pronunciation of tours france

10 French City Names You May Be Mispronouncing

The French language can be challenging, littered with silent letters and inflections where you least expect them. Couple that with habits engrained in English, and many French city names are mispronounced. Here are ten notable examples, each a handy springboard for improving your French language skills.

How to pronounce names of French cities

Where else could we start than the French capital?

The birthplace of Molière , father of the modern French language, home to royals and revolutions, is the French city that needs no hyping.

Yet curiously, it’s a French city you’re probably pronouncing wrong, like much of the English-speaking world. Fair, considering France renamed London as Londres.

Our recording demonstrates how to say Paris like you live on the Champs-Élysées. Hint : drop the -S, it’s silent. A little inflection at the end transforms into “Paree.” Et voilà !

/ pahr-ee /

Strasbourg is a historic city popular with travelers and another name commonly anglicized.

The capital of the Grand Est on the German border is famed for its Christmas market, half-timbered houses, and French-German cuisine.

If you ever visit the home of the European Parliament, perfect your pronunciation of Strasbourg by ignoring the silent “g.” And finesse the intonation with this native French recording of Strasbourg.

/ strahz – bour /

Continuing a pattern of French cities commonly mispronounced because of a silent last letter, we land in historically significant Tours.

Tours feature on many travel itineraries, with visitors drawn to the atmospheric medieval streets and Catholic pilgrims and hikers stopping on the Santiago de Compostela trail .

To pronounce Tours, apply a general rule about silent consonants and say “Tour”. This pitch-perfect audio of Tours will help. As will our detailed guide to French pronunciation .

Another medieval flashpoint centered on an imposing castle is Angers, apparently named to vex (anger?) English speakers.

Once the capital of the influential Duchy of Anjou and seat of the Plantagenet dynasty (Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine the headliners), the city is a small and vibrant student city with a misleading name for English speakers.

You may have guessed that the “s” is silent. But so is the “r,” giving us something similar to “On-Zhay.”

There are more than silent letters to adjust to, and the audio pronunciation of Angers is worth the kind of king’s ransom that Richard the Lionheart was familiar with.

/ ahn-zhay /

France’s third-largest city and culinary epicenter balances the historic and modern. It’s a compelling destination for visitors looking to sample French city life outside Paris.

Also called Lyons in English, silent letters are in play again. The “n” is transformed into a nasal “on.” Compounding the awkward articulation, the initial “Ly” sounds like an extended “Lee.” This French clip vocalizing Lyon will help catch every nuance of pronouncing Lyon.

/ lee-ohn /

Nestled in the Pyrenean foothills, Lourdes was a quiet market town with an impressive castle until the Marian apparitions of 1858. The miracle at the famous Sanctuary of Lourdes transformed it into a pilgrimage destination and tourist hotspot.

Sounds like a language lord by forgetting the “s” (almost a given). Just say “Lord,” and you’ve got it, as you can hear in this recording of Lourdes.

Reims, the capital of Champagne country and host to royal coronations for over 1,000 years, is an eastern city dripping in character. A place for French historical and cultural odysseys peppered with gastronomic moments.

Pronouncing Reims is less fun, as it barely sounds like the spelling. No surprise, the “s” is chopped off when spoken. It sounds like “Rance,” but the “R” rolls and the vowels sound nasal.

It’s a toughie to perfect but made easier when you hear a French speaker saying Reims.

We head to the motorsport magnet, Le Mans, for our next French city that you’re probably pronouncing wrong. And, happily, to a less tongue-twisting name than Reims.

You may know the city as the setting for the legendary Le Mans 24 ( 24 Heures du Mans ) race. But local heritage stretches back to Roman times, and the medieval center is another historical gem.

You may have guessed the “s” is silent. A nasal “an” will ensure locals know where you’re heading without resorting to race car driving mimes. Hearing Le Mans said by a native speaker will help you pull it off smoother than an F1 pitstop.

/ lun-muhn /

Le Havre lies along the windswept Normandy coastline. At the entrance to the Seine, it has been a thriving port town since it was inaugurated by King Francis I in 1517.

An industrial city that flies under the tourist radar, Le Havre remains a vital port connection with the UK and Ireland and a stop for regional cruise ships.

Le Havre is a helpful name to practice French pronunciations. If you listen to the audio pronunciation of Le Havre, you’ll notice the customary silent “e.” Then roll that final “r” to sound utterly French. It’s a technique that will help with general French vocabulary.

