Opening any interaction
In France you say bonjour before anything else — walking into a shop, reaching a stall, catching a waiter. Skipping it reads as rude, and the rest of the exchange goes colder. After about six in the evening it becomes bonsoir.
Stuck? Parlez-vous anglais? is a fair opener once you have said bonjour first — not before.
| French | Meaning | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Bonjour | Hello / good day | bohn-ZHOOR |
| Bonsoir | Good evening (after ~6pm) | bohn-SWAHR |
| S'il vous plaît | Please | seel voo PLEH |
| Merci / Merci beaucoup | Thank you / thanks a lot | mair-SEE / mair-see boh-KOO |
| Au revoir | Goodbye | oh ruh-VWAHR |
| Pardon / Excusez-moi | Sorry / excuse me | par-dohn / ex-koo-zay-MWAH |
| Oui / Non | Yes / no | WEE / NOHN |
| Parlez-vous anglais? | Do you speak English? | par-lay-voo ahn-GLEH |
| Je ne parle pas français | I don't speak French | zhuh nuh parl pah frahn-SEH |
| Je ne comprends pas | I don't understand | zhuh nuh kohm-prahn PAH |
Buying at a stall
Same pattern whether it is oysters at the Pointe des Crolles, strawberries behind the church, or a rotisserie chicken. Name a quantity, hand over cash, done. Many stalls are cash only, so carry small notes.
They may ask et avec ça? (anything else?). Answer ce sera tout to close it out.
| French | Meaning | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Je voudrais… | I would like… | zhuh voo-DREH |
| Une douzaine / une demi-douzaine | A dozen / half a dozen | oon doo-ZEN / duh-mee-doo-ZEN |
| …de numéro trois | …of number 3 (oyster size; smaller number = bigger oyster) | duh noo-may-ROH TRWAH |
| Un kilo / une livre | A kilo / a pound (500g) | uhn kee-LOH / oon LEEV-ruh |
| Ça, s'il vous plaît | That one, please (point) | SAH seel voo pleh |
| À emporter | To take away | ah ahm-por-TAY |
| Ouvertes, s'il vous plaît | Opened / shucked, please | oo-VAIRT seel voo pleh |
| Un peu plus / un peu moins | A little more / a little less | uhn puh PLOO / uhn puh MWAN |
| Ce sera tout | That'll be all | suh suh-rah TOO |
| C'est combien? | How much is it? | say kohm-bee-EN |
The cheese counter
The shelf label does not always say whether a cheese is raw-milk, so you ask the person behind the counter. If the one you want is au lait cru, ask whether they have a pasteurized version, then buy by the piece or the weight.
Safe by default: the hard cheeses — Comté, Emmental, mimolette, Beaufort. The risk is soft and washed-rind kinds.
| French | Meaning | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| C'est au lait cru? | Is it raw-milk? | say toh leh KROO |
| C'est au lait pasteurisé? | Is it pasteurized? | say toh leh pas-tuh-ree-ZAY |
| Vous avez du pasteurisé? | Do you have a pasteurized one? | voo zah-vay doo pas-tuh-ree-ZAY |
| Lequel est pasteurisé? | Which one is pasteurized? | luh-KEL ay pas-tuh-ree-zay |
| Un morceau | A piece | uhn mor-SOH |
| Comme ça / plus grand | Like that / bigger (sizing the cut) | kohm SAH / ploo GRAHN |
| Un fromage à pâte dure | A hard cheese (the safe family) | uhn froh-mahzh ah paht DOOR |
| Du beurre / de la crème | Butter / cream | doo BUHR / duh lah KREM |
Rachel: pregnancy & safe food
Two words — je suis enceinte — change how a French kitchen treats you. Say them at booking and again at the table, then add whichever check fits. Kitchens at the level you are eating will steer you honestly. The OB's guidance overrides everything here.
