I know that many of you here at Talk in French teach the language for a living. I recently received an email from a future French teacher asking me if I can share some French classroom related vocabulary. At Talk in French, we always like to lend a helping hand, so here it is; I am sharing 111 Essential Phrases for the French classroom that you and your students can use. Use these dans la classe (classroom in French)!
On top of this, this blog post is also useful for anyone taking an exam soon. I have shared a list of very common quiz instructions that you may well face during a test.
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Pour les élèves - Students
| Pour les élèves | Pupils / Students |
| J’ai un problème | I have a problem |
| Je n’ai pas de… | I don't have a... |
| J’ai besoin d’un/d’une | I need a ... |
| J’ai oublié… | I have forgotten my... |
| J’ai perdu… | I have lost ... |
| … mon stylo | ... my pen |
| … mon crayon | ... my pencil |
| … mon cahier | ...my book |
| … mes devoirs | ...my homework |
| … ma règle | ...my ruler |
| … mon agenda | ... my planner |
| Je ne comprends pas | I don't understand |
| Je comprends | I understand |
| Je ne sais pas | I don't know |
| Je sais | I know |
| J’ai fini! | I have finished |
| Pouvez-vous répéter? | Can you repeat that? |
| Comment dit-on … en français? | How do you say... in French? |
| Comment dit-on … en anglais? | How do you say ... in English? |
| Je m’excuse d’être en retard. | I am sorry I am late. |
| J'ai fini | I've finished |
| Je n'ai pas fini | I have not finished |
| Je peux emprunter une règle? | May I borrow a ruler? |
| Comment ça s'écrit? | How do you spell that? |
| Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire? | What does it mean? |
| C'est quelle page? | What page? |
| Pouvez-vous m'aider? | Can you help me, please? |
| J'ai un problème | I have a problem |
| Je ne me sens pas bien | I don't feel well |
| Est-ce que je peux sortir? | Can I go out? |
| Est-ce que je peux… | Can I... |
| …aller aux toilettes? | ...go to the toilet? |
| …emprunter un/une…? | ...borrow a..? |
| Je n'ai pas entendu | I did not hear |
Pour les profs - Teachers
| Pour les profs | Teachers |
| Aujourd’hui | Today |
| On va apprendre | We're going to learn |
| concentrez-vous | Concentrate |
| bravo! | bravo! |
| excellent ! | excellent! |
| très bien! | very good! |
| tant pis! | too bad |
| oh là là ! | oh dear |
| pas exactement | not exactly |
| Oui, c'est ça! | Yes, that's it. |
| Levez la main | Put your hand up |
| Avez-vous fini? | Have you finished? |
| Ne regardez pas! | Don't look! |
| Dépêchez-vous! | Hurry up! |
| Parle un peu plus fort | Speak a bit louder |
| Parlez moins fort | Speak more quietly |
| Essaie encore une fois | Try another time |
| Où est ton cahier? | Where is your exercise book? |
| Vous comprenez? | Do you understand? |
| Fermez vos cahiers | Close your exercise books |
| Ouvrez vos cahiers | Open your exercise books |
| Il y a trop de bruit! | There is too much noise! |
| ça suffit! | That's enough! |
| Ne criez pas les réponses! | Don't shout out the answers! |
| Calmez-vous! | Calm down! |
| Vous pouvez faire mieux! | You can do much better! |
| Tournez-vous! | Turn round! |
| Ne te balance pas sur ta chaise! | Don't swing on your chair |
| excellent | excellent |
| Félicitations | Congratulations |
| Assez bien | Quite good |
| Bon effort | Good try |
| pas mal | not bad |
| Beaucoup mieux | Much better |
| Passable | ok |
| taisez-vous | Be quiet |
| levez-vous | Stand up |
| En rang et en silence | Line up quietly |
| Entrez | Come in |
| Sortez vos affaires | Take out your equipment/things |
| Distribuez les livres | Give out the books |
| Asseyez-vous | Sit down |
| Prenez vos stylos | Take out your pens |
| Copiez la date | Copy the date |
| Copiez le titre | Copy the title |
| puis | then |
| Je vais faire l’appel | I’m going to take the register / attendance |
| Posez vos stylos | Put down your pens |
| Écoutez-moi | Listen to me |
| Regardez le tableau | Look at the board |
| Rangez vos affaires | Tidy your things away |
Instructions
| Instructions | Instructions |
| Remplissez la grille | Complete the table |
| Mettez dans le bon ordre | Put in the correct order |
| Cochez la bonne réponse | Tick/cross the correct answer |
| Remplissez les blancs | Fill in the blanks |
| Complétez en français | Complete in French |
| Faites correspondre les images et les phrases | Match up the pictures and the sentences |
| Faites une liste en français | Make a list in French |
| Identifiez les phrases correctes. | Identify the correct sentences |
| Indiquez si les phrases sont vraies (V) ou fausses (F) ou si on ne sait pas (?) | Indicate if the sentences are true (V) or false (F) or if you are not told (?) |
| Lisez le texte | Read the text |
| Lisez les phrases suivantes | Read the following sentences |
| Mettez les illustrations dans le bon ordre | Put the illustrations in the right order |
| Mentionnez | Mention |
| Notez | Make a note of |
| Regardez cette publicité | Look at this advert |
| Remplissez la grille en français | Fill in the grid in French |
| Répondez aux questions en français | Answer the questions in French |
| Soulignez | Underline |
| Trouvez la bonne réponse | Find the correct answer |
| Utilisez les mots dans la liste ci-dessous | Use the words in the list below |
| Décrivez | Describe |
| Ecoutez l'exemple | Listen to the example |
| Lisez l'exemple | Read the example |
| Ecrivez environ cent mots | Write about 100 words |
| Ecrivez les détails dans le bon ordre | Write the details in the right order |
| Cochez la case | Tick the box |
Want more?
If you are hungry for more, do not hesitate to check out my French Vocabulary Mastery Course below.
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Please note, REGISTER in American English is attendance I assume. We would never say this in the US.
I will take attendance is what we say.
Thanks for the vocabulary!
I added “attendance”
Je ne suis pas bilingue et je veux pratiquer mon français, d’accord très bien et merci beaucoup!
Thank you very much for sharing so many interesting and useful posts!
This one is really useful when teaching French. Merci! 🙂
Great post! Perhaps you could also include a section on phrases related to classroom management (i.e. c’est inapproprié quand tu…, respecter l’espace personnel, regarde devant toi, prenez une position d’écoute, je n’apprécie pas quand tu….., montrez du respect envers…, etc.)
I will try to add later. Thank you for your suggestion.
Wow, I love it! I just moved at Nouvelle Caledonie avec mon fille (4ans) and hard for her school. And this is so helping me for make school at home by my self
I am glad you found it useful.
Very comprehensive