[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1512},["ShallowReactive",2],{"i-lucide:chevron-down":3,"i-lucide:graduation-cap":8,"i-lucide:list-ordered":10,"i-lucide:book-open":12,"i-lucide:type":14,"i-lucide:languages":16,"i-lucide:layers":18,"i-lucide:menu":20,"i-lucide:house":22,"i-lucide:chevron-right":24,"i-simple-icons:mastodon":26,"i-simple-icons:bluesky":28,"i-simple-icons:x":30,"i-simple-icons:linkedin":32,"article-\u002Fresources\u002Ffrench\u002Fessential-french-words-for-travel":35,"i-lucide:landmark":1502,"i-lucide:download":1504,"i-lucide:pencil-line":1506,"i-lucide:image":1508,"i-lucide:file-text":1510},{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":7},0,24,false,"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"m6 9l6 6l6-6\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":9},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M21.42 10.922a1 1 0 0 0-.019-1.838L12.83 5.18a2 2 0 0 0-1.66 0L2.6 9.08a1 1 0 0 0 0 1.832l8.57 3.908a2 2 0 0 0 1.66 0zM22 10v6\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"M6 12.5V16a6 3 0 0 0 12 0v-3.5\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":11},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M11 5h10m-10 7h10m-10 7h10M4 4h1v5M4 9h2m.5 11H3.4c0-1 2.6-1.925 2.6-3.5a1.5 1.5 0 0 0-2.6-1.02\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":13},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 7v14m-9-3a1 1 0 0 1-1-1V4a1 1 0 0 1 1-1h5a4 4 0 0 1 4 4a4 4 0 0 1 4-4h5a1 1 0 0 1 1 1v13a1 1 0 0 1-1 1h-6a3 3 0 0 0-3 3a3 3 0 0 0-3-3z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":15},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 4v16M4 7V5a1 1 0 0 1 1-1h14a1 1 0 0 1 1 1v2M9 20h6\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":17},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"m5 8l6 6m-7 0l6-6l2-3M2 5h12M7 2h1m14 20l-5-10l-5 10m2-4h6\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":19},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M12.83 2.18a2 2 0 0 0-1.66 0L2.6 6.08a1 1 0 0 0 0 1.83l8.58 3.91a2 2 0 0 0 1.66 0l8.58-3.9a1 1 0 0 0 0-1.83z\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"M2 12a1 1 0 0 0 .58.91l8.6 3.91a2 2 0 0 0 1.65 0l8.58-3.9A1 1 0 0 0 22 12\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"M2 17a1 1 0 0 0 .58.91l8.6 3.91a2 2 0 0 0 1.65 0l8.58-3.9A1 1 0 0 0 22 17\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":21},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M4 5h16M4 12h16M4 19h16\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":23},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M15 21v-8a1 1 0 0 0-1-1h-4a1 1 0 0 0-1 1v8\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"M3 10a2 2 0 0 1 .709-1.528l7-6a2 2 0 0 1 2.582 0l7 6A2 2 0 0 1 21 10v9a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H5a2 2 0 0 1-2-2z\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":25},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"m9 18l6-6l-6-6\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":27},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M23.268 5.313c-.35-2.578-2.617-4.61-5.304-5.004C17.51.242 15.792 0 11.813 0h-.03c-3.98 0-4.835.242-5.288.309C3.882.692 1.496 2.518.917 5.127C.64 6.412.61 7.837.661 9.143c.074 1.874.088 3.745.26 5.611c.118 1.24.325 2.47.62 3.68c.55 2.237 2.777 4.098 4.96 4.857c2.336.792 4.849.923 7.256.38q.398-.092.786-.213c.585-.184 1.27-.39 1.774-.753a.06.06 0 0 0 .023-.043v-1.809a.05.05 0 0 0-.02-.041a.05.05 0 0 0-.046-.01a20.3 20.3 0 0 1-4.709.545c-2.73 0-3.463-1.284-3.674-1.818a5.6 5.6 0 0 1-.319-1.433a.053.053 0 0 1 .066-.054c1.517.363 3.072.546 4.632.546c.376 0 .75 0 1.125-.01c1.57-.044 3.224-.124 4.768-.422q.059-.011.11-.024c2.435-.464 4.753-1.92 4.989-5.604c.008-.145.03-1.52.03-1.67c.002-.512.167-3.63-.024-5.545m-3.748 9.195h-2.561V8.29c0-1.309-.55-1.976-1.67-1.976c-1.23 0-1.846.79-1.846 2.35v3.403h-2.546V8.663c0-1.56-.617-2.35-1.848-2.35c-1.112 0-1.668.668-1.67 1.977v6.218H4.822V8.102q0-1.965 1.011-3.12c.696-.77 1.608-1.164 2.74-1.164c1.311 0 2.302.5 2.962 1.498l.638 1.06l.638-1.06c.66-.999 1.65-1.498 2.96-1.498c1.13 0 2.043.395 2.74 1.164q1.012 1.155 1.012 3.12z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":29},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M5.202 2.857C7.954 4.922 10.913 9.11 12 11.358c1.087-2.247 4.046-6.436 6.798-8.501C20.783 1.366 24 .213 24 3.883c0 .732-.42 6.156-.667 7.037c-.856 3.061-3.978 3.842-6.755 3.37c4.854.826 6.089 3.562 3.422 6.299c-5.065 5.196-7.28-1.304-7.847-2.97c-.104-.305-.152-.448-.153-.327c0-.121-.05.022-.153.327c-.568 1.666-2.782 8.166-7.847 2.97c-2.667-2.737-1.432-5.473 3.422-6.3c-2.777.473-5.899-.308-6.755-3.369C.42 10.04 0 4.615 0 3.883c0-3.67 3.217-2.517 5.202-1.026\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":31},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M14.234 10.162L22.977 0h-2.072l-7.591 8.824L7.251 0H.258l9.168 13.343L.258 24H2.33l8.016-9.318L16.749 