100 Intermediate French Words for Everyday Conversation
Build practical vocabulary with 100 intermediate French words used in everyday conversation. The video groups them around themes such as routines, work, relationships, places, food, and communication.
What you will practice
- Choose words you can use in your own life.
- Listen to the example sentences, not only the definitions.
- Return to the categories that are most useful to you.
Try this after watching
Pick ten unfamiliar words and write one short, personal sentence with each.
Watch the original video on YouTube, or get the free intermediate study guide for a structured next step.
Read and practise the vocabulary
This written companion follows the video’s seven categories and 100 lesson entries in their original order. It includes a second example of le comportement and some expressions with more than one word. French examples are lightly edited for spelling and punctuation; English meanings and translations help you reuse them. This is a vocabulary reading guide, rather than a verbatim transcript of the whole soundtrack.
Words such as fringues, boulot and pote are informal. The meanings below fit the lesson examples; many words also have other uses. Choose the expressions that you can use in your own life, as Angeline recommends.
0:47 — Daily life and routines
| French word or expression | Meaning | French example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. le quotidien | daily life | J’aime ma routine du quotidien. | I like my daily routine. |
| 2. les nuisances sonores | noise disturbances | Les nuisances sonores sont interdites après 22 h. | Noise disturbances are prohibited after 10 p.m. |
| 3. le paillasson | doormat | S’il te plaît, essuie tes chaussures sur le paillasson avant de rentrer. | Please wipe your shoes on the doormat before coming in. |
| 4. le cintre | clothes hanger | Peux-tu me passer un cintre pour étendre ma chemise dehors ? Ça sèche mieux. | Can you pass me a hanger to hang my shirt outside? It dries better. |
| 5. le trajet | journey; commute | Mon trajet pour aller au travail dure 20 minutes. | My commute to work takes twenty minutes. |
| 6. le planning | schedule | J’ai un planning très chargé cette semaine. | I have a very busy schedule this week. |
| 7. les corvées | chores | Je déteste les corvées comme étendre le linge ou passer l’aspirateur. | I hate chores such as hanging out the laundry or vacuuming. |
| 8. les fringues | clothes (informal) | J’adore tes nouvelles fringues. | I love your new clothes. |
| 9. la vaisselle | dishes; washing-up | C’est ton tour de faire la vaisselle. | It’s your turn to do the dishes. |
| 10. l’interphone (m.) | intercom | Quand tu arrives, appelle-moi avec l’interphone et je t’ouvrirai. | When you arrive, call me on the intercom and I’ll let you in. |
| 11. le bazar | mess (in this context) | Quel bazar dans cette chambre ! | What a mess in this room! |
| 12. la sieste | nap | Je fais une sieste tous les dimanches. | I take a nap every Sunday. |
| 13. l’habitude (f.) | habit | C’est une bonne habitude à prendre. | It’s a good habit to get into. |
| 14. le voisinage | neighbourhood; neighbours | Le voisinage est très calme ici. | The neighbourhood is very quiet here. |
Context for the noise example: The sentence about 22 h practises les nuisances sonores. In France, excessive neighbourhood noise can be sanctioned during the day as well as at night, and local rules may regulate particular activities. It does not mean disturbing neighbours is allowed before 10 p.m. See Service Public’s explanation of neighbourhood noise.
2:39 — Work and technology
| French word or expression | Meaning | French example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15. le boulot | work; job (informal) | Tu finis le boulot à quelle heure ? | What time do you finish work? |
| 16. la réunion | meeting | La réunion est annulée. | The meeting is cancelled. |
| 17. le collègue / la collègue | colleague | Mes collègues sont très sympas. | My colleagues are really nice. |
| 18. le dossier | file; folder; case file | Tu as envoyé le dossier au client ? | Did you send the file to the client? |
| 19. la pause | break | On fait une pause café ? | Shall we take a coffee break? |
| 20. le bureau | office; desk | Mon bureau est au troisième étage. | My office is on the third floor. |
| 21. le fichier | computer file | Je ne trouve pas le fichier sur mon ordinateur. | I can’t find the file on my computer. |
| 22. le mot de passe | password | J’ai oublié mon mot de passe. | I’ve forgotten my password. |
| 23. le réseau | network; mobile signal | Je n’ai pas de réseau dans le métro. | I don’t have a mobile signal in the metro. |
| 24. l’écran (m.) | screen | Ne passe pas trop de temps devant les écrans. | Don’t spend too much time in front of screens. |
| 25. le logiciel | software | Ce logiciel est très facile à utiliser. | This software is very easy to use. |
| 26. le mail / le courrier | email (mail); mail or correspondence (courrier) | Je t’envoie un mail demain. | I’ll send you an email tomorrow. |
| 27. le stage | internship; work placement | Elle cherche un stage pour cet été. | She’s looking for an internship for this summer. |
| 28. la candidature | application | J’ai envoyé ma candidature hier. | I sent my application yesterday. |
Mail and courrier: Un mail commonly means an email in everyday French. Le courrier alone can mean mail or correspondence more generally; un courriel or un courrier électronique specifically names an email. See the Académie française entry for courriel. Le bureau can mean a desk or an office; the third-floor example means an office.
