How many French words do I need to hold a basic conversation?

Around 300–500 words covers most everyday A1 situations, but the 100 here do the heaviest lifting: être, avoir, faire, aller, pouvoir and vouloir plus the question words and connectors turn up in almost every sentence you'll hear. Learn these first, then stack topic vocabulary (food, transport, work) on top.

When do I say tu and when do I say vous?

Use tu with friends, family, classmates, children and usually colleagues your own age. Use vous with strangers, staff you don't know, older people, officials and anyone senior to you at work; vous is also the plural "you" for any group. If in doubt, start with vous — the other person will offer "on peut se tutoyer".

What's the difference between bon and bien?

Bon is an adjective meaning "good" and agrees with its noun (un bon café, une bonne idée); it's also what you say about taste: c'est bon. Bien is an invariable adverb meaning "well": il parle bien, ça s'est bien passé. Saying "ce gâteau est bien" instead of bon immediately marks you as a foreigner.

Are these words the same in Québec and in France?

Yes — all 100 are standard French, understood everywhere. A few have local alternatives I've flagged in the notes: bienvenue instead of de rien for "you're welcome" in Québec, char for voiture in casual Québécois, le boulot (France) versus une job (Québec) for work, and magasiner instead of faire les magasins for shopping.

100 Basic French Words for Beginners (A1)

🇫🇷 French · 100 cards · A1 · by Théo Marchand

These are the 100 words I'd hand anyone on day one: the greetings, the pronouns, the twenty verbs that carry most sentences, the small connectors (et, mais, parce que, chez) and the nouns you need in a shop or on the street. Three things catch beginners out. Tu or vous — pick wrong and you sound cold or rude. Words that don't map one-to-one: bon isn't bien, savoir isn't connaître. And avoir where English uses "be": j'ai chaud, j'ai froid, j'ai mal. Every example is something I'd actually say, and I flag the spots where Montréal and Lyon part ways.

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How to use this deck

Flip through the cards, then switch to Quiz. Tap the play button on any row to hear it. The full table below is there to read, print or copy into your own flashcard app.