24h6.993zm-2.837 3.299l-.929-1.329L3.076 1.56h3.182l5.965 8.532l.929 1.329l7.754 11.09h-3.182z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":33,"hidden":34},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M20.447 20.452h-3.554v-5.569c0-1.328-.027-3.037-1.852-3.037c-1.853 0-2.136 1.445-2.136 2.939v5.667H9.351V9h3.414v1.561h.046c.477-.9 1.637-1.85 3.37-1.85c3.601 0 4.267 2.37 4.267 5.455v6.286zM5.337 7.433a2.06 2.06 0 0 1-2.063-2.065a2.064 2.064 0 1 1 2.063 2.065m1.782 13.019H3.555V9h3.564zM22.225 0H1.771C.792 0 0 .774 0 1.729v20.542C0 23.227.792 24 1.771 24h20.451C23.2 24 24 23.227 24 22.271V1.729C24 .774 23.2 0 22.222 0z\"\u002F>",true,{"id":36,"title":37,"author":38,"authorsTake":39,"body":40,"category":1473,"cefrLevel":1474,"date":1475,"description":1476,"extension":1477,"faqs":1478,"heroImage":1474,"intro":1474,"language":1474,"lastUpdated":1474,"meta":1491,"navigation":34,"path":1492,"seo":1493,"socialDescription":1474,"stem":1494,"tags":1495,"tldr":1500,"verbSlugs":1474,"__hash__":1501},"resources\u002Fresources\u002Ffrench\u002Fessential-french-words-for-travel.md","Essential French Words for Travel: Water, Food, Help and the 30 Words That Actually Matter","Michael McGettrick","My year as an English assistant in Le Havre cost me about thirty euros before I learned the carafe trick. I would sit down in a brasserie, ask for \"de l'eau, s'il vous plaît\", and a waiter would return with a 75cl bottle of Vittel that added three or four euros to the bill. The bottle never felt optional in the moment. It took a Norman colleague mocking my approach over a staff lunch (\"you know you can just ask for the carafe, right?\") before I changed the phrasing. The next year I bought roughly two hundred lunches in France and ordered the carafe every single time. Saved enough to pay for the ferry home twice. The lesson generalises: travel French is not about vocabulary volume, it is about the four or five phrases that quietly transfer money from your pocket to a restaurant's beverage margin.\n\nThe toilettes confusion cost me less money but more dignity. Early in the Le Havre year I walked into a café, asked the patronne \"où est la salle de bain, s'il vous plaît?\", and got a slow, patient explanation that the café did not have a salle de bain because the café was not a house. The toilet I wanted was les toilettes, plural, always plural, the word the French use for any public lavatory. La salle de bain is the room with the bath in it at home. The two words map onto the same English word, \"bathroom\", and English speakers blunder into the wrong one constantly because the American instinct is to ask for the bathroom as a euphemism. France does not do that euphemism. Toilettes is the polite, neutral word. Use it.\n\nThe word that did more work than any verb conjugation I drilled that year was combien. Five letters, asks how much, opens every market stall and unlocks every price negotiation. I learned the subjunctive properly in my second term and used it in approximately four sentences across the whole year. I used combien probably four hundred times. The arithmetic of travel French is brutal: a small set of nouns and question stems handles most of the work, and the grammar-textbook curriculum buries them under conjugation tables that you do not need until much later. Lead with the words that pay rent.\n",{"type":41,"value":42,"toc":1454},"minimark",[43,48,52,57,77,82,85,93,103,106,110,113,194,212,216,219,241,244,248,301,315,319,322,351,354,390,393,419,423,426,472,475,521,524,528,531,545,552,588,603,607,610,665,668,692,703,707,710,812,815,847,850,878,882,885,974,978,981,1399,1402,1406],[44,45,47],"h1",{"id":46},"essential-french-words-for-travel","Essential French Words for Travel",[49,50,51],"p",{},"The arithmetic of travel French is unkind to phrasebooks. The first hundred words you learn handle roughly 80% of the situations you actually meet on a two-week trip, and the next nine hundred get you to about 90%. Everything beyond that is diminishing returns until you are seriously trying to live in the country. The thirty words below are the Pareto cut: water, food, help, lost, problem, toilettes, money, the question stems, and the politeness scaffolding. We lead with water because it is the word you will use first, ask for most, and lose money on if you do not know how to phrase the request.",[53,54,56],"h2",{"id":55},"water-in-french-eau-the-carafe-trick-and-the-bottle-order","Water in French: eau, the carafe trick, and the bottle order",[49,58,59,63,64,68,69,72,73,76],{},[60,61,62],"strong",{},"Eau"," (oh) is the French word for water. One syllable, no consonants, and the trickiest pronunciation in beginner French because the letters look nothing like the sound. The trigraph \"eau\" is pronounced as a long, rounded \"oh\", the same vowel as the \"o\" in British \"boat\". It is a feminine noun, so the article forms are ",[65,66,67],"em",{},"de l'eau"," (some water, with