Does anyone speak french? if so help me!!!?

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Rosebud

Hi,
Can I try this one ? est-ce que je peux essayer ?
how much is this : combien ça coûte ?
or : quel est le prix ?
Everybody understand a little english language, even they are not able to speak right. My advice, about french vocabulary, to buy a Guide, french/english, with the sentences and important words, it's the beginning of a travel, when you go to Rio you listen to some portugese words, to have your breakfast, your lunch and run in the city ! In Paris it's same, a small book with you is very well. I am living in a very touristic district, I meet a lot of foreigners people with a map, a subway map, with a small dictionnary, don't forget in your luggage, on Juanuary, I was in Beijing, I had my small book in my handbag, Chineese don't speak english, just a little in the touristic area, not easy !
Welcome in Paris !
OK Schoom_, in the touristic areas there are a lot of sellers speaking English.

Sierra L

Je voudrais.. = i would like.. and then u can just read the label of wotever it is you need..

numbers

1=un
2=deux
3=trois
4=quatre [pronounced like kat ra]
5=Cinq
6=six
7=sept
8=huit.. [pronounced like wheat]
9=neuf
10=dix

sil vous plait = please [say it like. see vu play]

merci=thank you

lundi=monday
mardi=tueday
mecredi=wednesday
jeudi=thursday
vendredi=friday
samedi=saturday
dimanche=sunday

Ou est = where is

le magasin = the shops

j'ai un mal au ventre = i have a belly ache

and j'ai un mal de tete= i have a head ache

(just incase u need that!)

il ya a un problem= i have a problem

C'est trop grande/petite = its too big/small

colours for shopping

bleu=blue

rouge=red

rose=pink

blanc=white

vert=green

violet=purple

noire=black

anything else u wanna no,
write back =)

schoom_91

Rodebud should be french, his translations are neat, not as my english ^^
just an advice, in Paris, a lot of people are speaking english paticularly in tourist areas, but try to ask in french before they invite you in english, and don't rush when you are speaking, it is rarely their mother language :-D
Et bienvenue a vous

livibend18

c'est combien? - how much is this?
merci beaucoup- thank you so much
je peux essayer ceci- i can try this on

stephmag

hi, my first language is french but canadian french when you want to paris the french is a little bit different.

Can i try this on: Est-ce que je pourrais asseiller ceci?
How much is it: Combien ça coûte?/quel est le prix?/
where is ...: où est le/la....
thank's/thank's a lot: merci/merci beaucoup
the dinner was delicious: le repas étais très bon/le repas étais succulant/delicieux.

if you want to know anything else about french i can help you let me know.

lynda l

can I try this on - est-ce que je peut essayer?
how much is this - c'est combien?

don't worry when people wants to communicate in any languages even with signs, they always get around it.. it might take longer but eventually people will make the effort to understand.. Enjoy your stay in Beautiful Paris!

soph

its actually bonne journée or bon jour;
bonne soirée or bon soir
you have to be careful with the masculine and feminine words, because they are written differently and there is more of an emphasis on the feminine words than the masculine words (although it is sometimes hard to tell)

some of the translations that other people have given you have been slightly off ... maybe translated on the web which often gives you bad translations.

Some other useful things you might want to say:

ou se trouve...?
where is...
the toilet = la toilette
the restaurant = le restaurant
the cafe = le café
the train station = le metro / la gare
the supermarket - le supermarché
the store = le magasin
the library = le bibliothèque
the carpark = le parking
the taxi = le taxi

Also things to say that might be useful
(les phrases qui peuvent être utile)
Hi / Hello = salut
See you soon = a bientôt
car = la voiture
hotel = l'hôtel
apartment = l'appartement (m)

Where am I? Ou suis-je?
Where are we? Ou sommes-nous?

How are you? Comment ça va? (or comment allez-vous)
Where are you? Ou es-tu? (ou êtes-vous?)

J'ai mal a la tête = I have a headache
j'ai mal au ventre = I have a stomach ache
I am sick = Je suis malade
Where is the hospital? = Ou est l'hôpital / ou se trouve l'hôpital?

Can I try this on? = Est ce que je peux l'essayer?
Peux-je l'essayer?
Est ce que je peux essayer ce(tte)...... (insert noun here)

How much does this cost?
Combien ce coute ce(tte)...(insert noun)

a ticket = un billet
money = l'argent
clothes = vêtements
shoes = chaussures
bag = sac

I love = j'adore
I like = j'aime...
I don't like = je n'aime pas...
I hate = je hais / je deteste...

cinema = le cinema
film = le film

help! = au secours! / aide moi!
stop! = arrete!

my name is = je m'appele
What is your name = comment t'appelle tu?
or comment vous appelez-vous (polite)

C'est tous que j'ai le temps pour te dire maintenant...
bonne chance et bon voyage!

