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:
- Bonjour (Hello) / Salut (Hi - informal)
- Au revoir (Goodbye)
- Bonjour (Good morning)
- Bonjour / Bon après-midi (Good afternoon)
- Bonsoir (Good evening)
- Bonne nuit (Good night)
- S'il vous plaît (Please - formal) / S'il te plaît (Please - informal)
- Merci (Thank you)
- De rien / Je vous en prie (You're welcome)
- Excusez-moi / Pardon (Excuse me)
- Désolé(e) (Sorry)
- Oui (Yes)
- Non (No)
- Peut-être (Maybe)
- Comment allez-vous ? (How are you? - formal) / Comment vas-tu ? (How are you? - informal) / Ça va ? (How's it going? - informal)
- Je vais bien / Ça va bien (I'm fine.)
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:
- Nom (Name)
- Âge (Age)
- Nationalité (Nationality)
- Origine (Origin) (D'où venez-vous ? / D'où viens-tu ? (Where are you from?))
Pronouns
- Je (I)
- Tu (you - singular, informal)
- Vous (you - singular, formal or plural)
- Il (he)
- Elle (she)
- Il / Elle / Ça (it - m./f./neuter)
- Nous (we)
- Ils (they - masculine or mixed)
- Elles (they - feminine)
- Me / Moi (me - object/stressed)
- Le / Lui (him - direct/indirect object)
- La / Lui (her - direct/indirect object)
- Nous (us - object/stressed)
- Vous (you - plural object/stressed)
- Les / Eux / Elles (them - direct object/stressed m./stressed f.)
- Adresse (Address)
- Numéro de téléphone (Phone number)
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
- un/une (one)
- deux (two)
- trois (three)
- (e.g., quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix (four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten))
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
- premier/première (first)
- deuxième / second(e) (second)
- troisième (third)
Quantities & Amounts
- quelques / du/de la/des (some)
- beaucoup (de) (many)
- peu (de) (few)
- tout/tous/toute(s) (all)
- un peu (de) (a little)
- beaucoup (de) (a lot)
Basic math operations
- plus (plus)
- moins (minus)
- fois / multiplié par (times)
- divisé par (divided by)
4. Time & Calendar:
- Lundi (Monday), Mardi (Tuesday), Mercredi (Wednesday), Jeudi (Thursday), Vendredi (Friday), Samedi (Saturday), Dimanche (Sunday) (Days of the week)
- Janvier (January), Février (February), Mars (March), ..., Décembre (December) (Months of the year)
- Printemps (Spring), Été (Summer), Automne (Autumn/Fall), Hiver (Winter) (Seasons)
Telling time
- heure(s) (o'clock) (e.g., Il est une heure.)
- et demie (half past) (e.g., une heure et demie)
- moins le quart (quarter to) / et quart (quarter past)
"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
- aujourd'hui (today)
- hier (yesterday)
- demain (tomorrow)
- maintenant (now)
- plus tard (later)
- toujours (always)
- jamais (never)
- parfois / quelquefois (sometimes)
5. Colors & Shapes:
Basic colors
- rouge (red)
- vert(e) (green)
- bleu(e) (blue)
- jaune (yellow)
- noir(e) (black)
- blanc(he) (white)
- orange (orange)
- rose (pink)
- violet(te) (purple)
- marron (brown)
- gris(e) (grey)
Shades
- bleu clair (light blue)
- vert foncé (dark green)
Basic shapes
- cercle (circle)
- carré (square)
- triangle (triangle)
- rectangle (rectangle)
- étoile (star)
II. People & Relationships
6. Family & Relationships:
Immediate family
- mère (mother)
- père (father)
- frère (brother)
- sœur (sister)
- fils (son)
- fille (daughter)
Extended family
- tante (aunt)
- oncle (uncle)
- cousin (cousin - male) / cousine (cousin - female)
- grands-parents (grandparents) (grand-mère - grandmother, grand-père - grandfather)
Relationship status
- célibataire (single)
- marié(e) (married)
- divorcé(e) (divorced)
Friendship terms
- ami(e) (friend)
- meilleur(e) ami(e) (best friend)
7. Describing People:
Physical appearance
- grand(e) (tall)
- petit(e) (short)
- couleur des cheveux (hair color) (e.g. blond(e), brun(e), roux/rousse, noir(s))
- couleur des yeux (eye color) (e.g. bleus, verts, marron)
Personality traits
- gentil(le) / aimable (kind)
- drôle / amusant(e) (funny)
- sérieux (serious - masc.)