the elision because eau starts with a vowel), ",[65,70,71],{},"une eau"," (a water), and ",[65,74,75],{},"l'eau"," (the water).",[78,79,81],"h3",{"id":80},"the-carafe-trick","The carafe trick",[49,83,84],{},"The single most useful phrase for travelling in France:",[86,87,88],"blockquote",{},[49,89,90],{},[60,91,92],{},"Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît.",[49,94,95,96,99,100,102],{},"Literally: a carafe of water, please. By French law, restaurants must serve tap water free of charge when you are ordering a meal. But you have to ask for it specifically, and the magic word is ",[65,97,98],{},"carafe",". Asking for ",[65,101,67],{}," with no specifier - \"I would like some water\" - reliably gets you a 50cl or 75cl bottle of Evian, Vittel or Cristaline added to the bill at three to five euros a pop. The waiter is not scamming you; they are interpreting the under-specified request as \"the paid version\". Asking for the carafe is the explicit opt-out.",[49,104,105],{},"This single phrase pays for itself within one restaurant visit. Across a two-week trip with lunch and dinner out, the saving is forty to eighty euros. Learn it before any other phrase in this article.",[78,107,109],{"id":108},"bottled-water-plate-gazeuse-pétillante","Bottled water: plate, gazeuse, pétillante",[49,111,112],{},"When you do want bottled water - on a train, in a shop, or because you genuinely prefer mineral water - the distinction is between still and sparkling:",[114,115,116,132],"table",{},[117,118,119],"thead",{},[120,121,122,126,129],"tr",{},[123,124,125],"th",{},"French",[123,127,128],{},"English",[123,130,131],{},"Notes",[133,134,135,151,162,172,183],"tbody",{},[120,136,137,141,144],{},[138,139,140],"td",{},"Eau plate",[138,142,143],{},"Still water",[138,145,146,147,150],{},"Default if you just say ",[65,148,149],{},"eau"," in a shop",[120,152,153,156,159],{},[138,154,155],{},"Eau gazeuse",[138,157,158],{},"Sparkling water",[138,160,161],{},"The standard term",[120,163,164,167,169],{},[138,165,166],{},"Eau pétillante",[138,168,158],{},[138,170,171],{},"Lighter fizz, often used interchangeably",[120,173,174,177,180],{},[138,175,176],{},"Eau minérale",[138,178,179],{},"Mineral water",[138,181,182],{},"The bottled category as a whole",[120,184,185,188,191],{},[138,186,187],{},"Eau du robinet",[138,189,190],{},"Tap water",[138,192,193],{},"Safe to drink across France",[49,195,196,197,200,201,204,205,204,208,211],{},"The ordering pattern: ",[65,198,199],{},"une bouteille d'eau plate, s'il vous plaît"," (a bottle of still water, please). Brand names work as nouns in conversation: ",[65,202,203],{},"un Evian",", ",[65,206,207],{},"un Perrier",[65,209,210],{},"un Vittel",". Perrier is sparkling by default; Evian and Vittel are still. Cristaline is the supermarket budget brand and the cheapest still water you can buy in a French supermarket, usually under fifty centimes for a litre and a half.",[78,213,215],{"id":214},"hot-and-cold-water","Hot and cold water",[49,217,218],{},"For tea, baby bottles, or any practical request:",[220,221,222,229,235],"ul",{},[223,224,225,228],"li",{},[60,226,227],{},"Eau chaude"," - hot water",[223,230,231,234],{},[60,232,233],{},"Eau froide"," - cold water",[223,236,237,240],{},[60,238,239],{},"Eau tiède"," - lukewarm water",[49,242,243],{},"French tap water is potable across the whole country. The \"eau du robinet, ça va?\" question - \"tap water, is it okay?\" - asked of a host or waiter is a polite check-in but the answer in mainland France is essentially always yes.",[78,245,247],{"id":246},"useful-phrases-for-water","Useful phrases for water",[114,249,250,260],{},[117,251,252],{},[120,253,254,257],{},[123,255,256],{},"Phrase",[123,258,259],{},"Meaning",[133,261,262,270,277,285,293],{},[120,263,264,267],{},[138,265,266],{},"Puis-je avoir de l'eau?",[138,268,269],{},"May I have some water?",[120,271,272,274],{},[138,273,92],{},[138,275,276],{},"A carafe of water, please. (Free tap water.)",[120,278,279,282],{},[138,280,281],{},"Une bouteille d'eau plate.",[138,283,284],{},"A bottle of still water.",[120,286,287,290],{},[138,288,289],{},"Avec ou sans gaz?",[138,291,292],{},"With or without fizz? (What you'll be asked.)",[120,294,295,298],{},[138,296,297],{},"L'eau du robinet, ça va?",[138,299,300],{},"Is tap water okay?",[49,302,303,304,309,310,314],{},"See the ",[305,306,308],"a",{"href":307},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Feau","eau lemma page"," for the noun details and the ",[305,311,313],{"href":312},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fphrases\u002Frestaurant","French phrases for restaurant page"," for the wider ordering vocabulary.",[53,316,318],{"id":317},"food-and-eating","Food and eating",[49,320,321],{},"The food vocabulary breaks into three groups: the generic words for food and eating, the words for ordering, and the words for the three meals.",[49,323,324,327,328,331,332,335,336,339,340,343,344,347,348,350],{},[60,325,326],{},"La