she” / “her”
1st person pl.	nous	“us”
2nd person pl.	vous	“you”
3rd person pl.	eux / elles	“them”

2 – Direct and Indirect Pronouns

Direct pronouns replace a COD (Complément d’Objet Direct). In simpler terms, they answer the question “Who?” or “What?”

• Je bois une bière. (“I drink a beer.”)
• Je la bois. (“I drink it.”)

Indirect pronouns replace a COI (Complement d’Objet Indirect). They answer the question “To whom?” or “To what?”

• Je parle à Simon. (“I talk to Simon.”)
• Je lui parle. (“I talk to him.”)

	Direct pronouns	Indirect pronouns
1st person sg.	me	me
2nd person sg.	te	te
3rd person sg.	le / la	lui
1st person pl.	nous	nous
2nd person pl.	vous	vous
3rd person pl.	les	leur

3 – Adverbial Pronouns

There are only two adverbial pronouns in French, but they are really important.

Y is used to replace à [quelque chose] (“to [something]” / “about [something]”) or en [quelque chose] (“in [something]”).

• Nous allons en Estonie. (“We are going to Estonia.”)
  Nous y allons. (“We are going there.”)

• Je pense à mon projet. (“I think about my project.”)
  J’y pense. (“I think about it.”)

En is used to replace de(s) ____ (“some ____” / “of ____”).

• J’ai une bière. (“I have a beer.”)
  J’en ai une. (“I have one.”)

• Nous avons du temps. (“We have time.”)
  Nous en avons. (“We have some.”)

4 – Relative Pronouns

Although these pronouns don’t have a direct translation in English, it’s easy enough, with examples, to figure out how they work.

que (“that”)	Je sais que tu aimes ça. (“I know that you like that.”)
qui (“who”)	J’ai un ami qui vient ce soir. (“I have a friend who’s coming tonight.”
où (“where” / “when”)	C’est l’endroit où je travaille. (“This is the place where I work.”)
dont (“whose” / “that”)	L’homme dont elle parle (“The man [that] she’s talking about”)

5 – Interrogative Pronouns

Since you already know the basic interrogative pronouns (qui, où, quand, quoi), let’s add a few more to your French arsenal.

lequel lesquels laquelle lesquelles (“which one”)	Lequel tu veux? (“Which one do you want?”) Lesquels sont les meilleurs ? (“Which ones are the best?”) Laquelle est la plus jolie ? (“Which one is the prettiest?”) Lesquelles veux-tu manger ? (“Which ones do you want to eat?”)
quel quels quelle quelles (“which”)	Quel vélo est à vendre ? (“Which bike is for sale?”)

6 – Indefinite Pronouns

And finally, here are a couple of new indefinite pronouns for your collection:

chacun (“everyone” / “every man”)	Chacun paye sa part. (“Everyone pays their share.”)
certains (“some [people]”)	Certains sont venus. (“Some people came.”)

→ To learn more about pronouns, their various categories, and how to use them, be sure to stop by our complete guide on FrenchPod101.com.

Lequel tu préfères ? (“Which one do you prefer?”)

2. Verbs

Assuming you know all about the most common French verbs, starting with our two auxiliaries (être and avoir) as well as the most useful and highly irregular specimens (such as aller or vouloir), it’s time to hone your skills with some additional high-profile verbs.

→ Whenever you need a reminder on how to deal with regular, irregular, or reflexive verbs, you can have a look at our complete conjugation guide on FrenchPod101.com.