- sérieuse (serious - fem.)
- timide (shy)
Age groups
- bébé (baby)
- enfant (child)
- adolescent(e) (teenager)
- adulte (adult)
- personne âgée (elderly person)
8. Emotions & Feelings:
Basic emotions
- heureux/heureuse / content(e) (happy)
- triste (sad)
- en colère / fâché(e) (angry)
- effrayé(e) (scared) / avoir peur (to be scared)
- surpris(e) / étonné(e) (surprised)
States of being
- fatigué(e) (tired)
- avoir faim (hungry - to be hungry)
- avoir soif (thirsty - to be thirsty)
- malade (sick)
- bien / en forme (well)
- s'ennuyer (bored - to be bored) / ennuyé(e) (bored - adjective)
- excité(e) / enthousiaste (excited)
III. Around You: Places & Things
9. Home & Household:
Types of dwellings
- maison (house)
- appartement (apartment)
- appartement (flat)
Rooms
- cuisine (kitchen)
- salle de bains (bathroom)
- chambre (bedroom)
- salon / salle de séjour (living room)
- salle à manger (dining room)
Furniture
- table (table)
- chaise (chair)
- lit (bed)
- canapé (sofa)
- armoire / placard (wardrobe)
Household items & Appliances
- lampe (lamp)
- télévision (télé) (television)
- réfrigérateur (frigo) (refrigerator)
- machine à laver / lave-linge (washing machine)
- assiette (plate)
- tasse (cup)
- couteau (knife)
- fourchette (fork)
- cuillère (spoon)
Household chores
- ménage / nettoyage (cleaning)
- cuisine (faire la cuisine) (cooking)
- lessive (faire la lessive) (washing - laundry) / vaisselle (faire la vaisselle) (washing - dishes)
10. City & Urban Life:
Places in the city
- rue (street)
- route / chemin (road)
- place (square)
- parc (park)
- magasin / boutique (shop)
- banque (bank)
- bureau de poste / la poste (post office)
- hôpital (hospital)
- gare (station - train) / station (station - metro/bus)
- aéroport (airport)
Buildings & Structures
- bâtiment / immeuble (building)
- pont (bridge)
- tour (tower)
Public services
- police (police)
- pompiers (sapeurs-pompiers) (fire department)
11. Nature & Environment:
Landforms
- montagne (mountain)
- colline (hill)
- vallée (valley)
- rivière (river - flows into another river) / fleuve (river - flows into sea)
- lac (lake)
- mer (sea)
- océan (ocean)
- plage (beach)
- forêt (forest)
- désert (desert)
Plants
- arbre (tree)
- fleur (flower)
- herbe (grass)
- feuille (leaf)
- racine (root)
Natural elements
- ciel (sky)
- soleil (sun)
- lune (moon)
- étoile (star)
- pierre / rocher (stone)
- sable (sand)
- eau (water)
- feu (fire)
- air (air)
Environmental terms
- pollution (pollution)
- recyclage (recycling)
- changement climatique (climate change)
12. Weather & Climate:
Conditions
- ensoleillé / il fait soleil (sunny)
- nuageux / il y a des nuages (cloudy)
- pluvieux / il pleut (rainy)
- neigeux / il neige (snowy)
- venteux / il y a du vent (windy)
- brumeux / il y a du brouillard (foggy)
- chaud / il fait chaud (hot)
- froid / il fait froid (cold)
- doux / il fait doux (warm - weather)
- frais / il fait frais (cool)
Natural phenomena
- tempête / orage (storm / thunderstorm)
- tonnerre (thunder)
- éclair (lightning)
- arc-en-ciel (rainbow)
Forecasting terms
- prévisions (météo) / météo (forecast)
- température (temperature)
- degrés (degrees)
13. Animals:
Pets
- chien (dog)
- chat (cat)
- oiseau (bird)
- poisson (fish)
- hamster (hamster)
Farm animals
- vache (cow)
- cochon / porc (pig)
- mouton (sheep)
- poule (chicken - animal) / poulet (chicken - meat)
- cheval (horse)
Wild animals
- lion (lion)
- tigre (tiger)
- ours (bear)
- éléphant (elephant)
- loup (wolf)
- renard (fox)
- cerf (deer - male) / biche (deer - female)
Insects & Bugs
- fourmi (ant)
- abeille (bee)
- papillon (butterfly)
- araignée (spider)
Animal parts
- queue (tail)
- aile (wing)
- fourrure / poil(s) (fur)
- plume (feather)
IV. Daily Activities & Needs
