When learning French, we often face something a bit complex: we understand the grammar, we have a good amount of vocabulary... except that following real conversations is even more difficult!
Why is that?
Because French people love using set expressions in their daily lives. French textbooks don't always provide them, but to understand spoken French, they are essential.
Here, you will discover 50 super common expressions, organized by situation: at the café, at work, among friends, and in everyday life.
Expressions often heard at the café
Cafés and restaurants are where French people go to "remake the world" (chat about everything).
1. Ça marche (That works / That's a plan)
= Ok / it's good.
Exemple :
— On se voit à 19h ? (Shall we meet at 7 PM?)
— Ça marche ! (That works!)
2. Ça te dit ? (Are you up for it? / Does that sound good?)
= Are you in?
Exemple :
Ça te dit d’aller boire un café ? (Do you feel like going for a coffee?)
3. Ça fait du bien (It feels good)
= It's cool/nice.
Exemple :
Ça fait du bien de prendre un café en terrasse. (It feels good to have a coffee on the terrace.)
4. J’en peux plus (I can't take it anymore / I'm exhausted)
= I'm wiped out / I'm dead tired.
Exemple :
J’en peux plus de cette semaine de job. (I'm exhausted from this work week.)
5. C’est clair (Clearly / For sure)
= Definitely / I agree.
Exemple :
— Ce resto est top. (This restaurant is great.)
— C’est clair ! (Definitely!)
6. Pas mal (Not bad)
= Pretty good.
Exemple :
Ce café est pas mal. (This coffee is not bad.)
7. Ça dépend (It depends)
= It varies.
Exemple :
— Tu viens souvent ici ? (Do you come here often?)
— Ça dépend. (It depends.)
8. Tant mieux (All the better / Good thing)
= Great news!
Exemple :
Tant mieux si tout va bien ! (All the better if everything is going well!)
9. Tant pis (Never mind / Too bad)
= It’s no big deal.
Exemple :
Le café est fermé ? Tant pis. (The café is closed? Oh well/Too bad.)
10. Ça vaut le coup (It's worth it)
= It's interesting / it's worth the effort.
Exemple :
Ce resto vaut vraiment le coup. (This restaurant is really worth it.)
For 30 days, you will receive a short and simple email every morning with: a tip, a mini-exercise, and an immediate action to make progress.
A few minutes a day is enough to change your mindset, understand your blocks, speak more naturally, improve your pronunciation, and above all, regain the confidence you need to have your first real conversations in French.
Expressions often heard at work
At the office, the French also have their little expressions.
11. On fait comme ça (Let's do that / We'll go with that)
= We decide to do that.
Exemple :
On fait comme ça pour la réunion. (Let's do that for the meeting.)
12. Je m’en occupe (I'll take care of it / I'm on it)
= I'll handle it.
Exemple :
Je m’en occupe cet après-midi. (I'll take care of it this afternoon.)
13. On verra (We'll see)
= We'll decide later.
Exemple :
On verra demain. (We'll see tomorrow.)
14. Ça roule (It's rolling / Things are going well)
= Everything is fine.
Exemple :
— Le projet avance ? (Is the project progressing?)
— Oui, ça roule. (Yes, it's going well.)
15. Ça avance (It's moving forward / Making progress)
= We are progressing.
Exemple :
Le boulot avance bien. (The work is progressing well.)
16. Ça bloque (It's stuck / There's a snag)
= There is an issue.
Exemple :
Ça bloque sur ce dossier. (It's stuck on this file.)
17. On est bon (We're good / We're all set)
= It's ready.
Exemple :
On est bon pour la réunion. (We're all set for the meeting.)
18. C’est noté (Noted / Got it)
= I've got it / I've recorded the info.
Exemple :
C’est noté, merci. (Noted, thank you.)
19. Je te tiens au courant (I'll keep you posted)
= I'll let you know.
Exemple :
Je te tiens au courant demain. (I'll keep you posted tomorrow.)
20. On se tient au courant (Let's keep each other posted)
= We'll inform each other.
Exemple :
On se tient au courant pour le projet. (Let's keep each other posted on the project.)
Expressions among friends
Among friends, it's even more relaxed.
21. Ça va ? (How's it going? / You okay?)
= How are you doing?
22. Ça va aller (It'll be okay / It'll work out)
= Everything will be fine.
Exemple :
Ne t’inquiète pas, ça va aller. (Don't worry, it'll be okay.)
23. C’est sympa (That's nice / That's cool)
= It's cool / pleasant.
Exemple :
C’est sympa de m’aider. (It's nice of you to help me.)
24. Ça me saoule (That's annoying me / I'm fed up with it)
= That irritates me.
Exemple :
Le métro en retard, ça me saoule. (The late metro is annoying me.)
25. Ça me va (That works for me / That suits me)
= It's perfect for me.
Exemple :
19h, ça me va. (7 PM works for me.)