4:11 — Relationships and feelings
| French word or expression | Meaning | French example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29. le pote | friend; buddy (informal) | Je vais boire un coup avec des potes. | I’m going for a drink with some friends. |
| 30. l’entourage (m.) | people around someone; close circle | Il est très soutenu par son entourage. | He gets a lot of support from the people around him. |
| 31. le comportement | behaviour | Son comportement a changé. | His behaviour has changed. |
| 32. l’ambiance (f.) | atmosphere; vibe | Il y a une super ambiance à cette fête ! | There’s a great atmosphere at this party! |
| 33. la confiance | trust; confidence | La confiance est importante dans un couple. | Trust is important in a relationship. |
| 34. le conseil | advice; piece of advice | Merci pour ton conseil, c’est très utile. | Thanks for your advice; it’s very helpful. |
| 35. le mensonge | lie | Je déteste les mensonges. | I hate lies. |
| 36. la vérité | truth | Dis-moi la vérité. J’ai le droit de savoir. | Tell me the truth. I have a right to know. |
| 37. la déception | disappointment | Quel dommage ! C’est une vraie déception. | What a shame! It’s a real disappointment. |
| 38. la colère | anger | Il a du mal à gérer sa colère. | He has trouble managing his anger. |
| 39. la fierté | pride | Sa réussite nous apporte beaucoup de fierté. | His or her success makes us very proud. |
| 40. la méfiance | mistrust; wariness | Je suis méfiant(e). Cette histoire me paraît bizarre. | I’m suspicious. This story seems strange to me. |
| 41. l’angoisse (f.) | anxiety; anguish | Parler en public me donne de l’angoisse. | Speaking in public makes me anxious. |
| 42. le point de vue | point of view | Je comprends ton point de vue. | I understand your point of view. |
6:13 — Society, cities and places
| French word or expression | Meaning | French example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43. l’endroit (m.) | place | C’est un endroit magnifique. | This is a beautiful place. |
| 44. le coin | area; corner | Tu habites dans le coin ? | Do you live around here? |
| 45. la banlieue | suburbs; suburban area | Il doit faire 30 minutes de train chaque matin pour aller au travail car il habite en banlieue parisienne. | He has to take a thirty-minute train journey to work each morning because he lives in the Paris suburbs. |
| 46. la vitrine | shop window; display case | J’adore regarder les vitrines à Noël. | I love looking at shop windows at Christmas. |
| 47. le trottoir | pavement; sidewalk | Marche sur le trottoir, s’il te plaît. | Walk on the pavement, please. |
| 48. la foule | crowd | Je n’aime pas la foule dans les concerts. | I don’t like crowds at concerts. |
| 49. la circulation / les bouchons | traffic / traffic jams | Il y a beaucoup de circulation aujourd’hui. | There’s a lot of traffic today. |
| 50. le moyen de transport | means of transport | Le vélo est un bon moyen de transport. | A bicycle is a good means of transport. |
| 51. le citoyen / la citoyenne | citizen | C’est le devoir de chaque citoyen. | It’s the duty of every citizen. |
| 52. la loi | law | Il faut respecter la loi. | You must obey the law. |
| 53. le gouvernement | government | Le gouvernement a pris une nouvelle décision. | The government has made a new decision. |
| 54. la grève | strike | Il y a une grève des trains aujourd’hui. | There’s a train strike today. |
| 55. la manifestation | demonstration; protest | Il y a une manifestation dans le centre-ville. | There’s a demonstration in the city centre. |
| 56. le quartier | neighbourhood; district | C’est un quartier très animé. | It’s a very lively neighbourhood. |
7:57 — Food and leisure
| French word or expression | Meaning | French example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 57. l’assaisonnement (m.) | seasoning | L’assaisonnement de ce plat est parfait. | The seasoning of this dish is perfect. |
| 58. le grignotage | snacking | J’essaie d’éviter le grignotage entre les repas, mais c’est difficile lorsque je travaille depuis la maison. | I try to avoid snacking between meals, but it’s difficult when I work from home. |
| 59. la recette | recipe | Tu me donnes la recette de ce gâteau ? | Can you give me the recipe for this cake? |
| 60. le goût | taste; flavour | Ce plat a un goût original. | This dish has an unusual flavour. |
| 61. la planche apéro | appetiser sharing board | On s’est régalés avec une planche apéro en terrasse. | We really enjoyed a sharing board on the terrace. |
| 62. l’addition (f.) | bill; check (in a restaurant) | L’addition, s’il vous plaît ! | The bill, please! |
| 63. le pourboire | tip | On laisse un pourboire au serveur ? | Shall we leave the waiter a tip? |
| 64. le vide-grenier | second-hand sale; neighbourhood flea market | Il y a un vide-grenier ce week-end dans mon quartier. | There’s a second-hand sale in my neighbourhood this weekend. |
| 65. la randonnée | hike; hiking | On fait une randonnée en montagne ce week-end ? | Shall we go hiking in the mountains this weekend? |
| 66. le séjour | stay | Comment s’est passé ton séjour à Paris ? | How was your stay in Paris? |
| 67. le souvenir | souvenir; memory | J’ai ramené un souvenir de vacances. | I brought back a souvenir from my holiday. |