Green light: anything cooked through, galettes, hard cheeses, all pastry. Red light: raw shellfish, tartare and carpaccio, raw-milk soft cheese, uncooked charcuterie, alcohol.
| French | Meaning | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Je suis enceinte | I'm pregnant | zhuh sweez ahn-SANT |
| C'est cuit? | Is it cooked? | say KWEE |
| Bien cuit, s'il vous plaît | Well cooked, please | bee-an KWEE seel voo pleh |
| C'est cru? | Is it raw? | say KROO |
| Y a-t-il de l'alcool dedans? | Is there alcohol in it? | ee-ah-teel duh lal-KOHL duh-DAHN |
| Je ne peux pas manger de… | I can't eat… | zhuh nuh puh pah mahn-ZHAY duh |
| …de coquillages crus | …raw shellfish | duh koh-kee-YAHZH KROO |
| …de fromage au lait cru | …raw-milk cheese | duh froh-mahzh oh leh KROO |
| Je vais prendre autre chose | I'll have something else | zhuh vay prahndr OH-truh shohz |
Drinks, without the alcohol
Brittany has a real non-alcoholic answer, and ordering it is not an apology. Ask what they have, or go straight to un jus de pomme fermier — farm-pressed apple juice, on nearly every café list here.
Default order: un jus de pomme fermier for Rachel, a cider for Mark. Watch the word cidre — it is alcoholic unless it says sans alcool.
| French | Meaning | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Sans alcool | Without alcohol | sahn zal-KOHL |
| Un jus de pomme fermier | A farm-pressed apple juice | uhn zhoo duh pom fair-MYAY |
| Un cidre sans alcool | An alcohol-free cider | uhn SEE-druh sahn zal-kohl |
| Un Breizh Cola | The Breton cola | uhn BREZ koh-lah |
| Une limonade | A lemonade (fizzy, French style) | oon lee-moh-NAD |
| Une eau plate / gazeuse | Still / sparkling water | oon oh PLAT / gah-ZUHZ |
| Une carafe d'eau | A jug of tap water (free) | oon kah-RAF DOH |
| Un chocolat chaud | A hot chocolate | uhn shoh-koh-lah SHOH |
| Un cidre / une bolée | A cider / a cider bowl (for Mark) | uhn SEE-druh / oon boh-LAY |
Inside a restaurant
July tables fill, and booking here is phone-first — a same-morning call lands most evenings. At the table you barely need to speak: la carte to see the menu, je vais prendre to order, l'addition to leave.
For Thursday's starred dinner and Le Coquillage, add je suis enceinte so the kitchen plans ahead.
| French | Meaning | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Je voudrais réserver une table pour deux | I'd like to book a table for two | zhuh voo-dreh ray-zair-vay oon tah-bluh poor DUH |
| Ce soir, vers vingt heures | Tonight, around 8pm | suh SWAHR, vair van-TUHR |
| Avez-vous une table? | Do you have a table? | ah-vay-voo oon TAH-bluh |
| La carte, s'il vous plaît | The menu, please | lah KART seel voo pleh |
| Je vais prendre… | I'll have… | zhuh vay PRAHN-druh |
| Qu'est-ce que vous recommandez? | What do you recommend? | kess-kuh voo ruh-koh-mahn-DAY |
| C'était délicieux | That was delicious | say-tay day-lee-see-UH |
| L'addition, s'il vous plaît | The bill, please | lah-dee-see-OHN seel voo pleh |
| On peut payer par carte? | Can we pay by card? | ohn puh pay-yay par KART |
On the road
Most of what you need is one word plus où est…? Brittany's roads are toll-free, so the only tolls you meet are on the A11 from Paris. Fuel matters twice — put the right grade in the rental, and keep the receipt for the one-way drop.
Rental grade: nearly always sans plomb 95 (unleaded). Confirm before you fill — gazole is diesel and the wrong tank is an expensive morning.
| French | Meaning | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Où est le parking? | Where's the parking? | oo ay luh par-KEENG |
| C'est payant? | Is it paid? | say pay-YAHN |
| Je cherche… | I'm looking for… | zhuh SHAIRSH |
| Le plein, s'il vous plaît | Fill it up, please | luh PLAN seel voo pleh |
| Sans plomb 95 / gazole | Unleaded 95 / diesel | sahn PLOHN / gah-ZOL |
| Un reçu, s'il vous plaît | A receipt, please | uhn ruh-SOO seel voo pleh |
| Tout droit / à gauche / à droite | Straight on / left / right | too DRWAH / ah GOHSH / ah DRWAT |
| C'est loin? | Is it far? | say LWAN |
| Ouvert / fermé | Open / closed (watch for Monday) | oo-VAIR / fair-MAY |
The house & the hosts
Most of this happens over WhatsApp, where you can type slowly and they can read English if needed. A French opener still lands warmly. These are the few things you may actually need in person.
