Je cherche is another handy French travel phrase, especially if you’re traveling for the first time in a French city. Covering all bases, it also comes with a handy mini-dictionary. Listing more than 2,000 words, the dictionary gives you a great insight into the French language and might even inspire you to take your learning a little further.

French spelling is not very phonetic. The same letter used in two different words can make two different sounds, and many letters are not pronounced at all. The good news, though, is that French generally has more regular pronunciation rules than English. This means that with sufficient practice, one can generally pronounce written French fairly accurately. However, the large number of homophones and silent letters make it such that attempting to write down spoken French often results in spelling mistakes, even for native speakers. Some rules are as follows: A great tip is to try and memorize a few essential words before you go, such as bonjour (hello), merci (thank you) and s’il vous plaît (please). Getting these under your belt will also help with pronunciation down the road. OPEN Ouvert CLOSED Fermé (shop), Barrée (road) ENTRANCE Entrée EXIT Sortie PUSH Poussez PULL Tirez TOILET Toilette MEN Hommes WOMEN Femmes FORBIDDEN Interdit, Défendu If you’re planning a trip to France or Canada, or if you simply want to improve your conversational French, you’ll want to have this French phrasebook by your side! FluentU has a wide variety of great content, like interviews, documentary excerpts and web series, as you can see here:Again, travel French isn’t just about getting around, eating well and having fun. There are also French phrases to know in case of emergency.

Saying parlez plus lentement, s’il vous plaît will let your speaking partner realize they might be going a little too fast for you, but that you would still like to continue. Il y a du vent (It’s windy) Est-ce que vous pourriez prendre ma photo, s’il vous plaît ? (Could you take my photo, please?) One of the most popular publishers in the world, Penguin has a great hold on the foreign language market and has produced a guide with everything you need! If you’re a real beginner and are traveling to a French-speaking country for the first time, it’s likely that you’ll want to focus on the basics first. FluentU brings native French videos with reach. With interactive captions, you can tap on any word to see an image, definition and useful examples.Unlike English, French uses the long scale, so un billion and un trillion are not the same as the English "one billion" and "one trillion". Grammar [ edit ] Like Spanish and German, but unlike English, the French language is governed by an official regulator - L'Académie française. Headquartered in Paris (shown here), the Académie issues guidance and recommendations on good French, and its occasional spelling reforms are often controversial. Gender and its complications [ edit ] Très bien cuit – This should get you a "well done" steak that is totally cooked through. Mais, attention! If chef is not used to catering to les Anglo-Saxons, he might just overdo it and give you a plate of leather. And of course, your French phrasebooks or regional travel guides can offer you insight into customs, culture, etiquette and holidays. Make a list of activities The Lonely Planet French phrasebook’s 3,500-word dictionary is the perfect compact companion to take along, and will make translation and comprehension a walk in the park.