/ luh-avruh /

Metz is the final French city (you’re probably mispronouncing) that we want to turn our vocab spotlight on.

Perched on the banks of the Moselle and Seille Rivers and briefly a German city, it’s home to gothic architectural marvels, splendid parks, and a cross-border personality.

The city was once called “ Mès ” and the absent “t” is perhaps a slightly more phonetic match for modern Metz, as this recording of pronouncing Metz illustrates.

Here are a few more French city names to add to the list (to listen, right click an open in new tab) :

• Saint-Etienne

French city names – conclusion

While there are endless towns and villages to flex your rolling rs and nasal sounds on, we’ll leave it at this set of tricky-to-pronounce French cities for now. If this guide caught your interest, check out our companion piece about French wine names you’re probably mispronouncing .

Discover more:

• Beginners tools for learning French
• Guide to French greetings
• Pronunciation of major French travel destinations
• French alphabet pronunciation

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David Issokson

David Issokson is a lifelong language enthusiast. His head is swimming with words and sounds as he speaks over six languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private online lessons. When procrastinating working on his site, FrenchLearner.com, David enjoys his time skiing and hiking in Teton Valley, Idaho.

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Tours, Where the Real French Accent Comes From

Tours is a strange name for English-speakers because, well, its English meaning is just the plural of tour (as in, “I went on a tour of France”.). Although to be understood in France you have to pronounce it with an “oo” sound rather than the natural English pronunciation. There we go. Now you also have a real French accent.

Now to be honest with you, I was never really passionate about visiting this little town specifically but I am rather in love with the area to the east and west of it,  La  Vallée de la Loire . I’ve been dreaming of barging along the Loire Valley since I was 18. I was enchanted by the scenery of riverside castles because where I grew up, rivers and castles aren’t really a feature.

I just never really had the chance to go to France and rent a barge. I did see a lot of France though, and I’ve visited some pretty cool places elsewhere so I really shouldn’t be making a big deal about it. Anyway, now that you know how I feel about the Loire Valley, it should be no surprise really, that Tours turned out to be an adorable gem, given its location.

So how did I end up in Tours without meaning to go there? We’d just started out six-week camping trip and needed to stop over somewhere between Paris and Dax for an evening. Tours was a good mid-point to stop at. After navigating afternoon traffic around Paris for about 2 hours, we sailed down the A10 for another 2 hours and booked into a cheap hotel.

The hotel was somewhat out of town so we didn’t get to exploring the city until morning. It was a rainy, beautiful morning and finding roadside parking was not too much of a challenge. From here we set of exploring the center of town and were surprised by beautiful buildings, gorgeous little patisseries, old churches and monuments as well as the Loire itself.

A Roman History

An area spanning a river would have been a strategic spot in Roman times. Because of this Tours was an important as a crossing point. In fact it used to be called Caesarodunum , Caesar’s Hill. Somehow the name evolved and today it’s just called Tours . It always surprises me how many Roman ruins there are in France and this city is no exception: it’s amphitheatre used to be one of the biggest in the Roman Empire! It wasn’t like the Colosseum though. It seems to have been more of a primitive amphitheatre that would have had grass slopes for the audience to sit on rather than stands. In the Middle Ages the amphitheatre was no longer very important and people started building new buildings over it (I’m not sure how exactly) until everyone simply forgot that it was there until 1855 when it was rediscovered. I actually didn’t know that there was an amphitheatre here until recently and as a result I don’t think there is much left of it to see except for sections of it poking out from the city’s roads and the walls of buildings.

The Old City

Le Vieux Tours is the medieval district of Tours. It is filled with many old half-timbered buildings with blue slate roofs. To the north, the old town is bordered by the Loire and to the south of it, runs another river called the Cher. Perhaps it is because of the surrounding water and many green parks that this city is referred to as Le Jardin de la France  – The Garden of France.

The Real French Accent

Les Tourangeaux is the collective name for the inhabitants of Tours. Try say that out loud ( Toor-an-zho ). I had heard it said that Les Tourangeaux spoke the purest form of French. As it turns out, this was only the case before the French Revolution. After the Revolution, Parisian French became the best way to speak French. However, this city could have been the birthplace of the French language.

