Table of Contents. Copyright. About the book. About Benjamin Houy. Je (I) De (from and possession) Est (is) Pas (not) Le (the) Vous (formal you)

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2 Table of Contents Copyright About the book About Benjamin Houy Je (I) De (from and possession) Est (is) Pas (not) Le (the) Vous (formal you) La (feminine the) Tu (formal you) Que (that) Un (one) Il (he/it) Et (and) à (to, at) A (has) Ne (not) Les (plural the) Ce (this, that) En (of it) On (one, we) ça (it, that) Une (feminine a, an) Ai (I have)

3 Pour (for) Des (plural article) Moi (me) Qui (who, whom, which) Nous (we) Y Mais (but) Me (myself) Dans (in) Du (of the, some) Bien (well, good) Elle (she) Si (if) Tout (all) Plus (more, anymore) Non (no) Mon (my) Suis (am) Te (yourself) Au (to the) Avec (with) Va (go) Oui (yes) Toi (you) Fait (form of to do/ to make) Ils (they) As (you have) Être (to be) Faire (to do, to make) Se (herself)

4 Comme (like) Etait (was) Sur (on) Quoi (what) Ici (here) Sais (I know) Lui (him) Veux (want) Ma (my) Là (there) Rien (nothing) Dit (said) Es (are) Où (where) Votre (your) Pourquoi (why) Sont (are) Cette (this) Quand (when) Par (by) Son (his) Ton (your) Peux (can) Vais (go) Dire (to say) Alors (then, so) Comment (how) Avez (have) Bon (good) Ou (or)

5 Très (very) Merci (thank you) Ont (have) Même (even, same) Jamais (never) Aussi (also) Voir (to see) Chose (thing) Allez (go) Tous (all) Deux (two) Ces (these) Faut (have to) Sa (his, her, its) Êtes (are) Été Ta (your) Fais (do) Avoir (to have) Peut (he/she/it can) Autre (other) M' (me) Encore (again) Maintenant (now) Peu (few, little) Mes (my) Vraiment (really) Temps (time) Notre (our) Toujours (always)

6 Vie (life) Sans (without) Juste (fair, exactly) Oh Avait (had) Upgrade Your French

7 Copyright Author [Benjamin Houy] Brought to you by [frenchtogether.com] This ebook is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License, Fell free to distribute it and share it with anyone. It s based on the top 5000 French words list from While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. 7

8 About the book Traditional learning methods require you to learn a huge amount of words. Most of which you will never use. Have you ever heard of the Pareto Law? This principle states that 20% of the efforts produce 80% of the results. Applied to language learning, this rule means that people use 20% of the words they know 80% of the time. Of course, this is not a perfectly accurate number. But it highlights an essential fact : you don't need to learn a lot of vocabulary to get started speaking French. In fact, with only 1000 words, you could already understand a lot, if you learn the right words. This ebook contains the 500 most frequently used French words. These are words you will hear all the time when talking to French people or reading in French. As such, they are absolutely essential. Each word comes with its translation and examples of use. This way you immediately know how to use each word. 8

9 About Benjamin Houy Benjamin Houy is the founder of French Together and author of Upgrade Your French: The Ultimate Guide to Learning French on Your Own. He is currently learning German and Korean, but would like to add many more languages to the list. After a first experience teaching French as a volunteer in South Korea, he decided to go further and create French Together, a blog where he helps French learners like you learn French in a fun and effective way using a mix of innovative methods and proven tools. He believes learning French can and should be fun, and that anyone at any age can successfully do it. 9

10 Je (I) Je is a pronoun corresponding to the English I Je suis fatigué I am tired Je suis ici I am here 10

11 De (from and possession) De, the second most used French words also has a lot of different meanings. This preposition can be used to : Express possession Give the origin of something Describe something Express a cause Here are a few example sentences to help you better understand the use of de : La maison de Julien Julien s house Cet avion vient de Paris This plane comes from Paris Un verre d eau A glass of water Je meurs de faim I am starving (literally : I am dying of hunger) 11

12 Est (is) Est is the third person singular present form of the verb être (to be). Il est grand He is tall Il n'est pas là He is not there 12

