French Vocabulary

If you want to start speaking French, basic French phrases are the fastest way in. This topic hands you the everyday lines real French speakers use to greet someone, introduce themselves, ask for directions, and keep a friendly conversation going. Essential French Phrases for Beginners You'll cover the situations that come up first when you travel or meet someone new. That means greetings like bonjour (hello) and bonsoir (good evening), introducing yourself with je m'appelle (my name is), and saying where you're from and what you do. There are the polite words every beginner needs too, from merci (thank you) to excusez-moi (excuse me) and s'il vous plaît (please). From there you'll practice asking for directions with phrases like à gauche (to the left) and à droite (to the right), and you'll handle a bit of weather small talk using lines like il fait beau (the weather is nice) and il fait froid (it's cold). One quiz even drops you into a real ticket-counter conversation at a Paris train station, so you can test how much you follow when French comes at you naturally. French Phrases with Audio Pronunciation Every phrase comes with audio so you can hear exactly how it should sound. French spelling and French sound don't always line up, and silent letters trip up almost everyone at the start. Listening as you learn means you pick up the rhythm and the tricky vowels from the beginning, instead of guessing and having to unlearn bad habits later. How the quizzes work Each quiz is short, around five minutes, so you can fit one in whenever you have a spare moment. You can repeat any of them as often as you like, which is the real secret to making these phrases stick. Did you know? Here's something that surprises new learners: s'il vous plaît isn't a single word for "please." It literally means "if it pleases you," a little courtesy that French speakers turned into an everyday phrase. Weather works in a surprising way too, since French uses the verb faire (to do or make), so il fait froid reads literally as "it makes cold" rather than "it is cold." Pick any quiz to get started, and try saying each phrase out loud along with the audio. These free French quizzes are interactive and quick, so you can build a handful of useful phrases today and come back for more whenever you like.

Need to count, give a price, or catch a phone number in French? These quizzes train your ear for French numbers, from single digits all the way up to a hundred. French Numbers for Beginners Each quiz focuses on a range of numbers, starting with the building blocks from un (one) to neuf (nine). From there you move into the teens, with tricky words like onze (eleven) and seize (sixteen), then climb the tens all the way up to cent (one hundred). These sets run from beginner to intermediate and lean heavily on listening, since numbers fly by fast in real speech. You will hear each number and type what you catch, exactly as you would when someone gives you a price, an age, or an address. Because the focus is on hearing rather than reading, these sets are strong training for real conversations. French Numbers with Audio Pronunciation Numbers are spoken far more often than they are read, so every quiz includes audio pronunciation. Training your ear on a word like douze (twelve) means you can catch it instantly in a real conversation. Did You Know? French counting takes a famously quirky turn in the seventies and eighties. Seventy is soixante-dix (seventy), which literally means "sixty-ten," and eighty is quatre-vingts (eighty), literally "four twenties." Watch for a small connecting word as well. Twenty-one is vingt-et-un (twenty-one), which slips in an et (and) that disappears again in most of the other compound numbers. How the Quizzes Work Each quiz is short, about five minutes, and you can repeat any of the 4 sets until the numbers come without hesitation. A few listening rounds is what turns hesitation into instant recognition, since numbers reward ear training more than almost any other vocabulary. Ready to count in French? Try the free interactive French quizzes and start with the numbers.

Ready to describe the world in French? French colors are the building blocks of almost every description, and these quizzes take you from the basic shades to the subtle ones. French Color Words for Beginners Each quiz pairs a French color with its English meaning, starting with the essentials like rouge (red), bleu (blue), vert (green), and jaune (yellow). Later sets add more nuanced shades and finishes, such as doré (golden) and argenté (silver), along with light and dark modifiers and the word for color itself. These quizzes run from beginner to intermediate and mix several question styles. You read the French and find the meaning, then flip it to recall the French from the English, so the words sink in from both directions at once. French Colors with Audio Pronunciation Some quizzes drop the text entirely and play the color words aloud, asking you to catch the meaning and the spelling by ear. Every set includes audio pronunciation, so a word like blanc (white) becomes something you can both recognize and say. Did You Know? French color words usually come after the noun, not before it. Where English says "a red car," French says une voiture rouge (a red car), placing the color second. Colors also change form to match what they describe. A green coat and a green dress can take slightly different endings, because French adjectives agree with the gender of the noun they sit beside. How the Quizzes Work Each quiz is short, about five minutes, and you can repeat any of the 8 sets until the colors come instantly. Mixing reading, listening, and recall keeps the practice from ever getting stale, and a few words from earlier units reappear so your first colors stay sharp as you add new ones. Ready to add some color to your French? Try the free interactive French quizzes and start here.

