What work do you do?Qu’est-ce que vous faites comme travail? kes kuh voo fet kom tra-va-yuh?I’m…Je suis… zhuh swee…a doctormédecin may-dsaña managerdirecteur dee-rek-tura secretarysecrétaire suh-kray-tehrI’m self-employedJe travaille à mon compte zhuh tra-va-yuh a moñ koñt

Weather

temps variable tahñ va-ree-ablchangeable weatherbeau bohfinetemps orageux tahñ o-ra-zhuhthundery weather

It’s sunnyIl y a du soleil eel ya dew so-layIt’s rainingIl pleut eel pluhIt’s snowingIl neige eel nezhIt’s windyIl y a du vent eel ya dew vahñWhat a lovely day!Quelle belle journée! kel bel zhoor-nay!What awful weather!Quel mauvais temps! kel moh-veh tahñ!What will the weather be like tomorrow?Quel temps fera-t-il demain? kel tahñ fuh-ra-teel duh-mañ?Do you think it’s going to rain?Vous croyez qu’il va pleuvoir? voo krwa-yay keel va pluh-vwar?It’s very hot/coldIl fait très chaud/froid eel feh treh shoh/frwa

Getting around

Asking the way

en face de ahñ fas duhoppositeà côté de a ko-tay duhnext toprès de preh duhnear tole carrefour luh kar-foorcrossroadsle rond-point luh roñ-pwañroundabout

FACE TO FACEPardon, pour aller à la gare? par-doñ, poor a-lay a la gar? Excuse me, how do I get to the station?Continuez tout droit, et après l’église, tournez à gauche/à droite koñ-tee-new-ay too drwa, ay a-preh lay-gleez, toor-nay a gohsh/a drwat Keep straight on, and after the church turn left/rightC’est loin? say lwañ? Is it far?Non, c’est à deux cents mètres/à cinq minutes noñ, say ta duh sahñ metr/a sañk mee-newt No, it’s 200 yards/five minutes awayMerci! mehr-see! Thank you!De rien! duh ryañ! You’re welcome!

We’re looking for…Nous cherchons… noo shehr-shoñ…Can we walk there?On peut y aller à pied? oñ puh ee a-lay a pyay?We’re lostNous nous sommes perdu(e)s noo noo som pehr-dewIs this the right way to…?C’est la bonne direction pour…? say la bon dee-rek-syoñ poor…?Can you show me on the map?Pouvez-vous me montrer sur la carte/le plan? poo-vay voo me moñ-tray sewr la kart/luh plahñ?

YOU MAY HEAR…C’est indiqué say tañ-dee-kayIt’s signpostedC’est au coin de la rue say toh kwañ duh la rewIt’s on the corner of the streetC’est là-bas say la-baIt’s over there

Bus and coach

Public transport is free for children under four. Children between four and eleven pay half price.

FACE TO FACEExcusez-moi, quel est le bus pour le centreville? eks-kew-zay-mwa, kel ay luh bews poor luh sahñtr veel? Excuse me, which bus goes to the centre?Le 15 luh kañz Number 15Où est l’arrêt? oo ay la-reh? Where is the bus stop?Là-bas, à gauche la-ba, a gohsh There, on the leftOù est-ce que je peux acheter des tickets de bus? oo es kuh zhuh puh ash-tay day tee-keh duh bews? Where can I buy bus tickets?Là-bas, au distributeur la-ba, oh dees-tree-bew-tur Over there, at the ticket machine

Is there a bus to…?Est-ce qu’il y a un bus pour…? es keel ya uñ bews poor…?Where do I catch the bus to go to…?Où est-ce qu’on prend le bus pour aller à/au (etc.)…? oo es koñ prahñ luh bews poor a-lay a/oh…?How much is it…?C’est combien pour aller…? say koñ-byañ poor a-lay…?to the centredans le centre dahñ luh sahñtrto the beachà la plage a la plazhto the shopsaux magasins oh ma-ga-zañto Montmartreà Montmartre a moñ-martrA child’s ticketUn billet tarif enfant un bee-yeh ta-reef ahñ-fahñHow frequent are the buses to…?Les bus pour … passent tous les combien? lay bews poor … pas too lay koñ-byañ?When is the first/the last bus to…?À quelle heure part le premier/le dernier bus pour…? a kel ur par luh pruh-myay/luh dehr-nyay bews poor…?Could you tell me when to get off?Pourriez-vous me dire quand descendre? poo-ree-ay-voo muh deer kahñ deh-sahñdr?This is my stopC’est mon arrêt say mon a-rehcoachle car karshuttle busla navette na-vet