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All 100 cards

#	French	English	Example
1	bonjour Used from morning until early evening. In Québec shops you'll also hear it on the way out, as a goodbye.	hello, good morning	Bonjour, comment ça va ? Hello, how are you?
2	salut Informal, with friends only. Works for both hello and goodbye.	hi, bye	Salut, ça fait longtemps ! Hi, it's been a while!
3	bonsoir From roughly 6 p.m. onwards.	good evening	Bonsoir, une table pour deux ? Good evening, a table for two?
4	au revoir Neutral and always safe, formal or not.	goodbye	Au revoir, bonne journée ! Goodbye, have a good day!
5	merci "Merci" alone can also mean "no thanks" when you refuse something.	thank you	Merci beaucoup pour ton aide. Thanks a lot for your help.
6	s'il vous plaît Say s'il te plaît to someone you call tu.	please	Deux billets, s'il vous plaît. Two tickets, please.
7	de rien In Québec you'll hear "bienvenue" for you're welcome; that sounds odd in France.	you're welcome	— Merci ! — De rien, c'est normal. — Thanks! — You're welcome, it's nothing.
8	oui Casual spoken form: ouais (yeah).	yes	Oui, je suis d'accord avec toi. Yes, I agree with you.
9	non	no	Non, ce n'est pas mon sac. No, that's not my bag.
10	pardon Also used to squeeze past someone, or to ask them to repeat.	sorry, excuse me	Pardon, je ne t'ai pas vu. Sorry, I didn't see you.
11	je Becomes j' before a vowel or silent h: j'arrive, j'habite.	I	Je suis là dans cinq minutes. I'll be there in five minutes.
12	tu For friends, family, colleagues your own age, children.	you (singular, informal)	Tu viens avec nous ? Are you coming with us?
13	il Also impersonal: il pleut (it's raining), il est huit heures.	he, it	Il travaille dans un café. He works in a café.
14	elle Also "it" for a feminine noun: la voiture ? Elle est neuve.	she, it	Elle habite à Lyon depuis deux ans. She's been living in Lyon for two years.
15	nous In everyday speech people say on instead: on part demain matin.	we, us	Nous partons demain matin. We're leaving tomorrow morning.
16	vous Use with strangers, older people and anyone in a professional setting; also the plural "you".	you (formal or plural)	Vous avez l'heure, s'il vous plaît ? Do you have the time, please?
17	être Irregular: je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont.	to be	Tu es prêt ? Are you ready?
18	avoir Used for age: j'ai vingt ans (I'm twenty). Conjugation: j'ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont.	to have	Tu as un stylo ? Do you have a pen?
19	faire Also used for weather: il fait beau, il fait froid.	to do, to make	Qu'est-ce que tu fais ce week-end ? What are you doing this weekend?
20	aller Also forms the near future: je vais partir (I'm going to leave).	to go	On va au marché ? Shall we go to the market?
21	vouloir Je veux sounds blunt; use je voudrais when ordering or asking for something.	to want	Je voudrais un verre d'eau. I'd like a glass of water.
22	pouvoir Irregular: je peux, tu peux, il peut, nous pouvons, ils peuvent.	can, to be able to	Tu peux m'aider deux minutes ? Can you help me for two minutes?
23	devoir As a noun, un devoir is a homework assignment.	must, to have to	Je dois partir tôt demain. I have to leave early tomorrow.
24	savoir For people and places use connaître: je connais ce quartier.	to know (a fact, how to)	Je ne sais pas où il est. I don't know where he is.
25	dire You tell something to someone: dire quelque chose à quelqu'un.	to say, to tell	Qu'est-ce que tu as dit ? What did you say?
26	parler No article with languages: parler français, parler espagnol.	to speak, to talk	Elle parle très bien anglais. She speaks English very well.
27	manger	to eat	On mange dans dix minutes. We're eating in ten minutes.
28	boire Irregular: je bois, nous buvons, ils boivent.	to drink	Tu veux boire quelque chose ? Do you want something to drink?
29	aimer About a person, j'aime Marie means "I love Marie"; add bien (je l'aime bien) to keep it friendly.	to like, to love	J'aime beaucoup ce quartier. I really like this neighbourhood.
30	habiter Use vivre for living in a wider sense: vivre seul, vivre bien.	to live (somewhere)	J'habite près de la gare. I live near the station.
31	travailler	to work	Il travaille le samedi matin. He works on Saturday mornings.
32	prendre In a café: je prends un café (I'll have a coffee).	to take, to have (food/drink)	Je prends le métro tous les jours. I take the metro every day.
33	voir On se voit demain = see you tomorrow.	to see	Je vois mal sans mes lunettes. I can't see well without my glasses.
34	comprendre Essential in class: je ne comprends pas.	to understand	Désolé, je n'ai pas compris. Sorry, I didn't understand.
35	acheter To go shopping is magasiner in Québec, faire les magasins in France.	to buy	J'ai acheté ça au marché. I bought that at the market.
36	dormir	to sleep	J'ai mal dormi cette nuit. I slept badly last night.
37	qui	who	Qui a laissé la porte ouverte ? Who left the door open?
38	quoi Informal, and it comes late in the sentence; at the start use qu'est-ce que.	what	C'est quoi, ce bruit ? What's that noise?
39	où Mind the accent: ou without it means "or".	where	Où sont mes clés ? Where are my keys?
40	quand	when	Quand est-ce que tu arrives ? When are you arriving?
41	comment Comment ? on its own means "sorry, what?"	how	Comment on dit ça en français ? How do you say that in French?
42	pourquoi Spoken word order; the written form is pourquoi ris-tu ?	why	Pourquoi tu ris ? Why are you laughing?
43	combien Before a noun: combien de personnes ?	how much, how many	Ça coûte combien ? How much does it cost?
44	et The final t is never pronounced, even before a vowel.	and	J'ai pris du pain et du fromage. I got some bread and some cheese.
45	ou	or	Tu préfères le thé ou le café ? Do you prefer tea or coffee?
46	mais	but	C'est petit, mais très joli. It's small, but very pretty.
47	avec Followed by stressed pronouns: avec moi, avec toi, avec lui.	with	Viens avec moi, c'est à côté. Come with me, it's right nearby.
48	sans	without	Un thé sans sucre, merci. A tea without sugar, thanks.
49	dans Also for future time: dans une heure (in an hour).	in, inside	Les clés sont dans mon sac. The keys are in my bag.
50	sur	on	Ton téléphone est sur la table. Your phone is on the table.
51	sous	under	Le chat dort sous le lit. The cat is sleeping under the bed.
52	pour Before an infinitive it means "to": pour apprendre le français.	for, in order to	C'est un cadeau pour ma sœur. It's a present for my sister.
