The phrase library
French phrases from real dialogue
Every expression here comes from a real dialogue lesson: what it literally says, what it really means, and the exact exchange where you'll hear it.
ainsi
Ainsi means 'in this way', 'thus', 'like that' — the formal connector even advanced learners miss. What it means and how to spot it, with a real dialogue.
Read it →au supermarché
Au supermarché means 'at the supermarket'. The words for aisle, checkout, trolley and bag, the phrases you need at the till, and a real dialogue.
Read it →ben
Ben — the French 'well...' — is everywhere in speech and nowhere in textbooks. What it means, how it sounds, and a real dialogue packed with it.
Read it →bon anniversaire
Happy birthday in French is bon anniversaire or joyeux anniversaire. Which one to use, what to write in a card, plus a real dialogue with audio.
Read it →bon marché
Bon marché means cheap or a good deal — without the negative ring. Why the French use it instead of 'pas cher', with a real shopping dialogue.
Read it →bonjour
Good morning in French is bonjour, and it works until evening. When to say it, when salut is fine, and a real dialogue where it goes wrong, with audio.
Read it →bref
Bref — and the supercharged 'enfin bref' — is how French wraps up a story: 'long story short'. What it means and how to drop it naturally, with a dialogue.
Read it →c'est la vie
C'est la vie means 'that's life', and the French really do say it. When it fits, when it sounds cold, and a real dialogue with audio.
Read it →c'est pas gagné
C'est pas gagné — 'it's not won' — is how the French voice stylish doubt: a long shot, an uphill battle. What it means, with a real market-haggling dialogue.
Read it →ça marche
Ça marche is how the French say okay once the plan is set. What it means, when to pick it over d'accord, and a real dialogue with audio.
Read it →ça va
Ça va is both 'how are you?' and 'I'm fine'. How to answer it, from ça va bien to bof, and a real dialogue where the answer is honest, with audio.
Read it →carrefour
Carrefour means crossroads, which makes the supermarket name less random. Learn the French usage, from directions to figurative turning points.
Read it →chapeau bas
Chapeau bas means hats off, the French way to say respect. When to say it, the short form chapeau !, and how it sounds in a real dialogue.
Read it →commander
Commander means 'to order' in French — not to command. How to order food like a local, with a real restaurant dialogue and the phrases waiters expect.
Read it →coup de foudre
Coup de foudre literally means 'a strike of lightning' — and it's how the French say love at first sight. A teacher explains it, with a real dialogue.
Read it →d'accord
D'accord means okay, but it also means 'I agree', 'fine then', and pure filler. How French people really use d'accord, with a real dialogue.
Read it →de rien
You're welcome in French is de rien. When to use je vous en prie instead, what pas de souci means, and a real dialogue with audio.
Read it →démodé
Démodé means out of fashion, outdated — literally 'un-fashioned'. How to use it (and its kinder cousin 'rétro'), with a real dialogue about Édith Piaf.
Read it →du coup
French people say du coup constantly and textbooks never teach it. What du coup really means ('so', 'as a result') and how to use it, with a real dialogue.
Read it →en passant
En passant literally means 'while passing' — in conversation it's the French 'by the way'. How to slip a comment or a compliment in like a native speaker.
Read it →en train de
French has no -ing tense — en train de is how you say you're in the middle of doing something. How it works, with a real dialogue about dreams.
Read it →enchanté
Enchanté means more than a neat nice to meet you. Learn when French speakers really use it, with a real dialogue, examples, and a teacher's explanation.
Read it →environ
Environ means about or roughly: environ dix minutes, environ cent euros. How French people use it for numbers and time, with real examples.
Read it →essai
Essai means a try in rugby, a test drive, an attempt, even an essay. All the meanings of this versatile French word, with a real Six Nations dialogue.
Read it →fier
Fier means proud — fière de moi, proud of myself. How the adjective changes, the phrases it lives in, and a real dialogue about childhood memories.
Read it →franchement
When a French speaker sighs franchement, they are not drafting a memo. Learn the meaning, the tone, and how it sounds in a real French dialogue.
