Common French Words
Many experts believe that 300 words may be enough to carry on everyday conversation in French, which means that very little memorizing will do the work! Here is a list of the 300 most common French words.
Learn these and you are well on your way!
Here are some of the most basic French words to get you started. Further on in this lesson we will look at the pronunciation of these and many more French words.
- le "the / him / her / it / them"
- de "of / from / some / any"
- un "a / an / one"
- à "to / at / in"
- être "to be"
- et "and"
- en "in / by"
- avoir "to have"
- que "that / which / who / whom"
- pour "for / in order to"
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le
the / him / her / it / them
0%
de
of / from / some / any
0%
un
a / an / one
0%
à
to / at / in
0%
être
to be
0%
et
and
0%
en
in / by
0%
avoir
to have
0%
que
that / which / who / whom
0%
pour
for / in order to
0%
dans
in / into / from
0%
ce
this / that
0%
il
he / it
0%
qui
who / whom
0%
ne
not
0%
sur
on / upon
0%
se
oneself / himself / herself / itself / themselves
0%
pas
not
0%
plus
more / no more
0%
pouvoir
to be able to / can
0%
par
by
0%
je
I
0%
avec
with
0%
tout
all
0%
faire
to do / to make
0%
son
his / her /its
0%
mettre
to put / to place
0%
autre
other
0%
on
one / we
0%
mais
but
0%
nous
we / us
0%
comme
like / as
0%
ou
or
0%
si
if / whether
0%
leur
them / their / theirs
0%
y
there
0%
dire
to say
0%
elle
she / her
0%
devoir
to have to / to owe / duty
0%
avant
before
0%
deux
two
0%
même
same / even / self
0%
prendre
to take
0%
aussi
too / also / as
0%
celui
that / the one / he / him
0%
donner
to give
0%
bien
well
0%
où
where
0%
fois
time / times
0%
vous
you
0%
encore
again / yet
0%
nouveau
new
0%
aller
to go
0%
cela
that / it
0%
entre
between
0%
premier
first
0%
vouloir
to want
0%
déjà
already
0%
grand
great / big / tall
0%
Mon
My
0%
Me
Me / to me / myself
0%
Moins
Less
0%
Aucun
None / either / neither / not any
0%
Lui
Him / her
0%
Temps
Time
0%
Très
Very
0%
Savoir
To know
0%
Falloir
To take / require / need
0%
Voir
To see
0%
Quelque
Some
0%
Sans
Without
0%
Raison
Reason
0%
Notre
Our
0%
Dont
Whose / of which
0%
Non
No / not
0%
An
Year
0%
Monde
World / people
0%
Jour
Day
0%
Monsieur
Mister / sir / gentleman
0%
Demander
To ask for
0%
Alors
Then / so
0%
Après
After
0%
Trouver
To find
0%
Personne
Person / people / anybody / anyone / nobody
0%
Rendre
To render / return / yield / give up
0%
Partager
To share
0%
Dernier
Last
0%
Venir
To come
0%
Pendant
During
0%
Passer
To pass
0%
Peu
Little
0%
Lequel
Who / whom / which
0%
Suite
Result / follow-up / rest
0%
Bon
Good
0%
Comprendre
To understand
0%
Depuis
Since / for
0%
Point
Point / at all
0%
Ainsi
Thus
0%
Heure
Hour
0%
Rester
To stay
0%
Seul
Alone / only
0%
Année
Year
0%
Toujours
Always
0%
Tenir
To hold
0%
Porter
To wear / carry
0%
Parler
To speak
0%
Fort
Strong
0%
Montrer
To show
0%
Là
There / here
0%
Certain
Certain / sure
0%
Fin
End
0%
Tu
You
0%
Continuer
To continue
0%
Pays
Country
0%
Trois
Three
0%
Penser
To think
0%
Lieu
Place
0%
Partie
Part
0%
Quand
When
0%
Suivre
To follow
0%
Contre
Against
0%
Sous
Under
0%
Côté
Side
0%
Ensemble
Together
0%
Chose
Thing
0%
Enfant
Child
0%
Cause
Cause
0%
Politique
Politics / political
0%
Place
Room / space / square / place
0%
Seulement
Only
0%
Moi
Me
0%
Vie
Life
0%
Connaître
To know
0%
Jusque
To / up to / until
0%
Croire
To believe
0%
Homme
Man
0%
Cas
Case
0%
Petit
Small / little
0%
Commencer
To begin / start
0%
Compter
To count
0%
Fait
Done / fact
0%
Tel
Such
0%
Droit
Right
0%
Question
Question
0%
Donc
