French speech delights listeners with its beauty and melody. Many of us have more than once had the desire to “speak like the French,” and we frantically grabbed at textbooks, dictionaries and phrasebooks in order to master this art on our own. But speaking French correctly is a real skill, which is not easy and not easy to acquire. It is very difficult to acquire French pronunciation, even in a course or individually with a teacher. However, this is not a reason to despair and give up this business. In this article we will try to explain, without complicated concepts and terms, how to learn how to pronounce some of the sounds of the French language.

Everyone recognizes French speech by its specific sound [r], this is its main distinctive feature... It is he who presents the greatest difficulty in language learning. At the same time, it is he who is associated with most people with "truly" French pronunciation. So, we learn to pronounce the sound [r] correctly.

There are many different methods to help you get the correct pronunciation of this tricky sound. One of the simplest and most common is gargling with water and then doing the same without water. Another efficient way- pronunciation of two sounds [g] and [r] together.

Some people think that when studying sounds, the rule should be observed: the more you repeat, the better you will get. In reality, this is not the case. The main thing is to learn how to properly position your tongue in your mouth! Since this is the main mistake leading to incorrect pronunciation.

Quite often, students get a slightly sibilant approximate pronunciation instead of the beautiful French sound [r]. The sound is not as deep as it should be, that is, not quite French.

One sound - two types of pronunciation

The first option is the “unsonic” sound, a bit harsh [r]. It is quite difficult to pronounce it, therefore, words consisting of letters, among which there are two consonants in a row, become a real challenge for students. This is felt when pronouncing words such as groupe (group), travail (work), promenade (walk), proportion (proportion, ratio), etc.

But the second one is easier to pronounce, it is closer to the original speech. As a rule, this is a combination of the sound [r] with some kind of vowel sound. For example, radis (radish), roche (rock), rime (rhyme), etc.

What's the difference? The fact is that in the two described options, the tongue in the mouth is in different locations. In the first version, it lies flat, resting against B lower teeth, while in the second - the tongue is bent in an arc, resting with the tip UNDER the lower dentition. This is a very important feature. After experimenting, you will notice that pronunciation changes with the position of the tongue. Thus, you do not need to spend hours training this sound, you just need to understand the principle.

Having dealt with the correct position of the tongue, you can proceed to consolidating the skills. French sayings with growling words will help here. For example, “Mon père est maire, mon frère est masseur” (“My father is the mayor, my brother is a masseur”) or “Dans la gendarmerie, quand un gendarme rit, tous les gendarmes rient dans la gendarmerie” (“In the gendarmerie, when the gendarme laughs, all the gendarmes laugh in the gendarmerie ").

The vowel sounds [y] and [œ]

The French sound [y] will not be easy to pronounce correctly the first time. If we compare it with the sounds in Russian, then it is something in between the phonemes [yu] and [y]. Often, students pronounce this sound as Russian [y], mistakenly believing that there is no difference. However, this is very important, since incorrect pronunciation of a given phoneme can completely change the meaning of the phrase. Here's an example; "C'est une rue" (This is a street) or "C'est une roue" (This is a wheel).

The examples above are harmless, but there are also comical situations that you can get into by confusing the pronunciation of some words. For example, "nous" is "we", and "nu" is translated as "naked"). In order not to amuse the interlocutors and not to be embarrassed, one must learn to distinguish these vowel sounds and try to pronounce them correctly. This will help the repetition of tongue twisters: "Douze douches douces" and "As-tu vu le tutu de tulle de Lili d'Honolulu?"

Say these phrases and you will notice how clearly you can hear the difference between [u] and [y]. Repeat tongue twisters as often as possible, this will help you soon learn to distinguish these sounds.

In French, there is another special vowel sound [œ], the correct pronunciation of which indicates that you are already a true French. This sound is the middle form between such sounds of the Russian language as [o] and [yo].

How to pronounce this sound correctly? The upper lip needs to be lifted up (remember how it is done in the wild world of chimpanzees). Next, a pen or pencil should be placed on the raised upper lip and clamped, thus fixing this position. Then, carefully removing the stationery from your lip, you should try to make the sound [œ].

To consolidate the result, read the following words several times: acteur, coeur, chaleur, soeur, peur, tracteur, directeur.

Nasal sounds

And finally, let's talk about nasal sounds. Their correct pronunciation is due, again, to the correct formulation of the vocal apparatus. One rule should be remembered: if it is the sound [e (n] - "pain", then the position of the mouth is the same as when pronouncing the sound [ɛ], not [a]. Often students make mistakes, confusing these sounds. For comparison: center - cintre.

Here, as in the case of the sounds [u] and [y], the meaning of the phrase depends on the pronunciation (the first word, for example, is translated as “center”, and the second as “hanger”). This is why it is so important to learn how to pronounce them correctly.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that anything is possible if you wish. Correct French pronunciation can be achieved by understanding the underlying phonetics and practicing regularly. Success in your studies!

Magnificent France is a country of romance and hearts in love. Traveling to France is the dream of every couple in love. There is everything for a romantic getaway.

Nice cozy cafes, wonderful hotels, a lot of entertainment and nightclubs. Holidays in France will appeal to any person, whatever their tastes. This is a unique, very diverse country. And if you also communicate with its inhabitants, you will completely fall in love with this wonderful corner of the Earth.