How do you describe what someone looks like and what they are like in French? These quizzes build a full vocabulary for appearance, mood, and personality, one group at a time. Describing People in French Each quiz matches a French word to its English meaning, moving through three groups. You start with appearance words like beau (handsome), add emotions such as joyeux (happy), timide (shy), and en colère (angry), then reach personality traits like gentil (kind), égoïste (selfish), and drôle (funny). These sets run from beginner to intermediate and use every question style, from simple matching to filling in French sentence gaps. Earlier words keep returning in later quizzes, so nothing you learn quietly slips away. Together the three groups give you enough range to describe almost anyone you meet. Describing People in French with Audio Pronunciation Many of these words are easier to read than to say, so every quiz includes audio pronunciation. You will hear words like courageux (brave) and paresseux (lazy) spoken aloud, then identify or spell them by ear. Did You Know? French adjectives change form depending on who they describe. A brave man is courageux (brave), while a brave woman is courageuse, since the ending shifts to match her. Word order has its own rules too. Most French adjectives follow the noun, but a few very common ones, like beau (handsome), come in front of it instead. How the Quizzes Work Each quiz is short, about five minutes, and you can repeat any of the 10 sets until the words feel automatic. Practicing them while you describe real people is a good way to make them stick, and switching between recognizing a word and recalling it is what turns recognition into real fluency. Ready to describe everyone you know? Jump into the free interactive French quizzes and start here.

Want to talk about books, films, and the arts in French? These quizzes cover French entertainment vocabulary, from the printed page to the museum wall. French Entertainment Vocabulary Each quiz matches five French words to their English meanings, grouped by theme. You will cover reading words like roman (novel) and journal (newspaper), movie genres, live events such as a spectacle (show), and media terms like publicité (advertising) and météo (weather forecast), plus the fine arts. These quizzes are aimed at beginners and stay close to the culture you will actually meet, whether you are watching French television or visiting a museum in Paris. Each set is small enough to finish in one short sitting, and because the words come grouped by theme, from reading to film to the arts, you can focus on one slice of culture at a time. French Entertainment Words with Audio Pronunciation Talking about culture means saying these words out loud, so every quiz includes audio pronunciation. Hearing each term helps you bring it up naturally the next time you discuss a film, a book, or an exhibition. Did You Know? A few of these words are false friends. Entrée (entrance) means admission to a venue in French, not the main course of a meal that English speakers might expect. Others do double duty. Journal (newspaper) means both a newspaper and a personal diary, so the surrounding sentence is what tells you which one is meant. How the Quizzes Work Each quiz is short, about five minutes, and you can repeat any of the 6 sets whenever you want the words to settle. Learning entertainment vocabulary in themed groups makes a long list feel manageable, and these are exactly the words that come up when you mention a film you saw or a book you are reading. Ready to talk about what you love? Browse the free interactive French quizzes and start with entertainment.

Want to move through a French airport or train station without freezing up at the signs? These quizzes build the French travel vocabulary you actually need, from buying a billet (ticket) to finding your chambre (room) at the end of a long day. Essential French Travel Vocabulary for Getting Around This set covers the words that come up at every stage of a trip. You will learn place words like gare (train station), aéroport (airport), and ville (city), travel items such as passeport (passport), valise (suitcase), and bagages (luggage), plus the verbs you reach for when booking and moving around, like voyager (to travel), partir (to leave), and arriver (to arrive). There is also a section for getting around town once you arrive: bus (bus), taxi (taxi), métro (subway), and vélo (bicycle). And a hotel check-in set covers réservation (reservation), tarif (rate), and réception (front desk). Whether you are planning a real trip or just want practical words that stick, this is the everyday French a traveler uses most. How the French Quizzes Work Each quiz matches five French words to their English meanings, so you can finish one in about five minutes. That makes them easy to fit into a coffee break or a commute, and you can repeat any quiz whenever you want to lock the words in. Short, focused sessions tend to stick better than one long cram. French Travel Words with Audio Pronunciation Every word comes with audio, so you hear how a French speaker actually says it. That helps with words like aéroport (airport) or réservation (reservation), where the spelling can throw you off if you have only ever read it. Listening as you learn also makes it easier to recognize a word when it is announced over a station loudspeaker. Did You Know? Paris alone has six major train stations, each gare serving a different part of the country, so the one you leave from depends on where you are headed. Here is another handy one: enregistrer usually means to record or register, but at the airport it is the word for checking in your luggage. Spotting it on a sign can save you a confused moment at the counter. Pick a quiz and start with whichever part of the trip you want to handle first, the station, the hotel, or getting around town. These free French quizzes are quick and interactive, so jump in and start learning travel words you can use right away.

