You do not need thousands of words to start. A small core of high-frequency vocabulary lets you understand and say a surprising amount. Here is a daily-life starter list.
Around the home
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la maison | house |
| la porte | door |
| la fenêtre | window |
| la cuisine | kitchen |
| la famille | family |
Food and drink
| French | English |
|---|---|
| l’eau (f.) | water |
| le pain | bread |
| le café | coffee |
| le fromage | cheese |
| manger / boire | to eat / to drink |
Time and descriptions
| French | English |
|---|---|
| aujourd’hui | today |
| demain | tomorrow |
| hier | yesterday |
| grand / petit | big, tall / small, short |
| bon / mauvais | good / bad |
How to memorise them
- Learn the article with the noun: say “le pain”, not just “pain”.
- Label your home: stick French notes on real objects.
- Use short sentences: “Je bois de l’eau.” beats a lonely word.
- Review often: five minutes a day works better than one long session.
Next, put these words to work in our guide to French verbs.