But in order to communicate with the local population, you need to know at least the basics of the French language, or have at hand our Russian-French phrasebook, which consists of important sections.

Common phrases

Phrase in Russian	Translation	Pronunciation
Yes.	Oui.	Wee.
no.	Non.	Non.
please.	S'il vous plait.	Sil woo ple.
Thanks.	Merci.	Mercy.
thank you very much.	Merci beaucoup.	Mercy sideways.
sorry, but I can't	excusez-moi, mais je ne peux pas	excuse moa, me zhyo nyo pyo pa
OK	bien	bian
OK	d'accord	dakor
Yes, sure	oui, bien sûr	uy, bian sur
now	tout de suite	tu deux suite
of course	bien sûr	bian sur
agreed	d'accord	dakor
how can I be useful (official)	comment puis-je vous aider?	coman puij wu zede?
friends!	camarades	camarade
colleagues! (officers)	cheres collegues!	Shar Coleg
young woman!	mademoiselle!	mademoiselle!
sorry, I didn’t hear.	je n'ai pas entendu	zhe ne pa zantandu
repeat please	repetez, si'il vous plait	rapate, sil woo ple
please …	ayez la bonte de ...	aye la bonte deux ...
sorry	pardont	sorry
sorry (drawing attention)	excusez-moi	excuse muah
we already know	nous nous sommes connus	well, catfish for a horse
glad to meet you	je suis heureux (se) de faire votre connaissance	same sui yoryo (z) de faer votr conesans
very happy)	je suis heureux	zhyo xui yoryo (yoreoz)
very nice.	enchante	Anshante
my surname …	mon nom de famille est ...	mon nom de surname uh ...
let me introduce	parmettez - moi de me presenter	permete moa de meo prazante
let me introduce	permettez - moi de vous presenter le	permete moa do wu prazante le
meet	faites connaissance	fat conesans
what is your name?	comment vous appellez - vous?	team woo swim?
My name is …	Je m'appelle	Same mapel
Let's get acquainted	Faisons connaossance	Fouzon konesans
there's no way I can	je ne peux pas	zhyo nyo pa
I would love to, but I can't	avec plaisir, mais je ne peux pas	avek plezir, me zhyo nyo pyo pa
I have to refuse you (official)	je suis oblige de refuser	zhyo xui oblizhe dyo refuze
in no case!	jamais de la vie!	jame de la vie
never!	jamais!	jamet
it is absolutely impossible!	c’est impossible!	se tenposible!
thanks for the advice …	mersi puor votre conseil ...	mesri pur votr consay ...
I will think	je penserai	same pansre
I will try	je tacherai	same tashre
I will listen to your opinion	je preterai l’ireille a votre opinion	same pretre leray and votr opignon

Appeals

Phrase in Russian	Translation	Pronunciation
Hello)	bonjour	bonjour
good day!	bonjour	bonjour
good morning!	bonjour	bonjour
Good evening!	(bon soire) bonjoure	(bonsoire) bonjour
welcome!	soyer le (la) bienvenu (e)	suay le (la) bienvenu
Hey! (not official)	salut	salu
Greetings! (officer.)	je vous salue	woo salu
Goodbye!	au revoir!	o rovoir
good luck	mes couhaits	me suet
all the best	mes couhaits	me suet
see you soon	a bientôt	a biento
till tomorrow!	a demain!	and dyomen
Farewell)	adieu!	adieu
let me take my leave (official)	permettez-moi de fair mes adieux!	permete moa de faer me zadyo
while!	salut!	salu
good night!	bon nuit	Bon Nui
have a good trip!	bon voyage! bonne route!	bon voayage! Bon Root!
hello yours!	saluez votre famile	salue votr family
how are you?	comment ça va?	komansa va
What's up?	comment ça va?	komansa va
thank you, OK	merci, ça va	merci, sa va
everything is fine.	ça va	sa va
everything is the same	comme toujours	com tujour
fine	ça va	sa va
wonderful	tres bien	tre bien
not complaining	ça va	sa va
no matter	tout doucement	tu dusman

At the train station

Phrase in Russian	Translation	Pronunciation
where is the waiting room?	qu est la salle d'attente &	have a la sal dante?
already announced registration?	a-t-on deja annonce l'enregistrement?	aton deja announces lianrezhiströman?
have they already announced boarding?	a-t-on deja annonce l’atterissage?	aton deja announce latarisage?
please tell me flight no ... is not delayed?	dites s'il vous plaît, le vol numero ... est-il retenu?	dit silvuple, le will numero ... ethyl retienu?
where is the plane landing?	Òu l'avion fait-il escale?	at lavignon fetil escal?
is this flight direct?	est-ce un vol sans escale?	es en wol san zescal?
how long is the flight?	combien dure le vol?	combinen dur le vol?
me, please, a ticket to ...	s'il vous plaît, un billet a des tination de ...	sil vuple, en biye and destinacion de ...
how to get to the airport?	comment puis-je arriver a l'aeroport?	coman puijarive a laeropor?
is the airport far from the city?	est-ce que l'aeroport est loin de la ville?	esque laeropor e luen de la ville?