Fritz, the Stuffed Elephant

Something I missed out on during my short stay in Tours is the story of Fritz, the elephant. It’s a really sad story but the town’s role in the whole event is still quite bizarre. Fritz was performing in a travelling circus and suddenly one night he lost his mind. The only solution apparently was to put him to eternal rest and today he remains in Tours, by the wonder of a taxidermist and thanks to the city of Tours who funded the procedure. The stuffed elephant can be seen in the garden of La  Musée des Beaux-Arts .

Stroll Aimlessly

I really advise stopping over at Tours even if you only have a couple of hours to spare. Wander around the town without an agenda and look out for those timbered houses with blue slate roofs (often these look like an OCD’s nightmare) and hunt for beautiful pastries. Walk across bridges and take in the river views. When you’re tired take a break in a green park and plan out your next adventure!

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Some info about FRENCH

Category GEOGRAPHY - PLACES

Language FRENCH

Tours is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metropolitan area was 516,973.[3] <

Wikipedia contributors, "Tours," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,

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How to pronounce Tours

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Definition of Tours

• an industrial city in western France on the Loire River

Can you pronounce it better? Or with a different accent? Pronounce Tours in English

Translation of Tours

Can you pronounce it better? Or with a different accent? Pronounce Tours in French

Accents & languages on maps

• Record pronunciation for Tours Tours   [ en - usa ]

Random words: water ,  antidisestablishmentarianism ,  hello ,  tomato ,  caramel

How to pronounce

• Worcestershire
• Charcuterie
• General Tso
• Saoirse Ronan

• 1.1 Etymology
• 1.2.1 Translations
• 1.3 Anagrams
• 2.1 Alternative forms
• 2.2.1 Related terms
• 3.1 Etymology
• 3.2 Pronunciation
• 3.3.1 Derived terms
• 3.4 Anagrams

English [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ].

From French Tours , from Latin Turonum , from Turones , the name of the area's Gaulish inhabitants in antiquity.

Proper noun [ edit ]

• A city, the largest in the region of Centre-Val de Loire , France , and the capital of Indre-et-Loire department.

Translations [ edit ]

Anagrams [ edit ].

• Rusto , Stour , Sutor , roust , routs , stour , sutor , torus

Catalan [ edit ]

Alternative forms [ edit ].

Tours   m

• Tours (a city in France )

Related terms [ edit ]

French [ edit ].

From Latin Turonum , from Turones , the name of the area's Gaulish inhabitants in antiquity.

Pronunciation [ edit ]

• IPA ( key ) : /tuʁ/

Tours   f

• Tours (a city, the prefecture of the Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire , France )

Derived terms [ edit ]

• cardon de Tours

• English terms borrowed from French
• English terms derived from French
• English terms derived from Latin
• English terms derived from Gaulish
• English lemmas
• English proper nouns
• English uncountable nouns
• en:Cities in Centre-Val de Loire
• en:Cities in France
• en:Places in Centre-Val de Loire
• en:Places in France
• Catalan lemmas
• Catalan proper nouns
• Catalan masculine nouns
• ca:Cities in France
• ca:Places in France
• French terms inherited from Latin
• French terms derived from Latin
• French terms derived from Gaulish
• French 1-syllable words
• French terms with IPA pronunciation
• French terms with audio links
• French lemmas
• French proper nouns
• French feminine nouns
• fr:Cities in Centre-Val de Loire
• fr:Cities in France
• fr:Prefectures of France
• fr:Departmental capitals
• fr:Places in Centre-Val de Loire
• fr:Places in France
• French undefined derivations

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The Tours Loire Valley Tourist Office and the city of Tours offer a thematic tour of the Old Town of Tours, led by a guide. A guided tour of the emblematic Vieux Tours district around Place Plumereau, led by an expert guide.  Medieval half-timbered and stone houses stand side by side with exceptional townhouses. These mansions bear witness to the prosperity of this part of town, which grew up around a huge collegiate church dedicated to Saint Martin. Once home to the saint's body, it was the center of one of the oldest pilgrimages in Christendom. This tour has been awarded the Ville d'Art et d'Histoire label.

Come aboard a tuk-tuk for an original tour of the city of Tours! For 45 minutes, Pascal will be delighted to take you to discover the city's most emblematic sites: the old town of Tours, Les Halles, the Quartier des Arts, the Basilica Saint-Martin and, of course, the riverside of the Loire.