13 Pas (not) Pas is the translation of not. Il n est pas ici He is not here Je ne suis pas fatigué I am not tired Je n'ai pas encore mangé I didn't eat yet Note that n is part of the negation. It s very common to omit it and it isn t something a beginner should worry about. That s why you are not going to learn more about it in this ebook. 13

14 Le (the) In French there are several ways to say the depending on whether the object of the sentence is masculine or feminine. Le is the for masculine words. Le chat The cat Le chat noir est dans le jardin The black cat is in the garden 14

15 Vous (formal you) Unlike English, French has two ways of saying you. Tu and vous. Vous is used to talk to people who are older than you, to strangers and generally anytime a formal language is required. "Vous" is also used if you are talking to several persons. If you are not sure which one to use, vous is always a safe choice. Although most people won t be offended if they see a French learner mistake the two. Vous avez beaucoup de choix You have a lot of choice Qu'est-ce que vous avez fait aujourd'hui? What did you do today? 15

16 La (feminine the) You already know that le is the masculine form of the (see 5). Now it s time to discover the feminine form la. "La" is used before feminine words. La montre de mon père My father s watch Tu as de la chance You have luck/ you are lucky 16

17 Tu (formal you) Tu is the formal way of saying you. You can use it with kids, friends, and people you know well. Tu vas à Bordeaux You go to Bordeaux (Bordeaux is a beautiful French city mainly known for it s delicious wine). Qu'est-ce que tu fais ce soir? What are you doing tonight? 17

18 Que (that) Que has a few different meanings. It s most frequently used to say that. J espère que tu seras là I hope (that) you will be there 18

19 Un (one) Un both means one and a. Un café s il-vous-plaît A cofee please Il y a un an One year ago 19

20 Il (he/it) Il is the translation of he. When talking about people, it s used exactly like he in English. But you can also use it to talk about masculine objects, then it s like it in English. Il est gentil He is nice Le magazin est ouvert, il est ouvert The shop is open, it is open 20

21 Et (and) Et means and. Il a un fils et une fille He has a son and a daughter J aime les macarons et les gâteaux I like macarons and cakes 21

22 à (to, at) à is a preposition used to indicate : Destination (to) Express duration (from... to) To indicate location (at) To indicate time Je vais à Bordeaux I go to Bordeaux Je travaille de 8 heures à 16 heures I work from 8 AM to 4 PM Il est à la maison He is at home Don t forget the accent, it totally changes the meaning 22

23 A (has) a without accent is the conjugated form of the verb avoir (to have). It s used with il (he) and elle (she. Il a un chat He has a cat Elle a deux frères She has two brothers 23

24 Ne (not) Negative sentences in French are normally in two parts. There is first ne right before the verb, and pas right after. Together ne and pas express the negation. Ne however is often omitted, and nobody will blame you for not using it. Je ne veux pas aller à l école I don t want to go to school Ne pleure pas Do not cry 24

25 Les (plural the) Les is the for plural. Les amis de Marie sont là Marie s friends are here 25

26 Ce (this, that) Ce is a pronoun used before male words. It translates as this, or that. Ce matin This morning Ce parfum est cher This perfume is expensive 26

27 En (of it) En is a pronoun used as the object of a verb to indicate a quantity. It can also indicate location, time, means etc. It has a lot of different meanings, and I strongly advise you to learn each meaning as you encounter it in a sentence or a conversation. That way you will only learn it when you need it, and you will know how to use it. Combien de livres as-tu? How many books do you have? J en ai trois I have three books Je suis en France I am in France J en ai marre I am tired of it 27

28 On (one, we) On is an indefinite pronoun which can mean one or we. On fait quoi ce soir? What do we do tonight? On ne devrait pas faire ça One shouldn't do that 28

29 ça (it, that) ça is a shortened form of the pronoun cela. It can mean it or that. Ça suffit it s enough Est-ce que tu penses que ça vaut le coup? Do you think it s worth it? Je voudrais ça pour mon anniversaire I would like that for my birthday 29

30 Une (feminine a, an) Une is a feminine indefinite article equivalent to a an. It s used before feminine words. It s also the feminine form of un (one). Une pomme s il-vous-plaît An apple please 30