servir	“to serve”
laisser	“to leave” / “to allow” / “to let”
envoyer	“to send”
recevoir	“to receive”
vivre	“to live”
appeler	“to call”
rappeler	“to remind” / “to call back”
présenter	“to introduce” / “to present”
accepter	“to accept”
refuser	“to refuse”
agir	“to act”
jouer	“to play”
reconnaître	“to recognize” / “to acknowledge”
choisir	“to choose” / “to select”
toucher	“to touch”
expliquer	“to explain”
se lever	“to stand up” / “to get out of bed”
ouvrir	“to open”
gagner	“to win” / “to earn”
perdre	“to lose”
exister	“to exist”
réussir	“to succeed” / “to manage”
changer	“to change”
travailler	“to work”
dormir	“to sleep”
marcher	“to walk”
essayer	“to try” / “to attempt”
empêcher	“to prevent” / “to stop”
reprendre	“to resume” / “to take back”
cuisiner	“to cook”
appartenir	“to belong”
risquer	“to risk”
apprendre	“to learn” / “to teach”
rencontrer	“to meet”
créer	“to create”
obtenir	“to obtain” / “to get”
entrer	“to enter”
sortir	“to exit” / “to go out” / “to leave”
proposer	“to offer” / “to suggest”
apporter	“to bring”
utiliser	“to use”
atteindre	“to reach” / “to achieve”
préparer	“to prepare” / “to make”
ajouter	“to add”
payer	“to pay”
vendre	“to consider” / “to study”
acheter	“to buy”
pousser	“to push”
tirer	“to pull” / “to shoot”
voyager	“to travel”

Elle voyage en France. (“She travels to France.”)

3. Numbers

You can go a long way with basic numbers, and as you learn a new language, counting from 1 to 10 is usually more than enough. But now that you’re approaching the intermediate French level, it’s time to go further.

This section will give you a leg up when it comes to handling big numbers for big prices, years, or someone’s age. It would be a shame to get a big French paycheck if you didn’t know the words to brag about it!

1 – From 11 to 20

10	Dix
11	Onze
12	Douze
13	Treize
14	Quatorze
15	Quinze
16	Seize
17	Dix-sept
18	Dix-huit
19	Dix-neuf
20	Vingt

2 – Counting Up to 100

30	Trente
40	Quarante
50	Cinquante
60	Soixante
70	Soixante-dix
80	Quatre-vingt
90	Quatre-vingt-dix
100	Cent

→ Feeling a bit rusty with big numbers such as soixante-quatorze (74) or quatre-vingt-douze (92)? Head over to our full guide on French numbers for an in-depth reminder.

3 – To 1,000 and Beyond

200	Deux-cent
300	Trois-cent
(…)
900	Neuf-cent

And from there, the sky’s the limit!

1,000	Mille
10,000	Dix-mille
100,000	Cent-mille
1,000,000 (106)	Un million

4. Nouns

To expand your vocabulary and the variety of topics you can talk about, here’s a list of nouns you might want to add to your flashcards.

→ For more nouns with audio recordings for pronunciation practice, visit any of FrenchPod101’s many free vocabulary lists. Not sure where to start? We recommend 50 Most Common French Nouns.

1 – Time

un siècle	“century”
une matinée	“morning”
The difference between un matin and une matinée is subtle. They both mean “morning,” but matinée is often used when talking about a period of time and what we do in this period.
une soirée	“evening”
Same goes for un soir and une soirée. There is little difference between the two, but we often use une soirée when talking about leisure activities, while un soir is more neutral.
un trimestre	“trimester” / “quarter”
un semestre	“semester”

2 – Places 

une région	“region”
un département	“department”
Metropolitan France is divided into 13 regions that are split into a total of 101 departments. For example, Morbihan is a department within the Bretagne region.
un village	“village”
un parc	“park”
une banque	“bank”
une pharmacie	“pharmacy”
un hôpital	“hospital”
This ^ on the ô is not pronounced; it’s just there as a tribute to the spelling of the word in Old French: hospital.
une boulangerie	“bakery”
Have you ever noticed that in France, you can buy your bread from two different shops? Une boulangerie makes and sells bread, while une pâtisserie is more specialized toward cakes and sweets.
une plaine	“plain”
une falaise	“cliff”
une plage	“beach”
une île	“island”
une colline	“hill”