Enjoy the destination's must-see attractions: Castle and Gardens of Villandry, Castle of Azay-le-Rideau, Castle of Tours, Centre of Contemporary Creation Olivier Debré, Fine Arts Museum, « Compagnonnage » Museum, Natural History Museum, Saint-Cosme Priory, Psalette Cloister and a guided tour of Tours. This 48h Pass also includes bike hire, access to the little tourist train (available end of March 2024) and exclusive benefits from our partners (e.g. €3 discount per player with Escape Yourself, 10% discount in the pub « Au temps des Rois »)

Discover the Loire Valley and visit its 2 most prestigious castles in one great day: impressive Château de Chambord and stunning Château de Chenonceau. Learn about the intimate little secrets of the French Kings who once lived there. Enjoy off-the-crowd panoramic views thanks to your local guide, benefit from wealth of thrilling genuine details and funny anecdotes and make the most of this exciting day. Program: 9.30am: Departure from Tours. Meet your friendly guide in front of the Tourist Office in the city of Tours (just in front of the train station). Everybody's here? Let’s start the day! 9:30am: Start in front of the Tourist Office in the city of Tours, and get into our minivan, off to Chenonceau! Next step is Château de Chenonceau! On the way, get a good look at lovely privately owned châteaux but also other must-see castles of Loire Valley such as: Cheverny, Chaumont, Amboise, Montrichard... Chenonceau: this is the most visited historical monument in France after Château de Versailles. Admire this stunning chateau and its unique gallery, built on a bridge across the Cher River. With your guide, stroll through the gorgeously-manicured gardens à la Française named after the famous ladies who lived there: "Catherine de Médicis" and "Diane de Poitiers". Once inside, take your time to appreciate the refined architecture and feminine influence that prevails in each room of this renowned chateau, all decorated with beautiful antiques and the most divine fresh flower arrangements. The kitchens, the Queen bedroom, the Gallery... your tour guide will show you all the beautiful rooms of this incredible place. Lunch will take place off the beaten path. You will enjoy a typical French lunch in a lovely private château of Loire Valley, built by Jean le Breton! Start with the visit of this unique familly Château, meet the family and discover all the authentic rooms and lovely surroundings of this haven of piece. After the visit, hosted by the French Countess who lives there permanently, indulge in the nice and cozy atmosphere with tasty food and local Loire Valley wine. This experience will make you feel like the owner of the place! More than a chateau, this work of art is a glorious historical place that will take you to the heart of the Loire Valley and the Renaissance era. Your guide will make this trip back in time a fun and captivating experience. He will tell you everything about the history of the castle, built by the famous King François 1er. Unforgettable! Once inside, your guide will select for you the most emblematic rooms to visit: the double helix staircase, the chapel, the terrace...He will also share with you memorable anecdotes and point at hidden details of interest and breathtaking views of the château. So get ready to travel back in time of French Renaissance! After this exceptional visit, your tour-guide will advise you some spots to get a impressive view of the chateau. A spectacular day you will never forget. 5.30pm: Back to the Tourist Office in Tours

Head west for half a day! Nature and relaxation guaranteed. Accompanied by a guide, a 15km loop will take you along the "La Loire à Vélo" itinerary to the Ile de la Métairie in La Ville-aux-Dames, formerly known as the Ile de Rochecorbon, characterised by its sandy meadows. A fun, educational trail to help you identify the flora and fauna present.

Events calendar

Here, events come and go and none is alike other ! The metropolis know how to cultivate its art of living. Numbers of events from traditionnal and old music, to gastronomy or sport are organized throughtout all seasons. This eclectic program also allows to discover some nice historic, or out the ordinary, places.

Tours Loire Valley Tourist Office & Convention Bureau

How to come? What weather in Tours? Where to leave my luggage? Find all practical information here.

The Tourist Office is located: 78-82 Rue Bernard Palissy, 37000 Tours.

Monday to Saturday: 8.30am to 7pm Sundays and public holidays: 9.30am to 12.30pm and 2.30pm to 5pm

For any information, please reach our team +33(0)2 47 70 37 37

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English pronunciation of tour

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(English pronunciations of tour from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus and from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary , both sources © Cambridge University Press)

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French conversation - Essential French Phrases for your French road trip

Essential French Phrases for your France Road Trip

If you've never studied French before, or your high school French is a little rusty, it’s helpful to learn a few essential French phrases before traveling to France.