53	parce que Shortens to parce qu' before a vowel. It's the answer to a pourquoi question.	because	Je rentre parce que je suis crevé. I'm going home because I'm exhausted.
54	aussi Goes after the verb, not tacked on at the end like English "too".	also, too	Elle vient aussi ce soir ? Is she coming tonight too?
55	chez Also for shops and professionals: chez le médecin, chez le coiffeur.	at someone's place	On se retrouve chez moi. Let's meet at my place.
56	très Never use très with a verb: j'aime beaucoup, not j'aime très.	very	C'est très gentil, merci. That's very kind, thank you.
57	beaucoup Always beaucoup de + noun, never beaucoup des.	a lot, much, many	Il y a beaucoup de monde ici. There are a lot of people here.
58	un peu With a noun: un peu de sel.	a little, a bit	Attends un peu, j'arrive. Wait a bit, I'm coming.
59	trop In casual speech it can also mean "really": c'est trop bien.	too, too much	C'est trop cher pour moi. It's too expensive for me.
60	bien Adverb, invariable. The adjective "good" is bon: for food say c'est bon, not c'est bien.	well	Tout va bien de ton côté ? Is everything going well on your side?
61	mal avoir mal à + body part is the normal way to say something hurts.	badly; (avoir mal) to hurt	J'ai mal à la tête. I have a headache.
62	toujours Context decides between "always" and "still".	always, still	Elle est toujours en retard. She's always late.
63	jamais Needs ne before the verb; in speech the ne usually drops: je fume jamais.	never	Je ne fume jamais. I never smoke.
64	souvent	often	Il pleut souvent en novembre. It often rains in November.
65	maintenant	now	Je suis occupé maintenant, rappelle-moi. I'm busy right now, call me back.
66	aujourd'hui Note the apostrophe; it's one word.	today	Aujourd'hui, les magasins sont fermés. Today the shops are closed.
67	demain À demain ! = see you tomorrow.	tomorrow	Demain, je commence à huit heures. Tomorrow I start at eight.
68	hier	yesterday	Hier, il a plu toute la journée. Yesterday it rained all day.
69	matin Masculine. La matinée stresses the whole stretch of morning.	morning	Le matin, je pars vers sept heures. In the morning I leave around seven.
70	soir Masculine. Bonne soirée ! = have a nice evening.	evening	Ce soir, il y a un concert. There's a concert this evening.
71	jour Masculine. Use journée for the day as an experience: bonne journée !	day	Je reste trois jours à Paris. I'm staying three days in Paris.
72	nuit Feminine. Bonne nuit is only said to someone going to bed.	night	Bonne nuit, dors bien ! Good night, sleep well!
73	semaine Feminine.	week	On se voit la semaine prochaine. We'll see each other next week.
74	homme Masculine. The h is silent, so un homme is linked: "un-nomme".	man	Un homme attend devant la porte. A man is waiting in front of the door.
75	femme Feminine. Pronounced "fam", not "fem". Means both woman and wife.	woman, wife	Sa femme est médecin. His wife is a doctor.
76	enfant Same form for both genders: un enfant (boy), une enfant (girl).	child	Les enfants jouent dans le jardin. The children are playing in the garden.
77	ami Masculine; une amie for a woman. Casual French prefers copain / copine, but those can also mean boyfriend/girlfriend.	friend	C'est un ami d'enfance. He's a childhood friend.
78	famille Feminine, and takes a singular verb.	family	Toute ma famille vient à Noël. My whole family is coming at Christmas.
79	fille Feminine. Context tells you which meaning; une petite fille is clearly a girl.	girl, daughter	Leur fille a douze ans. Their daughter is twelve.
80	garçon Masculine. Calling a waiter "garçon" is outdated and rude today.	boy	Le petit garçon pleure encore. The little boy is still crying.
81	gens Masculine plural, no singular. For a countable number use personnes: dix personnes.	people	Les gens sont vraiment gentils ici. People are really nice here.
82	eau Feminine: l'eau, de l'eau. Tap water in a restaurant: une carafe d'eau.	water	Je peux avoir de l'eau ? Could I have some water?
83	pain Masculine, uncountable: du pain. Une baguette is one specific loaf.	bread	Passe-moi le pain, s'il te plaît. Pass me the bread, please.
84	café Masculine. Same word for the drink and the place.	coffee, café	On prend un café ensemble ? Shall we have a coffee together?
85	maison Feminine. À la maison covers English "at home".	house, home	Je rentre à la maison à six heures. I'm going home at six.
86	voiture Feminine. Casual Québec speech uses un char.	car	Ma voiture ne démarre pas. My car won't start.
87	ville Feminine. En ville = downtown, into town.	city, town	C'est une petite ville tranquille. It's a quiet little town.
88	rue Feminine. French says dans la rue, never "sur la rue" in France.	street	Ils habitent dans la même rue. They live on the same street.
89	école Feminine, but you say mon école, not ma école, because of the vowel.	school	L'école commence début septembre. School starts in early September.
90	magasin Masculine.	shop, store	Ce magasin ferme à dix-neuf heures. This shop closes at seven p.m.
91	argent Masculine and uncountable. Also means silver, the metal.	money	Je n'ai pas assez d'argent. I don't have enough money.
92	travail Masculine; plural travaux. Informal: le boulot in France, une job (feminine) in Québec.	work, job	Il a trouvé un travail à Montréal. He found a job in Montreal.
93	grand Feminine grande. About people it means tall.	big, tall	Leur appartement est très grand. Their flat is very big.
94	petit Feminine petite. Comes before the noun.	small, little	C'est un petit village de montagne. It's a small mountain village.
95	bon Feminine bonne. For food and taste say c'est bon, not c'est bien.	good, tasty	Ce gâteau est vraiment bon. This cake is really good.
96	beau Belle for feminine, bel before a vowel: un bel appartement. Il fait beau = the weather's nice.	beautiful, handsome	Quel beau jardin ! What a beautiful garden!
97	nouveau Nouvelle for feminine, nouvel before a vowel: un nouvel ami.	new	Tu as vu son nouveau vélo ? Have you seen his new bike?
98	vieux Vieille for feminine, vieil before a vowel: un vieil homme.	old	Mon vieux téléphone marche encore. My old phone still works.
99	chaud For people use avoir: j'ai chaud (I'm hot). Je suis chaud is slang for "I'm up for it" or "I'm drunk".	hot, warm	Attention, le café est chaud ! Careful, the coffee is hot!
100	froid Same rule as chaud: j'ai froid = I'm cold, not je suis froid.	cold	Il fait froid dehors, couvre-toi. It's cold outside, wrap up warm.