Read it →genre
Genre means kind or type — but in spoken French it's become 'like', the filler of a generation. Both uses explained with a real dialogue example.
Read it →hein
Is hein rude, friendly, or just French punctuation? Get the real meaning, the tone, and examples from a real dialogue, explained by a French teacher.
Read it →imbattables
Imbattable means unbeatable — prices, teams, arguments. How the French use it (des prix imbattables), with a real dialogue about phone plans.
Read it →kiffer
Kiffer is the slang French actually uses for loving something — 'je kiffe'. Its Arabic origins, how to use it, and a real dialogue about horror films.
Read it →mal
Mal is three words in one: badly, an ache, and evil itself. How French uses mal, why it isn't 'mauvais', and a real philosophical dialogue example.
Read it →malin
Malin means clever or sly, and 'c'est malin' can be praise or sarcasm. How to tell which, with examples and a real dialogue.
Read it →marrant
Marrant means funny — but like 'funny' in English, it can also mean strange. How the French use it day to day, with a real dialogue about football rivalries.
Read it →merde
Merde is the French all-purpose swear for small disasters. What it means, how rude it is, why actors say it for luck, plus a real dialogue with audio.
Read it →miam
Miam is the French 'yum'. What it means, how to say it, 'miam miam', and a real dialogue from a Paris Christmas market.
Read it →mon cher
Mon cher means 'my dear' — affectionate, often ironic, and dangerously close to 'mon chéri'. A French teacher untangles which one you should actually say.
Read it →nickel
C'est nickel means perfect, spotless, all sorted. How the French use nickel every day, plus a real dialogue about cleaning day, explained by a teacher.
Read it →oh là là
Oh là là means wow, oh dear or oh no, and it's rarely flirty. How the French really use it, why they stack the là, plus a real dialogue with audio.
Read it →pas mal
Pas mal is the French default answer to everything — 'not bad'. But it also means 'quite a lot'. Both uses explained, with a real dialogue example.
Read it →plutôt
Plutôt means 'rather' or 'quite' — the little word that softens and nuances French sentences. Its uses, with a real dialogue about family life.
Read it →pote
Mon pote means my mate, my buddy. How French friends use pote and mes potes, in a real dialogue about a best friend, explained by a French teacher.
Read it →pourquoi pas ?
Why not in French is pourquoi pas, and it usually means a relaxed yes. When it is a real question, how to say it, and a real dialogue a teacher explains.
Read it →putain
Putain is the French swear you'll hear every five minutes in Paris. What it means, how rude it is, when it's fine, plus a real dialogue with audio.
Read it →qu'est-ce que c'est
Qu'est-ce que c'est means 'what is it?'. How to say it fast like the French, when c'est quoi is better, and a real dialogue with audio.
Read it →sans souci
Sans souci literally means without worry, but in real French it often means no trouble. Get examples, a real dialogue, and a teacher's explanation.
Read it →sens
Sens is one French word doing three jobs: meaning, sense and direction. How to tell them apart, with a real dialogue about what matters most.
Read it →smoking
In French, un smoking isn't smoking at all — it's a tuxedo. The story behind this famous faux ami, plus a real dialogue about a night at the theatre.
Read it →surtout
Surtout means 'especially' or 'above all' — the French word of emphasis. How to use it (and the warning 'surtout pas!'), with a real dialogue.
Read it →terroir
Terroir is the French wine word English never managed to translate. What it really covers — soil, climate, know-how — and how it's used in real French.
Read it →tu fais quoi dans la vie ?
Tu fais quoi dans la vie means 'what do you do for a living?'. The vous version, how to answer with your job, and a real dialogue from the lesson.
Read it →voilà
Voilà means there you go, here it is, or exactly. How the French use it all day long, voilà vs voici, and a real dialogue with audio.
Read it →voulez-vous coucher avec moi
It means 'will you sleep with me?' and it comes from an American disco hit, not from France. Why nobody says it, and what French people say instead.
Read it →y a
Hear French people say 'y a' where your textbook wrote 'il y a'? You heard right. Why natives drop the 'il', and how to catch it in fast spoken French.
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