Thematically Organized French Vocabulary List
[with Audio]

Welcome to your comprehensive, thematically organized French vocabulary list! Whether you're just starting your French learning journey or looking to expand and solidify your existing knowledge, this resource is designed to help.

We've grouped essential words and phrases by common real-world topics, making it easier to learn related terms together and build connections.

To aid your pronunciation, you can click on any of the French vocabulary words throughout this list to hear an audio recording. Dive in and enhance your French lexicon!

I. Core & Everyday Essentials

1. Greetings & Basic Phrases:

The Versatility of "Bonjour": You'll notice 'Bonjour' is listed for 'Hello,' 'Good morning,' and 'Good afternoon.' This incredibly versatile greeting is appropriate for most of the day when meeting someone or entering a shop, up until the early evening. 'Bonsoir' (Good evening) is then used from late afternoon/early evening onwards.

2. Personal Information & Introductions:

Pronouns

You'll notice some phrases offer two forms, like 'S'il vous plaît' (formal 'please') and 'S'il te plaît' (informal 'please'). 'Vous' is used for formal situations, addressing someone you don't know well, someone older, or a group of people. 'Tu' is for informal situations, with friends, family, children, or people you know well. Choosing correctly is key to polite French conversation

3. Numbers & Counting:

Cardinal numbers

While most French numbers follow a clear pattern, be aware of the unique way numbers from 70 to 99 are constructed. For example, 70 is 'soixante-dix' (sixty-ten), 80 is 'quatre-vingts' (four-twenties), and 93 is 'quatre-vingt-treize' (four-twenty-thirteen). It's a little different but becomes familiar with practice!

Ordinal numbers

Quantities & Amounts

Basic math operations

4. Time & Calendar:

Telling time

"Heure" vs. "Temps" for Time: When discussing time on the clock, French uses 'heure' (hour), as in 'Quelle heure est-il?' (What time is it?). The word 'temps,' on the other hand, refers to time in a more general sense (e.g., 'avoir le temps' - to have time) or to the weather (e.g., 'quel temps fait-il?' - what's the weather like?).

Time expressions

5. Colors & Shapes:

Basic colors

Shades

Basic shapes

II. People & Relationships

6. Family & Relationships:

Immediate family

Extended family

Relationship status

Friendship terms

7. Describing People:

Physical appearance

Personality traits

Age groups

8. Emotions & Feelings:

Basic emotions

States of being

III. Around You: Places & Things

9. Home & Household:

Types of dwellings

Rooms

Furniture

Household items & Appliances

Household chores

10. City & Urban Life:

Places in the city

Buildings & Structures

Public services

11. Nature & Environment:

Landforms

Plants

Natural elements

Environmental terms

12. Weather & Climate:

Conditions

Natural phenomena

Forecasting terms

13. Animals:

Pets

Farm animals

Wild animals

Insects & Bugs

Animal parts

IV. Daily Activities & Needs

14. Food & Drink:

Fruits

Vegetables

Meats & Poultry

Dairy & Grains

Beverages

Using Partitive Articles for Food & Drink: When referring to an unspecified quantity of food or drink (like 'some bread' or 'some water'), French uses 'partitive articles': 'du' (masculine singular), 'de la' (feminine singular), 'de l'' (before a vowel sound), and 'des' (plural). For example, 'Je voudrais du pain' (I would like some bread) or 'Elle boit de l'eau' (She drinks some water).

Meals

Cooking terms

Tableware & Utensils

Eating out

15. Clothing & Accessories:

Garments

Footwear

Accessories

Describing clothes

16. Body Parts & Health:

External body parts

Internal organs

Senses

Common ailments

Expressing Aches and Pains: When talking about body aches, French often uses the structure 'avoir mal à + [definite article] + [body part]'. For example, instead of saying 'My head hurts,' you would say 'J'ai mal à la tête' (literally, 'I have pain at the head'). Notice the use of the definite article ('la tête') instead of a possessive adjective ('ma tête').

Medical terms

Hygiene

17. Shopping & Money:

Types of shops

Shopping actions

Money & Currency

18. Transportation & Travel:

Modes of transport

Travel terminology

Directions

V. Work, Study & Leisure

19. Work & Professions:

Job titles

Workplace vocabulary

Tools & Equipment

20. Education:

Places of learning

People in education

School subjects

Academic terms

Classroom objects

21. Sports, Hobbies & Leisure:

Common sports

Hobbies & Activities

Equipment

Places for leisure

22. Arts & Culture:

Music

"Jouer à" vs. "Jouer de" for Playing: The verb 'jouer' (to play) uses different prepositions depending on what is being played. Use 'jouer à' for sports and games (e.g., 'jouer au football,' 'jouer aux cartes'). Use 'jouer de' for musical instruments (e.g., 'jouer du piano,' 'jouer de la guitare').

Visual Arts

Performing Arts

Literature

VI. Language Building Blocks (Crucial for forming sentences)

Most verbs in section 23 ('Common Verbs') and elsewhere are listed in their infinitive form (the basic, unconjugated form, like 'être' - to be, 'avoir' - to have). Remember that these verbs will change (conjugate) depending on the subject (I, you, he/she, we, they) and the tense you're using. Learning verb conjugations is a crucial next step!

23. Common Verbs (Actions & States):

Being

Having

Doing/Making

Movement

Senses

Communication

Understanding French Negation: To make a sentence negative in French, you typically wrap the verb with 'ne' before it and 'pas' after it. For example, 'Je parle français' (I speak French) becomes 'Je ne parle pas français' (I do not speak French). If the verb starts with a vowel or silent 'h', 'ne' becomes 'n'' (e.g., 'Je n'aime pas' - I don't like).

Thinking/Feeling

"Savoir" vs. "Connaître" (To Know): French has two main verbs for 'to know': 'savoir' and 'connaître.' 'Savoir' is generally used for knowing facts, how to do something, or information ('Je sais la réponse' - I know the answer). 'Connaître' is used for being familiar with people, places, or things ('Je connais Paris' - I know Paris; 'Je connais ton frère' - I know your brother).

General actions

French adjectives, like those listed in section 24, usually change their form to 'agree' in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the noun they describe. For example, 'grand' (tall) might become 'grande' for a feminine noun, 'grands' for masculine plural, or 'grandes' for feminine plural. Pay attention to the endings!

24. Common Adjectives (Describing Words):

Qualities

Size/Dimension

Condition

Speed/Intensity

Opinion/Importance

25. Common Adverbs (Modifying Verbs/Adjectives):

Manner

Frequency

Degree

Place

Time

26. Prepositions & Conjunctions (Connecting Words):

Prepositions of place

The Useful Phrase "Il y a": The phrase 'il y a' is incredibly common and means 'there is' or 'there are.' You'll use it constantly to describe what exists in a place, for example, 'Il y a un livre sur la table' (There is a book on the table) or 'Il y a des nuages dans le ciel' (There are clouds in the sky).

Prepositions of time

Prepositions of movement

Conjunctions

27. Question Words:

Expressing Possession with "À": While 'de' can show possession (e.g., 'le livre de Marie' - Marie's book), another common way to express 'whose' something is, especially in questions or with pronouns, is using the preposition 'à'. For instance, 'À qui est ce stylo?' (Whose pen is this?) might be answered with 'Il est à moi' (It's mine) or 'Il est à Paul' (It's Paul's).