Languages › French The 20 Most Common French Words Share Flipboard Email Print Westend61 / Getty Images French Vocabulary Pronunciation & Conversation Grammar Resources For Teachers By ThoughtCo Updated April 20, 2019 If you want to learn French, of course, it's important to study grammar, such as the rules for conjugating verbs, and practicing French dialogues is also vital. Just as important, however, is learning the most common French words. 01 of 02 Top 10 Most Common French Words Here are the top 10 most common French words. 1) le, la, l', les: the 2) être: to be 3) avoir: to have 4) de: of, from 5) un, une, des: a, an, some 6) je: I 7) il / ils*: he, it / they 8) ce: this 9) pas: not 10) à: to, in *We would have listed il and ils separately, but they were combined in the source document. 02 of 02 Top French Words: 11-20 11) et: and 12) on: one, you, we 13) vous: you 14) ça: this, that 15) que: that 16) ne: not 17) faire: to do, make 18) qui: who/what 19) oui: yes 20) alors: then, so Source: Gougenheim 2.00. Fréquences orales et de production Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation ThoughtCo. "The 20 Most Common French Words." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/most-common-french-words-1372759. ThoughtCo. (2020, August 27). The 20 Most Common French Words. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/most-common-french-words-1372759 ThoughtCo. "The 20 Most Common French Words." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/most-common-french-words-1372759 (accessed February 27, 2021). copy citation Watch Now: Bathroom Words in French