Most Common French Words - Top 100 French Words

1) le, la, l', les     the

    definite article
The French definite article corresponds to "the" in English. There are four forms of the French definite
article:
1. le   masculine singular
2. la   feminine singular
3. l'    m or f in front of a vowel or h muet
4. les  m or f plural

Which definite article to use depends on three things: the noun's gender, number, and first letter:
 If the noun is plural, use les
 If it's a singular noun starting with a vowel or h muet, use l'
 If it's singular and starts with a consonant or h aspiré, use le for a masculine noun and la for
a feminine noun

French Articles

Definite  Indefinite  Partitive

masculine le un du
feminine la une de la
in front of a vowel   l' un/une de l'
plural les des des

Meaning and usage of the French definite article

The definite article indicates a specific noun.

   Je vais à la banque.

   I'm going to the bank.

   Voici le livre que j'ai lu.

   Here is the book I read.

The definite article is also used in French to indicate the general sense of a noun. This can be
confusing, as definite articles are not used in this way in English.

   J'aime la glace.
   I like ice cream.

   C'est la vie !
   That's life!

The singular indefinite articles in French correspond to "a," "an," or "one" in English, while the plural
corresponds to "some." There are three forms of the French indefinite article.
1. un    masculine
 2. une   feminine
3. des   m or f plural

Note that the plural indefinite article is the same for all nouns, whereas the singular has different
forms for masculine and feminine.

Meaning and usage of the French indefinite article

The indefinite article usually refers to an unspecified person or thing.

   J'ai trouvé un livre.

   I found a book.

   Il veut une pomme.

   He wants an apple.

The indefinite article can also refer to just one of something:

   Il y a un étudiant dans la salle.

   There is one student in the room.

   J'ai une sœur.

   I have one sister.

The plural indefinite article means "some":

   J'ai acheté des pommes.

   I bought some apples.

   Veux-tu acheter des livres ?

   Do you want to buy some books?

When referring to a person's profession or religion, the indefinite is not used in French, although it is
used in English. I know, I know, the exceptions never end. :-(

   Je suis professeur.

   I am a teacher.

   Il va être médecin.

   He's going to be a doctor.

In a negative construction, the indefinite article changes to de, meaning "(not) any":

   J'ai une pomme. > Je n'ai pas de pommes.

   I have an apple. > I don't have any apples.

Learn more: De vs du, de la, des

The partitive articles in French correspond to "some" or "any" in English. There are four forms of the
French partitive article:
1. du      masculine singular
2. de la   feminine singular
 3. de l'    m or f in front of a vowel or h muet
4. des     m or f plural

The form of the partitive article to use depends on three things: the noun's number, gender, and first
letter:
 If the noun is plural, use des
 If it's singular starting with a vowel or h muet, use de l'
 If it's a singular noun and starts with a consonant or h aspiré, use du for a masculine noun
and de la for a feminine noun

Meaning and usage of the French partitive article

The partitive article indicates an unknown quantity of something, usually food or drink. It is often
omitted in English.

   Avez-vous bu du thé ?
   Did you drink some tea?

   J'ai mangé de la salade hier.

   I ate salad yesterday.

   Nous allons prendre de la glace.

   We're going to have some ice cream.

After adverbs of quantity, use de instead of the partitive article.

   Il y a beaucoup de thé.

   There is a lot of tea.

   J'ai moins de glace que Thierry.

   I have less ice cream than Thierry.

In a negative construction, the partitive article changes to de, meaning "(not) any":

   J'ai mangé de la soupe. > Je n'ai pas mangé de soupe.

   I ate some soup. > I didn't eat any soup.

Learn more: De vs du, de la, des

The French articles may seem similar at times, but they are not interchangeable. This page will help
you understand when and why to use each one.

Definite article
The definite article can talk about a specific item or something in general.

   J'ai mangé le gâteau.

   I ate the cake (the whole thing, or the specific cake that we were just talking about).

   J'aime les films.

   I like movies (in general) or I like the movies (that we just saw).
Indefinite article
The indefinite article talks about one of something, and is the easiest of the French articles. I can
almost guarantee that if what you want to say requires "a," "an," or "one" in English - unless you're
talking about someone's profession - you need the indefinite article.

