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Common French Phrases

A list of the most common French phrases ordered by their frequency of use. Normally these phrases have meanings that are more than the sum of their parts, more than their component words would indicate, so they are good to learn even if you know their individual words.

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1 de la
          1. art. of the
          2. art. some; the feminine partitive article
                Voudriez-vous de la confiture ? - Would you like some jam?
                J'ai mangé de la tarte - I ate some pie.
2 de l'
          1. art. some; the singular prevocalic partitive article
                Voudriez-vous de l’ail ? - Would you like some garlic?
3 à la
          1. prep. a la, in the style or manner of (with a feminine singular adjective or a proper noun)
                à la française (in the French style)
                à la Hugo (in the style of Hugo)
4 ce qui
          1. pron. (nominative, relative) what (that which; those which; the thing that)
                Ce qui est vrai, c'est que je l'adorais. - What's true is that I loved him.
                C'est quoi, ce qui a occasionné ça ? - What is it that caused this?
          2. pron. (nominative, interrogative) what (in indirect questions, subject)
                Je ne sais pas ce qui y est écrit. - I don't know what it says lit. is written.
5 ce que
          1. pron. (accusative, relative) what (relative pronoun - direct object)
                C'est ce que font les gens bien. - This is what good people do.
                Cela n'est pas ce que je voulais. - That isn't what I wanted.
                Il avait bien conscience de ce qu'il avait fait. - He knew perfectly well what he had done.
                Ce que dit le roi est vrai, parce que le roi le dit. - What the king says is true, because the king says it.
6 un peu
          1. adv. a little, a bit
                Il est un peu bizarre. - He's a bit weird.
          2. adv. Used to soften an order.
                Viens un peu ici ! - Could you come here?!
                Regarde un peu dans la voiture s'il-te-plaît. - Take a bit of a look in the car, please.
7 il y a
          1. v. singular present indicative of y avoir: there is, there are
                Il y a un problème. - There is a problem.
                Il y a deux personnes ici. - There are two people here.
          2. prep. ago
                Je l'ai vu il y a longtemps. - I saw it a long time ago.
8 que de
          1. adv. how (modifier)
9 au milieu
          1.
10 sans doute
          1. adv. no doubt, most probably, most likely
                Il vaut sans doute mieux que tu ne lui en dises rien. - It's probably better that you say nothing to him about it.
11 quelque chose
          1. pron. something (an indefinite or indeterminate object)
12 de plus
          1. Phrase. moreover, furthermore
13 un jour
          1. adv. one day, someday (at unspecified time in the past or future)
                Un jour je vais essayer de prendre une bonne décision.
14 à peine
          1. adv. barely, scarcely, hardly
                Il y a à peine trente personnes au concert ce soir. - There are barely thirty people at this evening’s concert.
                À peine avait-il achevé ces paroles qu'une voiture s'arrêta devant la porte. - Scarcely had he finished his words, when a car pulled up at the door.
                Nous avons à peine fait connaissance. - We've only just met.
15 à travers
          1. prep. through
                On peut voir le Soleil à travers les nuages. - We can see the Sun through the clouds.
          2. prep. across (from one side to the other)
                Construire un pont à travers un ruisseau. - Build a bridge across a stream.
          3. prep. throughout
16 une fois
          1. adv. (literally) once, one time
                Le clocher sonne une fois par heure. - The bell strikes once an hour.
          2. conj. once, as soon as
          3. conj.          (With que, introducing a full clause in the perfect aspect.)
                        Une fois qu'elle l'aura vu, elle le comprendra. - Once she sees it, she'll understand it.
17 au fond
          1. adv. Used other than as an idiom: see at the back, in the depths
          2. adv. (figuratively) deep down, in the end
          3. adv. (figuratively) deep down, at bottom, at heart
18 parce que
          1. conj. because
19 en effet
          1. adv. indeed
20 bien que
          1. conj. although
                Bien qu'il puisse être difficile à croire, je ne suis pas parfait. - Although it can be difficult to believe, I am not perfect.
                On pense que la majorité des Céphéides classiques pulsent selon le mode fondamental, bien qu'il ne soit pas facile de distinguer le mode d'après la forme de la courbe de lumière. - We think tha
21 au moins
          1. adv. at least, at a minimum
22 comme si
          1. conj. as if; as though (as to suggest that)
                Il sortit par la porte et Roger put voir que son visage était pâle, comme s’il avait vu un fantôme. - He went out the door and Roger could see that his face was white, as though he had seen a p
23 tout le monde
          1. pron. everyone, everybody
                Tout le monde est arrivé. - Everyone has arrived.
24 du moins
          1. adv. at least
                Du moins, je pense que c'est comme ça. - At least, I think it's like that.
25 près de
          1.
26 pour que
          1. conj. (+ subjunctive) so that, in order that
27 à la fois
          1. adv. at a time, at the same time, at once; both
                deux à la fois - two at a time
28 jeune fille
          1. n-f. a girl; a maiden (unmarried woman/girl)
29 est-ce que
          1. part. Used to introduce a yes-or-no question.
                Est-ce que tu veux une chambre ? - Do you want a bedroom?
                Est-ce qu’elle est arrivée ? - Has she arrived?
          2. part. Used after a preposed interrogative to introduce the remainder of the question.
                Quand est-ce que les élèves retournent à l’école ? - When do the students return to school?
30 en même temps
          1. adv. at the same time, at once, simultaneously
          2. adv. (colloquial) on the other hand, at the same time, then again
Dictionary entries from Wiktionary