Monthly Archives: August 2012

How to say hello in French

Learn to pronounce the 2 most used ways of how to say hello in French: ‘salut’ and ‘bonjour’ and learn when it’s appropriate to use these French words.

We already mentioned there are French flash cards on our site and in the shops with in built memory techniques. Another way of learning French words is using post-its. On any object in the house, you can put a post-it with the French translation of the English word.

And for those who have been on a holiday to France or to any French speaking country, you will have noticed you can buy all sorts of souvenirs like a coffee cup that greets you each morning saying "salut", which translates to "hello". I am sure you can buy them online as well 🙂

The easiest way how to say hello in French

A cup showing the French word 'Salut' which translates in Hello in English

Salut!

The end letter ‘-t’ in salut is not pronounced and you have to pucker your lips as if you are about to give somebody a kiss, to get the correct "u" sound.

Listen to the pronunciation of "U" at 6 minutes 10 seconds in the above French video. You can practise the complete words when you click here for more French greetings.

What’s great about the French word salut is that you can use it both in casual situations:

  • to say Hi as well as
  • to say Bye (both in a casual way).

Most used of all French greetings: bonjour : Good day! Good morning! Good afternoon! Hello!… All can be translated with Bonjour!

How to answer a French greeting

French greetings are some of the first phrases that will you need when learning French. Equally important are the responses to the greetings. If you have a sharp ear, you can get by with just repeating the same phrase as the one you hear when French people greet you.

When you study French in France or travel to a French speaking country, you will hear these greetings and expressions on a daily basis, so they will quickly become internalized.

How to say hello in French summarized

  • Casual ‘Hi", ‘Hello’ : Salut
  • Casual and formal : Bonjour
  • Hello on the phone when you want to make sure that the line is clear: Allo?

What does merde mean?

Learn 2 opposite translations of merde: what it means when somebody is scolding you and what it means when you are in need of extra luck.

Once my students get to know me better and since we stress of having fun when learning French in class, from time to time a brave student will ask to teach them some French swear words… So I do, and on the day of the exam most students will not greet you with the typical "bonjour" (goodday) but with the expression "Je te dis merde", which literary means: I you say shit. However the real meaning is to wish everybody good luck, without jinxing the luck by using the swear word "merde":

What does merde mean in the French phrase: Je te dis merde? - I wish you good luck!

Merde: French-English translation and use

Study French in FranceLiterary "merde" means: the brown stuff each French person deposits in their French toilet each day… However, mostly it is used as a mild curse that you could hear in every day occasions.

The French language uses merde when:

  • -> like in the picture: Merde! : the Microsoft stock dropped 100 $…
  • -> like you ran fast to catch the bus but… Merde! I just missed it
  • -> like you forget the appointment with your boss… Merde!

So the French word "merde" is more or less the equivalent of the English "Oh Shit" and "Shoot".

Merde for good luck

Apart from swearing that you will pick up easily, there is another way of using "merde", mostly in the sentence "je te dis merde", which best translates with the English phrase: "break a leg". Meaning, you are wishing a person good luck, but you say it in the most opposite way possible not to put a bad spell on the person.

Most famous Merde in the history of France

In some French history books you can read that one of Napoleon Bonaparte’s French generals in the end of their loosing battle at Waterloo was asked to surrender. The general responded by taking his sable and run into the enemy shouting: Merde!

learn french in BrusselsTalking about Waterloo: if you happen to learn French in Brussels, you will only be a few miles away from the famous historical Waterloo battle fields, where Napoleon was finally defeated in 1815. After the French were defeated lots of the canons that were used in this battle were melted and used to construct the metal lion in the picture as a memorial to the French defeat. The lion of Waterloo is situated on the hill that overseas the whole battlefield of Napoleon.

Anyway, now you know what merde means, try by all means not to use it 🙂

French love phrases

Extensive list of French love phrases, what to answer, how to flirt with a girl and when cutting the romance: how to ask directly do you want to sleep with me?

If you want to learn French fast because you want to impress or get yourself a French boyfriend or girlfriend, by all means spend $99 and buy this online course. : only $99 to be able to talk to the love of your live is an investment you will love forever 🙂

Also a great course that you can put into practice in French chat rooms (another place to get in touch with French speaking people from all over the globe) especially when you want to say or hear a bit more than the repetitive: what’s your name, where you live and at the end of the conversation if you are a girl: what are you wearing (now that question is ideal for practicing names of French clothes, pretty useful when shopping for clothes in France, but other than that kind of a chat breaker 🙂 )

As soon as you manage to speak or write some words in French, you can start to make you (chatroom) conversation longer: 1 sentence at a time. Don’t worry: there will be plenty of "French teachers" that are more than happy to help you learning what they think is the most romantic language in the whole universe.

If you are a bit more serious in learning more French phrases fast, buy yourself an online French course now like the one I love the most : Rocket French! Why do I love Rocket French?

  • you pay only $99, you download the interactive French audio course on the spot and you are ready to start learning French : as fast and easy as that!
  • it has a must need to speak French words like the French do: French audio, because reading French words is very different than hearing them
  • it has an awesome lot of pictures that help you understand and memorize the French phrases and it also has a few French love phrases included 🙂
  • if it’s really not what you wanted, you can just ask your money back within 60 days: try to do that with any course you buy in a bookshop or any course you subscribe to.