14. Food & Drink:
Fruits
- pomme (apple)
- banane (banana)
- orange (orange)
- fraise (strawberry)
Vegetables
- carotte (carrot)
- pomme de terre (potato)
- tomate (tomato)
- laitue / salade (lettuce)
Meats & Poultry
- bœuf (beef)
- porc (pork)
- poulet (chicken)
- poisson (fish)
Dairy & Grains
- lait (milk)
- fromage (cheese)
- yaourt (yogurt)
- pain (bread)
- riz (rice)
- pâtes (pasta)
Beverages
- eau (water)
- jus (juice)
- thé (tea)
- café (coffee)
- vin (wine)
- bière (beer)
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
- petit-déjeuner (breakfast)
- déjeuner (lunch)
- dîner (dinner)
- goûter / en-cas (snack)
Cooking terms
- bouillir (faire bouillir) (boil)
- frire (faire frire) (fry)
- cuire au four (bake)
- hacher / couper (chop)
- mélanger (mix)
Tableware & Utensils
- assiette (plate)
- bol (bowl)
- tasse (cup)
- verre (glass)
- couteau (knife)
- fourchette (fork)
- cuillère (spoon)
- serviette (napkin)
Eating out
- restaurant (restaurant)
- café (café)
- menu / carte (menu)
- commander (to order) / commande (order - noun)
- addition (bill/check)
15. Clothing & Accessories:
Garments
- chemise (shirt - button-up)
- t-shirt (t-shirt)
- pantalon (trousers/pants)
- robe (dress)
- jupe (skirt)
- veste (jacket)
- manteau (coat)
- pull (sweater/jumper)
Footwear
- chaussures (shoes)
- bottes (boots)
- sandales (sandals)
- chaussettes (socks)
Accessories
- chapeau (hat)
- écharpe (scarf)
- gants (gloves)
- ceinture (belt)
- sac (bag)
- lunettes (glasses)
- bijoux (jewelry)
Describing clothes
- matière / tissu (material)
- motif (pattern)
- taille (fit/size) / coupe (fit/cut)
16. Body Parts & Health:
External body parts
- tête (head)
- visage (face)
- œil (pl. yeux) (eye)
- oreille (ear)
- nez (nose)
- bouche (mouth)
- bras (arm)
- jambe (leg)
- main (hand)
- pied (foot)
- doigt (finger)
- orteil / doigt de pied (toe)
Internal organs
- cœur (heart)
- cerveau (brain)
- estomac (stomach)
- poumons (lungs)
Senses
- vue (sight)
- ouïe (hearing)
- odorat (smell)
- goût (taste)
- toucher (touch)
Common ailments
- rhume (cold)
- grippe (flu)
- mal de tête (headache)
- mal de ventre / mal à l'estomac (stomachache)
- fièvre (fever)
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
- médecin / docteur (doctor)
- infirmier (nurse - masc.)
- infirmière (nurse - fem.)
- médicament (medicine)
- hôpital (hospital)
- pharmacie (pharmacy)
- douleur / mal (pain)
Hygiene
- savon (soap)
- brosse à dents (toothbrush)
- dentifrice (toothpaste)
- douche (shower)
- bain (bath)
17. Shopping & Money:
Types of shops
- supermarché (supermarket)
- boulangerie (bakery)
- boucherie (butcher)
- magasin de vêtements (clothes shop)
- librairie (bookstore)
Shopping actions
- acheter (buy)
- vendre (sell)
- payer (pay)
- choisir (choose)
- essayer (try on)
Money & Currency
- argent (money)
- espèces / liquide (cash)
- carte de crédit / carte bancaire (credit card)
- pièce (de monnaie) (coin)
- billet (de banque) (banknote)
- prix (price)
- coût (cost - noun) / coûter (cost - verb)
- cher/chère (expensive)
- bon marché / pas cher (cheap)
18. Transportation & Travel:
Modes of transport
- voiture (car)
- bus / autobus (bus)
- train (train)
- vélo / bicyclette (bicycle)
- avion (airplane)
- bateau (boat)
- taxi (taxi)
- métro (metro/subway)
Travel terminology
- billet (ticket - plane, train) / ticket (ticket - bus, metro)
- passeport (passport)
- visa (visa)
- bagages (luggage)
- gare (station - train) / station (station - metro, bus)
- aéroport (airport)
- hôtel (hotel)
- voyage / trajet (journey)
- voyage / excursion (trip)
Directions
- gauche (à gauche) (left)
- droite (à droite) (right)
- tout droit (straight ahead)
- tourner (turn)
- nord (north)
- sud (south)
- est (east)
- ouest (west)