Two questions worth asking early: what the wifi does on a video call, and where they buy their bread.
| French | Meaning | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Merci pour votre accueil | Thank you for having us | mair-see poor votr ah-KUH-ee |
| Le code wifi, s'il vous plaît | The wifi code, please | luh kohd WEE-fee seel voo pleh |
| Le wifi ne marche pas | The wifi isn't working | luh wee-fee nuh marsh PAH |
| À quelle heure…? | At what time…? | ah kell UHR |
| Où puis-je garer la voiture? | Where can I park the car? | oo pweezh gah-ray lah vwah-TOOR |
| Nous partons vendredi | We leave on Friday | noo par-tohn vahn-druh-DEE |
| Où laisser les clés? | Where do we leave the keys? | oo leh-say lay KLAY |
| Où achetez-vous le pain? | Where do you buy your bread? | oo ash-tay-voo luh PAN |
If something goes wrong
French pharmacists handle a lot that would need a doctor elsewhere and will advise on anything pregnancy-related; look for the green cross. For a real emergency, the number is 15 for medical, or 112 from any phone in any language.
If you need to explain fast: ma femme est enceinte — my wife is pregnant.
| French | Meaning | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Où est la pharmacie? | Where's the pharmacy? | oo ay lah far-mah-SEE |
| J'ai besoin d'un médecin | I need a doctor | zhay buh-zwan duhn mayd-SAN |
| Ma femme est enceinte | My wife is pregnant | mah FAM ay tahn-SANT |
| C'est une urgence | It's an emergency | say toon oor-ZHAHNS |
| Appelez le 15 / le SAMU | Call 15 / the ambulance service | ah-play luh KANZ / luh sah-MOO |
| Aidez-moi, s'il vous plaît | Help me, please | ay-day-MWAH seel voo pleh |
| J'ai mal ici | It hurts here (point) | zhay mal ee-SEE |
| Est-ce que c'est sûr pendant la grossesse? | Is this safe during pregnancy? | ess-kuh say SOOR pahn-dahn lah groh-SESS |
Numbers, money & time
You mostly need to recognize these when they are said back to you — a price, an opening hour. Prices come as "ten euros fifty," said dix euros cinquante. Time is on the 24-hour clock: 8pm is vingt heures.
Dix euros cinquante = €10.50. Douze euros = €12. If unsure, ask them to write it: vous pouvez l'écrire? (voo poo-vay lay-KREER).
| Number | French | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · 2 · 3 | un · deux · trois | uhn · duh · TRWAH |
| 4 · 5 · 6 | quatre · cinq · six | KAT-ruh · sank · sees |
| 7 · 8 · 9 | sept · huit · neuf | set · weet · nuhf |
| 10 · 11 · 12 | dix · onze · douze | dees · ohnz · dooz |
| 13 · 14 · 15 | treize · quatorze · quinze | trez · kah-TORZ · kanz |
| 16 · 17 · 18 | seize · dix-sept · dix-huit | sez · dee-SET · deez-WEET |
| 19 · 20 | dix-neuf · vingt | deez-NUHF · van |
| 30 · 40 · 50 | trente · quarante · cinquante | trahnt · kah-RAHNT · san-KAHNT |
| 100 | cent | sahn |
| French | Meaning | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Combien ça coûte? | How much does it cost? | kohm-bee-en sah KOOT |
| …euros …centimes | …euros …cents | uh-ROH … sahn-TEEM |
| À quelle heure ouvrez-vous? | What time do you open? | ah kell uhr oo-vray-VOO |
| Midi / minuit | Noon / midnight | mee-DEE / mee-NWEE |
| Le matin / l'après-midi / le soir | Morning / afternoon / evening | luh mah-TAN / lah-preh-mee-DEE / luh SWAHR |
| Aujourd'hui / demain | Today / tomorrow | oh-zhoor-DWEE / duh-MAN |