This will give you more confidence finding your way around in France. You will know how to greet people politely before asking if they speak English, and it shows you're willing to make the effort, and French people will appreciate that. It might also help you make friends!

Although many French people can understand some English, they tend to find it harder to speak, so they will feel more at ease if you show your willingness to try to speak French first. This way, you show that you're all in the same boat!

If you have booked one of our France vacation packages , you will receive a personal guidebook specific to your trip that includes all the phrases below - and much more!

How to improve your French pronunciation

Before we get started with the phrases you’ll need for your France road trip, you'll want some guidance on French pronunciation. We like this video from TakeLessons.com on how to do a French accent . The teacher even explains the shape you need to make with your mouth to achieve the French accent!

Video: TakeLessons.com

Essential French phrases

Now you’ve got some pointers on French pronunciation, you’ll be ready to practice. If you don’t learn anything else in French, make a point of learning to say these essential French phrases. We have included the phonetic pronunciation to help you know what these sound like. Below, we give a list of apps which will also help you with pronunciation.

• Hello - Bonjour - / bohn-zhoor /
• Goodbye - Au revoir - / oh-rev-vwha /
• Excuse me - Excusez-moi - / ex-koo-say mwa /
• I don’t speak French - Je ne parle pas français - / Zhe ne parl pah frahn-say /
• Do you speak English?  - Parlez-vous anglais? - / par-lay voo ahn-glay /
• I don’t understand - Je ne comprends pas - / Zhe ne cohmp-ron pas /
• Please - S’il vous plaît - / seel-voo-play /
• Thank you - Merci - / mare-see /
• Yes - Oui - / we /
• No - Non – / noh /
• My name is... -  Je m’appelle...  -  / Zhe mah-pel /
• You’re welcome -   Pas de quoi  -  / Pah-de-kwah /

Other useful phrases and asking for clarification

If you are struggling to understand someone, ask them to speak more slowly or to write things down.

• Could you speak more slowly please? - Pourriez-vous parler plus lentement?  -  / puri-ay voo par-lay plu lontamon? /
• Could you repeat that, please? - Pourriez-vous répéter, s’il vous plait ? -   / puri-ay voo reh-peh-tay, seel voo play? /
• Could you write that down for me, please? 
 Pourriez-vous l’écrire, s’il vous plait? -  / puri-ay voo leh-creer,  seel voo play? /

If you have a hard time memorizing a new language, you may check this method to learn some  French phrases .

Getting around and asking for directions

When approaching someone you don't know, it's good practice and etiquette to start out with  "Excusez-moi Madame/Monsieur" followed by "parlez-vous anglais?" or another question if you feel confident enough. 

• Where? -  Où? - / Oo ? /
• Where is…? - Où se trouve? Où est... ? - / oo-ce-troove / oo eh /
• Where is the train station? - Où est la gare? - / oo eh la gahr? /
• Where are the toilets ? - Où sont les toilettes? - / oo son les twa-let? /

Phrases and vocabulary for shopping in France

Sales assistants in stores normally won't greet and approach you as they do in other countries. This is because they think it's better not to bother you, for you to browse in peace and take your time. They trust that you will ask them for help when you need it. When you do need help, make sure you greet the sales assistant first with "Bonjour Madame!" or "Excusez-moi Monsieur...?" and then maybe "Parlez-vous anglais?" , before explaining what you need. It helps break they ice and they're likely to be more willing to help you!

• Open - Ouvert - / oo-vehr /
• Closed - Fermé - / fair-may /
• I would like... - Je voudrais... - / Zhe voo-dray /
• How much is it? - Combien ça coûte? - / Cohm-by-en sah coot /
• May I try it on? - Puis-je l’essayer - / Pwee zhe leh-say-ay /
• I’ll take it - Je le prendrai - / Zhe le prawn-dray /
• Store - Le magasin - / le mah-gah-zahn /
• A dress - La robe - / la rob /
• A skirt - La jupe - / la zjoop /
• A shirt - La chemise - / la shem-eez /
• Pants - Les pantalons - / pahn-ta-lon /
• Shoes - Chaussures - / show-seh /
• Socks - Chaussettes - / show-set /

Numbers in French

When it comes to prices and saying how many bottles of Burgundy you'd like to buy, it can be helpful to be familiar with the numbers in French. Below we have given some of the numbers from 1-100 and their phonetic spelling, to help with your pronunciation. Click on the image below for a YouTube video which will teach you how to say the French numbers, and help you to practice! 