Want to name every room and piece of furniture in a French home? French home vocabulary is one of the most useful sets for beginners, and these quizzes cover it room by room. French Vocabulary for the Home Each quiz matches a French word to its English meaning, walking you through the whole house. You will learn the rooms first, from the salon (living room) and the salle à manger (dining room) to the chambre (bedroom) and the salle de bain (bathroom), then move on to furniture like the canapé (sofa) and the armoire (wardrobe). Other sets cover appliances such as the cuisinière (stove) and structural features like the plafond (ceiling) and the escalier (staircase). These quizzes are aimed at beginners and build a complete picture of the home, one small group of words at a time. French Home Words with Audio Pronunciation French spelling rarely matches how a word sounds, so every quiz includes audio pronunciation of each term. Hearing a word like armoire (wardrobe) said aloud helps you say it correctly and recognize it when a French speaker uses it. Did You Know? French often builds words by describing what something does. Salle à manger (dining room) literally means "room for eating," so once you know a few of these compound names, you can often guess the meaning before you look it up. One pair is worth keeping straight. Chambre (bedroom) means a bedroom specifically, while a room in general is a pièce (room), which is why a French speaker describes a two-bedroom flat as un appartement de trois pièces (a three-room apartment). How the Quizzes Work Each quiz is short, about five minutes, and you can repeat any of the 6 sets until the words feel familiar. Learning the home in small groups keeps the vocabulary from piling up too fast. Ready to feel at home in French? Open the free interactive French quizzes and start with the house.

Do you know the French words for animals, plants, and the weather? These quizzes build a core French nature vocabulary, from the garden right up to the sky. French Nature Vocabulary for Beginners Each quiz matches an English word to its French translation, covering one corner of the natural world at a time. You will learn animals like the papillon (butterfly), plant parts such as the feuille (leaf), landscape words including terre (earth), and weather and sky words like ciel (sky). These sets are aimed at beginners and stay grounded in the things you can see outdoors. Building the vocabulary by theme, from wildlife to weather, gives you a tidy map of the natural world in French. Each set is small, just five words, so you can finish one in a spare moment. French Nature Words with Audio Pronunciation Hearing these words is the quickest way to remember them, so every quiz includes audio pronunciation. Listening to a word like ciel (sky) helps you connect its spelling to its sound right away. Did You Know? One word has a charming second life. Papillon (butterfly) is also the French word for a bow tie, because the shape of the tie looks just like a butterfly's wings. Another pulls double duty in the classroom. Feuille (leaf) means a leaf on a tree, but it is also the everyday word for a sheet of paper, so a French teacher asking for paper asks for a feuille. How the Quizzes Work Each quiz is short, about five minutes, and you can repeat any of the 4 sets until the words come naturally. Pairing each French word with something you can picture outdoors makes it easier to recall, and moving from animals up to the weather gives the whole outdoors a place in your French. Ready to explore French nature words? Open the free interactive French quizzes and step outside.

How do you say what someone does for a living in French? These quizzes cover French job titles across offices, hospitals, public service, and the trades. French Occupations Vocabulary Each quiz matches five French job words to their English meanings, and also asks you to fill gaps and translate sentences. You will cover workplace roles like directeur (manager), healthcare jobs such as médecin (doctor) and infirmier (nurse), public service roles like pompier (firefighter), and skilled trades including plombier (plumber) and électricien (electrician). These quizzes are aimed at beginners and come in handy whether you are preparing for work or travel. Grouping the jobs by setting, from the hospital to the workshop, makes a long list far easier to learn. Some sets also ask you to translate whole sentences, so you practice using a job title, not just recognizing it. French Job Titles with Audio Pronunciation Saying a job title clearly matters in introductions, so every quiz includes audio pronunciation. Hearing a word like médecin (doctor) helps you say what you do, or ask what someone else does, with confidence. Did You Know? One job word doubles as a snack. Avocat (lawyer) also means avocado in French, and the rest of the sentence is what tells you which one is on the table. Another has a surprising root. Plombier (plumber) traces back to the Latin word for lead, because the earliest water pipes were made from that metal, so it has nothing to do with plums. How the Quizzes Work Each quiz is short, about five minutes, and you can repeat any of the 6 sets until the titles feel familiar. Learning jobs by workplace gives each new word a context to stick to, and a few rounds is enough to make the everyday titles feel automatic. Ready to talk about work in French? Browse the free interactive French quizzes and start with occupations.