3 – Technology 

un écran	“screen”
un clavier	“keyboard”
une souris	“mouse”
Just like in English, une souris is also the word for the cute furry animal.
une tablette	“tablet”
une télé	“TV”
The full word is télévision, but the abbreviation is just as popular as the English “TV.”
une console	“console”
un chargeur	“charger”
un site / un site web	“website”
un compte	“account”
un mot de passe	“password”
It may seem more complicated, but it’s actually a direct translation, using un mot (“word”).
un fichier	“file”
un répertoire	“folder”
un logiciel	“software”

4 – Home 

une pièce	“room”
un étage	“floor”
In France, le premier étage (literally: “the first floor”) is what most North Americans call the second floor. This is because the word étage has a slightly different meaning, and we don’t consider le rez-de-chaussée (“the ground floor”) to be un étage. Le rez-de-chaussée (“The ground floor”, i.e.: “The first floor”) Le premier étage (Equivalent of “The second floor”) Le deuxième étage (Equivalent of “The third floor”)
un salon	“living room”
une salle de bain	“bathroom”
un frigo	“fridge”
une armoire	“cabinet” / “wardrobe” / “cupboard” / “closet”

5 – City & Transportation

une banlieue	“suburb” / “outskirt”
un quartier	“district” / “neighborhood” / “area”
une autoroute	“highway”
une ruelle	“alley”
un rond-point	“roundabout”
un carrefour	“crossroad” / “intersection” / “junction”

6 – People 

un oncle	“uncle”
une tante	“aunt”
un petit-fils	“grandson”
une petite-fille	“granddaughter”
un bébé	“baby”
un grand-père	“grandfather”
une grand-mère	“grandmother”

7 – Body Parts 

un doigt	“finger”
You should not get distressed by the weird spelling. The letters “gt” at the end of doigt are silent.
un dos	“back”
un ventre	“belly”
un sein	“breast”
une épaule	“shoulder”
une jambe	“leg”
une cuisse	“thigh”
une fesse	“butt cheek”
un pied	“foot”
une joue	“cheek”
un menton	“chin”
un front	“forehead”

8 – Food & Dining

un couteau	“knife”
une fourchette	“fork”
une cuillère	“spoon”
un vin	“wine”
un plat	“dish”
une entrée	“starter”
un dessert	“dessert”
une boisson	“drink”
un café	“coffee”

9 – Work & Studies

un infirmier / une infirmière	“nurse”
un policier / une policière	“police officer”
un avocat / une avocate	“lawyer”
un serveur / une serveuse	“waiter”
une université	“university”

10 – Clothes

un pantalon	“pants” / “trousers”
un pull	“sweater”
un t-shirt	“T-shirt”
une chemise	“shirt”
un manteau	“coat”
une chaussette	“sock”
une chaussure	“shoe”
une robe	“dress”
un chapeau	“hat”

Elle porte un chapeau. (“She wears a hat.”)

5. Conjunctions

As you may already know the most basic ones (et, ou, si, parce que, mais, pour par), we’ll move on to the more complex conjunctions.

Ni…ni (“Nor”)

• Je ne bois ni bière ni vin. (“I drink neither beer nor wine.”)

Alors (“Then” / “So”)

• Je n’ai pas soif, alors je ne bois pas. (“I’m not thirsty, so I don’t drink.”)

Sinon (“Otherwise”)

• Je ne bois pas, sinon je ne peux pas conduire. (“I’m not drinking, otherwise I cannot drive.”)

Puisque (“Since” / “As”)

• Puisque tu es là, tu veux entrer ? (“Since you’re here, do you want to come in?”)

Quand (“When”)

• Quand je suis fatigué, je baille. (“When I’m tired, I yawn.”)

Donc (“So” / “Therefore”)

• Je pense donc je suis. (“I think, therefore I am.”)

Du coup (“So” / “Therefore”) [Casual]

• J’avais soif, du coup j’ai bu. (“I was thirsty, so I drank.”)

6. Adjectives

Although not as essential for beginners who just want to express basic ideas, adjectives are a great way for intermediate French learners to make their sentences more meaningful and flavorful.