At customs

Phrase in Russian	Translation	Pronunciation
customs inspection	controle douanier	doo control
customs	douane	duane
I have nothing to declare	je n'ai rien a daclarer	same ne ryen a deklyare
can i take my bag with me?	est-ce que je peux prendre ce sac dans le salon?	eskyo pyo prandr syo sak dan le saleon?
I only have carry-on luggage	je n'ai que mes bagages a main	zhyo ne kyo me luggage a meng
business trip	pour affaires	pur afair
tourist	comme touriste	com tourist
personal	sur invitation	sur evitation
this is …	je viens ...	same vien ...
exit visa	de sortie	de sort
entry visa	d'entree	dantre
transit visa	de transit	de transit
I have …	j'ai un visa ...	zhe en visa ...
I am a citizen (citizen) of Russia	je suis citoyen (ne) de Russie	zhyo xui sitayen dyo ryushi
here is the passport	voici mon passeport	voisy mont passport
Where is passport control?	qu controle-t-on les passeport?	do control-tone le passport?
I have ... dollars	j'ai… dollars	er ... dolyar
They are gifts	ce sont des cadeaux	syo son de kado

In a hotel, hotel

Phrase in Russian	Translation	Pronunciation
can i reserve a room?	Puis-je reserver une chambre?	Puij Rezerve Yun Shaumbra?
room for one.	Une chambre pour une personne.	Un shaumbr pur jun person.
room for two.	Une chambre pour deux personnes.	Un shaumbr pur de person.
I have ordered a room	on m'a reserve une chambre	he ma rezerve un shaumbra
not very expensive.	Pas tres cher.	Pa tre sher.
how much does a room cost per day?	Combien coute cette chambre par nuit?	Combine Coot Set Chaumbre Par Nuits?
for one night (for two nights)	Pour une nuit (deux nuits)	Poor yun newey (dyo newy)
I would like a room with a telephone, TV and bar.	Je voudrais une chambre avec un telephone, une television et un bar.	Same woodrae yoon shaumbra avek he telefon young television uh he bar
I booked a room in the name of Katrin	J'ai reserve une chambre au nom de Katrine.	Je rezerwe yun shaumbre o nom de catherine
Please give me the keys to the room.	Je voudrais la clef de ma chambre.	Zhe woodre la claf deu ma chaumbre
are there any messages for me?		Avewu de mesage pur mua?
what time do you have breakfast?	Avez-vous des messages pour moi?	And kel yor servevu lёpёti dejone?
hello reception, could you wake me up tomorrow at 7 am?	Allo, la reception, pouvez-vous me reveiller demain matin a 7 heures?	Ale la rasaptsion puwe wu myo reveye deman matan a set (o) er?
I would like to pay off.	Je voudrais regler la note.	Same woodre ragle la notes.
I'll pay in cash.	Je vais payer en especes.	Zhe ve paye an espes.
I need a single room	pour une personne	zhe beuzuen dune chaumbre purune person
room…	dans la chambre il-y-a ...	dan la chaumbre ilya ...
with phone	un telephone	en phone
with bath	une salle de bains	un sal de bain
with shower	une douche	un shower
with tv	un poste de television	en post deux television
with refrigerator	un refrigerateur	en refrager
room for a day	(une) chambre pour un jour	un shaumbra pur en zhur
room for two days	(une) chambre pour deux jours	un shaumbre pur deux
what is the price?	combien coute ...?	combjen cout ...?
what floor is my room on?	a quel etage se trouve ma chambre?	and kaletazh sotruv ma shaumbra?
where is … ?	qu ce trouve (qu est ...)	u uh (uh) ...?
a restaurant	le restaurant	le restoran
bar	le bar	le bar
elevator	l'ascenseur	lasancer
a cafe	la cafe	le cafe
room key please	le clef, s'il vous plait	leo kle, sil woo ple
please take my things to the room	s'il vous plait, portez mes valises dans ma chambre	Sil Woo Ple, Porte Mae Valise Dan Ma Shaumbre

City walks

Phrase in Russian	Translation	Pronunciation
where can i buy ...?	qu puis-je acheter ...?	have puizh ashte ...?
city ​​map	le plan de la ville	le pliane de la ville
guide	le guide	le guide
what to see first?	qu'est-ce qu'il faut regarder en premier lieu?	keskilfo ryogarde en prömier leö?
I'm in Paris for the first time	c'est pour la premiere fois que je suis a Paris	se pur la premiere foie kyo zhui e pari
what is the name of …?	comment s’appelle ...?	coman sapel ...?
this street	cette rue	Set Ryu
this park	ce parc	this park
Where is "here …?	qu se trouve ...?	do you have troubles ...?
railway station	la gare	la gar
please tell me where is ...?	dites, s'il vous plait, où se trouve ...?	dit, silvuple, have these troubles ...?
hotel	l'hotel	lethel
I am a visitor, help me get to the hotel	je suis etranger aidez-moi, a arriver a l’hotel	same xui zetrange, ede-mua a arive a letel
I'm lost	je me suis egare	same myo xui zegare
how to get to …?	comment aller…?	command room ...?
to the city center	au center de la ville	oh santre de la ville
to the train station	a la gare	a la gar
how to get outside ...?	comment puis-je arriver a la rue ...?	coman puij arive a la ryu ...?
it is far from here?	c'est loin d'ici?	se luan disi?
can you get there on foot?	puis-je y arriver a pied?	pyuzh and arive and pyo?
I'm looking for …	je cherche ...	same shersh ...
bus stop	l'arret d'autobus	lare dotobyus
exchange office	la bureau de change	la bureau deux
where is the post office?	qu se trouve le bureau de poste	do you have a trouve le bureau de post?
please tell me where is the nearest department store	dites s'il vous plait, qu est le grand magasin le plus proche	dit silvuple u e le grand magazin le plu pros?
telegraph?	le telegraphe?	le telegraph?
where is the pay phone?	qu est le taxiphone	Do you have a taxi phone?