nourriture"," (food, generic, feminine) is the textbook word; in practice you will more often hear ",[65,329,330],{},"à manger"," (\"something to eat\") or specific dishes by name. ",[60,333,334],{},"Manger"," is the verb to eat. ",[60,337,338],{},"Avoir faim"," is the idiom for being hungry: ",[65,341,342],{},"j'ai faim"," (I have hunger, the correct construction). Saying ",[65,345,346],{},"je suis affamé"," exists but reads as melodramatic for ordinary hunger; ",[65,349,342],{}," is the neutral phrase.",[49,352,353],{},"Restaurant vocabulary:",[220,355,356,366,376],{},[223,357,358,361,362,365],{},[60,359,360],{},"La carte"," - the menu. (Confusingly, ",[65,363,364],{},"le menu"," in French often refers specifically to the prix fixe set menu, not the full à la carte list.)",[223,367,368,371,372,375],{},[60,369,370],{},"Un plat"," - a dish. ",[65,373,374],{},"Le plat du jour"," is the dish of the day.",[223,377,378,381,382,385,386,389],{},[60,379,380],{},"L'addition"," - the bill. ",[65,383,384],{},"L'addition, s'il vous plaît"," is how you ask for it, and the ",[65,387,388],{},"s'il vous plaît"," is not optional.",[49,391,392],{},"The four meals (yes, four):",[220,394,395,401,407,413],{},[223,396,397,400],{},[60,398,399],{},"Le petit déjeuner"," - breakfast (literally \"the little lunch\", which makes etymological sense if you know déjeuner originally meant \"to break the fast\").",[223,402,403,406],{},[60,404,405],{},"Le déjeuner"," - lunch, usually 12:00 to 14:00 in France, and observed strictly enough that many small shops close for it.",[223,408,409,412],{},[60,410,411],{},"Le dîner"," - dinner, usually from 19:30 onwards.",[223,414,415,418],{},[60,416,417],{},"Le goûter"," - the afternoon snack, around 16:00, especially for children but adopted by plenty of adults too.",[53,420,422],{"id":421},"help-lost-problem-the-emergency-words","Help, lost, problem: the emergency words",[49,424,425],{},"The three nouns and one verb you need if anything goes wrong:",[220,427,428,434,444,462],{},[223,429,430,433],{},[60,431,432],{},"Au secours!"," (oh-suh-koor) - the emergency shout. Use this if you are in danger.",[223,435,436,439,440,443],{},[60,437,438],{},"Aider"," (eh-day) - the verb \"to help\" for ordinary requests. ",[65,441,442],{},"Pouvez-vous m'aider?"," - can you help me?",[223,445,446,449,450,453,454,457,458,461],{},[60,447,448],{},"Perdu"," \u002F ",[60,451,452],{},"perdue"," - lost (masculine \u002F feminine agreement). ",[65,455,456],{},"Je suis perdu"," if you are male, ",[65,459,460],{},"je suis perdue"," if you are female. The pronunciation is identical.",[223,463,464,467,468,471],{},[60,465,466],{},"Un problème"," - a problem. ",[65,469,470],{},"J'ai un problème"," is the universal opener for anything from a broken phone to a missing reservation.",[49,473,474],{},"French emergency numbers, worth memorising before the trip:",[114,476,477,487],{},[117,478,479],{},[120,480,481,484],{},[123,482,483],{},"Number",[123,485,486],{},"Service",[133,488,489,497,505,513],{},[120,490,491,494],{},[138,492,493],{},"112",[138,495,496],{},"Europe-wide emergency (works from any phone)",[120,498,499,502],{},[138,500,501],{},"15",[138,503,504],{},"SAMU (medical emergencies, ambulance)",[120,506,507,510],{},[138,508,509],{},"17",[138,511,512],{},"Police",[120,514,515,518],{},[138,516,517],{},"18",[138,519,520],{},"Pompiers (fire brigade, also first aid)",[49,522,523],{},"The 112 number works across the EU and is the safest default if you are unsure which service you need.",[53,525,527],{"id":526},"bathroom-the-toilettes-vs-salle-de-bain-distinction","Bathroom: the toilettes vs salle de bain distinction",[49,529,530],{},"This is the trap. English collapses \"bathroom\" into a single euphemism that covers both the room with the toilet and the room with the bath. French does not.",[220,532,533,539],{},[223,534,535,538],{},[60,536,537],{},"Les toilettes"," (always plural in French) - the public toilet, the loo, the lavatory. This is the word you ask for in a café, restaurant, airport, or anywhere outside a private home.",[223,540,541,544],{},[60,542,543],{},"La salle de bain"," - literally \"the bath room\", singular. This is the room at home that contains the bath or shower. It is not a public toilet word.",[49,546,547,548,551],{},"Asking ",[65,549,550],{},"où est la salle de bain?"," in a Paris café is a textbook beginner tell. The waiter understands what you mean but will look at you slightly oddly because cafés do not have salles de bain; they have toilettes. Use:",[114,553,554,562],{},[117,555,556],{},[120,557,558,560],{},[123,559,256],{},[123,561,259],{},[133,563,564,572,580],{},[120,565,566,569],{},[138,567,568],{},"Où sont les toilettes, s'il vous plaît?",[138,570,571],{},"Where are the toilets, please?",[120,573,574,577],{},[138,575,576],{},"Puis-je utiliser les toilettes?",[138,578,579],{},"May I use the