31 Ai (I have) Ai is the first person present form of avoir (to have) in the present tense. J ai une pomme I have an apple J ai mal It hurts (literally : I have pain) 31

32 Pour (for) The French preposition Pour means for when followed by a noun. It also has other meanings, but they are less frequent. J ai quelque chose pour toi I have something for you J ai fait ça pour toi I did it for you 32

33 Des (plural article) Des is a plural indefinite article It s used to refer to several objects or persons. J ai des amis en Italie I have friends in Italy La boulangerie vend des croissants The bakery sells croissants 33

34 Moi (me) Moi is like me in Englih C est moi It s me 34

35 Qui (who, whom, which) Qui as an interrogative pronoun means who or whom. It can also be used as a relative pronoun, in which case it means which, who, whom or that. Qui est là? Who is there? Le personne qui est venue ce matin The person who came, this morning 35

36 Nous (we) The personal pronoun nous means we in English. Nous sommes contents We are happy Nous mangeons du pain We eat/ are eating bread 36

37 Y Y is a pronoun used to refer to a place already mentioned in the conversation. Nous allons à Montréal We go/ are going to Montreal Nous y allons We are going there 37

38 Mais (but) The conjunction mais is used like but in English. Il veut en parler, mais il a peur He wants to talk about it, but he is afraid (he has fear) J aime les fraises, mais je n aime pas les oranges I like strawberries but I don t like oranges. 38

39 Me (myself) Me is a reflexive pronoun (only used with pronominal verbs). It can be equivalent to me or myself in English. Je me réveille à 8 heures tous les jours I wake up at 8 Am everyday Elle me parle She is talking to me 39

40 Dans (in) Dans is a preposition meaning in or inside. It can also be used to say within a period of time. Il habite dans ce quartier He lives in this district Elle est dans l avion She is in the plane Je serai à Montréal dans deux heures I will me in Montreal in two hours 40

41 Du (of the, some) Du is the contraction of de and le (of the). It can also mean some. Je mange du pain I eat bread Est-ce que tu veux du chocolat? Do you want chocolate? 41

42 Bien (well, good) Bien as an adverb can mean well. As a noun it means good. C est bien It s good J ai bien dormi I slept well 42

43 Elle (she) Elle correspond to the personal pronoun she. It s also used to designate female animals. Elle est gentille She is nice Elle n est pas là She is not here/ around here 43

44 Si (if) Si is a conjunction equivalent to if. It's also used to deny what someone just said. Je ne sais pas si elle viendra I don t know if she will come Tu ne viens pas? Si je viens You don't come? I do 44

45 Tout (all) Tout is an adjective meaning all. As a pronoun it means everything. Elle a tout mangé She ate everything C est tout ce que je veux It s all I want 45

46 Plus (more, anymore) Plus is an adverb used to make comparisons. Jean est plus grand que Marc Jean is taller than Marc (lit : Jean is more tall than Marc) Va plus vite! Go faster! (lit : go more fast) Le plus facile The easiest Used with the negative particle ne, it means any more Je ne veux plus y aller I don t want to go there anymore 46

47 Non (no) Non means no. Tu veux manger? Non, je n ai plus faim Do you want to eat? No I am not hungry anymore ça va? Non je suis triste Are you okay? No I am sad 47

48 Mon (my) Mon is a singular masculine possessive adjective. It s used like my in English, but only before masculine words and words starting with a vowel. Mon ami habite dans cette maison My friend lives in this house 48

49 Suis (am) Suis is the first person singular present form of the verb être (to be). Je suis fatigué I am tired 49

50 Te (yourself) Te is an object pronoun placed just before the verb. Il te parle He is talking to you Je t aime I love you (te becomes t before a vowel) 50

51 Au (to the) Au is the contraction of à le (to the). It s only used before masculine words. Je vais au cinéma I am going to the cinema 51

52 Avec (with) Avec means with. Il mange avec Sarah He is eating with Laura 52

53 Va (go) Va is a form of the verb aller (to go). It can be either the third person singular present form, or the second person singular imperative. Va à l école! Go to school Le train va à Paris The train is going to Paris 53

54 Oui (yes) An easy one :). Oui is the opposite of non. It means yes. Est-ce que tu as faim? Are you hungry? Oui, j ai faim Yes, I am hungry 54

