First Phrases

Language café · Français

Language café in French: 10 phrases for tonight

You are there to practise, so mistakes are the point. Say what you are learning, ask people to slow down, and ask them to correct you.

Register: Informal (friendly). Language cafés in France are casual: "tu" is normal with other learners. Switch to "vous" with an older person or staff.

How to read the sounds: Say the vowel through your nose where you see n/m after it (on, an, in); don't sound the n. r is a soft throat sound. Final consonants are mostly silent. Stress falls on the last syllable and is marked in CAPITALS.

10 phrases, door to goodbye

  1. 01 · Arriving
    Salut ! Enchanté(e) de vous rencontrer.
    Say it like: sah-LOO! on-shon-TAY duh voo ron-kon-TRAY
    Hi! Nice to meet you all.
  2. 02 · Saying you're new
    C'est ma première fois et j'apprends le français.
    Say it like: say mah pruh-MYAIR FWAH ay zhah-PRON luh fron-SAY
    It's my first time and I'm learning French.
  3. 03 · Asking how it works
    Comment ça marche ? On parle en petits groupes par langue ?
    Say it like: ko-MON sah MARSH? on PARL on puh-TEE GROOP par LONG
    How does it work? Do we talk in small groups by language?
  4. 04 · Small talk
    Ça fait longtemps que tu apprends des langues ?
    Say it like: sah fay lon-TON kuh too ah-PRON day LONG
    Have you been learning languages for long?
  5. 05 · Small talk
    Quelle est ta langue maternelle ?
    Say it like: kel ay tah long mah-tair-NEL
    What's your native language?
  6. 06 · Small talk
    Quelle langue est la plus difficile pour toi ?
    Say it like: kel long ay lah ploo dee-fee-SEEL poor TWAH
    Which language is hardest for you?
  7. 07 · Slow down
    Tu peux parler plus lentement, s'il te plaît ?
    Say it like: too puh par-LAY ploo lont-MON, seel tuh PLAY
    Could you speak more slowly, please?
  8. 08 · Asking for a word
    Comment dit-on « slow » en français ?
    Say it like: ko-MON dee-TON "slow" on fron-SAY
    How do you say "slow" in French?
  9. 09 · Being corrected
    Tu peux me corriger si je me trompe ?
    Say it like: too puh muh ko-ree-ZHAY see zhuh muh TROMP
    Can you correct me if I get it wrong?
  10. 10 · Leaving & keeping in touch
    Merci pour la conversation ! On se retrouve un autre jour pour un échange ?
    Say it like: mair-SEE poor lah kon-vair-sah-SYON! on suh ruh-TROOV un OH-truh ZHOOR poor un ay-SHONZH
    Thanks for the conversation! Shall we meet another day for an exchange?

3 things you will probably hear

  1. H1 · You may hear
    Quelle langue tu veux pratiquer ?
    Say it like: kel long too vuh prah-tee-KAY
    Which language do you want to practise?
  2. H2 · You may hear
    Prends ton temps, je te comprends.
    Say it like: pron ton TON, zhuh tuh kon-PRON
    Take your time, I understand you.
  3. H3 · You may hear
    Toutes les dix minutes, on change de langue.
    Say it like: toot lay dee mee-NOOT, on shonzh duh LONG
    Every ten minutes we switch language.

Go and try it

Find language cafés on speak.comealone.app

Quick answers

What do I say when I arrive alone at a language café in French?

Start with: "Salut ! Enchanté(e) de vous rencontrer." (Hi! Nice to meet you all.). Then say you are new: "C'est ma première fois et j'apprends le français." (It's my first time and I'm learning French.)

Should I use informal or formal French at a language café?

Language cafés in France are casual: "tu" is normal with other learners. Switch to "vous" with an older person or staff.

How do I ask to meet again after a language café in French?

Try: "Merci pour la conversation ! On se retrouve un autre jour pour un échange ?" (Thanks for the conversation! Shall we meet another day for an exchange?)

Same evening, another language

Español Français Deutsch Português Italiano Suomi

French, another evening

Pub quiz Padel & pickleball Run club Sauna Book club Dinner with strangers Language café

All 7 × 6 cards · Phrases for a specific event near you

How it works

  1. Pick the evening and the language people will speak.
  2. Read the ten phrases in order: they follow the evening from the door to goodbye. Tap the speaker to hear each one in your device's voice.
  3. Print the card or keep it open on your phone. Native-speaker review is still pending; a "check" mark flags a phrase we are least sure of.
  4. Find the event on Come Alone, open it in Meet & Mint to see who else is going, and say the first phrase for real.

firstphrases.app/tonight/cafe/fr/ · Meet & Mint