| 68. l’hébergement (m.) | accommodation | On cherche un hébergement pas trop cher pour aller à Lyon dimanche prochain. | We’re looking for accommodation that isn’t too expensive for a trip to Lyon next Sunday. |
| 69. l’exposition (f.) | exhibition | Il y a une belle exposition de peinture en ce moment. | There’s a lovely painting exhibition on at the moment. |
| 70. le divertissement | entertainment | Netflix propose beaucoup de divertissements. | Netflix offers a lot of entertainment. |
9:50 — Abstract concepts and communication
| French word or expression | Meaning | French example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71. la preuve | proof; evidence | Tu as une preuve de ce que tu avances ? | Do you have any evidence for what you’re claiming? |
| 72. le comportement | behaviour (revisited) | Son comportement m’a surpris. | His behaviour surprised me. |
| 73. le but / l’objectif (m.) | goal; objective | Mon but est de parler français couramment. | My goal is to speak French fluently. |
| 74. l’avis (m.) | opinion | À mon avis, c’est une mauvaise idée. | In my opinion, it’s a bad idea. |
| 75. le sujet | topic; subject | C’est un sujet très intéressant. | It’s a very interesting topic. |
| 76. le point de départ | starting point | C’est un bon point de départ pour notre projet. | It’s a good starting point for our project. |
| 77. l’engagement (m.) | commitment | Cet engagement demande du temps et de l’énergie. | This commitment takes time and energy. |
| 78. le sous-entendu | implication; insinuation | Je n’ai pas aimé son sous-entendu. | I didn’t like what he or she was implying. |
| 79. la formulation | wording; formulation | La formulation de cette phrase est maladroite. | The wording of this sentence is awkward. |
| 80. l’inconvénient (m.) | drawback; disadvantage | C’est le principal inconvénient. | It’s the main drawback. |
| 81. le hasard | chance | On s’est rencontrés par hasard. | We met by chance. |
| 82. la tournure de phrase | phrasing; turn of phrase | Cette tournure de phrase est plus naturelle. | This phrasing is more natural. |
| 83. la menace | threat | Ce message ressemblait à une menace. | That message sounded like a threat. |
| 84. le malentendu | misunderstanding | Désolé, c’est un malentendu. | Sorry, it’s a misunderstanding. |
| 85. l’erreur (f.) | mistake; error | Tout le monde fait des erreurs. | Everyone makes mistakes. |
| 86. la prise de conscience | realisation; becoming aware | Cette discussion a provoqué une prise de conscience chez mon père. | This discussion made my father realise something. |
11:50 — Money, health and more
| French word or expression | Meaning | French example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87. l’argent (m.) | money | Je n’ai pas beaucoup d’argent sur moi. | I don’t have much money on me. |
| 88. la fiche de paie | payslip; pay stub | J’ai besoin de ma fiche de paie pour le dossier. | I need my payslip for the file. |
| 89. l’achat (m.) | purchase | Je suis ravi(e) de mon nouvel achat. | I’m delighted with my new purchase. |
| 90. le budget | budget | On doit respecter notre budget pour les vacances. | We have to stick to our holiday budget. |
| 91. la santé | health | La santé, c’est le plus important. | Health is the most important thing. |
| 92. le rhume | cold (illness) | J’ai attrapé un rhume. | I’ve caught a cold. |
| 93. la douleur | pain | Où est localisée la douleur exactement ? | Where exactly is the pain located? |
| 94. le médicament | medicine; medication | Je dois prendre mon médicament. | I need to take my medicine. |
| 95. le médecin / le docteur | doctor | Je dois prendre mon rendez-vous chez le médecin. | I need to make my appointment with the doctor. |
| 96. l’urgence (f.) | emergency; urgency | En cas d’urgence, appelez le 15. | In an emergency, call 15. |
| 97. le virement | bank transfer | J’ai fait un virement à mon propriétaire. | I made a bank transfer to my landlord. |
| 98. la pommade | ointment | Il faut appliquer cette pommade sur la peau. | You need to apply this ointment to the skin. |
| 99. le comprimé | tablet; pill | Prenez un comprimé matin et soir pour vos maux de tête. | Take one tablet in the morning and evening for your headaches. |
| 100. la nouveauté | new item; something new | Quelle est la nouveauté du mois ? | What’s new this month? |
Context for the health examples: In France, 15 is the Samu number for medical emergencies. The tablet and ointment sentences are vocabulary examples; a real medicine’s dose and instructions depend on the product and prescription.
Use the examples in your own conversations
La déception means disappointment, not deception. Le conseil is advice or a piece of advice. Le souvenir can be a memory, but in the holiday example it is an object brought back from a trip. La prise de conscience describes becoming aware of something or a realisation.
Pick one word from the lesson and write a sentence with it in the comments. For your next practice session, choose five or ten unfamiliar words, then return to the video to hear them in context. Keep the source examples as models and change the details to fit your life.
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