In transport

Phrase in Russian	Translation	Pronunciation
Where can I get a taxi?	Ou puis-je prendre un taxi?	Do puij prandr en taxi?
Call a taxi, please.	Appelez le taxi, s'il vous plait.	Aple le taxi, sil woo ple.
How much does it cost to get to ...?	Quel est le prix jusqu'a ...?	Kehl e le pri jucca ...?
Take me to ...	Deposez-moi a ...	Depoze mua ah ...
Take me to the airport.	Deposez-moi a l'aeroport.	Depoze mua a laeropor.
Take me to the train station.	Deposez-moi a la gare.	Depoze mua a la gar.
Take me to the hotel.	Deposez-moi a l’hotel.	Depoze mua a letel.
Take me to this address.	Conduisez-moi a cette adresse, s'il vous plait.	Conduise mua a set address sil vu ple.
Left.	A gauche.	And gosh.
Right.	A droite.	A druate.
Directly.	Tout droit.	Tu drois.
Stop here, please.	Arretez ici, s'il vous plait.	Arete ishi, sil woo ple.
Could you wait for me?	Pourriez-vouz m'attendre?	Purie wu matander?
This is my first time in Paris.	Je suis a Paris pour la premiere fois.	Same sui a pari pur la premier foie.
This is not my first time here. The last time I was in Paris was 2 years ago.	Ce n'est pas la premiere fois, que je viens a Paris. Je suis deja venu, il y a deux ans.	Syo ne pa la prémierre foie kyo je vyan a pari, same sui dejya vonyu ilya dezan
I've never been here. It is very beautiful in here	Je ne suis jamais venu ici. C'est tres beau	Zhe ne sui zhame wenyu isi. Se tre bo

In public places

Emergencies

Phrase in Russian	Translation	Pronunciation
Help!	Au secours!	O sekur!
Call the police!	Appelez la police!	Aple la policy!
Call a doctor.	Appelez un medecin!	Aple en medsen!
I'm lost!	Je me suis egare (e)	Same myo xui egare.
Stop thief!	Au voleur!	O volor!
Fire!	Au feu!	About fe!
I have a (small) problem	J'ai un (petit) probleme	same yeon (chi) problems
help me please	Aidez-moi, s'il vous plait	ede mua sil woo ple
What's wrong with you?	Que vous arrive-t-il?	Kyo vuzariv til
I feel bad	J'ai un malaise	Same (oh) yeon malez
I'm sick	J'ai mal au coeur	Same boy
I have a headache / stomach ache	J'ai mal a la tete / au ventre	Same mal a la tete / o vantre
I broke my leg	Je me suis casse la jambe	Same myo sui kase lyazhamb

Numerals

Phrase in Russian	Translation	Pronunciation
1	un, une	en, yun
2	deux	doyo
3	trois	trois
4	quatre	kyatr
5	cinq	senk
6	six	sis
7	sept	set
8	huit	whit
9	neuf	noof
10	dix	dis
11	onz	ons
12	douze	douz
13	treize	trez
14	quatorze	kyatorz
15	quinze	kenz
16	seize	sez
17	dix-sept	diset
18	dix-huit	design
19	dix-neuf	diznoof
20	vingt	van
21	vingt et un	weng te en
22	vingt-deux	wen doyo
23	vingt-trois	van trois
30	trente	trante
40	quarante	tran te en
50	cinquante	senkant
60	soixante	suasant
70	soixante-dix	suasant dis
80	quatre-vingt (s)	quatreux van
90	quatre-vingt-dix	quatreux weng dis
100	cent	dignity
101	cent un	santen
102	cent deux	san de
110	cent dix	san dis
178	cent soixante-dix-huit	san suasant diz unit
200	deux cents	de san
300	trois cents	Trois San
400	quatre cents	katryo san
500	cinq cents	Sank Sun
600	six cents	si san
700	sept cents	set sun
800	huit cents	yui san
900	neuf cents	nef san
1 000	mille	miles
2 000	deux mille	do miles
1 000 000	un million	en milon
1 000 000 000	un milliard	en miliard
0	zero	zero