Strasburger

How much is that? Combien ça coûte?
Can I try this? Est ce que je peux essayer?
If I can give you an advice take small dictionnary and speak slowly to the french

Leanne

For most simple phrases, you can plug them into Babelfish (http://babelfish.altavista.com/) and get the translations. Just don't rely on it for anything that may be an idiom (ie.: "let's get out of here!") or anything long. The program is very literal and you will end up saying some very silly things.

Problem with just reading French phrases on the internet or in books, is that French does not follow the same phonetics as English and many of the letters in words are either said with nasal dipthongs -- which n'existe pas (don't exist) in English -- or are just not said AT ALL! An example is:

they sing = ils chantent = ill shawnt.

What happened to the 'ent' at the end?! Ignored completely, that's what!

Below I've included a few phrases I find I use quite a bit here. I can't vouch for all the French spellings, but I've included the English phonetic spellings (well, as close as I can get) so you can say them with a bit of confidence. Remember that the French have a gutteral 'R'. Also, I've indicated the nasal dipthongs with (ng). The closest way I can explain how they're said is with an English word like, "long". When you see (ng) think to yourself about the word, "long", and say it without finishing the 'g' sound, stopping the flow of air through your nose. It should be something like you might sound if you said 'long' with a stuffed up nose. It's embarrassing for Anglophones to try these sounds but just keep this in mind: The reason why most Frenchmen end-up saying "zees, zat and zoze", or "dees, dat and doze" instead of "this, that and those" is because they're subconsciously embarrassed to stick out their tongues to make the 'th' sound! Funny, huh! It just feels so odd and rude to them that most won't even attempt it!

Have fun in France! It's a wonderful country. If you try to speak their language, 99.99% of the Frenchmen you'll encounter will either help you out, break into English for your benefit or politely tell you they don't understand and usually look around for someone who does! These people are VERY civilized for the most part and if you're not too pushy and don't talk too loud (they are very quiet and don't understand why Americans 'yell' at each other when we talk!) they will bend over backwards to help you not feel silly. Just remember to be patient, don't take yourself too seriously, make eye contact and smile a lot (but not too big -- that's seen as simple-minded here), say please and thank you to anyone who helps you, hello and good-bye to EVERY shopkeeper and waiter as you arrive and leave (as though you have visited them in their home) -- and you'll be all set!

Hello.
Bonjour. bo(ng) joor

Goodbye.
Au revoir. oh reh vwaw

...please.
...s'il vous plait. see voo play (this word is often abbreviated on signs as S.V.P.)

Thank you very much.
Merci beaucoup. mare-see boh koo

Have a nice day.
Bon journee. bo(ng) joor-nay

Have a nice evening.
Bon soiree. bo(ng) swaw-ray

How much is this?
Combien le prix? kohm-bee-en luh pree

I would like... (a small coffee with milk) (a hot chocolate)
Je voudrais... (un noisette) (un chocolat chaud) juh voo-dray (a(ng) nwaw-zet) (a(ng) shaw-koh-law shoh)

I need...
J'ai besoin... jay bez-wa(ng) [the 'wa(ng)' syllable sounds like when you mimic a baby crying -- 'wah wah wah']

Do you have... (my size?) (another color?)
Avez-vous... (ma taille?) (un autre colouer?) ah-vay voo... (mah tah-yay) (a(ng)-noh-trah koo-lure)

Do you take credit cards?
Prenez-vous le carte bleue? preh-nay voo luh cart-uh bluh?

The check/bill, please.
L'addition, s'il vous plait. lah-dee-see-o(ng), see voo play

waiter: Merci, Mademoiselle.
you: Merci a vous. mare-see ah voo

Pardon me. (to get someone's attention)
Pardonne moi. par-dohn mwa

I don't speak French.
Je ne parle pas le français. juh nuh parl pah luh fraw(ng)-say

Sorry!
Desolee! deh-zoh-lay

I am an American.
for gals: Je suis americaine. juh swee zah-mare-ee-ken
for guys: Je suis americain. juh swee zah-mare-ee-ka(ng)

Do you speak English?
Parlez vous l'anglais? par-lay voo long-glay

I am lost.
Je suis perdue. juh swee pare doo

Help!
Au secouer! oh suh koor

DECIPHERING SIGNS:
Attention! = Careful!
Tirez = Pull
Poussez = Push
Arrete = Stop
Interdit = Forbidden
S.V.P. = Please

BooBoo

Can I try this on - peux je l'essayer

how much is this - combien sont cela

anything else you think i will need on a trip to paris -autre chose vous croyez que j'aurai besoin sur un voyage à Paris

for more information u can translate on line here is the site add:

http://translation2.paralink.com/lowres.asp or form

http://www.google.com/translate_t

hope the infromation was useful to u. have a nice day.

CNW

How much does this cost? Combien ce coût ?
Can I try this on? Est-ce que je peux essayer ceci ?

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