Basic vocabulary (Edexcel GCSE French): Revision Notes
GCSE French vocabulary - Basic vocabulary (List 1)
Understanding this vocabulary list
This comprehensive collection contains essential French words from the Edexcel GCSE vocabulary list. The words are organised by topic to help you learn them more effectively, but remember that any vocabulary can appear in different contexts during your exam. Words marked as Higher tier only require extra attention if you're taking the Higher paper.
These verbs appear in their infinitive form only - make sure you know how to conjugate them for different tenses as required by the specification.
Greetings and polite expressions
Learning how to greet people and be polite is fundamental in French conversation. These expressions will appear frequently in speaking and listening tasks.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| au revoir | goodbye |
| bonsoir | good evening |
| bonjour | hello |
| salut | hi, bye |
| madame | madam, Mrs |
| monsieur | sir, mister, Mr |
| s'il te plaît | please (informal) |
| s'il vous plaît | please (formal) |
| merci | thank you |
| désolé | sorry |
Example sentences:
- Bonjour madame, comment allez-vous? (Hello madam, how are you?)
- Au revoir et merci beaucoup! (Goodbye and thank you very much!)
- Je suis désolé, je ne comprends pas. (I'm sorry, I don't understand.)
Agreement and responses
| French | English |
|---|---|
| oui / ouais | yes / yeah |
| non | no, not |
| d'accord | OK, agreed |
| si | yes (response to negative) |
| à bientôt | see you soon |
Key pronunciation tip: Remember that si is used to contradict a negative statement, whilst oui responds to positive questions.
Numbers (0-20 and beyond)
Numbers are essential for times, dates, prices, and quantities. Pay special attention to the patterns in French numbers.
| French | English | French | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| zéro | zero | onze | eleven |
| un | one | douze | twelve |
| deux | two | treize | thirteen |
| trois | three | quatorze | fourteen |
| quatre | four | quinze | fifteen |
| cinq | five | seize | sixteen |
| six | six | dix-sept | seventeen |
| sept | seven | dix-huit | eighteen |
| huit | eight | dix-neuf | nineteen |
| neuf | nine | vingt | twenty |
| dix | ten |
Higher numbers and patterns
| French | English |
|---|---|
| trente | thirty |
| quarante | forty |
| cinquante | fifty |
| soixante | sixty |
| soixante-dix | seventy (60+10) |
| quatre-vingts | eighty (4×20) |
| quatre-vingt-dix | ninety (4×20+10) |
| cent | a hundred |
| mille | a thousand |
| million | a million |
Remember: French numbers from 70-99 follow unique patterns. Soixante-dix literally means "sixty-ten", and quatre-vingts means "four-twenties".
Ordinal numbers
| French | English |
|---|---|
| premier | first |
| deuxième / seconde | second |
| troisième | third |
| quatrième | fourth |
| dernière | last |
Time expressions
Time vocabulary helps you discuss daily routines, appointments, and schedules.
| French | English | French | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| jour (m) | day | après-midi (m) | afternoon |
| journée (f) | day | soir (m) | evening |
| matin (m) | morning | nuit (f) | night |
| midi (m) | midday | minuit (m) | midnight |
| heure (f) | hour, o'clock | minute (f) | minute |
| et demie | half past | début (m) | beginning |
Example sentences:
- Il est trois heures et demie. (It's half past three.)
- Je me lève le matin à sept heures. (I get up in the morning at seven o'clock.)
Frequency and duration
| French | English |
|---|---|
| fois (f) | time |
| semaine (f) | week |
| week-end (m) | weekend |
| mois (m) | month |
| année (f) / an (m) | year |
| siècle (m) | century |
Days, months and seasons
Essential vocabulary for talking about dates and time periods.
Days of the week
| French | English |
|---|---|
| lundi (m) | Monday |
| mardi (m) | Tuesday |
| mercredi (m) | Wednesday |
| jeudi (m) | Thursday |
| vendredi (m) | Friday |
| samedi (m) | Saturday |
| dimanche (m) | Sunday |
Pronunciation tip: Days of the week are masculine and don't take capital letters in French.
Months of the year
| French | English | French | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| janvier (m) | January | juillet (m) | July |
| février (m) | February | août (m) | August |
| mars (m) | March | septembre (m) | September |
| avril (m) | April | octobre (m) | October |
| mai (m) | May | novembre (m) | November |
| juin (m) | June | décembre (m) | December |
Seasons
| French | English |
|---|---|
| printemps (m) | spring |
| été (m) | summer |
| automne (m) | autumn |
| hiver (m) | winter |
| saison (f) | season |
Example sentence:
- Mon anniversaire est en juillet, en été. (My birthday is in July, in summer.)
Colours
Colour vocabulary is useful for describing people, objects, and places.
| French | English | French | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| noir | black | vert | green |
| bleu | blue | gris | grey |
| marron | brown | orange | orange |
| châtain | brown (hair) | rose | pink |
| rouge | red | jaune | yellow |
| blanc / blanche | white | couleur (f) | colour |
Grammar note: Most colour adjectives agree with the noun they describe. Blanc becomes blanche for feminine nouns, whilst marron and orange never change.
Example sentences:
- J'ai les yeux bleus et les cheveux châtains. (I have blue eyes and brown hair.)
- Ma voiture est rouge. (My car is red.)
Quick translation practice
French to English:
- Bonne soirée, à bientôt!
- Il est midi et demie.
English to French:
- Good morning, how are you?
- I have fifteen red books.
Answers:
- Good evening, see you soon! | Bonjour, comment allez-vous?
- It's half past twelve. | J'ai quinze livres rouges.
Key Points to Remember:
- Greetings vary by time of day - use bonjour until evening, then switch to bonsoir
- French numbers 70-99 follow unique patterns - practise soixante-dix (60+10) and quatre-vingts (4×20)
- Days and months don't use capital letters and are all masculine
- Colour adjectives usually agree with the noun they describe, except marron and orange
- Time expressions help you discuss routines and schedules - learn et demie for "half past"