55 Toi (you) Toi is a pronoun you use when you want to say with you, for you, thanks to you, next to you... Il est avec toi He is with you Je ne suis rien sans toi I am nothing without you 55

56 Fait (form of to do/ to make) Fait is the third person singular present of the verb faire (to do, to make). Used as a noun it can also mean fact. Il fait chaud, c est un fait It s hot, it s a fact (lit : it s doing hot) Il fait des macarons He is making macarons 56

57 Ils (they) Ils is the equivalent of they. However, if you are talking about women only, you need to use elles. Ils sont en vacance They are on vacation Ils sont partis They are gone 57

58 As (you have) As is the second person singular present of the verb avoir (to have). Est-ce que tu as du temps? Do you have time? 58

59 Être (to be) Être means to be. Être ou ne pas être, telle est la question To be or not to be that is the question ça ne peut pas être vrai It can not be true 59

60 Faire (to do, to make) Faire means to do, to make. Je ne sais pas quoi faire I don t know what to do 60

61 Se (herself) Se is the third person singular and plural reflexive pronoun in French. It can be used with a pronominal verb, or with the passive voice. Elle se regarde dans le miroir She is looking at herself in the miror 61

62 Comme (like) The conjunction comme can mean like, how, as or since C est comme ça It s like this Comme tu es belle You are so beautiful Comme tu es fatigué, je vais y aller Since you are tired, I will go there 62

63 Etait (was) Etait is the third person singular imperfect of the verb être (to be). Comme elle était malade, elle n est pas venue Since she was sick, she didn t come C était génial It was awesome 63

64 Sur (on) The preposition sur has a few different meanings on, on top of, above, out of. Le livre est sur la table The book is on the table 64

65 Quoi (what) Quoi means what. However, in many situations, other terms are used ( que for example). You use quoi when you ask a question but keep the normal setence word order. Or when what is the object of a preposition. Tu fais quoi? What are you doing? (lit : you are doing what?) De quoi est-ce que tu parles? What are you talking about? 65

66 Ici (here) Ici means here. Ce n est pas ici : It s not here Que fais-tu ici? What are you doing here? 66

67 Sais (I know) Sais is the first person singular present of the verb savoir (to know). Je sais comment y aller I know how to go there 67

68 Lui (him) Lui is the French for him. Elle lui parle She is talking to him 68

69 Veux (want) Veux is the first and second person singular present of the verb vouloir (to want). Je veux manger I want to eat Qu est-ce que tu veux faire demain? What do you want to do tomorrow? Est-ce que tu veux aller au concert? Do you want to go to the concert? 69

70 Ma (my) Ma is the French for my. It s used before feminine nouns. C est ma faute It s my fault Il était avec ma mère He was with my mother 70

71 Là (there) Là is the French for there. However, French sometimes use là when here would be used in English. In fact, là can also mean around here. Elle n est pas là She is not there (sometimes she is not around here) 71

72 Rien (nothing) Rien is the French for nothing and sometimes anything. Il n y a rien à faire ici There is nothing to do here 72

73 Dit (said) Dit is the third person singular present and past participle of dire (to say). Il a dit qu il n avait rien fait He said he didn t do anything 73

74 Es (are) Es is the second person singular present of être (to be). Tu es au restaurant avec Paul You are in the restaurant with Paul 74

75 Où (where) Où is the French for where. Où es-tu? Where are you? Où est la cuisine? Where is the kitchen? 75

76 Votre (your) Votre is one of the way to say your in French. It s used in formal settings before a singular noun. C est votre problème It s your problem 76

77 Pourquoi (why) Pourquoi is the French for why. Pourquoi est-ce que tu pleures? Why are you crying? 77

78 Sont (are) Sont is the third person plural present of the verb être (to be). It s equivalent to are in English. Ils sont partis They are gone Elles sont fatiguées They are tired 78

79 Cette (this) Cette is the French for this. It s used before feminine singular nouns. J adore cette chanson I love this song 79

80 Quand (when) Quand means when. Quand est-ce que tu pars? When are you leaving? Quand seras-tu prêt? When will you be ready? 80

