The phrase library
French phrases from real dialogue
Every expression here comes from a real dialogue lesson: what it literally says, what it really means, and the exact exchange where you'll hear it.
ainsi
Ainsi means 'in this way', 'thus', 'like that' — the formal connector even advanced learners miss. What it means and how to spot it, with a real dialogue.
Read it →ben
Ben — the French 'well...' — is everywhere in speech and nowhere in textbooks. What it means, how it sounds, and a real dialogue packed with it.
Read it →bon marché
Bon marché means cheap or a good deal — without the negative ring. Why the French use it instead of 'pas cher', with a real shopping dialogue.
Read it →bref
Bref — and the supercharged 'enfin bref' — is how French wraps up a story: 'long story short'. What it means and how to drop it naturally, with a dialogue.
Read it →c'est pas gagné
C'est pas gagné — 'it's not won' — is how the French voice stylish doubt: a long shot, an uphill battle. What it means, with a real market-haggling dialogue.
Read it →carrefour
Carrefour means crossroads or intersection — yes, the supermarket is named after one. The real meaning, with a dialogue about asking directions in Paris.
Read it →chais pas
Nobody says 'je ne sais pas' at full speed — they say chais pas. Why French compresses it, how to hear it, and a real dialogue where it appears.
Read it →chapeau bas
Chapeau bas — 'hat down' — is the most French way to say 'hats off, well done'. Where it comes from and how to use it, with a real dialogue example.
Read it →commander
Commander means 'to order' in French — not to command. How to order food like a local, with a real restaurant dialogue and the phrases waiters expect.
Read it →coup de foudre
Coup de foudre literally means 'a strike of lightning' — and it's how the French say love at first sight. A teacher explains it, with a real dialogue.
Read it →d'accord
D'accord means 'okay' — but it's also agreement, reluctance and pure filler. How French people really use d'accord, with a real dialogue from a lesson.
Read it →démodé
Démodé means out of fashion, outdated — literally 'un-fashioned'. How to use it (and its kinder cousin 'rétro'), with a real dialogue about Édith Piaf.
Read it →du coup
French people say du coup constantly and textbooks never teach it. What du coup really means ('so', 'as a result') and how to use it, with a real dialogue.
Read it →en passant
En passant literally means 'while passing' — in conversation it's the French 'by the way'. How to slip a comment or a compliment in like a native speaker.
Read it →en train de
French has no -ing tense — en train de is how you say you're in the middle of doing something. How it works, with a real dialogue about dreams.
Read it →enchanté
Textbooks translate enchanté as 'nice to meet you' — but when do French people actually say it? A French teacher explains, with a real dialogue and examples.
Read it →environ
Environ means 'about' or 'approximately' in French. Where it goes in the sentence, how it differs from 'vers', and a real dialogue showing it in use.
Read it →essai
Essai means a try in rugby, a test drive, an attempt, even an essay. All the meanings of this versatile French word, with a real Six Nations dialogue.
Read it →fier
Fier means proud — fière de moi, proud of myself. How the adjective changes, the phrases it lives in, and a real dialogue about childhood memories.
Read it →franchement
Franchement means 'honestly' or 'frankly' — and the French use it to add punch to opinions. Sincere or exasperated, here's how, with a real dialogue.
Read it →genre
Genre means kind or type — but in spoken French it's become 'like', the filler of a generation. Both uses explained with a real dialogue example.
Read it →hein
French people end half their sentences with 'hein' — and no textbook explains it. What hein really means, when to use it, and a real dialogue example.
Read it →imbattables
Imbattable means unbeatable — prices, teams, arguments. How the French use it (des prix imbattables), with a real dialogue about phone plans.
Read it →kiffer
Kiffer is the slang French actually uses for loving something — 'je kiffe'. Its Arabic origins, how to use it, and a real dialogue about horror films.
Read it →mal
Mal is three words in one: badly, an ache, and evil itself. How French uses mal, why it isn't 'mauvais', and a real philosophical dialogue example.
Read it →malin
Malin means clever or crafty — and the French love using it ironically. 'C'est malin !' rarely means well done. Real usage, with a dialogue example.
Read it →marrant
Marrant means funny — but like 'funny' in English, it can also mean strange. How the French use it day to day, with a real dialogue about football rivalries.
Read it →miam
Miam is the French 'yum!' — what it means, how it's pronounced, and how it slips into real conversation, with a dialogue from a Paris Christmas market.
Read it →mon cher
Mon cher means 'my dear' — affectionate, often ironic, and dangerously close to 'mon chéri'. A French teacher untangles which one you should actually say.
Read it →nickel
Nickel doesn't mean the metal in French slang — it means spotless, perfect, 'great!'. How natives use it, plus a real dialogue about cleaning day.
Read it →pas mal
Pas mal is the French default answer to everything — 'not bad'. But it also means 'quite a lot'. Both uses explained, with a real dialogue example.
Read it →plutôt
Plutôt means 'rather' or 'quite' — the little word that softens and nuances French sentences. Its uses, with a real dialogue about family life.
Read it →pote
Pote is how French friends actually call each other — mate, buddy, pal. Its surprising history and everyday use, with a real dialogue about childhood friends.
Read it →pourquoi pas ?
Pourquoi pas — 'why not?' — is the French universal yes. Why it answers almost any invitation, with a real dialogue about favourite foods.
Read it →sans souci
You've seen 'sans souci' on hotels and spas — in real French it means 'without worry, no trouble'. Here's how natives actually use it, with a real dialogue.
Read it →sens
Sens is one French word doing three jobs: meaning, sense and direction. How to tell them apart, with a real dialogue about what matters most.
Read it →smoking
In French, un smoking isn't smoking at all — it's a tuxedo. The story behind this famous faux ami, plus a real dialogue about a night at the theatre.
Read it →surtout
Surtout means 'especially' or 'above all' — the French word of emphasis. How to use it (and the warning 'surtout pas!'), with a real dialogue.
Read it →terroir
Terroir is the French wine word English never managed to translate. What it really covers — soil, climate, know-how — and how it's used in real French.
Read it →y a
Hear French people say 'y a' where your textbook wrote 'il y a'? You heard right. Why natives drop the 'il', and how to catch it in fast spoken French.
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