toilets?",[120,581,582,585],{},[138,583,584],{},"Les toilettes sont au fond, à droite.",[138,586,587],{},"The toilets are at the back, on the right. (Common response.)",[49,589,590,591,594,595,598,599,602],{},"The plural verb agreement (",[65,592,593],{},"sont",", not ",[65,596,597],{},"est",") is non-negotiable because ",[65,600,601],{},"toilettes"," is grammatically plural even when there is only one cubicle.",[53,604,606],{"id":605},"money-prices-paying","Money, prices, paying",[49,608,609],{},"Money vocabulary, in descending order of how often you'll use each word:",[220,611,612,618,624,634,648],{},[223,613,614,617],{},[60,615,616],{},"Combien?"," - how much. The single most useful question word in travel French, full stop.",[223,619,620,623],{},[60,621,622],{},"L'argent"," (masculine) - money in general.",[223,625,626,629,630,633],{},[60,627,628],{},"Un euro"," - a euro. The plural ",[65,631,632],{},"euros"," takes an s but the pronunciation does not change.",[223,635,636,639,640,643,644,647],{},[60,637,638],{},"Une carte"," - a card (bank card). ",[65,641,642],{},"Par carte"," - by card. ",[65,645,646],{},"Carte bancaire"," (CB) - bank card.",[223,649,650,449,653,656,657,660,661,664],{},[60,651,652],{},"Du liquide",[60,654,655],{},"des espèces"," - cash. ",[65,658,659],{},"Liquide"," is the conversational word, ",[65,662,663],{},"espèces"," is the formal one; both appear on signs and in shops.",[49,666,667],{},"The expensive \u002F cheap pair has a register split worth knowing:",[220,669,670,676,682],{},[223,671,672,675],{},[60,673,674],{},"Cher"," - expensive. Universal.",[223,677,678,681],{},[60,679,680],{},"Bon marché"," - cheap, formal \u002F written register. Literally \"good market\".",[223,683,684,687,688,691],{},[60,685,686],{},"Pas cher"," - not expensive, the conversational way to say cheap. ",[65,689,690],{},"C'est pas cher"," is what you actually say.",[49,693,694,695,698,699,702],{},"The most useful single question: ",[65,696,697],{},"C'est combien?"," - how much is it? Followed by ",[65,700,701],{},"vous acceptez la carte?"," - do you take card? (Increasingly redundant in France post-2020 but still useful in rural markets and small bakeries.)",[53,704,706],{"id":705},"where-when-how-the-question-word-stems","Where, when, how: the question-word stems",[49,708,709],{},"The seven French interrogatives that unlock most travel questions:",[114,711,712,722],{},[117,713,714],{},[120,715,716,718,720],{},[123,717,125],{},[123,719,128],{},[123,721,131],{},[133,723,724,739,750,765,776,787,798],{},[120,725,726,729,732],{},[138,727,728],{},"Où",[138,730,731],{},"Where",[138,733,734,735,738],{},"The grave accent on the u distinguishes it from ",[65,736,737],{},"ou"," (or).",[120,740,741,744,747],{},[138,742,743],{},"Quand",[138,745,746],{},"When",[138,748,749],{},"Final d is silent.",[120,751,752,755,758],{},[138,753,754],{},"Comment",[138,756,757],{},"How",[138,759,760,761,764],{},"Also \"what?\" in ",[65,762,763],{},"comment?"," meaning \"pardon?\"",[120,766,767,770,773],{},[138,768,769],{},"Pourquoi",[138,771,772],{},"Why",[138,774,775],{},"Literally \"for what\".",[120,777,778,781,784],{},[138,779,780],{},"Qui",[138,782,783],{},"Who",[138,785,786],{},"Used for subjects of questions.",[120,788,789,792,795],{},[138,790,791],{},"Quoi",[138,793,794],{},"What",[138,796,797],{},"Informal. Cannot start a question on its own except in casual speech.",[120,799,800,803,805],{},[138,801,802],{},"Que",[138,804,794],{},[138,806,807,808,811],{},"Formal. ",[65,809,810],{},"Que voulez-vous?"," - what do you want?",[49,813,814],{},"The location pair:",[220,816,817,823,829,835,841],{},[223,818,819,822],{},[60,820,821],{},"Ici"," - here",[223,824,825,828],{},[60,826,827],{},"Là"," - there (general)",[223,830,831,834],{},[60,832,833],{},"Là-bas"," - over there (specific, pointing)",[223,836,837,840],{},[60,838,839],{},"Près (de)"," - near",[223,842,843,846],{},[60,844,845],{},"Loin (de)"," - far",[49,848,849],{},"The time triplet:",[220,851,852,862,868],{},[223,853,854,857,858,861],{},[60,855,856],{},"Aujourd'hui"," (oh-zhoor-DWEE) - today. The apostrophe matters; the word is etymologically ",[65,859,860],{},"au jour d'hui",".",[223,863,864,867],{},[60,865,866],{},"Demain"," - tomorrow",[223,869,870,873,874,877],{},[60,871,872],{},"Hier"," - yesterday (the h is silent and the i is pronounced like English \"ee\", so it is ",[65,875,876],{},"yair",", two syllables)",[53,879,881],{"id":880},"politeness-scaffolding-non-optional-in-france","Politeness scaffolding (non-optional in France)",[49,883,884],{},"France treats politeness vocabulary as part of the cost of entry to an interaction, not optional flavour. Skip it at the cost of being read as rude.",[220,886,887,896,918,924,930,936,942,962,968],{},[223,888,889,449,892,895],{},[60,890,891],{},"S'il vous plaît",[60,893,894],{},"s'il te plaît"," - please (formal \u002F informal). Vous form for strangers, tu form for friends. Abbreviated SVP \u002F STP