81 Par (by) The preposition par has many different meanings. Most of the time, it means through, by or per. Elle a jeté son téléphone par la fenêtre She threw her phone through the window Il a été pris par surprise He was taken by surprise 20 km par heure 20 km per hour 81

82 Son (his) Son is a singular masculine possessive adjective. It s only used before masculine nouns, while sa is used before feminine nouns. It can either mean his, her or its. Il a oublié son livre He forgot his book 82

83 Ton (your) Ton means your. However it s only used in casual situations before a singular masculine noun. C est ton livre? Is it your book? 83

84 Peux (can) Peux is the first person singular form of the verb pouvoir (can). Je peux y aller demain I can go there tomorrow 84

85 Vais (go) Vais is the first person singular form of the verb aller (to go). Je vais à l école tous les jours I go to school everyday 85

86 Dire (to say) Dire is the verb to say Je ne sais pas quoi dire I don t know what to say 86

87 Alors (then, so) Alors is a conjunction meaning then (consequence of something) or so. Alors, quand est-ce qu on y va? So, when are we going? 87

88 Comment (how) Comment is the French for how. Alors, comment est-ce que c est arrivé? So, how did it happen? Comment vas-tu? How are you doing (non formal) Comment allez-vous? How are you doing? (formal) 88

89 Avez (have) Avez is the second person plural form of avoir (to have). It can also be used when talking to a person you need to address to formally. Vous avez raison You are right (literally : you have right) Combien d'enfants avez-vous? How many children do you have? 89

90 Bon (good) Bon means "good". J aime le chocolat, c est bon I like chocolate, it s good 90

91 Ou (or) Ou means or. Not to be confused with où with an accent, which means where. Cet été, je voudrais aller au Japon ou à Costa Rica This summer I would like to go to Japan or to Costa Rica. 91

92 Très (very) Très is the French for very. C est très amusant It s very funny J étais très inquiet I was very worried. 92

93 Merci (thank you) Here is a word you probably know already. Merci means thank you. Merci beaucoup Thank you very much Merci pour ton cadeau, je l aime beaucoup Thank you for your gift, I like it a lot 93

94 Ont (have) Ont is the third person plural present of the verb avoir (to have). It s also an auxiliary verb used in compound tenses. Ils ont une maison en Bretagne They have a house in Brittany Ils ont eu très peur They got really scared 94

95 Même (even, same) Même means even as an adverb or same as a noun. C est la même voiture qu hier It s the same car as yesterday Ce n est même pas vrai It s not even true. 95

96 Jamais (never) Jamais is the French for never Il n est jamais en retard He is never late Je ne suis jamais fatigué I am never tired 96

97 Aussi (also) Aussi means also, or as if used in a comparison Elle est aussi belle que sa soeur She is as beautiful as her sister J aime aussi ce manteau I like this coat too. 97

98 Voir (to see) Voir is the French for to see. Je ne vois rien I don t see anything Viens voir, j ai quelque chose à te montrer Come here (lit : come see), I have something to show you 98

99 Chose (thing) Chose means thing. Il n y a pas grand chose à voir There isn t much (thing) to see. J ai quelque chose à te montrer I have something to show you As you can see, chose is often used with other words and rarely alone. Quelquechose : something Pas grand chose : not much 99

100 Allez (go) Allez is the second person plural present form of the verb aller (to go). It s also the polite form you use when talking to someone you don t know well. Où est-ce que vous allez dimanche? Where are you going Sunday? Comment allez-vous? How are you doing? (literally : how do you go?) 100

101 Tous (all) Tous is the French for all or everybody. Ils sont tous partis They are all gone 101

102 Deux (two) This is the number two. C est à deux heures d ici It s two hours away from here Je voudrais deux croissants s il-vous-plaît I would like two croissants please 102

103 Ces (these) Ces is the French for these and those. There is actually no distinction between these and those in French. J aime beaucoup ces chaussures I really like these shoes 103

104 Faut (have to) Faut is the third person singular present form of the verb falloir (to have to). Il faut y aller We have to go (lit : it s necessary to go). 104

105 Sa (his, her, its) Sa is the feminine possessive adjective. It can mean his, her or its. Le singe mange sa banane The monkey is eating his banana sa is used here because banane is a feminine word. 105