In the shop

Phrase in Russian	Translation	Pronunciation
please show me this.	Montrez-moi cela, s'il vous plait.	montre mua selya, sil woo ple.
I would like to…	Je voudrais ...	same wood ...
give it to me please.	Donnez-moi cela, s'il vous plait.	done moa selya, sil woo ple.
how much is it?	Combien ca coute?	combian sa kut?
what is the price?	C'est combien?	combiene coot
please post this.	Ecrivez-le, s'il vous plait	ekrive le, sil woo ple
too expensive.	C'est trop cher.	se tro cher.
it's expensive / cheap.	C'est cher / bon marche	se cher / bon marshae
sale.	Soldes / Promotions / Ventes.	sold / Promo / Vant
can i measure it?	Puis-je l'essayer?	Puij l'esaye?
where is the fitting room?	Ou est la cabine d'essayage?	Do e la cab desayyazh?
my size 44	Je porte du quarante-quatre.	The same port du karant kyatr.
do you have it in XL size?	Avez-vous cela en XL?	Ave wu selya an ixel?
what size is it? (clothes)?	C'est quelle taille?	Se qel tai?
what size is it? (shoes)	C'est quelle pointure?	Sae qel pointeure?
I need a size…	J'ai besoin de la taille / pointure ...	Je beuzuan de la tai / pointeure
do you have….?	Avez-vous ...?	Ave wu ...?
do you accept credit cards?	Acceptez-vous les cartes de credit?	Axeptevu le carte de credit?
do you have an exchange office?	Avez-vous un bureau de change?	Aaveu is he bureau de blackjack?
until what hour do you work?	A quelle heure fermez-vous?	And kel yor ferme wu?
whose production is this?	Ou est-il fabrique?	Do the ethyl factory?
something cheaper for me	je veux une chambre moins chere	zhe wyo un shaumbre muen sher
I'm looking for a department ...	je cherche le rayon ...	same shersh le rayon ...
shoes	des chaussures	de shosur
haberdashery	de mercerie	de marshury
clothes	des vetements	de vetman
can I help you?	puis-je vous aider?	puij wuzede?
no thanks i'm just looking	non, merci, je regarde tout simplement	non, merci, jyo regard that sampleman
when does the store open (close)?	quand ouvre (ferme) se magasin?	kan uvr (farm) syo magazen?
Where is the nearest market?	q'u se trouve le marche le plus proche?	at this trouve le march le pluch?
you have …?	avez-vous ...?	ave-woo ...?
bananas	des bananes	te banana
grape	du raisin	du raisin
a fish	du poisson	du poisson
please kilogram ...	s'il vous plait un kilo ...	sil vuple, en keele ...
grapes	de raisin	de rezen
a tomato	de tomates	de tomato
cucumbers	de concombres	de concombre
give me please …	donnes-moi, s'il vous plait ...	don-mua, silpuvple ...
a pack of tea (oil)	un paquet de the (de beurre)	en pake de te (de bor)
a box of chocolates	une boite de bonbons	un booit de bonbon
a jar of jam	un bocal de confiture	en glass de confiture
a bottle of juice	une bou teille de jus	un butei do jyu
loaf of bread	une baguette	un baguette
a carton of milk	un paquet de lait	en pake de le

In the restaurant

Phrase in Russian	Translation	Pronunciation
what is your specialty?	qu set-ce que vous avez comme specialites maison?	keskyo vvu zave com spesyalite maison?
Menu, please	le menu, s'il vous plait	le myonu, silvuple
what do you recommend to us?	que pouvez-vouz nous recommander?	kyo puwe-woo well ryokomande?
not busy here?	la place est-elle occupee?	la dance etal okyupe?
for tomorrow, at six o'clock in the evening	pour demain a six heures	pur deemen and seeseur du soir
Hello! can I book a table ...?	allo! puis-je reserver la table ...?	hello, puij rezervé la table ...?
for two	pour deux	pur de
for three persons	pour trois	pur trois
for four	pour quatre	pur katr
I invite you to a restaurant	je t'invite au restaurant	same tenwit about restoran
let's have dinner at a restaurant tonight	allons au restaurant le soir	al'n o restoran le soir
here is a cafe.	boire du cafe	boir du cafe
where can …?	qu peut-on ...?	have a peton ...?
eat tasty and inexpensive	manger bon et pas trop cher	mange bon e pa tro sher
have a quick bite	manger sur le pouce	mange sur le pus
to drink coffee	boire du cafe	boir du cafe
please …	s'il vous plait ...	sylvuple ..
Omelet with cheese)	une omlette (au fromage)	un omelette (about fromage)
sandwich	une tarine	un tartin
Coca Cola	un coca-cola	en coca-cola
ice cream	une glace	un glas
coffee	un cafe	en cafe
i want to try something new	je veux gouter quelque chose de nouveau	same ve gute kelkyoshoz de nouveau
please tell me what is ...?	dites s'il vous plait quest ce que c'est que ...?	dit silvuple kyoskuse kyo ...?
is it a meat (fish) dish?	c'est un plat de viande / de poisson?	seten pia du vyand / de poisson?
would you like to taste the wine?	ne voulez-vous pas deguster?	no woo-woo pa degyuste?
what do you have …?	qu'est-ce que vous avez ....?	keskyo wu zave ...?
for a snack	comme hors-d'oeuvre	com order
for dessert	comme dessert	com deser
what drinks do you have?	qu'est-se que vous avez comme boissons?	keskyo wu zave com boisson?
bring it please …	apportez-moi, s'il vous plait ...	aporte moa silvuple ...
mushrooms	les champignons	le champignon
chicken	le poulet	le bullet
Apple pie	une tart aux pommes	un tart o pom
me, please, some vegetables	s'il vous plait, quelque chose de legumes	silvuple, kelkyo shos de legum
I am a vegetarian	je suis vegetarien	zhe xui vajetarien
me please ...	s'il vous plait ...	silvuple ...
fruit salad	une salade de fruits	un salad d'fruy
ice cream and coffee	une glace et un cafe	un glas e en kafe
very tasty!	c'est tr'es bon!	se tre bon!
you have great cuisine	votre cuisine est excellente	votr cuisin etexelant
The check, please	l'addition, s'il vous plait	lyadision silvuple