• 1 - un - / uhn /
• 2 - deux - / deh /
• 3 - trois - / twah /
• 4 - quatre - / kahtr /
• 5 - cinq - / sank /
• 6 - six - / sees /
• 7 - sept - / set /
• 8 - huit  - / wheet /
• 9 - neuf - / nuhf /
• 10 - dix – / dees /
• 20 – vingt – / vahnt /
• 30 – trente - / tront /
• 40 - quarante - / k ah-ront /
• 50 - cinquante  - / sankont /
• 60 - soixante  - / swah-sont /
• 70 - soixante-dix  - / swah-sont dees /
• 80 - quatre-vingts  - / kahtr-vahnt /
• 90 - quatre-vingt-dix  - / kahtr-vahnt-dees /
• 100 - cent - / sohn /
• 200 - deux cents - / deh-sohn /
• 500 - cinq cents - / sank-sohn /
• 1000 - mille – / meel /

Phrases for eating out in restaurants

In the cities, it is common for waiters to speak a little English, but they will appreciate it if you make the effort to greet them and order food in French.

In small French villages, it is unlikely that waiters will speak English, so keep your essential French phrases close by. You can print them out, or you can copy and paste them into a notes app.

Or, if you're on one of our self drive tours of France , you will only need to refer to the essential phrases section of your France Just For You guidebook .

• Waiter - Monsieur/Madame - /  m’syhur / mah-dam /  (Do not say “ garçon .“ It’s considered a bit of an insult)
• I’ll have - Je prendrai - / zhe prawn-dray /
• Do you have...? Avez-vous...? - / ah-vay voo /
• The check - L’addition - / lah-di-shyon /
• A cup - Une tasse - / oon tahs /
• A glass - Un verre - / uhn vehr /
• A fork - Une fourchette - / oon foor-shet /
• A spoon - Une cuillère - / oon kuy-ehr /
• A knife - Un couteau - / uhn koo-toh /
• Some salt / pepper - Du sel/poivre - / dew sehl/pwahv /
• Appetizers - Les entrées - / lays-on-tray /
• Main courses - Les plats - / lay plah /
• Desserts - Les desserts - / lay day-ser /

French phrases you’ve been saying your whole life

Relations between the British and the French go way back. Our royal families would inter-marry. We fought wars against one another. Sometimes we invaded each other. The two cultures have been exposed to one another for so long that the English language has inevitably taken a lot of expressions from French. You may have said these things regularly without even realizing you’re speaking French!

• Déjà vu - already seen.

This is a grammatical structure in French, as in Je l’ai déjà vu (I’ve already seen it).  It can also disparage a style or technique that has already been done, as in Son style est déjà vu => His style is not original.  In English, déjà vu refers to the scientific phenomenon of feeling like you have already seen or done something when you’re sure that you haven’t: a feeling of déjà vu = une impression de déjà vu.

• Fiancé, fiancée -  an engaged person.

Note that le fianc é refers to a man and la fianc ée to a woman.

• Force majeure - greater force.

This refers to superior/greater force, or to  an unexpected or uncontrollable event, sometimes called “an act of God”, like a tornado or earthquake.

• Je ne sais quoi - I don’t know what.

This is used to indicate a ‘certain something’, as in “I really like Laura. She has a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ that I find very appealing.”

• Joie de vivre - joy of living.

The quality in people who live life to the fullest. A wonderful example of this is the French film ‘Amelie’. It’s about a young French woman who always tries to enjoy the small things in life and bring joy to the lives of others.

• Mardi gras - fat Tuesday
• Oh là là - oh dear.

This is usually misspelled and mispronounced “ooh la la” in English, when it is usually used when someone is expressing pleasant surprise or appreciation. In French, we use it to express unpleasant surprise, disappointment or shock.

• Petite - small, short.

It may sound chic, but petite is simply the feminine French adjective meaning “short” or “small”.

• Rendez-vous - go to.

In French, this refers to a date, informal meeting or an appointment (literally, it is the verb se rendre [to go] in the imperative).

• Savoir-vivre - to know how to live.

This is about knowing how to behave well in society, being polite and displaying good manners and etiquette.

• Tête-à-tête - head to head.

A private discussion or visit with another person

• Touché - touched.