106 Êtes (are) Êtes is the second person plural present form of être (to be). It s also the polite form. Vous êtes fous You are crazy (when talking to a person you don t know well or to several people) 106

107 Été été is the past participle of être (to be) and also mean summer Qu est-ce que tu fais cet été? What are you doing this summer? Il a été en Colombie l été dernier He went to Colombia last summer. 107

108 Ta (your) Ta is a feminine possessive adjective. It means you, and is only used before feminine nouns. Est-ce que c est ta soeur? Is she your sister? J ai visité ta ville hier I visited your city yesterday 108

109 Fais (do) Fais is the first person singular present form of the verb faire (to do, to make). Je fais de mon mieux I do my best 109

110 Avoir (to have) Avoir is one the most frequently used French verb. It means "to have" and is also used to form the "passé simple" tense. C'est normal d'avoir faim si tu n'as pas mangé. It's normal to be hungry (to have hunger) if you didn't eat. 110

111 Peut (he/she/it can) "Peut" is the third person singular form of "pouvoir" at the present tense. Il peut le faire. He can do it. Elle ne peut pas y aller. She can not go there. 111

112 Autre (other) "Autre" means "other". It can be used as a noun or as an adjective. Revenez une autre fois, c'est fermé. Come back another time, it's closed. Où est l'autre sortie? Where is the other exit? 112

113 M' (me) The reflexive pronoun "m'" replaces "me" before a vowel. Je suis malade, ça m'énerve! I am sick, It irritates me! Tu me fatigues. You make me tired. 113

114 Encore (again) "Encore" is an adverb with a few different meanings. It can mean "again", "still" or "another". Il est encore là. He is still there. Vous en voulez encore un? Do you want one more/another one? Elle l'a encore fait. She did it again. 114

115 Maintenant (now) "Maintenant" means "now". Est-ce que tu veux manger maintenant ou plus tard? Do you want to eat now or later? 115

116 Peu (few, little) As an adverb, "peu" means "little" or "not much". As a noun it means "few" or "little". Peu de gens aiment cette ville. Few people like this city. Je voudrais un peu d'eau s'il vous plaît. I would like some (a little of) water please. 116

117 Mes (my) "Mes" is the plural form of "my". Mes amis sont avec moi. My friends are with me. 117

118 Vraiment (really) "Vraiment" means "really". Je suis vraiment content. I am really happy. C'était vraiment facile. It was really easy. 118

119 Temps (time) "Temps" means time. J'aurai beaucoup de temps libre la semaine prochaine. I will have a lot of free time next week. Je n'ai pas le temps. I don't have time. 119

120 Notre (our) The possessive pronoun "notre" means "our". Notre chat mange beaucoup. Our cat eats a lot. Notre maison est à Bordeaux. Our house is in Bordeaux. 120

121 Toujours (always) The adverb "toujours" means "always" or "still" Il est toujours malade. He is always sick. Il est toujours là. He is always/still there. 121

122 Vie (life) "La vie" means "the life". C'est la vie. It's life. La vie n'est pas facile là-bas. (The) life is not easy there. 122

123 Sans (without) The preposition "sans" means "without". La vie sans toi est difficile. Life is difficult without you. 123

124 Juste (fair, exactly) The adjective "juste" means "fair", while the adverb "juste" means "exactly". C'est pas juste. It's not fair. La voiture est juste là. The car is right there. 124

125 Oh "Oh" is an interjection. It's mainly used with "oh là là", an expression used to indicate surprise, fear etc. Oh là là, ça va tomber. Oh no, it's going to fall. 125

126 Avait (had) "Avait" is the third person form of "avoir" (to have) at the imparfait tense. As you can see, it's sometimes translated with "was" instead of "had". It's because French people sometimes use the verb "avoir" (to have) when English speakers would use "être" (to be). Il avait vraiment soif. He was really thirsty. Elle avait raison. She was right. Il avait encore beaucoup à faire. He still had a lot to do. 126

127 Upgrade Your French Like what you found in this book? Check out Upgrade Your French: The Ultimate Guide to Learning French on Your Own and discover how you can successfully learn French on your own! 127