in writing.",[223,897,898,901,902,905,906,909,910,913,914,917],{},[60,899,900],{},"Merci"," - thank you. ",[65,903,904],{},"Merci beaucoup"," - thanks a lot. ",[65,907,908],{},"Merci bien"," - thanks. (Note: ",[65,911,912],{},"merci bien"," can sound slightly sarcastic in some regions; ",[65,915,916],{},"merci beaucoup"," is safer.)",[223,919,920,923],{},[60,921,922],{},"De rien"," - you're welcome, the universal conversational answer.",[223,925,926,929],{},[60,927,928],{},"Je vous en prie"," - more formal \"you're welcome\", literally \"I beg you of it\".",[223,931,932,935],{},[60,933,934],{},"Pardon"," - excuse me (for bumping into someone, getting past someone, or as a quick apology).",[223,937,938,941],{},[60,939,940],{},"Excusez-moi"," - excuse me (for getting a stranger's attention, asking for directions).",[223,943,944,947,948,951,952,956,957,961],{},[60,945,946],{},"Bonjour"," - hello \u002F good day. ",[60,949,950],{},"Non-optional when entering a small shop."," See ",[305,953,955],{"href":954},"\u002Fresources\u002Ffrench\u002Fhow-to-say-good-morning-in-french","how to say good morning in French"," for the morning-specific version and ",[305,958,960],{"href":959},"\u002Fresources\u002Ffrench\u002Fhow-to-say-hello-in-french","how to say hello in French"," for the wider greeting culture.",[223,963,964,967],{},[60,965,966],{},"Au revoir"," - goodbye, the standard departure word.",[223,969,970,973],{},[60,971,972],{},"Bonne journée"," - have a good day (said as you leave a shop or service interaction).",[53,975,977],{"id":976},"the-30-word-minimum-kit","The 30-word minimum kit",[49,979,980],{},"The thirty words that cover roughly 80% of practical travel situations, with the phrase pattern each one slots into. Click through where a lemma page exists.",[114,982,983,995],{},[117,984,985],{},[120,986,987,990,992],{},[123,988,989],{},"Word",[123,991,259],{},[123,993,994],{},"Phrase pattern",[133,996,997,1009,1019,1030,1044,1058,1071,1085,1096,1110,1124,1138,1152,1166,1177,1191,1204,1218,1232,1246,1260,1274,1288,1302,1316,1330,1344,1358,1371,1385],{},[120,998,999,1003,1006],{},[138,1000,1001],{},[305,1002,149],{"href":307},[138,1004,1005],{},"water",[138,1007,1008],{},"une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît",[120,1010,1011,1013,1016],{},[138,1012,98],{},[138,1014,1015],{},"jug (free tap water)",[138,1017,1018],{},"une carafe d'eau",[120,1020,1021,1024,1027],{},[138,1022,1023],{},"bouteille",[138,1025,1026],{},"bottle",[138,1028,1029],{},"une bouteille d'eau plate",[120,1031,1032,1038,1041],{},[138,1033,1034],{},[305,1035,1037],{"href":1036},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fnourriture","nourriture",[138,1039,1040],{},"food",[138,1042,1043],{},"la nourriture est bonne",[120,1045,1046,1052,1055],{},[138,1047,1048],{},[305,1049,1051],{"href":1050},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fmanger","manger",[138,1053,1054],{},"to eat",[138,1056,1057],{},"je voudrais manger",[120,1059,1060,1066,1069],{},[138,1061,1062],{},[305,1063,1065],{"href":1064},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Ffaim","faim",[138,1067,1068],{},"hunger",[138,1070,342],{},[120,1072,1073,1079,1082],{},[138,1074,1075],{},[305,1076,1078],{"href":1077},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fcarte","carte",[138,1080,1081],{},"menu \u002F card",[138,1083,1084],{},"la carte, s'il vous plaît",[120,1086,1087,1090,1093],{},[138,1088,1089],{},"addition",[138,1091,1092],{},"the bill",[138,1094,1095],{},"l'addition, s'il vous plaît",[120,1097,1098,1104,1107],{},[138,1099,1100],{},[305,1101,1103],{"href":1102},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fdejeuner","déjeuner",[138,1105,1106],{},"lunch",[138,1108,1109],{},"à l'heure du déjeuner",[120,1111,1112,1118,1121],{},[138,1113,1114],{},[305,1115,1117],{"href":1116},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fdiner","dîner",[138,1119,1120],{},"dinner",[138,1122,1123],{},"pour le dîner",[120,1125,1126,1132,1135],{},[138,1127,1128],{},[305,1129,1131],{"href":1130},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fsecours","secours",[138,1133,1134],{},"emergency help",[138,1136,1137],{},"au secours!",[120,1139,1140,1146,1149],{},[138,1141,1142],{},[305,1143,1145],{"href":1144},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Faider","aider",[138,1147,1148],{},"to help",[138,1150,1151],{},"pouvez-vous m'aider?",[120,1153,1154,1160,1163],{},[138,1155,1156],{},[305,1157,1159],{"href":1158},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Faide","aide",[138,1161,1162],{},"help (noun)",[138,1164,1165],{},"j'ai besoin d'aide",[120,1167,1168,1171,1174],{},[138,1169,1170],{},"perdu",[138,1172,1173],{},"lost",[138,1175,1176],{},"je suis perdu",[120,1178,1179,1185,1188],{},[138,1180,1181],{},[305,1182,1184],{"href":1183},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fprobleme","problème",[138,1186,1187],{},"problem",[138,1189,1190],{},"j'ai un