Can You Translate These Common French Sayings to English?

S'il vous plait is a formal way of saying "please" when asking a question or even making a request for assistance in some way. The "vous" is a pronoun which means "you," and it is a respectful way of addressing strangers or speaking in a professional setting.

C'est quoi is a French phrase used to mean "what is it?" or "what's that?" Quoi is used in questions when referring to indirect objects and it is used after a preposition. C'est quoi, ce truc?- meaning "What is that thing?"- is another example of how "quoi" is used.

Je ne sais pas literally translates to "I know not what" in French. However, this popular phrase is used to mean "I don't know" when referring to something that someone either cannot explain or when someone does not have the answer to a question that has been asked.

"Comment t'appelles- tu?" and "comment tu t'appelles" is the French way of asking someone what their name is. The "tu" is used when you are speaking to someone in your age group. For older persons or more formal settings, it is better to use "vous" in the sentence, "Comment vous appelez-vous?"

Comment cas-tu is the informal way of saying "comment allez-vous?" which both mean, "How are you?" "Vas" is a conjugated form of the verb "aller" which means "to go" In response, someone may say "Je vais bien. Et toi?". This means "I am fine and you?"

Je ne comprends pas means "I don't understand," when referring to a concept or idea that is hard to grasp. "Comprends" is the conjugated form of the word comprendre, which means "to understand."

C'est tres gentil is used to talk about something that is very nice or kind, whether it be an act or gesture or something that was said. "Tres" means very in English and "gentil" means "nice."

Je suis desole is a way of apologizing by saying "I'm sorry." Desole derives from the word "désoler" and "suis" is a conjugated form of the être verb.

Pourquoi pas is a simple way of asking, "Why not?" in French. It can be used in many different social situations, such as when simply making a suggestion or questioning someone's choice to perform one action. Example: Alors pourquoi pas déjeuner avec moi? – So why not have lunch with me?

Ou sont les toilettes is a way of asking, "Where is the bathroom?" The literal French translation of this question would actually be "Où est la salle de bains," but this would be referring to where the shower or bath is and the toilet may be in a separate room. Instead, "Ou sont les toilettes" should be used.

Je ne parle pas francais means "I don't speak French" and is a way of letting someone know that you are not familiar with this particular language. The word parle comes from the verb "parler," which means to talk.

C'est tout is a question in French that means "Is that all?" in English. Tout, meaning "all," is pronounced as "too" in French. Also, "le tout" is a masculine noun which means "the whole/entire thing."

Qui-est-ce means "Who is it?" Qui is used to talk about other people and it means who or whom. When whom is being used, "est-ce que" can be added to the sentence. For example, "Qui aimez-vous" means, "Whom do you love?"

"Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plait" is used to ask someone to repeat a question or statement that they have made in one of two situations: when the listener did not hear the statement properly or did not understand what was said.

"Quoi de neuf" means "What's new?" or "What's up?" It is used when speaking to someone and making general inquiries about their life. It's another way of asking, "How are you?" "Quoi de neuf chez toi" is another similar expression which means "What's new with you?"

"Ca n'est pas grave" directly translates to "It's not serious." However, in French, it is a way of reassuring someone by saying "No problem/ it doesn't matter/ it's OK." Another similar way of saying this is "pas de problème," which means "no problem."

"Parles-vous anglais" is a formal way of asking someone if they speak the English language. This question may be used in a formal setting or when addressing a stranger. This question would come in handy for tourists visiting a French territory.

"Je t'aime" is a term of endearment or a way of expressing affection toward someone by saying "I love you." Aime comes from the word "aimer" which means "to like/to love." A suitable response may be "Moi aussi, Je t'aime" which means "I love you too."

"Nous parlerons plus tard means, "We will speak later" and is used to indicate to someone that a conversation or topic will be discussed at a later date or time. Parlerons is a conjugated form of the word "parler" which means "to talk."

"Combien ca coûte?" is one way of questioning the price of an item or a service that is being provided. It means "How much is it?" and in this question, "combien" means "how much" and "coûte" refers to the cost.

"Je suis perdu" is an important expression that anyone traveling to or living in a French-speaking territory, should learn. It means "I am lost" and indicates to the listener that you cannot find your way to or from a particular location and you are in need of assistance. Perdu derives from perdre which means "to lose."

When dining in a restaurant or another such establishment, there will be a time when you will need to request your bill. This can be done by saying "L'addition, s'il vous plait" which is a formal concise and polite way of doing so.

"C'est grave?" with a question mark at the end, is a means of asking someone if a situation is of a serious nature. A suitable response to this may be "Ce n'est pas grave" which means that it is not, in fact, serious at all.

"Avez-vous faim?" is a way of asking someone if they are hungry at the moment. Avez is a conjugated form of the word "avoir" in the present tense while faim means hunger. A response to this may be "J'ai faim" -- "I am hungry."

"Merci beaucoup" is a popular phrase that means "thanks a lot" or "thank you very much" and is used to express appreciation for a gesture or an item received. For example, "J 'ai bien aimé le cadeau. Merci beaucoup!" means "I really liked the present. Thanks a lot!"

"De rien" directly translates to "of nothing," but it is used to mean "You're welcome/ it was nothing." It can be said in response to "merci" which means "thanks."

"Comment ca s' ecrit?" is a way of seeking clarification by asking someone how exactly a particular word is spelled or written out. "Ecrit" derives from "écrire" which means "to write."

"Je vais etre en retard," meaning "I will be late/I am going to be late" is a polite means of letting someone know that you will be late for an event or late in meeting them. In this sentence, both avoir and etre are used, where "vais" is an avoir verb.

"Bon apres-midi" is a greeting in French which means "good afternoon." This greeting may be followed by other words or include the title of the person who is being addressed for example, "Bon apres-midi monsieur Charles" which means "Good afternoon Mr. Charles."

"Felicitations" is a way of expressing congratulations to someone on a special occasion, whether it be on their birthday or as an acknowledgment of an achievement in their life. It is often used in its plural form with an "s" at the end.

"Je vais bien" means "I am fine" and can be said in response to a question such as "Comment vas-tu?" which means "How are you?" Expressions such as "Ca va/ Super" can be said in response, to mean "It is going well/ great."

"Enchante de vous recontrer" means "nice to meet you," and it is said when you are meeting someone for the first time and you wish to express your pleasure in meeting them. "Recontrer" means "to meet."

When meeting someone, particularly for the first time, you may be curious as to where they are from. You can ask this question politely by saying "D' ou venez-vous?" In this question, "venez" derives from "venir" and is used in the present tense.

"Viens avec moi" means "come with me" and is said to someone who may have just arrived at or requested assistance to a particular location. Once again, viens is the conjugated form of "venir."

"Que veut dire ca?" is a way of asking "What does that mean?" This can be in reference to a number of things, such as a statement that was made or something that someone has seen and is curious about.