Most Useful French Phrases
Aug 15th, 2006, 07:20 PM
#44
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ttt means to the top and it is one way of pushing a thread back up to the top where people will see it. Some people also use it to bookmark a thread so they can find it later. If you click on your name, all your posts will appear on the left side.
fumeur ou non fumeur?
Not sure on the spelling but yes, I know it means smoking or non-smoking. When we entered a couple of restaurants we were asked this question. Bofinger was one.
Ou sont les toilettes?
Is the proper way to ask where the restroom is - plural rather than singular and not where is the salle de bains? Cause you don't need a tub (I am assuming).
Je voudrais: Babelfish says it means I would like but I believe it means I would want. I learned the more polite way is to say:
J'aimerais : which Bablefish says means I would love but I was taught means I would like and is more polite than Je voudrais. But hey, what do I know. I bet there are some French speakers lurking about who could answer you better and I.
fumeur ou non fumeur?
Not sure on the spelling but yes, I know it means smoking or non-smoking. When we entered a couple of restaurants we were asked this question. Bofinger was one.
Ou sont les toilettes?
Is the proper way to ask where the restroom is - plural rather than singular and not where is the salle de bains? Cause you don't need a tub (I am assuming).
Je voudrais: Babelfish says it means I would like but I believe it means I would want. I learned the more polite way is to say:
J'aimerais : which Bablefish says means I would love but I was taught means I would like and is more polite than Je voudrais. But hey, what do I know. I bet there are some French speakers lurking about who could answer you better and I.
Aug 15th, 2006, 07:28 PM
#45
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I mastered how to say "I'm sorry, I don't speak French, do you speak English?" Boy, just being able to say that helped a lot because it was apologetic enough, and I'm sure the accent was strong enough to bolster the confidence of any French person with a couple of years of English in school to try theirs on me.
Seriously -- I found people to be very nice when I said those words, including the Parisian policeman that I encountered when I went the wrong way and he tried to stop me. He said "No" to my "do you speak English," but then proceeded to ask me where I was from and how was I liking Paris, etc. All in English.
Bonjour, Merci, and sil vous plais were also the big ones.
Also, DH said "Bonjour madame" to a young woman in a shop, and I said "or, madamoiselle?" and the woman was very appreciative that I noticed she was young enough to not assume she was married.
I find the French to be QUITE pleasant when you learn the basic "polite" words, and most speak English (particularly in Paris, I suppose), especially when they got a load of my accent, even with my best effort of 2 lessons with Pimsleur's
What's funny is on my two trips to Paris, I encountered all of ONE rude person, a subway ticket agent, who was miffed because I didn't say "bonjour" first, and started with "hello, I need..." and well, that was just plain rude, or at least thoughtless of ME.
Jules
Seriously -- I found people to be very nice when I said those words, including the Parisian policeman that I encountered when I went the wrong way and he tried to stop me. He said "No" to my "do you speak English," but then proceeded to ask me where I was from and how was I liking Paris, etc. All in English.
Bonjour, Merci, and sil vous plais were also the big ones.
Also, DH said "Bonjour madame" to a young woman in a shop, and I said "or, madamoiselle?" and the woman was very appreciative that I noticed she was young enough to not assume she was married.
I find the French to be QUITE pleasant when you learn the basic "polite" words, and most speak English (particularly in Paris, I suppose), especially when they got a load of my accent, even with my best effort of 2 lessons with Pimsleur's
What's funny is on my two trips to Paris, I encountered all of ONE rude person, a subway ticket agent, who was miffed because I didn't say "bonjour" first, and started with "hello, I need..." and well, that was just plain rude, or at least thoughtless of ME.
Jules
Aug 16th, 2006, 01:16 AM
#46
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I realize I wrote the main things in my first post 
Underhill, you can say both, je suis perdue, pouvez vous m'aider? or je me suis perdue. no problem. In the other context it is used in a quite old manner, "des filles perdues" for ex...
Waiters can say "vous avez choisi? or avez vous choisi?" or "qu'avez vous choisi?"("What have you chosen?" (not choisez but choisissez, verb choisir)
As you say "ladies and gentlemen", we're supposed to say "mesdames et messieurs" or "madame, monsieur" (in upscale restaurants waiters mustn't say messieurs dames but you can hear that in shops for ex)
Blackduff we usually say bonsoir after 6pm (or even earlier when it is getting dark in winter) Bonjour is not for the morning only, you can also use it in the afternoon when you enter a shop or meet someone, and say "bon après midi"(have a good afternoon) when you leave instead of "au revoir"!
Like Kate said, we never say bonjour when we leave someone but we can use bonne journée (have a nice day).
Ronda you're right about fumeur and non fumeur area.
Maybe the lady asked "la note s'il vous plait" for l'addition.
voilà!
Underhill, you can say both, je suis perdue, pouvez vous m'aider? or je me suis perdue. no problem. In the other context it is used in a quite old manner, "des filles perdues" for ex...
Waiters can say "vous avez choisi? or avez vous choisi?" or "qu'avez vous choisi?"("What have you chosen?"
(not choisez but choisissez, verb choisir)As you say "ladies and gentlemen", we're supposed to say "mesdames et messieurs" or "madame, monsieur" (in upscale restaurants waiters mustn't say messieurs dames but you can hear that in shops for ex)
Blackduff we usually say bonsoir after 6pm (or even earlier when it is getting dark in winter) Bonjour is not for the morning only, you can also use it in the afternoon when you enter a shop or meet someone, and say "bon après midi"(have a good afternoon) when you leave instead of "au revoir"!
Like Kate said, we never say bonjour when we leave someone but we can use bonne journée (have a nice day).
Ronda you're right about fumeur and non fumeur area.
Maybe the lady asked "la note s'il vous plait" for l'addition.
voilà!
Aug 16th, 2006, 03:18 AM
#48
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<<<I don't speak French, do you speak English
Je ne parle pas français, vous parle anglais<<<
A more exact translation would be "Je ne parle pas français, parlez vous anglais ?"
Aug 16th, 2006, 08:57 AM
#53
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I was born in Quebec, english parents but went to french school for 6 years, fluent in (Canadian) French, written little less so due to less use, worked for 2 years in Montreal in french business environment, been to france 6/7 times. But, I'm not "native" french, so I too can learn from these posts.
Aug 16th, 2006, 09:53 AM
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Most of the phrase books (Fodor's included) have phrases for "Where is the nearest bank?"
But what about "Where is the nearest ATM?" Ou est le A-T-M la plus proche? Or is there a French word for ATM?
A helpful phrase in restaurants...
Nous allons partager... (We are going to share....)
Also Comment dit-on ____ en français?
How does one say ___ in French?
Thanks!
But what about "Where is the nearest ATM?" Ou est le A-T-M la plus proche? Or is there a French word for ATM?
A helpful phrase in restaurants...
Nous allons partager... (We are going to share....)
Also Comment dit-on ____ en français?
How does one say ___ in French?
Thanks!