- près (de) (near)
- loin (de) (far)
V. Work, Study & Leisure
19. Work & Professions:
Job titles
- professeur / enseignant(e) (teacher)
- médecin / docteur (doctor)
- ingénieur(e) (engineer)
- artiste (artist)
- cuisinier/cuisinière (cook)
- chauffeur / conducteur(trice) (driver)
- agriculteur(trice) / fermier/fermière (farmer)
- vendeur/vendeuse (shop assistant)
Workplace vocabulary
- bureau (office)
- usine (factory)
- entreprise / société (company)
- collègue (colleague)
- patron(ne) / chef (boss)
- réunion (meeting)
- salaire (salary)
Tools & Equipment
- ordinateur (computer)
- téléphone (phone)
- stylo (pen)
- papier (paper)
- marteau (hammer)
- tournevis (screwdriver)
20. Education:
Places of learning
- école (school)
- collège (middle school) / lycée (high school)
- université (university) / faculté (faculty/college department)
People in education
- élève (student - K-12) / étudiant(e) (student - higher education)
- professeur / enseignant(e) (teacher)
- professeur (professor - university)
School subjects
- mathématiques (maths) (math)
- sciences (science)
- histoire (history)
- géographie (geography)
- langue (language)
- art / dessin (art)
- musique (music)
Academic terms
- examen / contrôle (exam)
- devoirs (homework)
- leçon / cours (lesson)
- note (grade - mark) / classe (grade - year level)
- étudier (to study) / études (f.pl.) (studies)
- apprendre (learn)
- lire (read)
- écrire (write)
Classroom objects
- livre (book)
- cahier (notebook)
- stylo (pen)
- crayon (pencil)
- tableau (noir/blanc) (blackboard/whiteboard)
- bureau (desk - teacher's) / pupitre (desk - student's)
- chaise (chair)
21. Sports, Hobbies & Leisure:
Common sports
- football (foot) (football/soccer)
- basket-ball (basket) (basketball)
- tennis (tennis)
- natation (swimming)
- course (à pied) / jogging (running)
- cyclisme / vélo (cycling)
Hobbies & Activities
- lecture (reading)
- écouter de la musique (listening to music)
- regarder la télévision/des films (watching TV/movies)
- jouer à des jeux (playing games)
- danse (dancing)
- jardinage (gardening)
- voyager (traveling - verb) / voyages (m.pl.) (traveling - noun)
- photographie (photography)
Equipment
- ballon (ball - large, inflated) / balle (ball - small, solid)
- raquette (racket)
- vélo (bicycle)
- jeu de société (board game)
Places for leisure
- cinéma (ciné) (cinema)
- théâtre (theater)
- musée (museum)
- bibliothèque (library)
- salle de sport / gymnase (gym) (gym)
- parc (park)
22. Arts & Culture:
Music
- chanson (song)
- groupe (de musique) (band)
- concert (concert)
- instrument (instrument)
- guitare (guitar)
- piano (piano)
- batterie (drum set) / tambour (drum - single)
- chanter (to sing)
- jouer (d'un instrument) (to play - an instrument)
- écouter (to listen)
"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
- peinture (painting - art form/a painting) / tableau (painting - a picture)
- dessin (drawing)
- sculpture (sculpture)
- photographie (photo) (photograph)
- art (art)
- artiste (artist)
- musée (museum)
- galerie (gallery)
Performing Arts
- théâtre (theater)
- danse (dance)
- opéra (opera)
- acteur/actrice (actor/actress)
- danseur/danseuse (dancer)
Literature
- livre (book)
- roman (novel)
- poème (poem)
- histoire / récit (story)
- écrivain(e) (writer)
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
- être (be)
- exister (exist)
Having
- avoir (have)
- posséder (own)
Doing/Making
- faire (do)
- faire / fabriquer (make)
Movement
- aller (go)
- venir (come)
- marcher (walk)
- courir (run)
- voler (fly)
- nager (swim)
Senses
- voir (see)
- entendre (hear)
- sentir (smell/feel)
- goûter (taste)
- ressentir / se sentir (feel - emotion/state)
- toucher (touch)
Communication
- dire (say)
- dire (à) / raconter (tell)