→ If you’re yearning for more after zipping through this list, we have many more in our Top 100 French Adjectives article on FrenchPod101.com.

génial	“great” / “awesome” / “amazing”
horrible	“horrible”
bizarre	“weird”
compliqué	“complicated”
epais	“thick”
fin	“thin”
proche	“near”
lointain	“far”
etroit	“narrow”
large	“wide”
doux	“soft”
dur	“hard”
plein	“full”
vide	“empty”
léger	“light”
lourd	“heavy”
unique	“unique”
spécial	“special”
particulier	“particular” / “special” / “specific”
neuf	“new” (as in: never used)
pauvre	“poor”
riche	“rich” / “wealthy”
propre	“clean”
sale	“dirty”
faible	“weak”
mince	“slim”
mignon	“cute”
méchant	“mean” / “wicked” / “evil”
drôle	“funny”
sympa	“nice”
heureux	“happy”
triste	“sad”
calme	“quiet”
excité	“excited”
dangereux	“dangerous”
ennuyeux	“boring” / “annoying”
gras	“fat”
epicé	“spicy”
second deuxième	“second”
prochain	“next”
précédent	“previous”
avant-dernier	“penultimate” / “second-to-last”
orange	“orange”
rose	“pink”
gris	“gray”
violet	“purple”
magenta	“magenta”
turquoise	“turquoise”

Une pierre turquoise (“A turquoise stone”)

7. Adverbs

Like with adjectives, you could get away with very few adverbs as a beginner, but you’ll need to learn some more as you level up. They’re not only great for showing some style and sophistication in writing, but also for helping the audience picture how something is done when having a conversation. 

1 – When

déjà	“already”
longtemps	“a long time” / “long”
maintenant	“now”
encore	“again”
enfin	“at last”
ensuite alors	“then”

2 – How Often 

parfois	“sometimes”
rarement	“rarely”
d’habitude	“usually”
généralement	“generally” / “usually”
tout le temps	“all the time”

3 – Where 

nulle part	“nowhere”
quelque part	“somewhere”
ailleurs	“somewhere else”
en haut	“up” / “above”
en bas	“down” / “below”
dessus	“over” / “on”
dessous	“under” / “below”
loin	“far”
près	“close”

4 – How 

doucement	“softly” / “quietly”
lentement	“softly” / “quietly”
lentement	“slowly”
rapidement	“fast” / “quickly” / “shortly”
calmement	“calmly” / “quietly”
facilement	“easily”
heureusement	“luckily”
simplement	“simply” / “just”

5 – How Much 

plutôt	“rather”
assez	“enough”
surtout	“especially”
presque	“almost”
combien	“how” / “ how much” / “how many”
tellement	“so” / “so much” / “so many”
environ	“about” / “approximately”

→ You can find many more adverbs in our Top 100 Most Useful French Adverbs article on FrenchPod101.com.

8. Prepositions

Our final list of intermediate French words consists of the most frequently used prepositions. You don’t need too many prepositions, but they’re nonetheless vital for articulating your speech and structuring your sentences. They mark the relationships and links between people, objects, places, and moments. 

1 – Time

avant	“before” / “prior”
après	“after” / “then” / “once”
dans	“in” / “inside” / “within”

2 – Space

à côté	“next to” / “beside”
à droite	“to the right”
à gauche	“to the left”
chez	“at”
There is no direct translation for chez. It usually means “inside somebody’s home or place.” Je vais chez Simon. (“I’m going at Simon’s place.”) Bienvenue chez moi. (“Welcome to my home.”) It can also be used to talk about a specific feature of a group of people: Chez les Américains, il y a (…) (“Americans have…”) Chez les écrivains, on pense que (…) (“Writers think that…”)
devant	“in front of” / “ahead”
derrière	“behind”
sous	“under”
sur	“over” / “on”

3 – Other

entre	“between” / “among”
grâce à	“thanks to”
malgré	“despite”
sans	“without”

Bienvenue chez nous ! (“Welcome to our home!”)

Le Mot De La Fin

In this guide, you’ve learned many of the best French words for intermediate learners. Did we forget any important words or categories you’d like to know about?

