🎧 Listen and learn
Press 🔊 Listen beside any French word or sentence. No account or API key is needed: your browser uses a French voice available on your device.
Pronunciation hints are approximations; listen to the audio and your teacher for precise sounds. Voice quality and availability depend on your browser and operating system.
1 | Numbers 1–20
| Number | French | Pronunciation hint | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | un | uhn | |
| 2 | deux | duh | |
| 3 | trois | trwah | |
| 4 | quatre | KAH-truh | |
| 5 | cinq | sank | |
| 6 | six | seess | |
| 7 | sept | set | |
| 8 | huit | weet | |
| 9 | neuf | nuhf | |
| 10 | dix | deess | |
| 11 | onze | ohnz | |
| 12 | douze | dooz | |
| 13 | treize | trehz | |
| 14 | quatorze | kah-TORZ | |
| 15 | quinze | kanz | |
| 16 | seize | sehz | |
| 17 | dix-sept | dee-SET | |
| 18 | dix-huit | deez-WEET | |
| 19 | dix-neuf | deez-NUHF | |
| 20 | vingt | van |
Remember: 17, 18 and 19 start with dix-. A number’s ending may sound different when followed by other words.
2 | Colours
| English | French | Pronunciation hint | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | rouge | roozh | |
| Blue | bleu | bluh | |
| Green | vert | vehr | |
| Yellow | jaune | zhohn | |
| Black | noir | nwahr | |
| White | blanc | blahn | |
| Orange | orange | oh-RAHNZH | |
| Pink | rose | rohz | |
| Purple | violet | vee-oh-LEH | |
| Brown | brun | bruhn | |
| Grey | gris | gree |
Colour words can change according to the noun. Focus on these basic forms for the quiz.
3–7 | Greetings & speaking
Greetings
| French | Pronunciation hint | Meaning / use | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonjour | bohn-ZHOOR | Hello / good day | |
| Salut | sah-LEW | Hi / bye (informal) | |
| Bonsoir | bohn-SWAHR | Good evening |
Tu versus vous
| French | Pronunciation hint | Meaning / use | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| tu | tew | One person, informally (e.g. a close friend). | |
| vous | voo | One person politely OR two or more people. |
Remember: tu = informal singular; vous = polite singular or any plural.
Saying your name
| French | Pronunciation hint | Meaning / use | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comment tu t’appelles ? | koh-MAHN tew tah-PELL? | What is your name? (informal) | |
| Je m’appelle Alex. | zhuh mah-PELL ah-LEKS | My name is Alex. |
Saying your age
| French | Pronunciation hint | Meaning / use | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quel âge as-tu ? | kel ahzh ah-TEW? | How old are you? | |
| J’ai treize ans. | zhay trehz ahn | I am 13 years old. | |
| J’ai quatorze ans. | zhay kah-TORZ ahn | I am 14 years old. |
French uses J’ai ... ans (literally “I have ... years”), not Je suis ... ans.
Saying where you live
| French | Pronunciation hint | Meaning / use | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Où habites-tu ? | oo ah-BEET tew? | Where do you live? | |
| J’habite à Ottawa en Ontario. | zhah-BEET ah OH-tah-wah ahn ohn-TAH-ree-oh | I live in Ottawa, Ontario. |
✍️ Your turn
Fill in your own details, then press Listen to hear your personal introduction.
Bonjour ! Je m’appelle Alex. J’ai treize ans. J’habite à Ottawa en Ontario.
📝 Practice quiz
Answer without looking at the vocabulary. Use Show answers to check yourself. Personal answers will vary.
Answer: sept
Answer: douze
Answer: dix-huit
Answer: 15
Answer: 20
Answer: rouge
Answer: vert
Answer: bleu
Answer: yellow
Answer: Bonsoir
Answer: Salut
Answer: vous
Answer: tu
Answer: m’appelle
Answer: ai ... ans
Answer: habite ... en
Answer: What is your name?
Answer: How old are you?
Answer: Where do you live?
Answer: Your own name
Answer: Your own age + ans
Answer: Your own city / province
🎤 30-second speaking drill
Listen, say the introduction aloud three times, then try again without looking.
Bonjour ! Je m’appelle Alex. J’ai treize ans. J’habite à Ottawa en Ontario.
bohn-ZHOOR! zhuh mah-PELL ah-LEKS. zhay trehz ahn. zhah-BEET ah OH-tah-wah ahn ohn-TAH-ree-oh.
Change Alex to your name and treize to your age. Ask someone to practise these questions with you:
| French | Pronunciation hint | Meaning / use | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comment tu t’appelles ? | koh-MAHN tew tah-PELL? | What is your name? | |
| Quel âge as-tu ? | kel ahzh ah-TEW? | How old are you? | |
| Où habites-tu ? | oo ah-BEET tew? | Where do you live? |