YOU MAY HEAR…Prenez le métro, c’est plus rapide pruh-nay luh may-troh, say plew ra-peedTake the metro, it’s quicker

Metro

There are metro services in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse and Rennes. In Paris, ticket options include un carnet de dix tickets (a book of ten tickets), which can be used on the metro, bus and RER (a network of high-speed trains connecting Paris and the suburbs). You can also buy a PARIS VISITE, a ticket lasting 1–5 days that allows unlimited travel on all forms of public transport as well as discounts for certain tourist attractions.

entrée ahñ-trayentrancesortie sor-teeway out/exitla ligne de métro la lee-nyuh duh may-trohmetro lineen direction de… ahñ dee-rek-syoñ duh…in the direction of…correspondance ko-reh-spoñ-dahñsconnecting line

Where is the nearest metro?Où est la station de métro la plus proche? oo ay la sta-syoñ duh may-troh la plew prosh?I’m going to…Je vais à… zhuh veh a…How does the ticket machine work?Comment marche le guichet automatique? ko-mahñ marsh luh gee-sheh oh-toh-ma-teek?Do you have a map of the metro?Vous avez un plan du métro? voo za-vay uñ plahñ dew may-troh?How do I get to…?Pour aller à/au (etc.)…? poor a-lay a/oh…?Do I have to change?Est-ce qu’il faut changer? es keel foh shahñ-zhay?Which line is it for…?C’est quelle ligne pour…? say kel lee-nyuh poor…?In which direction?Dans quelle direction? dahñ kel dee-rek-syoñ?What is the next stop?Quel est le prochain arrêt? kel ay luh pro-shañ na-reh?

Train

Before you catch your train, you must validate your ticket in one of the machines situated on the platforms, which carry the warning n’oubliez pas de composter votre billet. Failing to do so could result in a fine. The TGV (train à grande vitesse) is a high-speed train network that runs between major French towns/cities and into neighbouring countries. It is expensive, but reduced-price tickets called TGV PREM’S are available if booked several weeks in advance. Other services that use TGV trains include the Eurostar (connecting Paris with London), the Thalys (connecting Paris with Lille, Brussels and Amsterdam) and the TGV Lyria (connecting Paris with the main Swiss cities).

horaire o-rehrtimetablecirculer seer-kew-layto operatedimanches et fêtes dee-mahñsh ay fetSundays and holidaysaccès aux quais/aux voies ak-seh oh keh/oh vwato the platformsle billet électronique bee-yeh ay-lek-tro-neeke-ticketla réservation sur Internet ray-zehr-va-syoñ sewr añ-tehr-nete-booking

FACE TO FACEQuand part le prochain train pour…? kahñ par luh pro-shañ trañ poor…? When is the next train to…?À 17 heures 10 a dee-set ur dees At ten past fiveDeux billets pour… duh bee-yeh poor… Two tickets to…Aller simple ou aller-retour? a-lay sañpl oo a-lay-ruh-toor? Single or return?

