While speaking some French will be very useful if you plan to visit the Eiffel Tower, it is also widely spoken in countries scattered across the globe - places to which you might travel on a mission trip one day! For example, did you know that French is an official language of such diverse locations as Burkina Faso, Belgium, Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Chad, Guinea, Haiti, Madagascar, Mali, Monaco, Niger, Rwanda, Togo, the Canadian province of Quebec, French Polynesia, and Vanuatu? Just finding all of those places on amap could be a geography lesson in itself!

GREETINGS AND GOODBYES
Hello (informal) | Salut! | sah-LOO
Hello (formal) | Bonjour! | bohn-ZJHOOR
How are you? (informal) | Ça va? | sah-VAH
How are you? (formal) Comment allez-vous? | cohm-ehn-tahl-eh-VOO
I’m fine, thank you. | Ça va, merci. | sah VAH mehr-SEE
My name is ______ | Je me’appelle ______ | jzhuh mah-PEHL
What is your name? | Comment vous appelez-vous? | coh-mahn vooz ah pehl ae VOO
Pleased to meet you! Au plaisier! or Enchanté! | oh plae-SEER / ahn-shahn-TAE
Goodbye (informal) | Salut! | sah-LOO
Goodbye (formal) | Ah revior | aur-reh-VWAHR
God bless you | Dieu vous bénisse | DEE-uh voo-behn-EES

ETIQUETTE
Note: in the following two phrases, you barely say the L, so it comes out more like “see voo PLAE,” but the L is still there…
Please (informal) |S’il te plait | seel teh PLAE
Please (formal) |S’il vous plait | seel voo PLAE
Thank you | Merci | mehr-SEE
Thank you very much | Merci beaucoup | mehr-SEE boe-COO
You’re welcome | De rien | deh ree-EHN
Excuse me (informal) |Excuse moi | ex-coos MWAH
Excuse me (formal) | Excusez moi | ex-coos-ae MWAH
I’m sorry | Pardon | pahr-DOHN

SHOPPING
How much does this cost? | Combien ça coûte? | cohm-bee-EHN sah coh-OOT

OTHER USEFUL PHRASES
Yes | Oui | wee
No | Non | Noh
Help! | Au secours! | oh seh-COOR
Where is the bathroom? | Où sont les toilettes? | ooh sohn leh tawh-LEHT
I don’t understand. | Je ne comprends pas. | jzheh neh cohm-prahn PAH
How old are you? | Quel âge as tu? | kehl ahge ah TOO?
I am __ years old. | J’ai __ ans. | jzhay __ ahn
I’m from the United States | Je viens des Etats-Unis | jzheh vee-ehn DEZ eh-TAHZ-oon-EE
Are you a Christian (m) | Êtes-vous Chrétien? | eh-tae-voo creh-tee-AHN?
Are you a Christian (f) | Êtes-vous Chrétienne? | eh-tae-voo creh-tee-EHN?
How do you say _____ in French? | Comment dites-vous ____ en Français? | cohm-ehn dee-tae-voo ___ ahn frahn-SAY
What is your favorite color? | Quelle est ta couleur préferée? | kehl eh cool-uhr preh-fehr-EH?
What is your favorite sport? | Quel est ton sport préferé? | kehl eh tohn spohr preh-fehr-EH?