The 20 Most Common French Words

Two friends looking for postcards in Paris

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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.

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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.

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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