26. Je vois (I see / I understand)
= I understand.
Exemple :
Ah oui, je vois. (Ah yes, I see.)
27. Je vois ce que tu veux dire (I see what you mean)
= I understand your point.
28. Tu vois ? (You see? / You know what I mean?)
= Do you understand?
Exemple :
C’est compliqué, tu vois ? (It's complicated, you see?)
29. Franchement (Honestly / Frankly)
= Sincerely.
Exemple :
Franchement, ce film est génial. (Honestly, this movie is great.)
30. C’est abusé (That's excessive / That's over the top)
= It's exaggerated.
Exemple :
Le prix est abusé. (The price is ridiculous/excessive.)
Everyday life expressions
Expressions that French people throw around all the time.
31. Ça y est (There it is / It's done)
= It's good, it's finished.
Exemple :
Ça y est, j’ai fini. (There we go, I'm finished.)
32. Ça ne fait rien (It doesn't matter / It's nothing)
= It’s not serious.
Exemple :
— Désolé, je suis en retard. (Sorry, I'm late.)
— Ça ne fait rien. (It doesn't matter.)
33. Ça arrive (It happens)
= It’s not a big deal.
Exemple :
Tu as oublié le rendez-vous ? Ça arrive. (You forgot the meeting? It happens.)
34. Ça change (It's a nice change / It's different)
= It's different.
Exemple :
Ça change de travailler à la maison. (Working from home is a nice change.)
35. Ça compte (It counts / It matters)
= It's important.
Exemple :
Ton avis compte pour moi. (Your opinion matters to me.)
36. Ça se voit (You can tell / It's obvious)
= It's glaringly obvious.
Exemple :
Ça se voit que tu es fatigué. (You can tell you're tired.)
37. Ça se comprend (It's understandable)
= It's logical.
Exemple :
Tu bosses beaucoup, ça se comprend que tu sois fatigué. (You work a lot, it's understandable that you're tired.)
38. Ça marche bien (It works well)
= It functions well.
Exemple :
Cette méthode marche bien pour apprendre du vocabulaire. (This method works well for learning vocabulary.)
39. Ça prend du temps (It takes time)
= It requires time.
Exemple :
Apprendre une langue, ça prend du temps. (Learning a language takes time.)
40. Ça passe (It's okay / It'll do)
= It's acceptable / it's not that bad.
Exemple :
Ce n’est pas parfait, mais ça passe. (It's not perfect, but it'll do.)
Expressions textbooks don't always give you
These expressions are super natural and widely used in spoken French.
41. Ça me dit bien (I'm up for that / Sounds good to me)
= I feel like doing it.
Exemple :
— On va au resto ce soir ? (Are we going to a restaurant tonight?)
— Oui, ça me dit bien ! (Yes, I'm up for that!)
42. Ça ne me dit rien (I don't really feel like it)
= Meh / not interested.
Exemple :
Sortir sous la pluie ce soir ? Ça ne me dit rien. (Going out in the rain tonight? I don't really feel like it.)
43. Ça me parle (That resonates with me / That rings a bell)
= I see what you're talking about / I get the idea.
Exemple :
Ce que tu dis me parle beaucoup. (What you're saying really resonates with me.)
44. Ça fait plaisir (It's a pleasure / Good to see/hear)
= It makes one happy.
Exemple :
Ça fait plaisir de te revoir. (It's good to see you again.)
45. Ça me fait penser (That reminds me / That makes me think)
= That reminds me of something.
Exemple :
Cette musique me fait penser à mes vacances. (This music reminds me of my vacation.)
46. Ça me surprend (That surprises me)
= It's unexpected.
Exemple :
Ça me surprend qu’il arrive en retard. (It surprises me that he's arriving late.)
47. Ça me rassure (That reassures me)
= I am calmer / less worried.
Exemple :
Ça me rassure de savoir que tout va bien. (It reassures me to know that everything is fine.)
48. Ça me motive (That motivates me)
= It makes me want to take action.
Exemple :
Ton message me motive à continuer. (Your message motivates me to keep going.)
49. Ça me tente (I'm tempted / I'm down)
= I want to.
Exemple :
— On part en week-end à la mer ? (Shall we go to the seaside for the weekend?)
— Oui, ça me tente ! (Yes, I'm down for that!)
50. Ça me suffit (That's enough for me)
= It's sufficient for me.
Exemple :
Un café le matin me suffit pour bien commencer la journée. (A coffee in the morning is enough for me to start the day well.)
💡 Quick Tip
To remember these expressions easily:
- Pick 5 expressions
- Make a personal sentence
- Drop them into a conversation this week
It's the best way to integrate the French used by real French people.
For 30 days, you will receive a short and simple email every morning with: a tip, a mini-exercise, and an immediate action to make progress.
A few minutes a day is enough to change your mindset, understand your blocks, speak more naturally, improve your pronunciation, and above all, regain the confidence you need to have your first real conversations in French.