   J'ai mangé un gâteau.

   I ate one cake (there were five, and I ate one of them).

   Je veux voir un film.

   I want to see a movie.

Partitive article
The partitive is usually used when discussing eating or drinking, because one normally only eats some
butter, cheese, etc., not all of it.

   J'ai mangé du gâteau.

   I ate some cake (one slice, or a few bites).

   Je cherche de l'eau.

   I'm looking for some water.

Partitive article vs Indefinite article

The partitive indicates that the quantity is unknown or uncountable. When the quantity is
known/countable, use the indefinite article (or a number):

   Il a mangé du gâteau.

   He ate some cake.

   Il a mangé un gâteau.

   He ate a cake.

2) être     to be
    all about être
Être is one of the most common French verbs. It is irregular in conjugation and literally means "to be."
Être is also used in some idiomatic expressions and as an auxiliary verb for compound tenses and the
passive voice.

To Be

Être means "to be" in many senses that this verb is used in English.

1. It is used with adjectives, nouns, and adverbs to describe a temporary or permanent state of being:

   Il est beau - He is handsome

   Je suis à Paris - I'm in Paris

   Nous sommes français - We're French

   Il est là-bas - He's over there

2. Être is used to describe someone's profession; however, note that the indefinite article is not used
in this construction in French:

   Mon père est avocat - My father is a lawyer

   Je suis étudiant - I'm a student

3. Expressions with être

Notes

There are a number of English "to be" expressions which are translated in French by avoir (to have):

   avoir froid - to be cold

   avoir raison - to be right
   avoir xx ans - to be xx years old
   more expressions

When talking about the weather, French uses the verb faire (to do/make) rather than être:

   Quel temps fait-il ? - How's the weather?

   Il fait beau - It's nice out
   Il fait du vent - It's windy

Être as an Auxiliary Verb

1. Être is the auxiliary for some verbs in the compound tenses:

   Je suis allé en France - I went to France

   Nous étions déjà sortis - We had already left

   Il serait venu si... - He would have come if...

2. Être is used to form the passive voice:

   La voiture est lavée - The car is washed

   Il est respecté de tout le monde - He is respected by everyone

Conjugations
Present tense
   je suis
   tu es
   il est
   nous sommes
   vous êtes
   ils sont
Être is one of the most common French verbs. It is irregular in conjugation and literally means "to be."
Être is also used in some common idiomatic expressions.

Être is found in the impersonal expressions c'est and il est (learn more):

   C'est difficile à décider

   It's hard to decide.

   Il est possible qu'il mange avec nous

   It's possible that he'll eat with us.

Être can be used with the preposition à plus a stressed pronoun to indicate possession:

   Ce livre est à moi

   This is my book.

   - À qui est cet argent  ? - C'est à Paul.

   - Whose money is this? - It's Paul's.

More expressions with être:

   ça y est - that's it, it's done

   c'est ça - that's it, that's right

   c'est / on est / nous sommes + date - it's (date)

   en être - to take part in

   est-ce (que) - no literal translation; this expression is used to ask questions

   être de - to be at/in (figuratively)

   être en train de + infinitive - to be (in the process of) + present participle

   n'est-ce pas ? - right? isn't that so?

   soit - so be it, that is

   soit... soit... - either... or...

3) avoir     to have
    all about avoir
Avoir is one of the most common French verbs. It is irregular in conjugation and literally means "to
have." In addition, it is used in numerous idiomatic expressions and as an auxiliary verb.

To Have

Avoir means "to have" in most senses, including having in one's possession and currently
experiencing.

   J'ai deux stylos

   I have two pens

   J'ai trois frères

   I have three brothers

   J'ai mal à la tête

   I have a headache

   J'ai une idée

   I have an idea

   J'ai été eu
   I've been had (tricked)

Note: Avoir à can mean "to have to," but that expression is more commonly translated by devoir.

Expressions with Avoir

Avoir is used in a number of idiomatic expressions, many of which are translated by the English verb
"to be":

   J'ai 30 ans
   I am 30 years old

   J'ai soif
   I am thirsty

   J'ai froid
   I am cold

   Il y a...
   There is/are...