problème",[120,1192,1193,1198,1201],{},[138,1194,1195],{},[305,1196,601],{"href":1197},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Ftoilettes",[138,1199,1200],{},"toilets",[138,1202,1203],{},"où sont les toilettes?",[120,1205,1206,1212,1215],{},[138,1207,1208],{},[305,1209,1211],{"href":1210},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fargent","argent",[138,1213,1214],{},"money",[138,1216,1217],{},"je n'ai pas d'argent",[120,1219,1220,1226,1229],{},[138,1221,1222],{},[305,1223,1225],{"href":1224},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fcombien","combien",[138,1227,1228],{},"how much",[138,1230,1231],{},"c'est combien?",[120,1233,1234,1240,1243],{},[138,1235,1236],{},[305,1237,1239],{"href":1238},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fcher","cher",[138,1241,1242],{},"expensive",[138,1244,1245],{},"c'est cher",[120,1247,1248,1254,1257],{},[138,1249,1250],{},[305,1251,1253],{"href":1252},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fou","où",[138,1255,1256],{},"where",[138,1258,1259],{},"où est...?",[120,1261,1262,1268,1271],{},[138,1263,1264],{},[305,1265,1267],{"href":1266},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fquand","quand",[138,1269,1270],{},"when",[138,1272,1273],{},"quand est-ce que...?",[120,1275,1276,1282,1285],{},[138,1277,1278],{},[305,1279,1281],{"href":1280},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fcomment","comment",[138,1283,1284],{},"how",[138,1286,1287],{},"comment ça marche?",[120,1289,1290,1296,1299],{},[138,1291,1292],{},[305,1293,1295],{"href":1294},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fici","ici",[138,1297,1298],{},"here",[138,1300,1301],{},"je suis ici",[120,1303,1304,1310,1313],{},[138,1305,1306],{},[305,1307,1309],{"href":1308},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fla","là",[138,1311,1312],{},"there",[138,1314,1315],{},"c'est là",[120,1317,1318,1324,1327],{},[138,1319,1320],{},[305,1321,1323],{"href":1322},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Faujourd-hui","aujourd'hui",[138,1325,1326],{},"today",[138,1328,1329],{},"aujourd'hui, on...",[120,1331,1332,1338,1341],{},[138,1333,1334],{},[305,1335,1337],{"href":1336},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fdemain","demain",[138,1339,1340],{},"tomorrow",[138,1342,1343],{},"à demain",[120,1345,1346,1352,1355],{},[138,1347,1348],{},[305,1349,1351],{"href":1350},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fhier","hier",[138,1353,1354],{},"yesterday",[138,1356,1357],{},"hier, j'ai...",[120,1359,1360,1366,1369],{},[138,1361,1362],{},[305,1363,1365],{"href":1364},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fmerci","merci",[138,1367,1368],{},"thank you",[138,1370,916],{},[120,1372,1373,1379,1382],{},[138,1374,1375],{},[305,1376,1378],{"href":1377},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fpardon","pardon",[138,1380,1381],{},"sorry \u002F excuse me",[138,1383,1384],{},"pardon, je passe",[120,1386,1387,1393,1396],{},[138,1388,1389],{},[305,1390,1392],{"href":1391},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fwords\u002Fbonjour","bonjour",[138,1394,1395],{},"hello",[138,1397,1398],{},"bonjour, je voudrais...",[49,1400,1401],{},"Thirty words. Memorise them with the phrase pattern beside each one, not as isolated dictionary entries, because the phrase is what actually leaves your mouth.",[53,1403,1405],{"id":1404},"cross-links","Cross-links",[220,1407,1408,1414,1420,1426,1433,1440,1447],{},[223,1409,1410,1413],{},[305,1411,1412],{"href":959},"How to say hello in French"," - the wider greeting culture and the bonjour rule.",[223,1415,1416,1419],{},[305,1417,1418],{"href":954},"How to say good morning in French"," - the morning-specific greetings.",[223,1421,1422,1425],{},[305,1423,1424],{"href":312},"French phrases for restaurant"," - the full ordering vocabulary.",[223,1427,1428,1432],{},[305,1429,1431],{"href":1430},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fphrases\u002Femergency","French phrases for emergency"," - the emergency phrase patterns.",[223,1434,1435,1439],{},[305,1436,1438],{"href":1437},"\u002Ffrench","French pillar"," - the wider French learning approach.",[223,1441,1442,1446],{},[305,1443,1445],{"href":1444},"\u002Fresources\u002Ffrench\u002Ftop-100-french-verbs","Top 100 French verbs"," - the verb side of the high-frequency vocabulary.",[223,1448,1449,1453],{},[305,1450,1452],{"href":1451},"\u002Ffrench\u002Fvocabulary-by-cefr","French vocabulary by CEFR"," - where these thirty words sit on the proficiency map.",{"title":1455,"searchDepth":1456,"depth":1456,"links":1457},"",2,[1458,1465,1466,1467,1468,1469,1470,1471,1472],{"id":55,"depth":1456,"text":56,"children":1459},[1460,1462,1463,1464],{"id":80,"depth":1461,"text":81},3,{"id":108,"depth":1461,"text":109},{"id":214,"depth":1461,"text":215},{"id":246,"depth":1461,"text":247},{"id":317,"depth":1456,"text":318},{"id":421,"depth":1456,"text":422},{"id":526,"depth":1456,"text":527},{"id":605,"depth":1456,"text":606},{"id":705,"depth":1456,"text":706},{"id":880,"depth":1456,"text":881},{"id":976,"depth":1456,"text":977},{"id":1404,"depth":1456,"text":1405},"Resources",null,"2026-06-10T00:00:00+00:00","The 