At this level, there are still some grammar and conjugation rules to learn, but your vocabulary is what’s going to make the difference when trying to tackle an unusual topic or when expressing complex thoughts in a conversation.

FrenchPod101 has tons of vocabulary lists with audio recordings and other free resources to boost your studies and keep your French learning fresh and entertaining!

Remember that you can also use our Premium PLUS service, MyTeacher, to get personal 1-on-1 coaching with your own private teacher who can help you practice intermediate words and more. Your teacher will provide you with assignments, personalized exercises, and recorded audio samples just for you; he or she will also review all of your work and help improve your pronunciation. 

Happy learning with FrenchPod101!

About the Author: Born and bred in rainy Northern France, Cyril Danon was bouncing off various jobs before he left everything behind to wander around the wonders of the world. Now, after quenching his wanderlust over the last few years, he’s eager to share his passion for languages.

Do you know which animals the French love most? What about the most popular pets and common farm animals? How many species are there in the gastropod family, and what’s the life expectancy of forest-litter snails? We’re about to answer some of these questions.

As I was gathering animal names, I came up with a fascinating theory: the more exotic an animal is in France, the easier it will be for you to learn its French name. Conveniently enough, there are several animal names in French that are identical to their English equivalents: lion, crocodile, panda, koala, giraffe, jaguar… They shouldn’t give you too much trouble!

In this article, you’ll learn the names of different animals in French, from pets and farm animals to wild beasts, sea creatures, and all sorts of tiny bugs. We’ll even spice it up with some extras: French animal sounds, body parts, and a bunch of colorful expressions such as il pleut comme vache qui pisse (“it’s raining like a pissing cow”).

Des animaux de compagnie (“Pets”)

Table of Contents

1. Pets
2. Farm Animals
3. Wild Animals
4. Sea Animals
5. Bugs
6. Birds
7. Reptiles & Amphibians
8. Animal Body Parts
9. Animal Verbs
10. Animal Sounds
11. Bonus: Animal Idioms
12. Le mot de la fin

1. Pets

When it comes to pets, the French don’t have very eccentric tastes. Sure, you could always find domestic snakes or spiders here and there. But the all-time classics (cats and dogs) are as ubiquitous here as anywhere else in the world, with fish and birds coming next on the list.

Polls have shown that the most popular pets in France are cats (purring in around 30% of households), followed by dogs (20%), and then fish (10%). When asked about their favorite animals (and not just pets), the French still answered in favor of cats and dogs, followed by horses and dolphins.

Surprisingly, France is also the European country with the highest number of domestic reptiles, though this number is marginal compared to the number of domestic mammals.

Un chat	“Cat”
Un chien	“Dog”
Un lapin	“Rabbit”
Une souris	“Mouse”
Un rat	“Rat”
Un cochon d’Inde	“Guinea pig”
Un poisson rouge	“Goldfish”
Un perroquet	“Parrot”

Un chaton (“Kitten”)

2. Farm Animals

Farm animals don’t vary much from one country to the next, and France is no exception. We breed the same-old cows, pigs, sheep, and goats as anywhere else in the world, which makes these words some of the most useful to learn.

The only feature you may find “exotic” about French farms is that we breed horses for their meat.

Hippophagy (the practice of eating horse meat) is generally frowned upon in the U.S., and is even banned in many states across the country. It’s met with the same disgust in the U.K., where it remains a strong taboo. 

In France, it was never wildly popular, but following lots of scandals and controversies over the last two decades, the consumption of horse meat has decreased dramatically. At this rate, it shall soon become a distant nightmare for all horse-lovers.

Here are the names of common farm animals in French:

Une vache	“Cow”
Un cochon	“Pig”
Un mouton	“Sheep”
Une chèvre	“Goat”
Un cheval	“Horse”
Une poule	“Hen”
Un coq	“Rooster”
Un canard	“Duck”
Une oie	“Goose”
Une dinde	“Turkey”

→ To learn more French words and practice your pronunciation, why not stop by our vocabulary lesson on farm animals? It’s available for free on FrenchPod101.com.