First class/Second classPremière classe/Deuxième classe pruh myehr klas/duh-zyem klasI booked onlineJ’ai réservé sur Internet zhay ray-zehr-vay sewr añ-tehr-netIs there a supplement to pay?Y a-t-il un supplément à payer? ee a-teel uñ sew-play-mahñ a pay-yay?I want to book a seat on the TGV to NîmesJe voudrais réserver une place dans le TGV pour Nîmes zhuh voo-dreh ray-zehr-vay ewn plas dahñ luh tay-zhay-vay poor neemWhen is the train to…?Le train pour … est à quelle heure? luh trañ poor … ay ta kel ur?the first/the lastle premier/le dernier luh pruh myay/luh dehr-nyayWhen does it arrive in…?À quelle heure arrive-t-il à…? a kel ur a-reev-teel a…?Do I have to change?Est-ce qu’il faut changer? es keel foh shahñ-zhay?Which platform does it leave from?Il part de quel quai? eel par duh kel kay?Is this the right platform for the train to Paris?C’est le bon quai pour le train de Paris? say luh boñ kay poor luh trañ duh pa-ree?Is this the train for…?C’est le train pour…? say luh trañ poor…?When does it leave?Il part à quelle heure? eel par a kel ur?Does the train stop at…?Est-ce que le train s’arrête à…? es kuh luh trañ sa-ret a…?Where do I change for…?Où dois-je changer pour…? oo dwa-zhuh shahñ-zhay poor…?Please tell me when we get to…S’il vous plaît, prévenez-moi quand nous serons à… seel voo pleh, pray-vnay mwa kañ noo suh-roñ za…Is this seat free?Cette place est-elle libre? set plas ay-tel leebr?Excuse meExcusez-moi eks-kew-zay-mwaSorry!Pardon! par-doñ!

Taxi

The main taxi companies in Paris are Les Taxis bleus, Alphataxi and G7. A French taxi is available for hire when the taxi sign is lit up in white or green. If a taxi is occupied, the sign is switched off or lit up in red.

la station de taxis la sta-syoñ duh tak-seetaxi rank

I want a taxiJe voudrais un taxi zhuh voo-dreh uñ tak-seeWhere can I get a taxi?Où est-ce que je peux prendre un taxi? oo es kuh zhuh puh prahñdr uñ tak-see?Could you order me a taxi?Pouvez-vous m’appeler un taxi? poo-vay voo ma-play uñ tak-see?How much is it going to cost to go to…?Combien ça va coûter pour aller à/au (etc.)…? koñ-byañ sa va koo-tay poor a-lay a/oh…?to the town centreau centre-ville oh sahñtr-veelto the stationà la gare a la garto the airportà l’aéroport a la-ay-ro-porto this addressà cette adresse a set a-dresKeep the changeGardez la monnaie gar-day la mo-nehSorry, I don’t have any changeJe suis désolé(e), je n’ai pas de monnaie zhuh swee day-zo-lay, zhuh nay pa duh mo-nehIs it far?C’est loin? say lwañ?

Boat and ferry

When is the next boat/ferry to…?À quelle heure part le prochain bateau/ferry pour…? a kel ur par luh pro-shañ ba-toh/feh-ree poor…?Have you a timetable?Vous avez un horaire? voo za-vay uñ noh-rehr?Is there a car ferry to…?Est-ce qu’il y a un car ferry pour…? es keel ya uñ car feh-ree poor…?How much is…?C’est combien…? seh koñ-byañ…?a singleun aller simple uñ na-lay sañpla returnun aller-retour uñ na-lay-ruh-toorHow much is it for a car and … people?C’est combien pour une voiture et … personnes? say koñ-byañ poor ewn vwa-tewr ay … pehr-son?How long does the crossing take?La traversée dure combien de temps? la tra-vehr-say dewr koñ-byañ duh tahñ?Where does the boat leave from?D’où part le bateau? doo par luh ba-toh?When is the first/last boat?Quand part le premier/dernier bateau? kahñ par luh pruh-myay/dehr-nyay ba-toh?What time do we get to…?On arrive à quelle heure à…? on a-reev a kel ur a…?Is there somewhere to eat on the boat?Est-ce qu’on peut manger sur le bateau? es koñ puh mahñ-zhay sewr luh ba-toh?

Air travel

The three main airports in Paris are Paris Charles-de-Gaulle (also called Roissy), Paris Orly and Beauvais-Tillé. The latter is the airport used by most budget airlines for flights to Paris. Despite being referred to as Paris-Beauvais, this airport is actually more than 50 miles outside the city.