30 essential French words for travel, starting with eau (water) and the 'une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît' move that gets you free tap water. With pronunciation, regional variation, and the phrase patterns to slot them into.","md",[1479,1482,1485,1488],{"q":1480,"a":1481},"How do you say water in French?","Water in French is eau, pronounced oh, a single short syllable. It is a feminine noun, so 'some water' is de l'eau (with elision because eau starts with a vowel) and 'a water' is une eau. The most useful phrases for travel are 'une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît' (free tap water in a restaurant), 'une bouteille d'eau plate' (a bottle of still water), and 'une bouteille d'eau gazeuse' (a bottle of sparkling water).",{"q":1483,"a":1484},"How do you ask for tap water in a French restaurant?","Ask for 'une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît' - literally 'a carafe of water, please'. Tap water is free by law in French restaurants when ordered alongside a meal, but you have to ask for it specifically as a carafe. If you only say 'de l'eau' without the carafe word, the waiter will usually bring a billed bottle of mineral water. The carafe phrasing is the difference between zero euros and three to five euros per meal.",{"q":1486,"a":1487},"How do you say help in French?","There are two words and they are not interchangeable. 'Au secours!' (oh-suh-koor) is the emergency shout, what you yell if you are in danger or need urgent assistance. 'Aider' (eh-day) is the verb 'to help' for ordinary requests: 'Pouvez-vous m'aider?' (can you help me?) is the polite phrase for asking a stranger for directions or assistance. The noun 'aide' (ed) means help in the abstract sense. Use au secours only in genuine emergencies; using it for ordinary help looks panicked.",{"q":1489,"a":1490},"What are the most important French words for travel?","The 30-word minimum kit is: eau, carafe, bouteille (water and containers), nourriture, manger, faim, carte, addition (food and bills), au secours, aider, perdu, problème (emergencies), toilettes (the bathroom word), argent, combien, cher (money), où, quand, comment, ici, là, aujourd'hui, demain, hier (question stems and time), s'il vous plaît, merci, pardon, bonjour, au revoir (politeness). Most of these are nouns and question words rather than verbs, because travel French is mostly about asking for things and reading signs, not constructing complex sentences.",{},"\u002Fresources\u002Ffrench\u002Fessential-french-words-for-travel",{"title":37,"description":1476},"resources\u002Ffrench\u002Fessential-french-words-for-travel",[1496,1497,1498,1499],"french vocabulary","french phrases","travel french","french for beginners","Water in French is eau (oh), feminine, and the single most useful phrase to learn is 'une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît' - that gets you free tap water in any French restaurant instead of a billed bottle of Evian. The 30-word travel kit below covers water, food, help, the toilettes versus salle de bain trap, money, question stems, and the politeness scaffolding that France treats as non-optional.","UcGC4oaAPFgTj-WJfxIt6uzOIWm5BDZQvpN3uZRPZV8",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1503},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M10 18v-7m1.119-8.795a2 2 0 0 1 1.762 0l7.84 3.846A.5.5 0 0 1 20.5 7h-17a.5.5 0 0 1-.22-.949zM14 18v-7m4 7v-7M3 22h18M6 18v-7\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1505},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M12 15V3m9 12v4a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H5a2 2 0 0 1-2-2v-4\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"m7 10l5 5l5-5\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1507},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M13 21h8M15 5l4 4m2.174-2.188a1 1 0 0 0-3.986-3.987L3.842 16.174a2 2 0 0 0-.5.83l-1.321 4.352a.5.5 0 0 0 .623.622l4.353-1.32a2 2 0 0 0 .83-.497z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1509},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Crect width=\"18\" height=\"18\" x=\"3\" y=\"3\" rx=\"2\" ry=\"2\"\u002F>\u003Ccircle cx=\"9\" cy=\"9\" r=\"2\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"m21 15l-3.086-3.086a2 2 0 0 0-2.828 0L6 21\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":1511},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M6 22a2 2 0 0 1-2-2V4a2 2 0 0 1 2-2h8a2.4 2.4 0 0 1 1.704.706l3.588 3.588A2.4 2.4 0 0 1 20 8v12a2 2 0 0 1-2 2z\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"M14 2v5a1 1 0 0 0 1 1h5M10 9H8m8 4H8m8 4H8\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",1781519465499]