Tourism

Phrase in Russian	Translation	Pronunciation
Where is the nearest exchange office?	Ou se trouve le bureau de change le plus proche?	Wu se trouve le bureau de chang le plu pros?
Can you change these travelers checks?	Remboursez-vous ces checks de voyage?	Ramburse wu se shek de voyage?
What is the exchange rate?	Quel est le cours de change?	Kehl e le kur de shange?
How much is the commission?	Cela fait combien, la commission?	Selya fe kombian, la comision?
I want to exchange dollars for francs.	Je voudrais changer des dollars US contre les francs francais.	Zhe woodre blackjet de dolyar US counter le francais.
How much do I get for $ 100?	Combien toucherai-je pour cent dollars?	Kombian tushrezh pur san dolyar?
What time do you work until?	A quelle heure etes-vous ferme?	And kel yor etvu farme?

Greetings is a list of words that you can use to greet or greet the people of France.

Standard phrases are all you need to maintain or develop a conversation. Common words used in daily conversation.

Train Station - Frequently asked questions at train stations and common words and phrases that will come in handy both at the train station and at any other station.

Passport control - having arrived in France, you have to go through passport and customs control, this procedure will be easier and faster if you use this section.

Orientation in the city - if you do not want to get lost in one of the big French cities, keep at hand this section from our Russian-French phrasebook. With it, you will always find your way.

Transport - When traveling in France, you will have to use public transport on several occasions. We have collected translations of words and phrases that will be useful to you in public transport, taxis and more.

Hotel - translation of phrases that will be very useful to you during registration at the hotel and throughout your stay in it.

Public places - with the help of this section you can ask passers-by what interesting things can be seen in the city.

Emergencies are a topic that should not be neglected. With its help, you can call an ambulance, the police, call passers-by for help, report that you feel bad, etc.

Shopping - when going shopping, do not forget to take a phrasebook with you, or rather this topic from it. Everything that is in it will help you make any purchases, from vegetables on the market to branded clothing and shoes.

Restaurant - French cuisine is famous for its sophistication and you will most likely want to taste its dishes. But in order to order a meal, you need to know at least minimal French in order to be able to read the menu or call the waiter. In this, this section will serve you as a good helper.

Numbers and Numbers - a list of numbers from zero to one million, their spelling and correct pronunciation in French.

Tours - translation, spelling and correct pronunciation of words and questions that will come in handy for every tourist on a trip more than once.

French is one of the most studied languages ​​in the world. Whether you want to go to a university in France, work for a French company, travel the country or learn French for fun, you need to have a good grasp of French pronunciation before you can speak.

Love Language is also famous for its complex reading rules. You've probably heard that in a French word, half of the letters are often not readable at all. It may be difficult at the initial stage of learning French, but with regular practice in reading, you will soon notice that you can already read French without difficulty and the reading rules are automatically remembered.

For a beginner, the French "R" is especially difficult. To learn how to pronounce French words correctly, at the initial stage of training, we recommend studying with a teacher. In this article, we will look at general rules French pronunciation and we will try to make out some of them.

French alphabet

We should start with the alphabet. Let's listen to the pronunciation of French letters and repeat them after the announcer:

So, in French there are 26 letters, in addition to which there are also spelling signs:

“- trema means that the vowel above which it stands must be pronounced separately from the previous one: maïs .

`- accent grave denotes an open syllable: bière .

? - accent aigu means a closed syllable: école .

^ - accent circonflexe indicates the longitude of the sound: la fête .

c - c cedille denotes a soft "c" sound: le garçon .

French consonants

1. Voiced consonants are always pronounced clearly and are not stunned at the end of a word: parade , téléphone , Arabe .
2. Under stress and before consonants r,s,z,v,j,g vowel sounds take on longitude: base ,bagage .
3. Double consonants are read as one: personne , adresse , professeur , classe , tasse .
4. Letters and letter combinations t,d,s,x, z,g,p, es,ts,ps,ds(and r after e, except for some adjectives and nouns, for example: hiver , cher ) at the end of a word are not read: appétit , prix , Bernard , nez , aller ... Exception: dix , six .
5. Letter s between vowels gives the sound [z]: Lise , Basile , surprise ... Otherwise it is read as [s].
6. Letter x between vowels gives a sound: examen , exercice , exotique .
7. Letter x gives sound in words: texte , taxi , expédition ,extra .
8. Letter c keeps its sound [s] in front of i,e,y: Alice , Lucie , ici , farce , merci , trace .
9. Otherwise, the letter c gives the sound [k]: caravane , casino , café ... After nasal vowels c the end of the word is not readable: banc .
10. Letter g has a sound [w] before i,e,y: girafe , gelée , agiotage .
11. Otherwise, the letter g gives a sound - [g]: bagage , grotte , wagon , tango , golfe .
12. Combination gn gives the sound [ny]: ligne .
13. Letter h never read: hobby .
14. Letter y between the vowels you need to sort it out into two letters i and read according to the rest of the rules: loyal==> loi - ial = .
15. Letter l always reads softly: London .
16. ch gives sound (sh): chapeau .
17. ph gives sound [f]: photo
18. Letter t gives the sound [s] before i + vowel: alimentation , except amitié , pitié ... If before t there is a letter s, then t reads like [t]: question .
19. qu reads [k]: quoi .