How do I get to the airport?Comment fait-on pour aller à l’aéroport? ko-mahñ fay toñ poor a-lay a la-ay-ro-por?How long does it take to get to the airport?On met combien de temps pour aller à l’aéroport? oñ meh koñ-byañ duh tahñ poor a-lay a la-ay-ro-por?checked luggageles bagages enregistrés ba-gazh ahñ-ruh-zhee-strayhand luggageles bagages à main ba-gazh a mañIs there an airport bus to the city centre?Est-ce qu’il y a une navette pour aller au centre-ville? es keel ya ewn na-vet poor a-lay oh sahñtr-veel?Where do I check in for…?Où est l’enregistrement pour…? oo ay lahñ-ruh-zhee-struh-mahñ poor…?Where is the luggage for the flight from…?Où sont les bagages du vol en provenance de…? oo soñ lay ba-gazh dew vol ahñ pro-vnahñs duh…?Which is the departure gate for the flight to…?Quelle est la porte d’embarquement pour le vol à destination de…? kel ay la port dahñ-bar-kuh-mahñ poor luh vol a des-tee-na-syoñ duh…?Where can I print my ticket?Où est-ce que je peux imprimer mon billet? oo es kuh zhuh puh añ-pree-may moñ bee-yeh?I have my boarding pass on my smartphoneJ’ai ma carte d’embarquement sur mon smartphone zhay ma kart dahñ-bar-kuh-mahñ sewr moñ smart-fon

YOU MAY HEAR…L’embarquement aura lieu porte numéro… lahñ-bar-kuh-mahñ oh-ra lyuh port new-may-ro…Boarding will take place at gate number…Présentez-vous immédiatement porte numéro… pray-zahñ-tay voo ee-may-dyat-mahñ port new-may-ro…Go immediately to gate number…Votre vol a du retard votr vol a dew ruh-tarYour flight is delayedLiquides interdits lee-keed añ-tehr-deeNo liquidsVos bagages dépassent le poids maximal autorisévoh ba-gazh day-pass luh pwa mak-see-mal oh-toh-ree-zayYour luggage exceeds the maximum weight

Customs control

With the Single European Market, European Union (EU) citizens are subject only to spot checks and can go through the blue customs channel (unless they have goods to declare). There is no restriction, in either quantity or value, on goods purchased by EU travellers in another EU country provided that they are for personal use.

contrôle des passeports koñ-trol day pas-porpassport controlUE (Union européenne) ew uhEU (European Union)autres passeports ohtr pas-porother passportsdouane dwancustoms

Do I have to pay duty on this?Est-ce que je dois payer des droits de douane sur ça? es kuh zhuh dwa pay-yay day drwa duh dwan sewr sa?It is for my own personal useC’est pour mon usage personnel say poor mon ew-zazh pehr-so-nelWe are on our way to…(if in transit through a country)Nous allons en/au/aux… noo za-loñ ahñ/oh/oh…

Car hire

To hire a car in France, you must be at least 21 years old and have held a driving licence for a year or more.

le permis de conduire luh pehr-mee duh koñ-dweerdriving licencel’assurance la-sew-rahñsinsurancela franchise la frahñ-sheezexcess

I want to hire a carJe voudrais louer une voiture zhuh voo-dreh loo-ay ewn vwa-tewrfor … dayspour … jours poor … zhoorfor the weekendpour le week-end poor luh wee-kendWhat are your rates…?Quels sont vos tarifs…? kel soñ voh ta-reef…?per daypar jour par zhoorper weekpar semaine par suh-menIs there a mileage (kilometre) charge?Est-ce que le kilométrage est en plus? es kuh luh kee-lo-may-trazh ay tahñ plews?Does the price include comprehensive insurance?Est-ce que le prix comprend l’assurance tous-risques? es kuh luh pree koñ-prahñ la-sew-rahñs too reesk?Do I have to return the car here?Est-ce que je dois rendre la voiture ici? es kuh zhuh dwa rahñdr la vwa-tewr ee-see?By what time?Vers quelle heure? vehr kel ur?I’d like to leave it in…Je voudrais la laisser à… zhuh voo-dreh la leh-say a…What do I do if we break down?Que dois-je faire en cas de panne? kuh dwa-zhuh fehr ahñ ka duh pan?

