How to Say ___ in French

French translation help

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Updated on January 16, 2019

If you're wondering how to say something in French, you've come to the right place. I get a lot of questions about how to say this or that in French; I've provided links to answers to the most common of these at the end of this article. But of course I can't anticipate every question, so here are some tips and resources to help you find out how to say anything in French.
1) If you speak some French, your best bet is to use a French dictionary — but the right way. French word order and syntax are very different than English, and if you just look up a bunch of different words and string them together, you'll probably end up with nonsense.
2) You can also try searching this site — with over 6,000 pages, it's a good bet that I've written a lesson including the word or phrase you're looking for. Just type your search in the box in the upper right corner, and click "search."
3) If you don't speak any French, you might be tempted to use an online translator, but this, too, is a tool that must be used with caution.
4) The best way to find out how to say something in French is to ask a native speaker. If you don't know any, you're in luck: our forum is filled with French speakers who are ready to answer your questions — within reason. While we won't translate paragraphs or write letters for you, we are happy to answer your questions, translate short passages, and offer corrections.

Common Questions

And if you're wondering how to say "how do you say ___ in French?" in French, it's comment dit-on ___ en français ? You can hear a sound file of this and other useful phrases in my essential French lesson.