- parler (speak)
- parler / discuter (talk)
- demander (ask)
- répondre (answer)
- lire (read)
- écrire (write)
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
- penser (think)
- savoir (know - fact) / connaître (know - person/place)
- comprendre (understand)
- croire (believe)
- vouloir (want)
- avoir besoin de (need)
- aimer (bien) (like)
- aimer / adorer (love)
- détester / haïr (hate)
"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
- manger (eat)
- boire (drink)
- dormir (sleep)
- travailler (work)
- jouer (play)
- étudier (study)
- vivre / habiter (live)
- aider (help)
- utiliser (use)
- essayer (try)
- ouvrir (open)
- fermer (close)
- donner (give)
- prendre (take)
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
- bon(ne) (good)
- mauvais(e) (bad)
- gentil(le) / sympathique (sympa) (nice)
- beau/bel/belle (beautiful)
- laid(e) / moche (ugly)
- nouveau/nouvel/nouvelle (new)
- vieux/vieil/vieille (old)
- jeune (young)
Size/Dimension
- grand(e) (big/tall)
- petit(e) (small/short)
- long(ue) (long)
- court(e) (short - length)
- haut(e) (high/tall - object)
- large (wide)
- étroit(e) (narrow)
- bas(se) (low)
Condition
- facile (easy)
- difficile (difficult)
- propre (clean)
- sale (dirty)
- plein(e) (full)
- vide (empty)
- mouillé(e) (wet)
- sec/sèche (dry)
- dur(e) (hard)
- doux/douce / mou/molle (soft)
Speed/Intensity
- rapide (fast - adjective) / vite (fast - adverb)
- lent(e) (slow)
- fort(e) (strong)
- faible (weak)
- fort(e) / bruyant(e) (loud)
- calme / silencieux(euse) (quiet)
Opinion/Importance
- important(e) (important)
- intéressant(e) (interesting)
- ennuyeux/ennuyeuse (boring)
- délicieux/délicieuse (delicious)
- terrible / affreux/affreuse (terrible)
25. Common Adverbs (Modifying Verbs/Adjectives):
Manner
- vite / rapidement (quickly)
- lentement (slowly)
- bien (well)
- mal (badly)
- attentivement / soigneusement / prudemment (carefully)
Frequency
- toujours (always)
- souvent (often)
- parfois / quelquefois (sometimes)
- rarement (rarely)
- jamais (never)
Degree
- très (very)
- trop (too)
- assez / plutôt (quite)
- vraiment (really)
- si / tellement (so)
- assez (enough)
Place
- ici (here)
- là / là-bas (there)
- partout (everywhere)
- nulle part (nowhere)
Time
- maintenant (now)
- alors / ensuite / puis (then)
- bientôt (soon)
- tard (late)
- tôt (early)
- déjà (already)
- encore ((not) yet / still) (pas encore: not yet)
26. Prepositions & Conjunctions (Connecting Words):
Prepositions of place
- dans / en (in)
- sur (on)
- sous (under)
- à côté de (next to)
- derrière (behind)
- devant (in front of)
- entre (between)
- près de (near)
- loin de (far from)
- au-dessus de (above)
- au-dessous de (below)
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
- à (at - time, e.g., à 8h)
- le (on - day, e.g., le lundi)
- en (in - month, year, season, e.g., en mai, en 2024, en été)
- avant (before)
- après (after)
- pendant (during)
- jusqu'à (until)
- depuis (since)
- pendant / pour (for - duration)
Prepositions of movement
- à / en (to - city/country)
- de (from)
- dans (into)
- hors de (out of)
- vers (towards)
- à travers (across)
- à travers / par (through)
- en haut (de) (up)
- en bas (de) (down)
Conjunctions
- et (and)
- mais (but)
- ou (or)
- donc / alors (so)
- parce que / car (because)
- si (if)
- quand / lorsque (when)
- pendant que / tandis que (while)
- bien que (+ subj.) / quoique (+ subj.) / même si (although)
27. Question Words:
- Qui (Who)
- Quoi / Que / Qu'est-ce que / Qu'est-ce qui (What)
- Où (Where)
- Quand (When)
- Pourquoi (Why)
- Comment (How)
- Quel(le)(s) / Lequel/Laquelle/Lesquels/Lesquelles (Which)
- À qui (Whose)
- Combien (de) (How much/many)
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).