20 Essential French Expressions Every English Speaker Should Learn First

If you’re an English speaker learning French, mastering common everyday expressions will help you sound natural much faster than memorizing long vocabulary lists. The phrases below are high-frequency, practical, and perfect for beginners through intermediate learners. Many also introduce key grammar patterns used constantly in real French.

Daily-use basics

tous les jours - every day

Used to talk about routines.

• Je lis en français tous les jours. (I read in French every day.)

pas du tout - not at all

A strong negative response.

• Tu comprends ? - Pas du tout. (Do you understand? - Not at all.)

pas le temps - no time

Very common in spoken French.

• Désolé, j’ai pas le temps. (Sorry, I don’t have time.)

pas trop mal - not too bad / pretty good

Often used to respond casually.

• Ça va ? - Pas trop mal. (How are you? - Not too bad.)

Essential communication phrases

je sais pas - I don’t know (informal spoken form)

Full form: je ne sais pas.

• Je sais pas, peut-être demain. (I don’t know, maybe tomorrow.)

je pense que - I think that

Used to express opinions.

• Je pense que c’est une bonne idée. (I think it’s a good idea.)

je crois que - I believe that / I think

Similar to je pense que, slightly softer or less certain.

• Je crois que tu as raison. (I believe you’re right.)

je dirais que - I would say that

Useful for polite or tentative opinions.

• Je dirais que c’est possible. (I would say it’s possible.)

Talking about people and quantities

tous les deux - both

Used for two people or things.

• Ils viennent tous les deux. (They’re both coming.)

en tant que - as / in the role of

Common in professional or formal contexts.

• En tant que professeur, je recommande ce livre. (As a teacher, I recommend this book.)

Key negation patterns (very important in French)

French negation usually uses ne + verb + pas, though ne is often dropped in speech.

ne parle pas - does not speak

• Il ne parle pas français. (He doesn’t speak French.)

ne sais pas - do not know

• Je ne sais pas. (I don’t know.)

ne peux pas - cannot

• Je ne peux pas venir. (I can’t come.)

ne sont pas - are not

• Ils ne sont pas prêts. (They are not ready.)

Learning these patterns helps you form thousands of sentences.

Expressions that introduce complex grammar

Some phrases trigger specific verb moods or structures, especially the subjunctive, which English speakers often find challenging.

il faut que - it is necessary that / you must

Usually followed by the subjunctive.

• Il faut que tu étudies. (You must study.)

il semble que - it seems that

Often followed by the subjunctive in formal French.

• Il semble que ce soit vrai. (It seems that it’s true.)

le fait que - the fact that

Common in formal writing; may trigger the subjunctive depending on context.

• Le fait que tu sois ici est important. (The fact that you are here is important.)

Small connectors that make you sound natural

avec ou sans - with or without

• Café avec ou sans sucre ? (Coffee with or without sugar?)

et non pas - and not / rather than

Used for corrections or emphasis.

• C’est une question de temps, et non pas d’argent. (It’s a question of time, not money.)

pour y aller - to go there

Shows how French uses y to replace locations.

• Bus numéro 5 pour y aller. (Bus number 5 to go there.)

If you want to sound natural, it is important to know these constructs. We hope this helps!