French vocabulary
French vocabulary for real conversations
These are the French words and phrases you need for real life: greeting the baker, ordering at a café, and finding your way out of the station. Every noun comes with le, la, or l', and the gender is marked when the article hides it. French spelling has many silent letters, so each word page shows how the word really sounds.
Italian
Hindi
German
Portuguese
SpanishGreetings & Essentials
Hellos, thank-yous, polite phrases, and the small words every conversation needs.
Food & Drink
Meals, ingredients, drinks, and the phrases you need at a café or restaurant.
People & Family
Family members, friends, jobs, and how to talk about the people in your life.
Emotions & Descriptions
Feelings, personality, and the adjectives you use to describe people and things.
Body & Health
Body parts, symptoms, and what to say at the doctor or pharmacy.
Everyday Verbs
The 100 action words you use most, from “to be” to “to invite”.
Travel & Getting Around
Transport, directions, hotels, money, and phrases for finding your way.
Home, Clothes & Daily Life
Rooms, furniture, clothes, work and school, and shopping.
Nature, Animals & Weather
Animals, landscapes, plants, and how to talk about the weather.
Time, Numbers & Colors
Numbers 0–1,000, days, months, seasons, colors, and telling time.
Why speaking matters
Why saying words out loud helps them stick
Reading a word list teaches you to recognize a word. Using it in a sentence, out loud, teaches you to produce it when you need it. That is the skill a real conversation asks for.
ChatPal is built around that second step: you pick a scenario, speak, and get feedback, so the words on this page become words you can actually say.
The ChatPal way
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- 01
See it in context.
Every word here comes with real example sentences, not just a translation.
- 02
Say it out loud.
In ChatPal you speak French with an AI conversation partner, at your own pace.
- 03
Get feedback.
ChatPal gives you personalized feedback on what you said, so you know what to fix.
- 04
Use it in real scenarios.
Practice ordering food, meeting people, or asking for directions until the words come naturally.
FAQ
Learning French vocabulary
How many French words do I need to have a conversation?
A few hundred words are enough for simple conversations, as long as they include key verbs like être, avoir, aller, and faire. English speakers also get a head start, because many English words come from French, like restaurant, question, and important. Start with Greetings & Essentials, then add the topic you need next.
What is the hardest part of French vocabulary for English speakers?
The gap between spelling and sound. Words like beaucoup and ils mangent contain letters you never say, and liaison changes how words sound next to each other. Gender comes second, so learn every noun with le or la and say it out loud from day one.
How do I remember French words long-term?
Learn a few words at a time and put each one in a sentence you would really say, like Je voudrais un café. Say it out loud, because the spelling alone won't tell you how it sounds. Come back a few days later and try to use the same words without looking.
Can I practice speaking French with AI?
Yes. In ChatPal you speak French out loud with an AI conversation partner, in realistic scenarios like buying bread at a boulangerie or asking for directions in Paris. After each conversation you get personalized feedback, and you can start with a 7-day free trial.
Looking for another language? See all vocabulary lists
Ready to say it out loud?
ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in French. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.
Start with 7 days free.