French
Practicalities

Let's be fair. There are moments when the contemporary sort of thing, the bus and train skills, to which university French classes now devote all their energy can come in handy. If on such an occasion your destination is Paris, if you are scheduled to lecture at the Collège de France tomorrow, this is the page you want. You can also sample the quick fix books for vocabulary, but beware of starting a conversation, or embarking on an affair of the heart, in a language you don't really know. Here is a short list of words and phrases, plus a few practical tips, that will help you to find your way, while at the same time hopefully keeping you out of major trouble.

Now, remember not to pronounce any of the final consonants.

Airport

You will probably be landing at Charles de Gaulle airport (at Roissy, north of Paris) or less likely at Orly (south of Paris), and taking the RER suburban train into Paris (line B3 runs to Charles de Gaulle; C2 runs to Orly). Before you leave, try to make sure your credit card will be accepted by the RER ticket vending machines at the airport; it saves long lines. At train stations, trust the overhead display, not anything on or inside the train itself, to identify your train. Going south from Charles de Gaulle to the Left Bank, don't count on the Seine as a landmark. It is there, but the train goes under it. Know your station and your hotel address (get information in advance from your hosts), and memorize the major street names between the two. Remember that your wheeled airport luggage marks you as a tourist in the city. Be alert for people who may stumble against you at the top of the escalator. Keep your balance and keep moving.

Aéroport "Airport."
Arrivée "Arrivals" [at airport]
Départ "Departures"

Making Contact

Pardon "Excuse me" [introducing a question or excusing a fault].
Excusez-moi "Excuse me."
S'il vous plaît "Please."
Merci "Thank you." Merci beaucoup "Thank you very much."
De rien [for nothing] ~ "You're welcome." Also: Pas de quoi.
Je cherche . . . "I am looking for . . . "
Parlez-vous anglais? "Do you speak English?" A good many Parisians do, though the use of English in France is a somewhat sore point. On the other hand, if you knew enough French to get by in French, you wouldn't be reading this page. Whence:
Je ne parle pas français "I don't speak French." Don't initiate a conversation that you won't understand. It wastes everyone's time.
Oui "Yes."
Non "No."
Répétez, s'il vou plait "Please say it again."
Je ne comprends pas. "I don't understand."

Signs

Défense de . . . "No . . ." Défense de fumer "No Smoking." Défense d'entrer "No Admittance."
Ouvert "Open"
Fermé "Closed"
Poussez "Push" [sign on a door]
Tirez "Pull"
Renseignements "Information"
Où sont les toilettes? "Where are the rest rooms?"
Hommes "Men"
Femmes "Women"
Sortie "Exit." Sortie de secours "Emergency Exit"

Train

Gare "[Train] Station." For an RER system map, click here. Gare du Nord "North Station," is a major interchange, encountered on the way in from Charles de Gaulle to Paris via RER, not long before crossing [under!] the Seine. Be alert. The station for the Quartier Latin (University District) is Saint-Michel, at the major N/S street Boulevard Saint-Michel. Quai "platform, track" [in train station]. Beware: More than one train stops at a given platform. Check the destination sign on the train itself.

Taxi

Arrêt "Stop" [as in a Stop sign]. Arrêt du taxi "Taxi stand," also: Station de Taxis. Get a taxi at the stand. Taxis in motion need not stop if hailed (but those with the "Taxi" or Libre ("Free") sign lighted are technically available). Arrêtez-vous ici "Stop here."
C'est ici "This is it."
Combien "How much?" Expect to be overcharged by the taxi driver. Be sure the meter is set to zero when you start, if you like, but shrug off the rest. Compared to learning enough French to argue the quoted price down to the fair price, at whatever you may think your time is worth per hour, getting cheated by the diver is a small and affordable luxury.

Hotel

Je voudrais . . . "I would like . . ."
Il me faut . . . "I need . . ."
Avez-vous . . . "Do you have . . ."
Il n'y a pas de . . . "There isn't/aren't any . . ." Il y a "There is/are"

Interpersonal

Bonjour "Hello: good morning; good afternoon."
Bonsoir "Good evening."
Au revoir "Good-bye."
Bonne nuit "Sleep well; Good night."
A bientôt "See you soon."

The Left Bank

This is one of the shrines of Sinology, as of Western learning in general. The major street next east of this, the Rue Saint-Jacques (see again our RER map), is flanked by the Sorbonne and the Collège de France, a little south of the major E/W street Boulevard Saint-Germain.

[There is more, but if we gave you more, you couldn't remember it. You will be landing in 40 minutes. Bonne chance!]

25 Dec 2003 / Contact The Project / Exit to Reference Page