If you are just curious or simply playing around and only need some common French love phrases, then browse to the list below on 🙂

Apart from using those phrases for flirting, dating or expressing your feelings, you can use the same French vocabulary for talking about what you like, what you don’t like when it comes to sports, hobbies and food.

Likes and dislikes

The most important phrase to remember is "Je t’aime", which word for word means: "I you love", and as such translates to "I love you". If you want to express sports you like, you change the " t’ " with the sport you love, like J’aime le tennis, J’aime le football. And when it comes to food, you simply add the food of your preference: j’aime la pizza, j’aime le spaghetti… as easy as that.

What you dislike, you can express with the negation Je n’aime pas de … e.g. Je ne t’aime pas: I don’t love you. Je n’aime pas la bière: I don’t like beer. You can also use the phrase I hate followed with whatever you don’t like. E.g. Je déteste les films: I hate films… Good to know that you need to spend time with this person anywhere else than in a cinema 🙂

Audio how to say you love or hate in French

Download the French audio and learn how to say love and hate: (43kB)

  • J’adore toutes les viandes. (I extremely love all kinds of meat.)
  • J’aime beaucoup les pâtisseries. (I like pastries a lot.)
  • Je déteste les alcools et les vins. (I don’t like / I hate alcohol and wine.)

List of French love phrases and answers

3 of the most common used French love phrases and 1 way of asking to go to bed together

  • I want love. Je veux de l’amour.
  • I like you. Je t’aime bien.
  • I love you. Je t’aime.
  • I adore you. Je t’adore.
  • You are amazing! T’es magnifique!
  • I miss you. Tu me manques.
  • Do you love me also? Est-ce que tu m’aimes aussi?
  • I (woman) am in love. Je suis amoureuse.
  • I (man) am in love. Je suis amoureux.
  • You are beautiful (say to a man). Tu es beau.
  • You are charming (say to a man). Vous êtes charmant.
  • You are very pretty (say to a woman). Vous êtes très jolie.
  • You are beautiful and extremely cute (say to a girl). Tu es mignonne.
  • I am crazy about you. Tu me fascines.
  • You are (extremely) super amazing. Tu es (vachement) superbe.
  • You make me happy (say to a man). Tu me rends heureux.
  • You make me happy (say to a woman). Tu me rends heureuse.
  • You make me crazy (say to a man). Tu me rends fou.
  • You make me crazy (say to a woman). Tu me rends folle.
  • I want to be/stay with you. Je veux être/rester avec toi.
  • Will you marry me? Veux-tu m’épouser?
  • Oui. Yes.
  • Your eyes are very pretty. Tu as les yeux très beaux.
  • I trust you. J’ai confiance en toi.
  • I am here for you. C’est pour toi que j’y suis.
  • You and me, that will never change. Toi et moi, ça ne changera jamais.
  • You are my best friend (say to a man). Tu es mon meilleur ami.
  • You are my best friend (say to a woman). Tu es ma meilleure amie.
  • My boyfriend: Mon petit-ami
  • My girlfriend: Ma petite-amie
  • She’s my fiancé. Elle est ma fiancée.
  • He’s my fiancé. Il est mon fiancé.
  • I always think about you. Je pense toujours à toi.
  • I dream about you all night long. Je rêve de toi toute la nuit.
  • Call me. Appellez-moi.
  • Hug me. Serre-moi.
  • Kiss me. Embrasse-moi.
  • Do you want to dance with me? Voulez-vous danser avec moi?
  • Your place or mine? On va chez toi ou chez moi?
  • Do you want to sleep with me this evening? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?

By all means, if you are having a French boy or girlfriend (or are inspired to have one) and don’t understand what they told you, just leave a comment and ask your question about any French love phrases you heard or want to use.

French flash cards

Learn French words fast by playing with our extensive list of free French flash cards, based on the fun yet effective link-word memorizing visual technique.

The idea is that the picture in the flash card associates your visual memory with an English sound that is almost similar to the French translation of the entire picture in the flash card. Ok: a picture says more than a 1000 words, so let’s give an example.

Let’s memorize the French translation of poster with this flash card:

free French flashcards

    The English word to translate and memorize in French in the picture is a poster.

When you look at the poster on the flash card, you notice A Fish!

    Lo and behold: the French word for poster is: l’affiche and sounds exactly as if you where to say in English ‘l-a-fish’.

Ok, "a fish" isn’t 100% the same as ‘l’affiche", but for you to be able to memorize the word, it doesn’t have to be an exact match. Focus on the sounds created in English and your brain has little to no extra effort to link "a-fish" with the French word "l’affiche". Much easier on your memory than letting it find "out of the blue" the translation of poster without the help of this visualization.

Just try it out, look at the French flash card again, write in your agenda next week the question: "what is the translation of poster" and see whether you still remember. If you don’t, then leave a comment 🙂 Since you don’t see any comments below, just shows you how easy it is to memorize French words when using the right tools.