We have covered the basic rules for pronunciation and reading of consonants in French. Practice your pronunciation by listening to the voice overs of the words above. I also suggest watching the tutorial video and practicing.

French "R"

Now I would like to dwell on the sound, which is especially difficult for many who are just starting to learn French. You probably already guessed that it is French "R"... Not everyone can pronounce it the first time, but here, as in learning any language, the main thing is constant training. The "R" sound is the back row sound. Try to pronounce the Ukrainian sound "G". Now, without changing the position of the speech apparatus, say "R". Practice repeating the words after the announcer in the following video:

One more good video for training "R".

French vowels

1. The stress in a word always falls on the last syllable.
2. In the process of speaking fluent french e may drop out of pronunciation: acheter .
3. Conjugation in French means that the last unpronounceable consonant of a word is combined with the first vowel of the next word: elle est a llemande .
4. Letter i before a vowel and a combination il after the vowel at the end, words are read like [j]: ail ... Exceptions: miel ,ciel .
5. Letter combination ill reads like [j] or: famille ... Exceptions: ville , mille , tranquille .
6. Letter combination oi gives a semi-vowel sound: crois .
7. Letter combination ui gives a semi-vowel sound: oui .
8. Letter combination ou gives the sound [u]: pour .
9. Letter combinations eau,au give the sound [o]: beaucoup , manteau .
10. Letter è and the letter ê give a sound: crème , tête .
11. Letter é reads like [e]: télé .
12. Letter combination eu and the letter e(in an open unstressed syllable) read like this: neuf , regarder .
13. Letter combinations ai and ei read as: sais .
14. Letter combinations an, am, ru, em give a nasal sound: enfant .
15. Letter combinations on, ohm give a nasal sound: nom .
16. Letter combinations in,im, ein, aim, ain, yn, ym give a nasal sound: jardin , copain .
17. Letter combinations un, um give a nasal sound: brun .
18. Letter combination ien reads: tien .
19. Letter combination oin reads: soin .
20. Letter y between consonants reads like [i]: stylo .
21. A vowel is not read at the end of words e: lige and verb ending ent: ils travaillent .

Like the article? Support our project and share with your friends!

Let's start with reading rules. I only beg you: do not try to learn them right away! Firstly, it will not work - after all, there are a lot of them, and secondly, it is not needed. Everything will settle down over time. You can just peek at this page from time to time. The main thing is to read them carefully (you can even take more than one sitting), look at examples, try to do the exercises and check yourself - there is a sound next to the exercises - the way the French pronounce the same words.

In the first six lessons, in a separate tab, you will find a cheat sheet for all French reading rules, so that all the material from this page in a compressed form will always be at your fingertips. :)

In the first six lessons, in a separate tab, you will find a cheat sheet for all French reading rules, so that all the material from this page in a condensed form will always be at your fingertips. :)

The main thing to remember is that the reading rules there is... This means that, knowing the rules, you can always - almost always - read an unfamiliar word. This is why French does not require transcription (only in the case of fairly rare phonetic exceptions). The beginning of the first five lessons is also devoted to reading rules - there you will find additional exercises to consolidate the skills. Starting with the third lesson, you can download sound and listen to detailed explanations of the reading rules given by a professional phonetician.
Let's start learning :) Let's go!

In French, the stress ALWAYS falls on the last syllable ... This is news to you, isn't it? ;-)

-s, -t, -d, -z, -x, -p, -g (and also their combinations) at the end of words DO NOT READ.

Vowels

e, è, ê, é, ё under stress and in a closed syllable reads like "e": fourchette [buffet] - fork. "But there is a nuance" (c) that can be neglected at the initial stage. Reading a letter e in all its guises is discussed in detail at the third lesson from the very beginning - I must say, there are many.

e v unstressed syllable reads approximately like the German "ö" - like the letter "ё" in the Möbius word: menu [myonyu], regarder [regarde]. In order to make this sound, you need to stretch your lips forward with a bow (as in the picture below) and at the same time pronounce the letter "e".

In the middle of words in an open syllable, this letter is thrown out altogether during pronunciation (e is fluent). So, for example, the word carrefour (intersection) is read as [kar "fur] (unstressed" yo "in the middle of the word is not pronounced). It would not be a mistake to read it [karefur], but when you speak quickly, it falls out, as it turns out to be a weak sound Épicerie (grocery) reads [epis "ri]. Madeleine- [Madeleine].

Metro station "Madeleine" in Paris

And so - in so many words. But you shouldn't be afraid - the weak "e" will fall out on their own, more it's natural :)

In our country, this phenomenon also occurs in speech, we just do not think. For example, the word "head": when we pronounce it, the first vowel is so weak that it falls out, and we practically do not pronounce it and speak [chapter]. I'm not even talking about the word "eleventh", which we pronounce as [eleventh] (I found this in my son's notebook; at first I was horrified: how could you make so many mistakes in one word, and then I realized that the child just wrote it down by ear - we really pronounce it like that :).

e at the end of words (see exceptions below) it is not readable (it is sometimes pronounced in songs and poems). If there are any signs above it, it is always readable, wherever it stands. For example: régime [mode], rosé [rose] - rosé wine.

