| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| une maison | ün may-ZOHN | a house |
| un appartement | uhn ah-par-tuh-MAHN | an apartment |
| un immeuble | uhn ee-MUHBL | an apartment building |
| un studio | uhn stü-dee-OH | a studio flat |
| un logement | uhn lozh-MAHN | housing, accommodation |
| le rez-de-chaussée | luh ray-duh-shoh-SAY | the ground floor |
| le premier étage | luh pruh-mee-ay ay-TAHZH | the first floor (one up) |
| un ascenseur | uhn ah-sahn-SUHR | a lift, elevator |
| un jardin | uhn zhar-DAN | a garden, yard |
| un balcon | uhn bal-KOHN | a balcony |
| le quartier | luh kar-tee-AY | the neighbourhood |
| un voisin / une voisine | uhn vwah-ZAN | a neighbour |
In France, le rez-de-chaussée is street level and le premier étage is one flight up — so a French "first floor" is an American second floor. In a French lift, the button you usually want is RC or 0, not 1.
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| la cuisine | lah kwee-ZEEN | the kitchen |
| le salon | luh sah-LOHN | the living room |
| la salle à manger | lah sahl ah mahn-ZHAY | the dining room |
| la chambre | lah SHAHNBR | the bedroom |
| la salle de bains | lah sahl duh BAN | the bathroom (with a bath) |
| les toilettes | lay twah-LET | the toilet (a separate room!) |
| le couloir | luh koo-LWAHR | the hallway |
| le bureau | luh bü-ROH | the study, office |
| le sous-sol | luh soo-SOL | the basement |
| le grenier | luh gruh-nee-AY | the attic |
| le garage | luh gah-RAHZH | the garage |
In most French homes the toilet is genuinely a separate little room from the bathroom. Asking Où est la salle de bains ? may get you shown to a room with a bathtub and no toilet. The polite public phrasing is Où sont les toilettes, s'il vous plaît ?
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| un lit | uhn LEE | a bed |
| une table | ün TABL | a table |
| une chaise | ün SHEZ | a chair |
| un canapé | uhn kah-nah-PAY | a sofa |
| une armoire | ün ar-MWAHR | a wardrobe |
| un placard | uhn plah-KAR | a cupboard, closet |
| un frigo / un réfrigérateur | uhn free-GOH | a fridge |
| une cuisinière | ün kwee-zee-nee-AIR | a stove |
| un four | uhn FOOR | an oven |
| un lave-vaisselle | uhn lahv-vay-SEL | a dishwasher |
| une machine à laver | ün mah-sheen ah lah-VAY | a washing machine |
| une fenêtre | ün fuh-NETR | a window |
| une porte | ün PORT | a door |
| les clés | lay KLAY | the keys |
Almost every chore in French is built with faire, which makes this vocabulary quick to assemble.
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| faire le ménage | fair luh may-NAHZH | to do the housework |
| faire la vaisselle | fair lah vay-SEL | to do the dishes |
| faire la lessive | fair lah lay-SEEV | to do the laundry |
| faire les courses | fair lay KOORS | to do the grocery shopping |
| faire la cuisine | fair lah kwee-ZEEN | to cook |
| faire le lit | fair luh LEE | to make the bed |
| passer l'aspirateur | pah-say lahs-pee-rah-TUHR | to vacuum |
| ranger | rahn-ZHAY | to tidy up |
| nettoyer | nay-twah-YAY | to clean |
| sortir les poubelles | sor-teer lay poo-BEL | to take out the bins |
| arroser les plantes | ah-roh-zay lay PLAHNT | to water the plants |
Faire les courses is the weekly food shop. Faire les magasins or faire du shopping is browsing for clothes. Mixing them up produces a mild but very recognisable comedy: Je fais les courses while holding a designer bag.
Daily routine is where reflexive verbs live. Read this timeline aloud — it is the single most useful paragraph you can memorise at this level.
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Je me réveille à six heures et demie. | zhuh muh ray-VAY | I wake up at 6:30. |
| Je me lève tout de suite. | zhuh muh lev too duh SWEET | I get up right away. |
| Je prends une douche. | zhuh prahn ün DOOSH | I take a shower. |
| Je m'habille. | zhuh mah-BEEY | I get dressed. |
| Je prends mon petit-déjeuner. | zhuh prahn mohn puh-tee day-zhuh-NAY | I have breakfast. |
| Je pars au travail à huit heures. | zhuh par oh trah-VYE | I leave for work at eight. |
| Je rentre vers dix-huit heures. | zhuh rahntr vair dee-zwee-TUHR | I get home around six p.m. |
| Je fais à manger. | zhuh fay ah mahn-ZHAY | I make something to eat. |
| Je me couche vers onze heures. | zhuh muh koosh vair ohnz UHR | I go to bed around eleven. |
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| d'habitude | dah-bee-TÜD | usually |
| tous les jours | too lay ZHOOR | every day |
| le matin / le soir | luh mah-TAN / luh SWAHR | in the morning / in the evening |
| avant / après | ah-VAHN / ah-PRAY | before / after |
| tôt / tard | toh / tar | early / late |
| vers | vair | around (a time) |
| tout de suite | too duh SWEET | right away |
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| louer | loo-AY | to rent |
| le loyer | luh lwah-YAY | the rent |
| les charges | lay SHARZH | utilities / building fees |
| le propriétaire | luh pro-pree-ay-TAIR | the landlord |
| le locataire | luh lo-kah-TAIR | the tenant |
| un bail | uhn BYE | a lease |
| une caution | ün koh-SYOHN | a deposit |
| meublé / non meublé | muh-BLAY | furnished / unfurnished |
| Combien fait le loyer ? | kohn-bee-en fay luh lwah-YAY | How much is the rent? |
| Les charges sont comprises ? | lay sharzh sohn kohn-PREEZ | Are utilities included? |
Flats are advertised by total rooms, not bedrooms: a T2 or F2 means living room plus one bedroom. Rent is monthly, charges comprises or not, and a deposit is une caution. Moving day is un déménagement, and almost everyone rents unfurnished — often without a fitted kitchen.
Québec counts rooms the same way but says it aloud: un trois et demi (3½) means one bedroom, living room, kitchen and the "half" bathroom. Leases famously run July 1 to June 30 — la fête du déménagement. Landlord is le proprio, and heating (le chauffage) is a real line item in the budget.
1. You're on the ground floor in Paris and want to stay there. Which button?
2. In a café, you need the toilet. You ask:
3. Je fais les courses means:
4. In Québec, un trois et demi is: