Some people like learning with French courses.
Some people like earning with apps.
And some people like phrasebooks.
And French phrasebooks are a safe and easy way to learn French. Why?
Books guide you from page 0 to page 100. Plus, you learn tons of words and phrases, and you’re ready to speak. No need to worry too much about grammar rules.
In this guide, you’ll discover the 10 easiest phrasebooks that’ll get you speaking tons of French.
1. French Phrasebook: 2500 Popular Phrases and Words You’ll Want for Your Trip to France
Don’t want to dig through the dictionary? Then you’ll want this French phrasebook which – like all phasebooks – is separated by common categories. But, what makes it so good is…VOLUME. You learn a ton — 2,500 words and phrases.
- Pages: 272
- By: Brevex Publications
- What makes it good? Lots and lots of phrases.
They also include pronunciation breakdowns which is a nice touch.
2. Free French Phrase PDF Cheat Sheets
These are not French Phrasebooks per se, but they’re printable, free and teach you phrases.
FrenchPod101 offers these conversation cheat sheets across a whole ton of topics. So, if you want some free printables, check it out.
3. Berlitz French Phrase Book & CD
The one downside of French audiobooks is…. almost none of the come with audio.
Except this one. Which is why it makes the list.
- Pages: 224
- By: Berlitz
- What makes it good? You can listen to the audio.
Berltiz’s French phrasebook teaches you 8,000+ words and phrases, plus includes a CD.
4. See It and Say It in French: A Beginner’s Guide to Learning French the Word-and-Picture Way
This is an old book from 1956… BUT… it’s unique. All words and phrases are coupled with pictures. Why is that important?
- Pages: 256
- By: See It and Say It
- What makes it good? Pictures.
Because the more associations and interactions you have with a phrase – hearing it, reading it, writing it, saying it, seeing it – the better it sticks. So, take a look on Amazon. If you don’t mind the old style, it may be good for you.
5. Collins Gem Easy Learning French Phrasebook
This is a little phrasebook that you can fit in your pocket – about 4″x3″.
Actually, it’s a combination of phrasebook and dictionary.
- Pages: 256
- By: Collins
- What makes it good? Small size.
So, if you don’t want to haul around a bigger book, this one could be good. It includes a 3,000 word dictionary plus plenty of phrases inside as well.
6. Coll Easy Learning French Idioms
It’s nice to know French phrases. But, it’s even nicer to know French idioms like… “to have a cockroach.” Maybe you won’t need idioms on a trip to France, but you’ll definitely need them to understand more, speak more, and sound fluent.
This is where this book comes.
- Pages: 256
- By: Collins
- What makes it good? Idioms. You sound like a native speaker.
You’ll over 250+ French phrases and idioms across 25 chapters, plus cultural notes and explanations since idioms aren’t always directly translatable.
7. French Phrasebook: 35 French Dialogues for Travel and Everyday Life
This is one of my favorite French phrasebooks here. Why? Because of dialogues. You get to learn from example conversations.
- Pages: 86
- By: Independent publisher
- What makes it good? Conversations.
The book teaches you via a story of a businessman who travels to France. As he goes about daily life, you get to learn from the quick dialogs he has… at the airport, at the store, in a taxi, and much more.The story and conversation angle is a unique way to learn French.
8. Easy French Phrase Book NEW EDITION: Over 700 Phrases for Everyday Use
What’s the big deal about this one?
It’s 1) small, 2) cheap, and 3) teaches you 700 phrases. So, if you’re only willing to part with a few bucks to add some French to your brain, then Easy French Phrase Book by Dover is a good start.
- Pages: 96
- By: Dover
- What makes it good? Price.
Perhaps good enough as a present for someone else.
9. Langenscheidt Universal Phrasebook French
This is another tiny, fits-in-the-palm-of-your-hand phrasebook but it contains a whopping 1000 phrases and 2500 words.
- Pages: 256
- By: Langenscheidt
- What makes it good? Small size but lots of phrases.
So, if you’re looking for something tiny that packs a punch, try Langenscheidt.
10. French At a Glance: Foreign Language Phrasebook & Dictionary (Barron’s Foreign Language Guides)
I know French phrasebooks are supposed to be small but… if you want something with a bit more pages, this is it.
Even better, you get access to audio content online. Not a CD.
- Pages: 372
- By: Barron’s
- What makes it good? Small size but lots of phrases.
You’ll learn 2,500+ words and phrases and the phrasebook follows a traveler’s typical route: airport, customs, to the hotel, and so on. So, if you will be traveling or France or just want to learn practical French phrases, check it out.
These are some of the best French phrasebooks I’ve found so far.
But, if you want something a little more than a “book,” then I recommend FrenchPod101.
FrenchPod101 is a French learning program. You get audio/video lessons made by real teachers. Kind of like this lesson below:
The lessons get you speaking in minutes and are just 3-15 minutes in length. So, if you want to HEAR real French and learn faster with a program, I recommend them.
Click here to get a Free Lifetime Account at FrenchPod101.com.
– The Main Junkie