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Basic French Words and Phrases for Tourists Staying in Paris Apartments

Author: Steven Chen
by Steven Chen
Posted: Oct 21, 2013

There are more than 28 million people who visit Paris as tourists on a yearly basis. This only goes to show how popular is Paris worldwide. While Paris is a very tourist-friendly city, it does not mean that tourists, especially those who are going there for the first time, should not learn common French phrases. On the contrary, tourists, whether staying in a hotel or Paris rental apartments, must be familiar with common French phrases. Travelers who stay in Paris apartments are particularly advised to learn common French phrases since the places they stay do not always have English-speaking staff members. The good news is that some basic French phrases are very easy to learn and speak.

Perhaps the most popular French word that any tourist in Paris should learn is “bonjour” (pronounced as bohn-zhoor). Paris tourists should also learn how to say please (“s’ilvous plait” or seelvoo play) and thank you (“merci” or mare-see).

Since Paris is a big city, there is always a chance that tourists will have difficulty finding their way around. To ask where a specific place is, tourists should say “Oùest” (oo ay) or where is, then adding the place they want to go. For tourists who want to check if a Frenchman speaks English, they should say, “Parlez-vousanglais (par-lay vooong-layz)?” To ask someone for help, tourists can say, “Pouvez-vousm'aider (poo-vayvoo med-ayz)?”

Paris is a top shopping destination. Tourists in the city often find themselves shopping for clothes, shoes, and even souvenirs. Paris visitors should say, “C’estcombiens’ilvousplaît (kom-byanseelvoo play)?” to ask how much a certain item costs. They should also say “A quelleheurevousêtesouvert/fermé (ah kelurrvoozetoo-ver/fer-may)?” to ask what time a shop opens or closes.

When dining, some of the useful phrases tourists in Paris can use are “le menu” for menu, “le petit déjeuner” (puh-tee day-zhuh-nay) for breakfast, “le déjeuner” (day-zhuh-nay) for lunch, and “le diner” (dee-nay) for dinner.

These are just some of the useful words and phrases that a tourist should learn, especially if it is his or her first time in the city. Paris is a beautiful city that is tourist-friendly, but it still helps for tourists to know basic French phrases. Tourists staying in Paris apartments should know these phrases since they will likely encounter locals who don’t speak English. Staying in Paris rental apartments can also help tourists save on travel expenses. To know more about affordable rental apartments in Paris, go to Parisaddress at parisaddress.com.

Steven Chen lives in Brooklyn, New York. Social media is his passion and his occupation, so he can be found constantly updating on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He is also a reputable resource about traveling and travel deals, including Paris apartments for rent from ParisAddress.com. When he’s not working, he likes to take photographs and go running.

About the Author

Professional Instagrammer and Facebooker. I work in social media. I love all things tech and enjoy being on the cutting edge with my own technology.

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Author: Steven Chen

Steven Chen

Member since: Oct 21, 2013
Published articles: 10

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