GCSE Speaking Test: Hints and Tips  French dictionary
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Essential GCSE vocab

Here is some very basic French vocabulary, most of which doesn't look much like the English equivalent. One or two look like the English word, but there's a phrase that often goes with the word that's worth knowing. You'll almost certainly need various of these words in the GCSE tests. Make sure you know them as well as you can:

 If you have an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, you may also like to consider the site's French Vocab Games app.

mon amimy (male) friend
mon amiemy (female) friend
avec mes ami(e)swith my friends
en Angleterrein/to England
de l'argentsome money
(à) la banque(to/at) the bank
du beurresome butter
une boissona drink
le brasthe arm, my arm, his/her arm etc
le bureauthe office
un cadeau (pour...)a present (for...)
un caféa coffee
la caissethe checkout, till
la cartethe menu; the map; the card
une chambrea bedroom (in a house); a room (in a hotel)
un chata cat
le chevalthe horse
les cheveuxthe hair, my hair, his hair etc
un chiena dog
la cléthe key
mon/un copainmy/a (male) friend; my boyfriend
ma/une copinemy/a (female) friend; my girlfriend
(de quelle) couleur(what) colo(u)r
un couteaua knife
une cuillèrea spoon
(je prends) une douche(I'm having/I'll have) a shower
(à) l'école(at) school
un(e) enfanta child
de l'essencesome petrol/"gas"
(mal à) l'estomacstomach (ache)
une fillea girl/daughter
un filsa son
une fourchettea fork
en Francein/to France
(mon) frère(my) brother
des fritessome chips, fries
du fromagesome cheese
un garçona boy
(à) l'hôtel(at) the hotel
(une bonne) idée(a good) idea
le journalthe newspaper
du laitsome milk
un livrea book
un oignonan onion
le magasina shop
la maison; à la maisonthe house/home; at home
un médecina doctor
la merthe sea, seaside
(ma) mère(mum) mum, mother
une notea schoolmark; a note
de la nourrituresome food
un oeufan egg
du painsome bread
un pantalona pair of trousers
(mon) père(my) dad, father
des pommessome apples
des pommes de terresome potatoes
(à/sur) la plage(at/on) the beach/seaside
du pouletsome chicken
(il y a) un problème avec...(there's) a problem with...
mon/ma profmy teacher
la sallethe hall, (large) room; the room (in certain expressions)
la salle des bainsthe bathroom
le savonthe soap
(ma) soeur(my) sister
du sucresome sugar
la téléthe TV
un timbre (pour l'Angleterre)a stamp (for England)
(mal à) la têtehead(ache)
(où sont) les toilettes(where are) the toilets, (where is) the toilet
(en) vacances(on) holiday, vacation
la valisethe suitcase
de la viandesome meat
la villethe town
une voiturea car
les voisinsthe neighbours
le volthe flight
les yeuxthe eyes, my eyes, his/her eyes etc

Learn also:

 These French greetings, except for the bottom box;
 French numbers up to about 60 (at the very least, make sure you know 1-20, plus the "teens" 30, 40, 50, 60).

Days of the week and time words

Learn the days of the week and months of the year. Learn the basic words from these pages (tomorrow, yesterday), plus a few expressions to do with frequency:

d'habitudeusually
souventoften
pas très souventnot very often, seldom, rarely
normalementnormally
de temps en tempsfrom time to time
toujoursalways

Adjectives / adverbs

Here are some common adjectives in French,
MasculineFeminineMeaning
grandgrandebig, large; tall
petitpetitesmall, little
lentlenteslow
rapiderapidefast
beaubellegood-looking, beautiful
jolijoliepretty
vieuxvieilleold
âgéâgéeelderly
nouveaunouvellenew
dangereuxdangereusedangerous
simplesimplesimple
compliquécompliquéecomplicated
anglaisanglaiseEnglish
françaisfrançaiseFrench
ennuyeuxennuyeuseboring
préférépréféréefavo(u)rite
heureuxheureusehappy
tristetristesad
cassécasséebroken
malademaladeill, poorly
mortmortedead

The following work in a similar to adjectives, although some people would class them as adverbs (for example, they never change their form in the plural etc).

loinfar away
tout prèsnearby

The following are useful for using with adjectives:

je suis...I am...
il est...he is...
elle est...she is...
c'est...it's...
très...very...
un peu...a bit, a little...

Learn also:

 Just the top list of colours in French

Basic verbs

j'achèteI buy
j'aideI help
j'aimeI like
j'apprendsI learn, I'm learning
je commenceI start, begin
je comprendsI understand
je continueI continue
je dîneI have dinner
je donneI give
je dorsI sleep
j'espèreI hope
j'étudieI'm studying
j'écouteI listen (to)
j'habite (à)I live (in)
je mangeI eat
je nettoieI clean
je parleI speak, talk
je payeI pay (for), I'll pay (for)
je pense (que)I tihnk (that)
je présenteI present, introduce
je prendsI take; I'll have, eat, take
je regardeI watch
je termineI finish
je travailleI work, am working
je trouveI find
je vendsI sell
je voisI see, can see
je voyage (en/par)I travel (by)

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Latest update: 2 March 2012.