So / then / therefore / thus
0%
Quel
Which / what
0%
Général
General
0%
Moment
Moment
0%
Entendre
To hear
0%
Beaucoup
Much / a lot of / many
0%
Chaque
Each
0%
Jeune
Young
0%
Travail
Work
0%
Femme
Woman / wife
0%
Attendre
To wait
0%
Remettre
To deliver / replace / set / put
0%
Appeler
To call
0%
Permettre
To allow
0%
Occuper
To occupy
0%
Gouvernement
Government
0%
Eux
Them
0%
Devenir
To become
0%
Partir
To leave
0%
Plan
Plan
0%
Décider
To decide
0%
Soit
Either / or
0%
Ici
Here
0%
Rien
Nothing
0%
Cours
Course
0%
Affaire
Business / matter
0%
Nom
Name
0%
Famille
Family
0%
Effet
Effect
0%
Arriver
To arrive / happen
0%
Possible
Possible
0%
Car
Because / bus
0%
Servir
To serve
0%
Mois
Month
0%
Jamais
Never
0%
Sembler
To seem
0%
Tant
So much / so many
0%
Vers
Toward / verse
0%
Besoin
Need
0%
Revenir
To come back
0%
Dès
From / as soon
0%
Moyen
Means / way / medium
0%
Groupe
Group
0%
Problème
Problem
0%
Rapport
Relationship / report
0%
Peut
Perhaps / maybe
0%
Vue
View
0%
Maintenant
Now
0%
Pourquoi
Why
0%
Meilleur
Better / best
0%
Trop
Too much / too many
0%
Laisser
To leave
0%
Ordre
Order
0%
Devant
In front / ahead
0%
Recevoir
To receive
0%
Répondre
To answer
0%
Vivre
To live
0%
Long
Long / lengthy
0%
Service
Service
0%
Ministre
Minister
0%
Face
Front / side / face
0%
Chez
At / with
0%
Te
You / to you / from you
0%
Rappeler
To recall / call back
0%
Présenter
To present
0%
Accepter
To accept
0%
Agir
To act
0%
Simple
Simple
0%
Plusieurs
Several
0%
Votre
Your
0%
Important
Important
0%
Présent
Present
0%
Mieux
Better
0%
Poser
To put / pose / ask
0%
Jouer
To play
0%
Mot
Word
0%
Reconnaître
To recognize
0%
Force
Force
0%
Situation
Situation
0%
Offrir
To offer
0%
Près
Near / nearby / close by
0%
Choisir
To choose
0%
National
National
0%
Projet
Project
0%
Ni
Nor
0%
Puis
Then / so
0%
Toucher
To touch
0%
Train
Train
0%
Aujourd'hui
Today
0%
Comment
How
0%
Surtout
Especially / above all
0%
Gens
People
0%
Propre
Clean / proper
0%
Grâce
Thanks / grace / favour
0%
Idée
Idea
0%
Selon
According to
0%
Région
Region
0%
Aimer
To like / love
0%
Sens
Sense / meaning
0%
Retrouver
To find / recall
0%
Semaine
Week
0%
Également
Also / too / as well / equally
0%
Ci
This one / here
0%
Façon
Way / manner
0%
Nombre
Number
0%
Perdre
To lose
0%
Français
French
0%
Expliquer
To explain
0%
Quatre
Four
0%
Compte
Account / count
0%
Considérer
To consider
0%
Lorsque
When
0%
Ouvrir
To open
0%
Gagner
To win / earn
0%
Exemple
Example
0%
Ville
City
0%
Économique
Economic / economical
0%
Mesure
Measure
0%
Histoire
History / story
0%
Haut
Top / high
0%
Ensuite
Next
0%
Guerre
War
0%
Loi
Law
0%
Président
President
0%
Exister
To exist
0%
Sûr
Sure
0%
Refuser
To refuse
0%
Plutôt
Rather
0%
Bureau
Office / desk
0%
Mauvais
Bad / wrong
0%
Quant
As for
0%
Mort
Dead / death
0%
Mal
Bad
0%
Lire
To read
0%
Réussir
To succeed
0%
Marché
Market
0%
Condition
Condition
0%
International
International
0%
Changer
To change
0%
Oui
Yes
0%
Public
Public / audience
0%
Humain
Human
0%
Souvent
Often
0%
Cinq
Five
0%
Système
System
0%
Travailler
To work
0%
Jeu
Game
0%
Vrai
True
0%
Représenter
To represent
0%
madame
madam / lady
0%
société
society
0%
difficile
difficult
0%
quoi
what
0%
entreprise
enterprise / business
0%
coup
coup / blow / knock / stroke
0%
or
gold / hence / thus
0%
Phew! That was a long one with lots to remember! Make sure you check out these lessons on French words: French swear words (R18!) and common French travel words and phrases.
À bientôt !
Marie-Claire Rivière and the Rocket French Team
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