Auxiliary Verb

Avoir is the auxiliary for most French verbs in the compound tenses (exceptions):

   J'ai déjà étudié

   I have already studied.

   J'aurai mangé avant ton arrivée

   I will have eaten before you arrive

   Si j'avais su, je t'aurais téléphoné

   If I had known, I would have called you
Conjugations

Present tense

   j'ai
   tu as
   il a
   nous avons
   vous avez
   ils ont
The French verb avoir literally means "to have" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn
how to be lucky, feel blue, hold a grudge, and more with this list of expressions with avoir.

avoir ___ ans

to be ___ years old

avoir à  + infinitive
to have to do something

avoir beau + infinitive

despite doing, however much (one) does

avoir besoin de
to need

avoir chaud
to be hot

avoir confiance en
to trust

avoir de la chance
to be lucky

avoir du charme
to have charm

avoir du chien (informal)

to be attractive, have a certain something

avoir du pain sur la planche (informal)

to have a lot to do, have a lot on one's plate

avoir du pot (informal)

to be lucky

avoir envie de
to want

avoir faim
to be hungry

avoir froid
to be cold

avoir honte de
to be ashamed of/about

avoir horreur de
to detest/loathe

avoir l'air + adjective

to look ____

avoir l'air de + noun

to look like a ____

avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre

to have one's cake and eat it too

avoir le cafard (informal)

to feel low/blue/down in the dumps

avoir le fou rire

to have the giggles

avoir le mal de mer

to be seasick

avoir les chevilles qui enflent (informal)

to be full of oneself

avoir l'habitude de
to be used to, in the habit of

avoir l'heure
to have (know) the time

avoir lieu
to take place

avoir l'intention de
to intend/plan to

avoir mal à la tête, aux yeux, à l'estomac

to have a headache, eye ache, stomachache

avoir mal au cœur

to be sick to one's stomach

avoir peur de
to be afraid

avoir raison
to be right

avoir soif
to be thirsty

avoir sommeil
to be sleepy

avoir tort
to be wrong

avoir un chat dans la gorge

to have a frog in one's throat

avoir un cheveu (sur la langue) (informal)

to lisp

avoir un petit creux (informal)

to be a little hungry/peckish

avoir un poil dans la main (informal)

to be lazy

avoir un trou (de mémoire)

to have a memory loss, to have one's mind go blank

avoir une dent contre quelqu'un (informal)

to hold a grudge against someone

en avoir (familiar)
to have guts

en avoir ras le bol (informal)

to be fed up

il y a

   il y a + noun
   there is, there are ___

   il y a + period of time

   ___ ago

n'avoir qu'à + infinitive

to just/only have to do something
4) de     of, from
    preposition
De is a very important and versatile preposition with many different meanings and uses in French. As
a preposition, it can express or indicate all of the following:
 

I. Possession or belonging (learn more)

le livre de Paul - Paul's book

la bibliothèque de l'université - the university library

II. Starting point or origin (learn more)

partir de Nice - to leave from (out of) Nice

Je suis de Bruxelles - I'm from Brussels

 

III. Contents / description of something

une tasse de thé - cup of tea

un roman d'amour - love story (story of/about love)

IV. Defining feature

le marché de gros - wholesale market

une salle de classe - classroom

le jus d'orange - orange juice

V. Cause

mourir de faim - to die of / from hunger

fatigué du voyage - tired from the trip

VI. Means / manner of doing something

écrire de la main gauche - to write with one's left hand

répéter de mémoire - to recite from memory

Note: When followed by the definite articles le and les, de contracts with them into a single word:

For example

de + le = du du salon

de + les = des des villes

But de does not contract with la or l'

de + la = de la de la femme

de + l' = de l' de l'homme

In addition, de does not contract with le and les when they are direct objects.
There are four grammatical constructions used to express possession in French: adjectives, pronouns,
and two different prepositions. Take a look at this summary of the different French possibilities, and
then follow the links for detailed information.

Possessive de
The preposition de is used with a name or a noun in place of 's or s' in English.

le livre de Jean - John's book

la chambre des filles - the girls' room
 

Possessive à
The preposition à is used with the verb être in front of stressed pronouns in order to emphasize the
ownership of the object.