In monosyllabic words e at the end of words it is read - if you don't read it there, you won't form a syllable at all. These are articles, prepositions, pronouns, demonstrative adjectives: le [le], de [de], je [zh], me [me], ce [sy].

Unreadable ending -s, which forms the plural in nouns (something familiar, right?) and adjectives, if it appears, does not make a letter -e at the end of a word readable: régime and régimes are read the same - [mode].

-er at the end of words reads like "e": conférenci er[entertainer] - speaker, ateli er[studio], dossi er[dossier], canotier, collier, croupier, portier and finally foyer. You will find -er at the end of all regular verbs: parl er[parle] - to talk, mang er[mange] - is; -er is the standard ending for French regular verbs.

a- reads like "a": valse [waltz].

i(including with icons) - reads like "and": vie [vi] - life (quickly remember "C" est la vie ":).

o- reads like "o": locomotive [locomotive], compote[compote] - fruit puree.

u reads like "u" in the word "muesli". Example: cuvette reads [ditch] and means "ditch", parachute [parachute] means "parachute" :), the same happens with purée and c confiture(jam).

To get an open sound "y", use the combination ou(this is familiar from English: you, group [group], router [router], tour [tour]). Souvenir [souvenir] - memory, fourchette [buffet] - fork, carrefour [carrefour] - intersection; pronouns nous (we) reads [well], vous (you and you) reads [woo].

Consonants

Letter l reads in a relaxed manner: étoile [etual] - star, table [table] - table, banal [banal] - banal, canal [channel], carnaval [carnival].

g reads like "g", but before e, i and y it reads like "f". For example: général - reads [general], régime [mode], agiotage [excitement]. A good example of the word garage - reads [garage] - the first g front a reads firmly, and the second g front e- as "well".

Letter combination gn reads like [нь] - for example, in the name of the city Cognac[horse] - Cognac, in words champi gn ons [champignon] - mushrooms, champa gn e [champagne] - champagne, lor gn ette [lorgnette] - binoculars.

c reads "k", mas ca rade [masquerade] already mentioned by us co mpote and cu vette. But before three vowels e, i and y it reads "s". For example: ce rtificat read [certificate], vélo ci pède - [bike], moto cy cle - [motocycle].

If you need to change this behavior, that is, make this letter read like [c] in front of other vowels, a tail is attached to it at the bottom: Ç and ç ... Ça reads [sa]; garçon [garcon] - boy, maçon (bricklayer), façon (style), façade (facade). The famous French greeting Comment ça va [coma ~ sa va] (or more often just ça va) means "how are you", but literally "how is it going". You can see in the movies - they say hello like that. One asks: “Ça va?”, The other answers: “Ça va, ça va!”.

At the ends of words c is rare. Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule of when it is read and when it is not. This is simply remembered for each word - there are few of them: for example, blanc [bl "an] - white, estomac [estoma] - stomach and tabac[taba] is not readable, but cognac and avec are readable.

h is not readable NEVER. As if she is not there. Except for the combination "ch". Sometimes this letter acts as a separator - if it occurs inside a word between vowels, this indicates their separate reading: Sahara [sa "ara], cahier [ka" ye]. In any case, it itself is not readable. For this reason, by the way, the name of one of the most famous cognac houses Hennessy pronounced correctly (surprise!) as [ansi]: "h" is not readable, "e" is fluent, double ss stands for muting s and as double [c] is not readable (see below the rule for reading the letter s); other pronunciations are categorically wrong. I bet you didn't know that! :)

Combination ch gives the sound [w]. For example, chance [chance] - luck, luck, chantage [blackmail], cliché [cliche], cache-nez [muffler] - a scarf (literally: hides his nose);

ph reads like "f": photo. th reads like "t": théâtre [theater], thé [those] - tea.

p reads like a Russian "p": portrait [portre]. In the middle of a word, the letter p in front of the t is not read: sculpture [sketch].

j- reads like a Russian "zh": bonjour [bonjour] - hello, jalousie [blinds] - envy, jealousy and blinds, sujet [plot] - a plot.

s reads like a Russian "s": geste [gesture], régisseur [director], chaussée [highway]; between two vowels s voiced and read like "z": fuselage [fuselage], limousine [limousine] - very intuitive. If it is necessary to make the s voiceless between vowels, it is doubled. Compare: poison [poisson] - poison, and poisson [poisson] - fish; the same Hennessy - [Ansi].

The rest of the consonants (are there many of them left? :) - n, m, p, t, x, z- read more or less obviously. Some of the little things about reading x and t will be described separately - more for order. Well and n and m in combination with vowels give rise to just a whole class of sounds, which will be described in a separate, most interesting section.

Here is a list of the words given above as examples - before doing the exercise, it is better to listen to the French pronouncing these words.

menu, regarder, carrefour, régime, rosé, parler, cuvette, parachute, confiture, souvenir, fourchette, nous, vous, étoile, table, banal, canal, carnaval, général, valse, garage, cognac, champignons, champagne, certificat, chance, théâtre, thé, portrait, sculpture, bonjour, sujet, geste, chaussée.