Heading into a French classroom? These quizzes give you the school vocabulary you need, from subjects and supplies to the people and the daily routine. French School Vocabulary Each quiz matches five French words to their English meanings, one part of school life at a time. You will cover subjects like mathématiques (mathematics) and histoire (history), classroom objects such as the cahier (notebook) and crayon (pencil), supplies like the sac à dos (backpack), everyday verbs such as apprendre (to learn), and the people you meet, from the élève (pupil) to the bibliothécaire (librarian). These quizzes are aimed at beginners and cover the whole school day, including words like devoir (homework) and récréation (recess). Each set stays small, so the vocabulary builds up steadily, and reading each prompt carefully matters, since a word like devoir (homework) can also act as a verb meaning to have to. French School Words with Audio Pronunciation You will hear these words all day in a classroom, so every quiz includes audio pronunciation. Listening first makes it far easier to follow a teacher and join in when it is your turn to speak. Did You Know? One subject name leads a double life. Histoire (history) means both history as a school subject and a story in everyday French, so context tells you which sense is meant. Two words for students are not interchangeable. An élève (pupil) is a school student, while étudiant (student) is reserved for someone at university, and swapping them sounds odd to a French speaker. How the Quizzes Work Each quiz is short, about five minutes, and you can repeat any of the 6 sets until the words feel familiar. Learning subjects, supplies, and people together gives you a fuller picture of the school day, and spreading the sets across a few sessions keeps a big vocabulary from feeling heavy. Ready for class? Jump into the free interactive French quizzes and start studying.

Want to shop with confidence in France, from finding your size to paying at the till? These quizzes cover French shopping vocabulary for every step of the trip. French Shopping Vocabulary Each quiz matches five French words to their English meanings, following a shopping trip from start to finish. You will learn retail words like taille (size), clothing such as the chemise (shirt), store features like the caisse (checkout), payment terms including espèces (cash), and verbs like essayer (to try on). These quizzes are aimed at beginners and cover everything from the shop window to the receipt. Practicing the words and the verbs together prepares you for a real trip to the shops in France. French Shopping Words with Audio Pronunciation Shopping means speaking up, so every quiz includes audio pronunciation. Hearing a word like caisse (checkout) helps you ask a question or find your way around a store without freezing at the counter. Did You Know? One French word means more than a simple sale. Soldes (sales) refers specifically to the official end-of-season sale periods, which are regulated by law and happen twice a year, so a one-off price cut is a réduction (discount) instead. One verb stretches nicely across meanings. Essayer (to try on) means both to try on clothes and to try something in general, which is why a fitting room is a cabine d'essayage (fitting room), literally a "trying-on cabin." How the Quizzes Work Each quiz is short, about five minutes, and you can repeat any of the 6 sets until the words feel natural. Walking through a full shopping trip in French is a fun way to lock them in, and pairing the nouns with the shopping verbs means you can both name what you want and ask for it. Ready to hit the shops? Open the free interactive French quizzes and start with shopping.

Want to tell time in French without second-guessing yourself? These quizzes take you from simple hours like il est deux heures (it's two o'clock) up to the trickier half-pasts and quarter-tos, plus the days and greetings that come up alongside them. Telling Time in French for Beginners You'll start with the clock, turning phrases like il est une heure et quart (it's quarter past one) and il est cinq heures et demie (it's half past five) into the time they describe. From there you pick up the words that surround the clock too: days such as samedi (Saturday) and dimanche (Sunday), the pair midi (noon) and minuit (midnight), and short questions like Quelle heure est-il ? (what time is it?). This is the kind of French you reach for every day, whether you're setting up a meeting, catching a train, or making plans with a friend. Learning the times and the days together means you can say not just what time something happens, but which day it lands on. French Time Phrases with Audio Every phrase comes with audio, so you hear how a French speaker actually says it. That matters here because numbers and time words run together in speech, and the rhythm is hard to guess from spelling alone. Listening as you go helps you recognize a time when it's spoken aloud, not just when you read it. Did you know? Here's a quirk that trips up new learners: once you pass the half hour, French often counts backward from the next hour using the word moins (minus). So 7:45 becomes huit heures moins le quart (eight hours minus a quarter) instead of counting up from seven. Another neat one: French has a single word, avant-hier, for "the day before yesterday," which English needs four words to say. The everyday trio of aujourd'hui (today), demain (tomorrow), and hier (yesterday) looks completely unrelated, so learning the three together tends to stick better. How the quizzes work Each quiz runs about five minutes, so one fits neatly into a coffee break, and you can repeat any of them whenever you like. Pick a quiz and try saying each time out loud along with the audio. These free French quizzes are quick and interactive, so you can start building a real feel for the clock today.