20 Useful French Phrases for Travelers (Part 1)

 “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” – Nelson Mandela

Salut mes amis, (Hello my friends)

J’espère que vous allez bien! (I hope you are well)! 

The above quote is very true. I remember the first time I found myself in Côte D’ivoire and I could not speak French. I felt so alone. Sure I had gone on the trip with friends but they were French speakers and so were having the time of their lives. I, on the other hand, kept struggling to string along sentences. I always had to carry around a dictionary or at least wait till I could go out with them in order for them to translate for me which was a bit exasperating at times. I was so happy when I finally returned there a year later, after following these steps, with a much better understanding of the language. Even though I wasn’t perfect I could at least go to the market on my own, hail a cab, and go to the cinema. I felt empowered and the locals were so nice to me even though I made mistakes with my pronunciation. The below phrases will surely come in handy for you whenever you’re visiting a Francophone country and the natives would be glad you tried to speak their language and assist you!

1. Salut! – This is pronounced ‘SA-LU’ and means ‘Hello’. This is how the French normally greet people. It’s friendly and easy to remember.

2. Excusez- moi or Pardon. This is pronounced ‘PAR-DON’ and means ‘Excuse me’. When you want to ask for something especially for directions from a stranger, it’s advisable to lead with this followed by the question.

3. À demain. This is pronounced ‘AH DE-MAN’ and means ‘See You Tomorrow’. This is an effortless way of saying see you tomorrow to an acquaintance, the hotel receptionist, or the bar manager at the pub down the street.

4. S’il vous plait pouvez-vous prendre ma photo? This can be pronounced as ‘SEAL-VOO-PLAY POO-VAY PRAWNDR MA PHOTO’ and this means ‘Please can you take my picture? To capture the wonderful memories on your trip, you need someone to take them for you especially if it’s a solo trip and you are not with your tripod or selfie stick.

5. Je voudrais un ticket. This can be pronounced as ‘JAY VOO-DRAY ON TICKET’ and means ‘I would like 1 ticket’. This is necessary for when you want to buy a ticket at the cinema, bus station, or the amusement park.

6. S’il vous plait où est la gare? This can be pronounced as ‘SEAL-VOO -PLAY OU AIR LA GARH’ and means ‘Please where is the train station’? This would come in handy when you’re touring the city and need to use the train as an affordable way of moving around.

7. C’est combien? This can be pronounced as ‘SER COME-BEYON’ and means ‘How much is this’? I always ask how much an item is before making a purchase! And sometimes if I don’t understand the amount in their dialect I ask for the numerical value to be written. 

8. Enchante. This can be pronounced as ‘ON SHAWN TAY’ and means ‘A pleasure to meet you or Nice to meet you’. It is normally said to travelers by a French person.

9. Je suis Nigerian. This can be pronounced as ‘JOE SWEE KNEE-JAY-RIAN’ and means ‘I am Nigerian’. Most locals get intrigued by different accents and would ask where you’re from and you could return the favor by asking as well. You just might make a new friend!  

10. Je veux un verre d’eau. ‘JEU VOU ON VER D’O’ and this means ‘I want a glass of water’.

That’s all for today! Thank you for stopping by and look out for Part 2 where we shall explore even more phrases!

Jusqu’à la prochaine fois! (Until next time)!

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