I/ Make contact.

 

            Probably one of the things you'll have to do the most during your travel.

            Don't neglect a nice "Bonjour ! " (Hello!) with a smile, as it determines your first impression on people. When you can't speak the language fluently, use your non-verbal communication skills to make people feel inclined to help you, regardless of your pronunciation skills...

            Here keep in mind we are using the formal "vous". Use the audio files to perfect your pronunciation!

 

VOUS	English
Excusez-moi,	Excuse-me, / Pardon me,
Pouvez-vous m'aider ?	Could you help me?
Je cherche ...	I'm looking for ...
Vous connaissez ...	Do you know ...

 

II/ Asking for information - question words.

 

            This is another big part of your trip, as you'll most likely rely on local people when you are lost or when you need to buy something. Here we give you all question words in French. They may be translated or used differently, so look at the English column and read the examples carefully.

 

French	English
Quel / Quelle Quels / Quelles	Technically "which", though widely used for the English translation of "what -" Note the gender variations and plural forms.
Où	Where
Qui	Who
Comment	How
Combien (de)	How much How many
A quelle heure	What time
Quand	When
Quoi / Que / Qu'est-ce que	What (full stop). NOT "what -" (see "Quel" and "What time").
Pourquoi	Why

Examples:

 

A quelle heure est le prochain train pour... ?

What time is the next train to...

 

Combien ça coûte ?

How much is it?

 

C'est quelle voie pour ce train ?

Which platform for this train?

 

Où est l'hôtel le plus proche ? Le commissariat de police ? L'hôpital ?

Where is the nearest hotel? Police station? Hospital?

 

Il y a un restaurant végan ici ?

Is there a vegan restaurant near here?

III/ If you are lost.

 

            A very important point indeed. Here are phrases you can use when you need help finding your way. We thought it wise to also give you one or two phrases to say that you have lost something.

 

French	English
Je suis perdu(e).	I am lost.
Je dois trouver mon hôtel.	I need to find my hotel.
J'ai perdu mon groupe de voyage.	I got lost/separated from my travel group.
Je ne trouve pas la gare.	I can't find the train station.
J'ai perdu mon passeport.	I've lost my passport.
Je ne trouve plus mon billet de train/d'avion.	I can't find my train/plane ticket anymore.
Vous pouvez m'aider à le/la trouver ?	Can you help me find it?
J'ai laissé mon ticket au café.	I've left my ticket at the café.

 

IV/ If in danger.

 

            Though we do hope you will never need those, let's agree it is better to be safe than sorry. So here are a few phrases you can use when you feel threatened or in danger.

We also give you the French emergency phone numbers just in case.

            Do not skip the pronunciation on these audio files.

 

French	English
J'ai besoin d'aide.	I need help.
J'ai besoin d'un docteur/d'une ambulance.	I need a doctor/an ambulance.
Pouvez-vous m'aider ?	Can you help me?
J'ai eu un accident.	I had an accident.
J'ai mal (à) la jambe, la tête, au ventre, au dos, au bras.	My leg, head, stomach, back, arm hurts/is sore.
Je suis malade.	I'm sick/ill.
Il y a un feu.	There's a fire.

            Remember that for medical, fire and police emergencies, there's a European number that can be reached free of charge from landlines as well as mobile phones: 112. 

They can attend to you in English.

 

            Here is a short list of phone numbers for embassies in Paris:

 

US: +33(0)1 43 12 22 22

 

Canadian: +33(0)1 44 43 29 00

 

British: +33(0)1 44 51 31 00

 

Irish: +33(0)1 44 17 67 00

 

Australian: +33(0)1 40 59 33 00

 

New Zealand: +33(0)1 45 01 43 43

 

South African: +33(0)1 53 59 23 23

 

 

Some other stuff here