Des cochons (“Pigs”)

3. Wild Animals

French forests and mountains are home to a variety of wild animals. Rabbits and hares are the easiest to spot, but if you hike deep enough in the woods, you might encounter deer, wolves, and even bears.

If you’re more of a mountain climber, you may find some adorable groundhogs hiding from eagles and different kinds of wild goats strolling around like they own the place. The Alps are especially renowned for their wildlife, but we also have a few whales singing in the Mediterranean Sea and fluffy seals on the northern coast.

Here are the names of popular wild animals in the French language:

Un ours	“Bear”
Un loup	“Wolf”
Un cerf	“Deer”
Un lièvre	“Hare”
Un renard	“Fox”
Un hérisson	“Hedgehog”
Un écureuil	“Squirrel”
Un sanglier	“Boar”
Une marmotte	“Groundhog”
Un lion	“Lion”
Un tigre	“Tiger”
Un jaguar	“Jaguar”
Une panthère	“Panther”
Un éléphant	“Elephant”
Une giraffe	“Giraffe”
Un singe	“Monkey”
Un gorille	“Gorilla”
Un kangourou	“Kangaroo”
Un koala	“Koala”
Un panda	“Panda”
Un paresseux	“Sloth”
Un phoque	“Seal”
Un pingouin	“Penguin”
Un ours polaire	“Polar bear”
Un morse	“Walrus”

Un paresseux (“Sloth”)

4. Sea Animals

Counting our overseas regions (Nouvelle Calédonie, Polynésie Française, Mayotte…), France alone is home to 10% of the world’s corals. They’re mostly gathered around our islands, and they host an impressive diversity of fish, algae, and shellfish.

On the other hand, the industrialization and pollution of the French coasts have taken a huge toll on the marine ecosystem, with plastic being one of the main culprits.

Un poisson	“Fish”
Un requin	“Shark”
Un dauphin	“Dolphin”
Une baleine	“Whale”
Un lion de mer	“Sealion”
Une méduse	“Jellyfish”
Une pieuvre Un poulpe	“Octopus”
There is no difference between un poulpe and une pieuvre. The latter is a bit more modern, but both are equally used.
Un hippocampe	“Seahorse”
Un oursin	“Urchin”
Une étoile de mer	“Starfish”
Une moule	“Mussel”
Un concombre de mer	“Sea cucumber”
Sea cucumbers are so bizarrely amazing that I couldn’t resist including them on this list. Do you know of any other animal that breathes through its butt? They especially thrive in deep water, and make up 90% of life on the ocean floor below 15,000 feet.

→ Do you wanna dive deeper? We have a vocabulary list of marine animals and fish with recorded pronunciation examples.

Un requin-marteau (“Hammerhead shark”)

5. Bugs

France has a diverse fauna of native and endemic bugs. Nothing as lethal and scary as what you’d find in Australia, luckily, but we have our fair share of crawling insects and nasty worms.

The three most dangerous animals in France are the Asian hornets, blood-sucking ticks, and the infamous veuve noire (“black widow”), a spider found on the island of Corsica and the region of Provence. Its venom is more dangerous than that of a cobra and can induce crazy hallucinations.

Une abeille	“Bee”
Une guêpe	“Wasp”
Un moustique	“Mosquito”
Une mouche	“Fly”
Une araignée	“Spider”
Un criquet	“Grasshopper”
Un cafard	“Cockroach”
Un papillon	“Butterfly”
Une fourmi	“Ant”
Une mite	“Moth”
Un escargot	“Snail”
Une limace	“Slug”

Une guêpe (“Wasp”)

6. Birds

There are more than 500 species of birds in France, but none are as familiar as our iconic pigeon.

Around 23,000 pigeons live in Paris today, but it wasn’t always so. Back in the nineteenth century, they could only be seen flying over the city. Pigeons only settled in later on, thanks to the lack of predators and the rise of the pigeon post during the Franco-Prussian War.