Théo Marchand

Native French · Speaks English, Spanish

Born in Lyon, living in Montréal. I write the phrases the way people actually say them on both sides of the Atlantic and mark the difference when it matters.

Published 17 Sept 2026

Questions about this deck

How many French words do I need to hold a basic conversation?: Around 300–500 words covers most everyday A1 situations, but the 100 here do the heaviest lifting: être, avoir, faire, aller, pouvoir and vouloir plus the question words and connectors turn up in almost every sentence you'll hear. Learn these first, then stack topic vocabulary (food, transport, work) on top.
When do I say tu and when do I say vous?: Use tu with friends, family, classmates, children and usually colleagues your own age. Use vous with strangers, staff you don't know, older people, officials and anyone senior to you at work; vous is also the plural "you" for any group. If in doubt, start with vous — the other person will offer "on peut se tutoyer".
What's the difference between bon and bien?: Bon is an adjective meaning "good" and agrees with its noun (un bon café, une bonne idée); it's also what you say about taste: c'est bon. Bien is an invariable adverb meaning "well": il parle bien, ça s'est bien passé. Saying "ce gâteau est bien" instead of bon immediately marks you as a foreigner.
Are these words the same in Québec and in France?: Yes — all 100 are standard French, understood everywhere. A few have local alternatives I've flagged in the notes: bienvenue instead of de rien for "you're welcome" in Québec, char for voiture in casual Québécois, le boulot (France) versus une job (Québec) for work, and magasiner instead of faire les magasins for shopping.

Tags:beginner everyday french

100 Basic French Words for Beginners (A1)

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