Whether you’re planning a trip to France, exploring French culture, or simply want to expand your child’s language skills, building a strong vocabulary is a crucial step. However, memorizing hundreds of new words can be a significant challenge, especially for kids. 

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of 200+ easy French words and phrases for kids, along with tips and tricks to help them memorize the vocabulary quickly and effectively! From common household items to favorite foods, these words will not only help your child speak French with native speakers but also make learning a new language fun and engaging. 

Let’s get started!

Common French Words and Phrases – Basic Conversation and Greetings

By introducing the following common French words and phrases, you can help your child develop a strong foundation in French language vocabulary that will serve them well as they begin to speak.

• “Bonjour” – Hello
• “Bon matin” – Good morning
• “Bon après-midi” – Good afternoon
• “Bonsoir” – Good evening/night
• “Au revoir” – Goodbye
• “Comment ça va?” – How are you?
• “Très bien, merci. Et toi?” – Very good, thanks. And you?
• “Je vais bien.” – I am well.
• “Je ne vais pas bien.” – I’m not doing well.
• “Enchanté(e).” – Nice to meet you.
• “Comment t’appelles-tu?” – What is your name?
• “Je m’appelle _____ “- My name is _____.
• “À plus tard.” – See you later.
• “À demain.” – See you tomorrow.
• “Bonne chance.” – Good luck.
• “Merci” – Thank you.
• “De rien” – You’re welcome.
• “S’il vous plaît” – Please
• “Je suis désolé(e).” – I’m sorry.
• “Oui” – Yes
• “Non” – No

Basic French Words – Colors

Colors are some of the easiest French words for kids to learn. Here are some simple French words for colors that you can teach your children:

• “Bleu” – Blue
• “Rouge” – Red
• “Jaune” – Yellow
• “Vert” – Green
• “Violet” – Purple
• “Orange” – Orange
• “Rose” – Pink
• “Marron” – Brown
• “Blanc” – White
• “Noir” – Black
• “Gris” – Gray
• “Doré” – Golden
• “Argenté” – Silver

Basic French Words and Phrases – Numbers

Numbers are some of the easiest French words for kids to learn. Here are some simple French words for numbers that you can teach your children:

• “Un” – 1
• “Deux” – 2
• “Trois” – 3
• “Quatre” – 4
• “Cinq” – 5
• “Six” – 6
• “Sept” – 7
• “Huit” – 8
• “Neuf” – 9
• “Dix” – 10
• “Onze” – 11
• “Douze” – 12
• “Treize” – 13
• “Quatorze” – 14
• “Quinze” – 15
• “Seize” – 16
• “Dix-sept” – 17
• “Dix-huit” – 18
• “Dix-neuf” – 19
• “Vingt” – 20
• “Vingt et un” – 21
• “Vingt-deux” – 22
• “Vingt-trois” – 23
• “Vingt-quatre” – 24
• “Vingt-cinq” – 25
• “Vingt-six” – 26
• “Vingt-sept” – 27
• “Vingt-huit” – 28
• “Vingt-neuf” – 29
• “Trente” – 30
• “Trente et un” – 31
• “Trente-deux” – 32
• “Trente-trois” – 33
• “Trente-quatre” – 34
• “Trente-cinq” – 35
• “Quarante” – 40
• “Cinquante” – 50
• “Soixante” – 60
• “Soixante-dix” – 70
• “Quatre-vingts” – 80
• “Quatre-vingt-dix” – 90
• “Cent” – 100
• “Deux cents” – 200
• “Trois cents” – 300
• “Quatre cents” – 400
• “Cinq cents” – 500
• “Six cents” – 600
• “Sept cents” – 700
• “Huit cents” – 800
• “Neuf cents” – 900
• “Mille” – 1000

Here also are some common French phrases that involve numbers:

• “Combien ça coûte?” – How much does it cost?
• “Combien y en a-t-il?” – How many are there?
• “Quel âge as-tu?” – How old are you?
• “J’ai dix ans.” – I am ten years old.
• “J’ai vingt ans.” – I am twenty years old.

Basic French Words – Days of the Week

Days of the week are important vocabulary words that your child can learn in French. Here is a list of the days of the week in French:

• “Quel jour sommes-nous?” – What day is it?
• “Lundi” – Monday
• “Mardi” – Tuesday
• “Mercredi” – Wednesday
• “Jeudi” – Thursday
• “Vendredi” – Friday
• “Samedi” – Saturday
• “Dimanche” – Sunday

Basic French Words – Months of the Year

The months of the year in French are also relatively easy for children to learn. Here is a list of the months in French:

• “janvier” – January
• “février” – February
• “mars” – March
• “avril” – April
• “mai” – May
• “juin” – June
• “juillet” – July
• “août” – August
• “septembre” – September
• “octobre” – October
• “novembre” – November
• “décembre” – December

Basic French Words – Seasons

With only four words to memorize, seasons are also a great way to help your child learn some basic French words.