Un pigeon	“Pigeon”
Une mouette	“Seagull”
Un corbeau	“Crow”
Un aigle	“Eagle”
Une colombe	“Dove”
Un hibou Une chouette	“Owl”
What’s the difference between hiboux and chouettes? Simple enough: Hiboux have fluffy ‘ears’ and chouettes don’t. Both are adorable.
Une pie	“Magpie”
Un moineau	“Sparrow”
Un paon	“Peacock”

Des pigeons (“Pigeons”)

7. Reptiles & Amphibians

Although we don’t have many lethal snakes in France, we still have a few vipers hiding in the bushes here and there. However, they usually don’t attack without provocation and their venom is rarely fatal to humans.

Their natural habitat has been increasingly threatened in recent years and they’re nearly extinct today. Due to their bad reputation (much of which is derived from phobias and irrational fears), nobody’s too eager to protect them.

Une grenouille	“Frog”
Un crapaud	“Toad”
Un crocodile	“Crocodile”
Un lézard	“Lizard”
Une tortue	“Turtle”
Une tortue de mer	“Sea turtle”
Un serpent	“Snake”

→ For more French animal words with recordings of their pronunciation, make sure to check out this free vocabulary list on FrenchPod101.com.

Un serpent (“Snake”)

8. Animal Body Parts

Une queue	“Tail”
Un poil	“Hair”
Une fourrure	“Fur”
Une dent	“Tooth”
Un croc	“Fang”
Une griffe	“Claw”
Une corne	“Horn”
Un sabot	“Hoof”
Une plume	“Feather”
Une aile	“Wing”
Un bec	“Beak”
Une gueule	“Mouth”
The word gueule is also a rude slang term for “mouth,” as in the expression: Ferme ta gueule. (“Shut your trap.”) In that case, you’re implicitly comparing the other person to an animal.
Une nageoire	“Fin”
Un tentacule	“Tentacle”
Une crinière	“Mane”
Une trompe	“Trunk”
Une défense	“Tusk”
Une antenne	“Antenna”
Un dard	“Dart”
Une patte	“Leg”
Une patte can only be used for animals. When talking about a human leg, we use une jambe.
Une écaille	“Scale”

Des cornes (“Horns”)

9. Animal Verbs

Miauler	“To meow”
Aboyer	“To bark”
Rugir	“To roar”
Bourdonner	“To buzz”
Grogner	“To growl”
Ronronner	“To purr”
Galoper	“To gallop”
Nager	“To swim”
Ramper	“To crawl”
Mordre	“To bite” (with teeth)
Piquer	“To sting” (with a dart)
Griffer	“To scratch”
Lécher	“To lick”
Caresser	“To pet”
Dresser	“To tame” / “To train”
Nourrir	“To feed”
Vacciner	“To vaccinate”

Le chien aboie. (“The dog is barking.”)

10. Animal Sounds

The onomatopoeia used for animal sounds vary greatly from one country to the next, and it’s always hilarious to see how people perceive barking or meowing in other cultures. Here are the most popular French animal sounds, for your entertainment.

But before you make fun of our animals’ sounds, just keep in mind that cats say “knavili” in Georgian, dogs go “Gaf gaf” in Russian, Danish ducks sing “Rap rap,” and Belgian turkeys gobble “Irka kloek kloek.” Just sayin’.

Miaou	(Cat)
Ouaf / Wouf	(Dog)
Meuh	(Cow)
Bêêê	(Sheep)
Cui cui	(Bird)
Cocorico	(Rooster)
We also use this sound as a symbol of national pride. When a French person says Cocorico !, it’s pretty much like saying “Go France!”
Coin coin	(Duck)
Grrr	(Growling sound)
Hou hou	(Owl)
Croa croa	(Toad)
Glouglou	(Turkey)
Cot cot	(Hen)
Groin groin	(Pig)

Cocorico ! (“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”)

11. Bonus: Animal Idioms

French expression	Marcher sur des œufs
Literal translation	“To walk on eggs”
This is the equivalent of “to walk on eggshells,” when you’re being very careful not to offend someone or do anything wrong.

