20 USEFUL FRENCH PHRASES FOR TRAVELERS (PART 2)

Salut mes amis, (Hello my friends)

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

I hope you enjoyed reading the Part 1 of this topic and learnt a lot. As promised, this is the Part 2. So pick up a pen and paper and have fun practicing!

1.   Mon nom est… This can be pronounced as ‘MON NUM EHH’ and means ‘My name is’. You can introduce yourself by saying this.

2.  Robinet ou eau plate ? This can be pronounced as ‘ROW-BEE-NAY OO OH PLAT’ and means tap or still water? In Nigeria, most of us drink bottled water or water from a dispenser. But in Ivory Coast for instance I always drank water from the tap because it’s very clean. In a restaurant you are frequently asked when you place an order if you would want tap (which is free) or still water (which is bottled water and not free.)

3. Je voudrais une table pour deux. This can be pronounced as ‘JAY VOO-DRAY EWN TAHBL POO DOUGH’ and means ‘I would like a table for two.’

4. Je suis plombier. This can be pronounced as ’JAY SWEE PLUMBEEYAY’ and means ‘I am a plumber’. You can describe your profession by using ‘je suis’ at the beginning of a sentence.

5. Vous parle l’anglais? This can be pronounced as ‘VOO PARLAY LAWNGLEH’ and means Do you speak English? Most people visiting francophone countries ask this question to stay in their comfort zone. Before I understood the French language, which was the number one question I asked. In fact, I started speaking English just so they won’t speak French to me. 🙂🙃

6. Je voudrais un remboursement.  This can be pronounced as ‘JAY VOO-DRAY ON RUM-BOOS-A-MUN’ and means ‘I would like a refund’. So many times when on vacation, I buy dresses or shoes that I think look stunning on me when I try them on but once I return to my Airbnb or hotel, reality sets in and I don’t like the outfit again. So you could decide to go back to the shop immediately and knowing how to explain to them is quite helpful.

7. Je veux du rouge ou du bleu. This can be pronounced as ‘JEU VOU DO ROUGE OO DO BLOW’ and means ‘I would like the red or blue’. You may request for different colours of a particular item you want to buy. For instance maybe a nice scarf or hats in different colours.  Knowing some colours are particularly good for when shopping for certain items.

8. Je voudrais réserver une chambre s’il vous plait. This can be pronounced as ‘JAY VOO-DRAY RAY-ZERVE EWN SHAWMBRE SEAL-VOO –PLAY’ and means ’I would like to book / reserve a room please. This might come in handy when booking hotels during your trip.

9. J’ai besoin d’un guide s’il vous plait. This can be pronounced as  ‘JAY BEY-ZWAN D’ON GID SEAL-VOO –PLAY’ and means ‘I need a tour guide please’. You could ask the he hotel receptionist to recommend a tour guide for you or call a tour guide company.

10. Merci pour un bon moment, au revoir! This can be pronounced as ‘MERCY POO ON BON MOWMAW, OH-ROW-VOAH’ and means ‘Thank you for a good time, bye!’ When finally leaving the hotel or Airbnb, you can tell the manager or the hotel receptionist this. It’s just a nice way of showing your appreciation.

So yes. How did you feel pronouncing the words? I’m sure you laughed out loud saying them and I hope it worked for you! Try and practice these phrases before your trip to any Francophone country or at your own free time. They helped me immensely and I wish I had such tips. Tell me, are there are any other phrases that have helped you move around easily in Francophone countries? I would love to hear back from you!

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

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