YOU MAY HEAR…Veuillez rendre la voiture avec un plein d’essence vuh-yay rahñdr la vwa-tewr a-vek uñ plañ deh-sahñsPlease return the car with a full tank

Driving

I am looking for a car parkJe cherche un parking zhuh shehrsh uñ par-keengDo I need to pay?Il faut payer? eel foh pay-ay?Can I park here?On peut se garer ici? oñ puh suh ga-ray ee-see?Can you show me on the map?Pouvez-vous me montrer sur la carte/le plan? poo-vay voo muh moñ-tray sewr la kart/luh plahñ?

When driving in Paris, try not to let yourself get stressed by the discourteous driving you may encounter! If you visit in August, you will find that many Parisians have left the city and it will be easier to get around.

Petrol

sans plomb sahñ ploñunleadeddiesel/gasoil dee-eh-zel/ga-zwaldiesel

Fill it up, pleaseLe plein, s’il vous plaît luh plañ, seel voo plehPlease check the oil/the waterPouvez-vous vérifier l’huile/l’eau? poo-vay voo vay-ree-fyay lweel/loh?…euros’ worth of unleaded petrol…euros d’essence sans plomb …uh-roh deh-sahñs sahñ ploñPump number…La pompe numéro. la pomp new-may-roh…Can you check the tyre pressure?Pouvez-vous vérifier la pression des pneus? Poo-vay voo vay-ree-fyay la preh-syoñ day pnuh?Where do I pay?Où dois-je payer? oo dwa-zhuh pay-yay?Do you take credit cards?Vous acceptez les cartes de crédit? voo zak-sep-tay lay kart duh kray-dee?

Breakdown

assistance automobile a-sees-tahñs oh-toh-mo-beelbreakdown assistance

Can you help me?Pouvez-vous m’aider? poo-vay voo may-day?My car has broken downMa voiture est en panne ma vwa-tewr ay tahñ panI can’t start the carJe n’arrive pas à démarrer zhuh na-reev pa a day-ma-rayI’ve run out of petrolJe suis en panne d’essence zhuh swee ahñ pan deh-sahñsIs there a garage near here?Il y a un garage près d’ici? eel ya uñ ga-razh preh dee-see?Can you tow me to the nearest garage?Pouvez-vous me remorquer jusqu’au garage le plus proche? Poo-vay voo muh ruh-mor-kay zhew-skoh ga-razh luh plew prosh?Do you have parts for a…?(make of car)Avez-vous des pièces de rechange pour une…? a-vay voo day pyes duh ruh-shahñzh poor ewn…?There’s something wrong with the…J’ai un problème avec le/la/les… zhay uñ prob-lem a-vek luh/la/lay…

Car parts

The … doesn’t workLe/La/L’ … ne marche pas luh/la/l … nuh marsh paThe … don’t workLes … ne marchent pas lay … nuh marsh pa

acceleratorl’accélérateurak-say-lay-ra-turbatteryla batterieba-treebonnetle capotka-pohbrakesles freinsfrañchokele starterstar-tehrclutchl’embrayageahñ-bray-yazhdistributorle delcodel-kohenginele moteurmo-turexhaust pipele potd’échappementpoh day-shapmahñfusele fusiblefew-zeeblgearsles vitessesvee-teshandbrakele frein à mainfrañ a mañheadlightsles pharesfarignitionl’allumagea-lew-mazhindicatorle clignotantklee-nyo-tahñpointsles vis platinéesvees pla-tee-nayradiatorle radiateurra-dya-turreversing lightsles phares de reculfar duh ruh-kewlseat beltla ceinture de sécuritésañ-tewr duh say-kewr-eetaysidelightsles veilleusesvay-yuhzspare wheella roue de secoursroo duh skoorspark plugsles bougiesboo-zheesteeringla directiondee-rek-syoñsteering wheelle volantvo-lahñtyrele pneupnuhwheella roueroowindscreenle pare-brisepar-breezwindscreen washersle lave-glacelav-glaswindscreen wiperl’essuie-glacees-wee-glas

Road signs