Courtesy

French Vocabulary • Formal speech

Courtesy • La politesse

Please

S'il te plaît. (Lit: If you please.)

S'il vous plaît. (formal).

Thanks (a lot) Merci (beaucoup).

You're welcome.

De rien. (Lit: Of nothing.)

Pas de quoi. (Lit: Not of what.) (No

problem.)

Je t'en prie. shtahn pree (informal)

Je vous en prie jzuh vooz ahn pree (formal)

Titles

French Vocabulary • Formal speech

Titles • Les titres

French Abbr. Pronunciation English, Usage

Singular

Plural

Monsieur

Messieurs. M. muhsyeu

mehsyeu

Mr., Sir.

Gentlemen.

Singular

Plural

Madame

Mesdames Mme mahdamn

maydahm

Mrs., Ma'am.

Ladies

Singular

Plural

Mademoiselle

Mesdemoiselles Mlle mahdmwahzell

mehdmwahzell

Miss, Young lady

Young ladies

Formal Lesson - Titles

The titles monsieur, madame, and mademoiselle are almost always used alone, without the last name of

the person. When beginning to speak to a professor, employer, or generally someone older than you, it

is polite to say monsieur, madame, or mademoiselle.

V: Asking For One's Name

French Vocabulary • Formal speech

Asking For One's Name • Demander le nom de quelqu'un

Comment vous appelezvous?

Quel est votre nom?

How do you call yourself?

(formal)

What is your name?

Tu t'appelles comment? What is your name? (informal)

(lit: You call yourself how?)

Je m'appelle... My name is... (lit. I call myself...)

Je suis... I am...

Lesson 0.07 • How are you?

D: A Simple Conversation

Two good friends—Marie and Jean—are meeting:

• Marie: Salut Jean. Ça va ?

• Jean: Ça va bien, merci. Et toi, ça va ?

• Marie: Pas mal.

• Jean: Quoi de neuf ?

• Marie: Pas grand-chose.

• Marie: Au revoir Jean.

• Jean: Au revoir, à demain.

 

V: How are you?

French Vocabulary • How are you?

How are you? • Ça va?

Comment allez-vous? (formal),

Comment vas-tu? (informal),

Comment ça va?/Ça va ? (informal)

How are you?

Ça va (très) bien I'm doing (very) well

(lit. It's going (very) well)

Oui, ça va. Yes, it goes.

Très bien, merci. Very well, thanks.

Pas mal. Not Bad

pas si bien/pas très bien not so well

(très) mal (very) bad

Comme ci, comme ça. So-So.

Désolé(e). I'm sorry.

Et toi?

Et vous?

And you? (informal)

And you? (formal)

Write down as many ways to respond to Ça va? as you can think of off the top off your head. Then go back to the vocabulary and learn other ways.

 

Basic Phrases - Dialogue

French Exercise • How are you?

Basic Phrases • Expressions de base

 

Exercise

Put the following conversation in order:

 

	First	Second	Third	Fourth
1. Michel	Je ne vais pas très bien.	Bonjour, Jacques	Au revoir	Comment ça va?
2. Jacques	Désolé.	Ça va très bien! Et vous? Allez-vous bien?	À demain.	Salut, Michel!
SOLUTUONS
1. Michel	Bonjour,Jacques.	Comment ça va?	Je ne vais pas très bien.	Au revoir
2. Jacques	Salut, Michel!	Ça va très bien! Et vous? Allez-vous bien?	Désolé.	À demain.

 Formal Lesson - Asking How One Is Doing

 Ça va? is used to ask someone how they are doing. The phrase literally means It goes?, referring to the body and life. A more formal way to say this is Comment allez-vous?. You can respond by using ça va as a statement; Ça va. roughly means I'm fine. The adverb bien is used to say well, and is often saidboth alone and as Ça va bien. Bien is preceded by certain adverbs to specify the degree to which you are well. Common phrases are assez bien, meaning rather well, très bien, meaning very well, and vraiment bien, meaning really well. The adverb mal is used to say badly. Pas is commonly added tomal to form Pas mal., meaning Not bad. Comme-ci, comme-ça., literally translating to Like this, like that., is used to say So, so. To be polite, add merci, meaning thank you to responses to questions.