• “L’été” – Summer
• “L’automne” – Autumn/Fall
• “L’hiver” – Winter
• “Le printemps” – Spring

Common French Words – Family Members

Learning the words for family members can be an excellent way for your child to start speaking French with you and the rest of your family. Here are some examples of common family words:

• “La famille” – family
• “Le père” – father
• “La mère” – mother
• “Le fils” – son
• “La fille” – daughter
• “La grand-mère” – grandmother
• “Le grand-père” – grandfather
• “La sœur” – sister
• “Le frère” – brother
• “La tante” – aunt
• “L’oncle” – uncle
• “Le cousin” – cousin (male)
• “La cousine” – cousin (female)

Common French Words – Body Parts

Body parts are another great place to start with learning French, as these words are easy to point out and help children understand. Here are some keywords:

• “Le corps” – body
• “La tête” – head
• “L’oreille” – ear
• “Les yeux” – eyes
• “La bouche” – mouth
• “Le nez” – nose
• “Les pieds” – feet
• “La main” – hand
• “Le cou” – neck
• “Le doigt”- finger
• “Les cheveux” – hair
• “Le bras” – arm
• “La jambe” – leg

Common French Words – Food and Drinks

Teaching common words for food and drinks is an excellent way to give your child plenty of opportunity to learn French through repetition. Here are some vocabulary words for food and drinks in French:

• “C’est l’heure de manger” – It’s time to eat.
• “Le petit déjeuner” – breakfast
• “Le déjeuner” – lunch
• “Le dîner” – dinner
• “Le goûter” – snack
• “La nourriture” – food
• “Les céréales” – cereal
• “Le hamburger” – hamburger
• “La viande” – meat
• “Le bœuf” – beef
• “Le porc” – pork
• “Le poulet” – chicken
• “La dinde” – turkey
• “Le poisson” – fish
• “Le pain” – bread
• “Le riz” – rice
• “Le toast” – toast
• “Le fromage” – cheese
• “Le yaourt” – yogurt
• “La boisson” – drink
• “L’eau” – water
• “Le lait” – milk
• “Le jus” – juice
• “Le jus d’orange” – orange juice
• “Les fruits” – fruit
• “La pomme” – apple
• “Le raisin” – grape
• “La poire” – pear
• “L’orange” – orange
• “La fraise” – strawberry
• “La pêche” – peach
• “La cerise” – cherry
• “La banane” – banana
• “Les légumes” – vegetables
• “Le champignon” – mushroom
• “La carotte” – carrot
• “La tomate” – tomato
• “Le brocoli” – broccoli
• “L’oignon” – onion
• “L’ail” – garlic
• “Le concombre” – cucumber
• “Le poivron” – pepper
• “La laitue” – lettuce
• “Le dessert” – dessert
• “Le sucre” – sugar
• “Le gâteau” – cake
• “Le biscuit” – cookie
• “La glace” – ice cream

Common French Words – Household Objects and Rooms

Objects around your house are also easy for kids to learn in French because they’ll have visual cues to help kids remember the words whenever they’re at home. Here are some of the most common French words for household objects and rooms:

• “La maison” – house
• “La cuisine” – kitchen
• “Le salon” – living room
• “La chambre” – bedroom
• “Le garage” – garage
• “La salle de bain” – bathroom
• “La salle à manger” – dining room
• “Le jardin” – garden/yard
• “La fenêtre” – window
• “La porte” – door
• “Le plancher” – floor
• “L’escalier” – stairs
• “La chaise” – chair
• “La table” – table
• “Le téléphone” – phone
• “Le miroir” – mirror
• “L’horloge” – clock
• “La douche” – shower
• “La baignoire” – bathtub
• “La serviette” – towel
• “Le savon” – soap
• “La brosse à dents” – toothbrush
• “Le dentifrice” – toothpaste
• “Le shampooing” – shampoo
• “Le lit” – bed
• “L’oreiller” – pillow

Common French Words – Animals

Does your child love animals? Well, then they’ll definitely want to learn the French words for them! Here are some examples of common animals in French:

• “Le chien” – dog
• “Le chat” – cat
• “Le cheval” – horse
• “Le lion” – lion
• “Le tigre” – tiger
• “Le renard” – fox
• “L’ours” – bear
• “La souris” – mouse
• “Le crocodile” – crocodile
• “L’éléphant” – elephant
• “La girafe” – giraffe
• “Le kangourou” – kangaroo
• “Le papillon” – butterfly
• “La chèvre” – goat
• “La poule” – chicken
• “La vache” – cow
• “Le cochon” – pig
• “Le singe” – monkey
• “Le hibou” – owl
• “Le lapin” – rabbit
• “La chauve-souris” – bat
• “Le serpent” – snake”

How to memorize common French words quickly

Learning and retaining new words in a foreign language can be challenging, especially for children. However, there are some effective techniques that you can use to help your child memorize French words and phrases quickly!

Spaced repetition

Spaced repetition is a great strategy for helping children memorize French words without feeling overwhelmed. This method involves spacing out the intervals between practice sessions, so children are not trying to learn all of the French words at once. For example, you could start by reviewing the words every day, then once a week, and then maybe once a month.

Visual associations

This technique is excellent for helping children remember new French words. Create visual representations of each word that your child can easily recall. For instance, you can draw pictures or use images from magazines and stick them around the house.

Listen and repeat

Encourage your child to watch and listen to French cartoons, songs in French, and French YouTube channels. Then have them practice repeating new words out loud. You can also read French children’s books and have them repeat the words after you.

Family game time

Incorporating basic French phrases and words into your family’s playtime is another great way to help your child learn. Whether it’s a game of hangman or an online memory game, making learning French fun and engaging can help your child develop a lifelong love for the language. Click the link to see some of our favorite French games for kids!

Visual flashcards

Use visual flashcards to test your child on their French vocabulary lessons. Mix French and English word cards and ask your child to match the French words with their English translations.

Online French lessons

Online French lessons with a native-French speaking teacher are an excellent way to help your child learn French. Through interactive activities, videos, and other resources, your child can quickly expand their French vocabulary from the comfort of their home.

Try a free online French lesson

At LingoCircle, we offer online French classes for kids ages 3-15. Our certified teachers design each class to be engaging and interactive, so your child can learn French while having fun with a small group of peers! Want to see for yourself? Click here to get the first lesson for free!