Ce livre est à lui - This book is his

C'est un ami à moi - He's a friend of mine
 

Possessive adjectives
Possessive adjectives are the words used in place of articles to indicate to whom or to what
something belongs. The English equivalents are my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.

Voici votre livre - Here's your book

C'est son livre - It's his book
 

Possessive pronouns
Possessive pronouns are the words which replace a possessive adjective + noun. The English
equivalents are mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, and theirs.

Ce livre... c'est le vôtre ou le sien ? - This book... is it yours or his?

 
The French preposition de is used to express possession with names and nouns. It is equivalent to 's
or s' in English.
le livre de Jean - John's book

les rues de Rome - Rome's streets, the streets of Rome

les idées d'un étudiant - a student's ideas

Note that the order of the nouns is inverted in French. "John's book" translates literally as "the book of
John."
 

As with the partitive article and other de constructions, de contracts with le and les to make du and
des:

c'est la voiture du patron - it's the boss's car

les pages du livre - the book's pages

les pages des livres - the books' pages

 

De cannot be used to express possession with stressed pronouns; for those, you need à.
The French preposition à is used to express possession in the following constructions: 

1. noun + être + à + stressed pronoun, noun, or name

2. c'est + à + stressed pronoun, noun, or name
3. c'est + noun + à + stressed pronoun*

These constructions put emphasis on the ownership of the object.

Cet argent est à Paul. - This money is Paul's.

Le livre est à lui. - The book is his.

C'est un livre à lui. - It's a book of his.

- À qui est ce stylo ? - Whose pen is this?

- C'est à moi. - It's mine.

- Cet argent... c'est à elle ou à nous ? - This money... is it hers or ours?

- C'est à vous. - It's yours.

- Ce chapeau est à Luc. - This is Luc's hat.

- Non, c'est à moi ! - No, it's mine!

*In spoken French, you might hear c'est + noun + à + name (e.g., c'est un livre à Michel), but it is
grammatically incorrect. The correct way to use possession in this construction is with de (c'est un
livre de Michel).
5) un, une, des     a, an, some
    indefinite article
The singular indefinite articles in French correspond to "a," "an," or "one" in English, while the plural
corresponds to "some." There are three forms of the French indefinite article.
1. un    masculine
2. une   feminine
3. des   m or f plural

Note that the plural indefinite article is the same for all nouns, whereas the singular has different
forms for masculine and feminine.

Meaning and usage of the French indefinite article

The indefinite article usually refers to an unspecified person or thing.

   J'ai trouvé un livre.

   I found a book.

   Il veut une pomme.

   He wants an apple.

The indefinite article can also refer to just one of something:

   Il y a un étudiant dans la salle.

   There is one student in the room.

   J'ai une sœur.

   I have one sister.

The plural indefinite article means "some":

   J'ai acheté des pommes.

   I bought some apples.

   Veux-tu acheter des livres ?

   Do you want to buy some books?

When referring to a person's profession or religion, the indefinite is not used in French, although it is
used in English. I know, I know, the exceptions never end. :-(

   Je suis professeur.

   I am a teacher.

   Il va être médecin.

   He's going to be a doctor.

In a negative construction, the indefinite article changes to de, meaning "(not) any":

   J'ai une pomme. > Je n'ai pas de pommes.

   I have an apple. > I don't have any apples.
6) je     I
    subject pronoun
The subject of a verb is the person or thing which performs the action of that verb:

   Tom travaille.
   Tom is working.

   Mes parents habitent en Espagne.

   My parents live in Spain.

   La voiture ne veut pas démarrer.

   The car won't start.

Subject pronouns replace this person or thing:

   Il travaille.
   He is working.

   Ils habitent en Espagne.

   They live in Spain.

   Elle ne veut pas démarrer.

   It won't start.

When studying French, you must understand subject pronouns before you can begin learning how to
conjugate verbs, because the forms of verbs change for each subject pronoun.

Click the pronouns in this table for detailed information about how to use each one.

French subject pronouns:

Singular
   1st person  je  I
   2nd person  tu  you
   3rd person  il  he, it    elle  she, it    on  one

Plural
   1st person  nous  we
   2nd person  vous  you
   3rd person  ils  they (m)    elles  they (f)
7) il / ils*     he, it / they
    subject pronouns