This expression was originally used in fencing, and still is. Nowadays, it tends to mean the equivalent of “you got me!” or “you got me back!”

• Voilà! - There it is!

In English, it is sometimes misspelled as “voilá” or “violà.

• Dégustation - tasting

The French word simply refers to the act of tasting, while in English “degustation” is used for a tasting event or party, as in wine or cheese tasting.

• Vive la France - (long) live France.

Basically this is the French equivalent of saying “God bless America”. Note that it’s vive la France ; “ viva ” is Spanish, not French.

French Idioms

Idioms are phrases or expressions that are very particular to a language and when translated literally, don't mean the same thing in another language. In English, for example, you might say that something easy is 'a piece of cake'. But to someone learning English, they would have no way of associating this with something being easy. Even with a common expression like 'What's up?', nothing about the literal translation would suggest it means 'How are you?' or 'What's wrong?'. 

Once you've mastered the essential French phrases and feel confident having a basic conversation in French, why not try out some of the idioms in this video? Your French hosts and friends will be very impressed!

Apps for learning French

Fun and free, Duolingo breaks everything down into its constituent parts – grammar, vocabulary, topics – and uses fun exercises and levels so you can work your way up and learn while barely realising you’re studying French! Each lesson includes a variety of speaking, listening, translation, and multiple choice challenges. And it’s easy to play while you’re commuting to work, if you’re on a flight or waiting in line. A great app for beginners French.

In their words, ‘FluentU is French Immersion Online’. FluentU takes online videos of French songs, movies, commercials and many more verticals, adds subtitles, and turns them into learning experiences. This is great exposure to French culture, and very helpful for practicing your French listening and comprehension skills. It will also help you get used to the French accent!

This is a great app for learning new vocabulary by playing games. In their words, it’s ‘Learning, made joyful’. Well, we love an app which adds a bit of ‘joie de vivre’ to learning French! Memrise is a user-generated learning platform which uses flashcards as memory aids. Language teachers often create their own vocab games for their students to do as homework, to make it more interesting and give them more motivation to learn.

This takes the form of a language learning course and is based on the internationally-recognized Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Busuu is very comprehensive in the topics it covers, and in its exercises designed around the four language learning skills - speaking, writing, listening and speaking. It also has an active community of users to help you practice speaking French.

Learn French + by Vidalingua is the fastest way to conversing with the locals on your next trip to France. It provides 101 useful lessons and over 3,000 interactive exercises to help you speak like a boss! If you want to build your vocabulary, try French Translator & Dictionary + for free on your iPhone or Android . In addition to a comprehensive dictionary and phrase translator, you will find a verb conjugator, word quiz and flashcards.

Other popular language learning apps are Babbel and Rosetta Stone . There are many other free apps if you type ‘learn French’ into the Apple or Google Play Store.

All of these essential French phrases (and more!) are included in the unique guidebooks that we produce for each of our self drive tours .

Is France on your travel bucket list? Or maybe you've visited before but would like to explore France independently by car now, at your own pace.

Browse our self guided France tour packages or contact trip planners Emilie, Laura and Clélia to find out more!

We hope this has helped you prepare for your trip to France! 

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Travelers Reviews

Emilie is amazing. Going to Normandy has always been a dream of my husbands and luckily for us we found Emilie to plan our trip. Our hotel in Paris for the start of our trip was located perfectly. Within walking distance of so much for our first two days before we picked up the rental car she had arranged for us. Then onto Normandy and the Loire …

Emilie is amazing. Going to Normandy has always been a dream of my husbands and luckily for us we found Emilie to plan our trip. Our hotel in Paris for the start of our trip was located perfectly. Within walking distance of so much for our first two days before we picked up the rental car she had arranged for us. Then onto Normandy and the Loire Valley where the B&B's she arranged for us were awesome and the hosts shared a lot of history with us and made us feel very welcome. Our own specialized guide book not only proved to be invaluable while we were there, but a very special momento of our trip. And I can't say enough about the guide she arranged for us for our tour of the beaches, he has to be one of the most knowledgeable (and interesting) D-Day guides ever!! I highly recommend Emilie and France Just For You. She takes into consideration your wants and needs and personalizes your trip perfectly. We wouldn't have been able to have our "trip of a lifetime" without her!