French expression	Ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard.
Literal translation	“It doesn’t break a duck’s three legs.”
The equivalent of “It’s nothing to write home about,” when something is not really impressive.

French expression	Oh la vache !
Literal translation	“Oh, the cow!”
The unholy version of “Holy cow!”

French expression	Vachement
Literal translation	“Cowishly”
This roughly translates to “really” or “very.” For example: C’est vachement bien ! (“It’s really good!”)

French expression	Il pleut comme vache qui pisse.
Literal translation	“It’s raining like a pissing cow.”
Similar to “It’s raining cats and dogs,” when talking about heavy rain.

French expression	Il n’y a pas un chat.
Literal translation	“There is not a cat.”
The place is so empty that you can’t even spot a stray cat strolling around.

French expression	J’ai un chat dans la gorge.
Literal translation	“I have a cat in the throat.”
The equivalent would be “I have a frog in my throat,” when you can’t speak normally because of how dry and hoarse your throat feels.

French expression	Il fait un temps de chien.
Literal translation	“It’s a dog’s weather.”
“The weather is really bad.”  The expression was introduced at the beginning of the twentieth century, when dogs still had a reputation for being dirty animals. When it was pouring rain, only stray dogs would stay outside and roam the empty streets.

French expression	Un trou à rat
Literal translation	“A rat hole”
A dirty or miserable place.

French expression	Donner de la confiture aux cochons
Literal translation	“To give jam to the pigs”
The equivalent of “to throw pearls before swine.” To waste good things on someone undeserving.

French expression	Un caractère de cochon
Literal translation	“A pig’s temper”
Do pigs have especially bad tempers? This is what the expression implies.

French expression	Poser un lapin
Literal translation	“To put a rabbit”
The equivalent of “to stand someone up,” when you’re supposed to meet them but fail to show up.

French expression	C’est chouette !
Literal translation	“It’s owl!”
I’d translate it as “It’s nice,” or “It’s cool.” We use it when talking about something exciting or pleasant. For example: Ce film est chouette. (“This movie is nice.”)

French expression	À vol d’oiseau
Literal translation	“On bird’s flight”
This is the equivalent of “as the crow flies.” It describes the shortest possible distance between two points that a bird could cover, flying over roads and obstacles. For example: La gare est à 2 km à vol d’oiseau. (“The train station is two kilometers as the crow flies.”) In other words: It would be further when walking, but here’s a raw estimate.

French expression	Noyer le poisson
Literal translation	“To drown the fish”
Similar to “to cloud the issue,” when you make a problem more difficult to understand or deal with by introducing unnecessary ideas.

French expression	Chercher la petite bête
Literal translation	“To look for the tiny beast”
The equivalent of “to nitpick,” when you focus on small, specific mistakes. A teacher might nitpick if they blame you for a missing comma in your otherwise perfect paper.

Les chouettes sont vachement chouettes ! (“Owls are super cool!”)

12. Le mot de la fin

In this guide, you’ve learned many animal names in French, from pets to marine animals and beyond. Now you’re ready to ask your friends about their pets or their favorite furry animals.

Did we forget any animal expression you’ve heard? If you know more funny French animal sounds, be sure to share them in the comments below!

Make sure to explore FrenchPod101, as we have plenty of free resources to help you practice your grammar and learn new words. Our vocabulary lists are also a great way to review words and learn their pronunciation.

Remember that you can also use our Premium PLUS service, MyTeacher, to get personal 1-on-1 coaching with your own private teacher. They can help you practice the animal words from this article, and much more. In addition to giving you assignments and personalized exercises, your teacher can record audio samples for you and review your work to help you improve in all areas. 

Happy learning on FrenchPod101.com!

About the Author: Born and bred in rainy Northern France, Cyril Danon was bouncing off various jobs before he left everything behind to wander around the wonders of the world. Now, after quenching his wanderlust over the last few years, he’s eager to share his passion for languages.