Cliff Jones Jr.

Core Vocabulary in French #

What are the most basic concepts that virtually all languages express? I’ve done my best to answer this question with a list of 200 core vocabulary items, and this is part one of the French version. To learn how I settled on these particular concepts and see what other languages have been added so far, check out “Core Vocabulary Across Languages.”

Abbreviations #

m = masculine gender (“le”)

f = feminine gender (“la”)

Nouns #

  1. name = nom (m)
  2. water = eau (f)
  3. blood = sang (m)
  4. fire = feu (m)
  5. stone/rock = pierre (f), roche (f)
  6. dog = chien (m)
  7. fish = poisson (m)
  8. louse/flea = pou (n), puce (f)
  9. hand/arm = main (f), bras (m)
  10. eye = œil (m)
  11. ear = oreille (f)
  12. nose = nez (m)
  13. tongue = langue (f)
  14. tooth = dent (f)
  15. bone = os (m)
  16. horn = corne (f)
  17. tail = queue (f)
  18. egg = œuf (m)
  19. leaf = feuille (f)
  20. night/evening = nuit (f), soir (m)
  21. star = étoile (f)
  22. sun = soleil (m)
  23. moon = lune (f)
  24. earth/soil = terre (f), sol (m)
  25. salt = sel (m)
  26. mountain = montagne (f)
  27. tree = arbre (m)
  28. rain = pluie (f)
  29. wind = vent (m)
  30. bird = oiseau (m)
  31. flesh/meat = chair (f), viande (f)
  32. liver = foie (m)
  33. skin/hide = peau (m), cuir (m)
  34. knee = genou (m)
  35. breast/chest = sein (m), poitrine (f), buste (m)
  36. person/human = personne (f), homme (m), humain (m)
  37. man = homme (m)
  38. woman = femme (f)
  39. child = enfant (m)
  40. hair/fur = cheveu (m), poil (m), fourrure (f)
  41. mouth = bouche (f)
  42. neck = cou (m)
  43. foot/leg = pied (m), jambe (f)
  44. feather = plume (f)
  45. grease/fat = graisse (f)
  46. smoke = fumée (f)
  47. ash/soot = cendre (f), suie (f)
  48. sand = sable (m)
  49. wood = bois (m)
  50. root = racine (f)
  51. rope/cord = corde (f), cordon (m)
  52. path/road = chemin (m), route (f)
  53. year = an (m), année (f)

Verbs #

  1. die = mourir
  2. see/look/watch = voir, regarder
  3. hear/listen = entendre, écouter
  4. know = savoir, connaître
  5. drink = boire
  6. give = donner
  7. come = venir
  8. stand = lever
  9. sit/set = siéger, asseoir
  10. lie/lay = allonger, coucher
  11. fly = voler
  12. eat = manger
  13. bite = mordre
  14. burn = brûler
  15. kill = tuer
  16. say/tell/speak/talk = dire, raconter, parler
  17. laugh = rire

Adjectives #

  1. new = nouveau/nouvelle, neuf/neuve
  2. full = plein/pleine
  3. good = bon/bonne
  4. long = long/longue
  5. red = rouge
  6. black = noir/noire
  7. white = blanc/blanche
  8. green = vert/verte
  9. yellow = jaune
  10. small/little = petit/petite
  11. big/large = grand/grande, gros/grosse
  12. wide/broad = large
  13. heavy = lourd/lourde
  14. old = vieux/vieil/vieille
  15. dry = sec/sèche

Other #

  1. I/me = je/j’/me/m’/moi
  2. you = tu/te/t’/toi, vous
  3. what/which = que/qu’/quoi, quel/quelle/quels
  4. who/whom = qui
  5. one/a/an = un/une
  6. two = deux
  7. not/no = pas, ne/n’, non
  8. this/these = ce/c’/cet/cette/ces, ceci, celui/celle/ceux/celles
  9. we/us = nous, on
  10. all/everything/everyone = tout/toute/tous/toutes, tout le monde