Without a doubt one of the best vacations my friend and I have ever taken! We keep raving to all about how authentic the trip was. Not only was every aspect of this trip gorgeous from the grape vineyards to the lavender fields to the mountainous towns and cathedrals, but the details were second to none. Emilie and Laura provided my friend and I …

Without a doubt one of the best vacations my friend and I have ever taken! We keep raving to all about how authentic the trip was. Not only was every aspect of this trip gorgeous from the grape vineyards to the lavender fields to the mountainous towns and cathedrals, but the details were second to none. Emilie and Laura provided my friend and I with the perfect girls getaway. When we first planned this trip, we had no idea what an amazing trip would lie ahead. The B&Bs were absolute perfection, and their owners were lovely and catered to all of our needs. The pools on the grounds of the B&Bs were just beautiful. We loved the delightfully French cuisine laid out on the breakfast tables and the opportunity to meet other travelers. The ten wine tasting with Francois in his range rover and the cooking class with Jacques were highlights for sure! Every day held beautiful travel memories.

The guide book is AMAZING!!! Its easily the best replica we will now have long after the trip was over. Awesome to read long after the trip concludes. The details, the care, and the time put into the plans of our trip were unbelievable. Pictures even how to insert money into the tolls on the highways!! Every question was answered. Note to all: beware the speed check zones!! There are no police on the highways, only boxes with cameras checking speeds randomly and you will get a ticket later on if you exceeded the speed! : ( But that was the only surprise..France was so driveable, packed with roundabouts and gorgeous scenery to see every day!

We cannot thank Emilie and Laura enough for the time and attention they paid to our trip. We were truly blown away by the details in our itinerary, and the beautiful sights we experienced on our travels in France. Thank you again!!!

We couldn't recommend France Just For You highly enough. After visiting various parts of Europe on our own we were delighted to have someone else attend to all the details. Emilie was a joy to work with and couldn't have chosen better B&B's, tours and day trips to meet our needs. I can't wait to call upon her services again!

We couldn't recommend France Just For You highly enough. After visiting various parts of Europe on our own we were delighted to have someone else attend to all the details. Emilie was a joy to work with and couldn't have chosen better B&B's, tours and day trips to meet our needs. I can't wait to call upon her services again!

This was a wonderful way to travel in France! Our tours were wonderful and the guidebook was very helpful. Each day we had suggestions of things to do and we loved every suggestion! Our car and our accommodations were first class. Having the french phone made travel easy since we could use Waze and Google Maps. If we return to France, we will …

This was a wonderful way to travel in France! Our tours were wonderful and the guidebook was very helpful. Each day we had suggestions of things to do and we loved every suggestion! Our car and our accommodations were first class. Having the french phone made travel easy since we could use Waze and Google Maps. If we return to France, we will definitely use France Just For You again.

My wife & I completed a 2 week self-driving tour engaging the thorough and knowledgeable services of Emilie A France Just for You. Every detail was flawlessly accounted for, GPS app, wonderful B&B's, and she planned our itinerary according to our desires. The advantage of enlisting her is to get a reality check on time spent in each area as well as …

My wife & I completed a 2 week self-driving tour engaging the thorough and knowledgeable services of Emilie A France Just for You. Every detail was flawlessly accounted for, GPS app, wonderful B&B's, and she planned our itinerary according to our desires. The advantage of enlisting her is to get a reality check on time spent in each area as well as driving distances. We had so much ground to cover that she made this an efficient trip. Too bad LeMans track was not open for viewing(had a truck race that nite, so is closed to visitors). But museum was awesome. All her chosen accommodations were wonderful & it saved me tons of hours of research. She arranged our day to day visits and was extremely flexible & enabled me to drive the 1200 miles in an efficient manner. That was very important to me, as I prefer to travel alone with my wife rather than a group, and our journey was as smoothe as a Swiss timepiece. She chose places to visit that were off the beaten path that we would have missed on our own. Highly recommend Emilie.

We like to travel independently and Emilie was fantastic in providing us everything we needed to do so. We had wonderful information to read beforehand and received maps and GPS coordinates to get us where we needed to go.This is a great service to use to set up your hotel and car arrangements along with suggested itineraries that can be modified …

We like to travel independently and Emilie was fantastic in providing us everything we needed to do so. We had wonderful information to read beforehand and received maps and GPS coordinates to get us where we needed to go.This is a great service to use to set up your hotel and car arrangements along with suggested itineraries that can be modified. We will use her for another trip to a different part of France.

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