Learn French: Phrases to Use in the Hotel
- In This Quick Guide:
- Where to Stay
- Hotel Amenities
- Getting What You Want
- Elevator Speak
Trying to speak the language in a foreign country can be frustrating and stressful, but with a few key phrases you can make yourself understood and get the information you need. French is a tricky language, but mastering a few important phrase is easy. In this guide you will learn French phrases that will be most helpful in hotels. Ready? Allons-y!
Where to Stay
A U.S. travel agent can help you find accommodations and make reservations that suit both your needs and your budget, no matter where you go in the French-speaking world. Should you have a spur-of-the-moment change of plans, you can always go to a Syndicat d’initiative (saN-dee-kah dee-nee-see-yah-teev) or an Office du Tourisme (oh-fees dew too-rees-muh) to procure a room.
You can expect to find the following types of lodgings in your travels:
- Hôtels (o-tehl) are rated by the French National Tourist Office, which provides an official government guide granting ratings from one star (very modest) to four stars (deluxe). The accommodations and amenities the hotel offers, as well as its location, determine the number of stars it receives.
- Motels (mo-tehl) are becoming increasingly popular in France. Expect to find them at the airport and near main roads in rural areas and outside large cities.
- Pensions (pahN-syohN) are cozy, comfortable establishments that are usually family-run businesses. They provide anything from the bare minimum in services to the very luxurious. Their prices may include food. Pensions are for travelers who really want to get to know the country by taking the path that’s less traveled.
- Auberges (o-behrzh) are popular roadside inns that generally provide services for people traveling by car. An auberge de jeunesse is a youth hostel that provides a dormitory setting.
- Chambres d’hôte (shaNbr dot) are bed and breakfasts (usually in the proprietor’s house) that are maintained by local families in small towns and villages.
- Gîtes ruraux (zheet roo-ro) are private homes or apartments that are for rent.
It’s always a good idea to check with your travel agency or with the hotel’s management before leaving home to make sure all the amenities you require are available. Depending on your needs, youll want to know the words for everything from bathroom to swimming pool. Be prepared for some surprises—even with reservations and assurances from your agent. Remember that it never hurts to ask questions when you’re making arrangements or when you’re in doubt. Note, too, that in French buildings the ground floor is called le rez-de-chaussée (abbreviated rez-de-ch) and the basement is called le sous-sol (abbreviated s-s). The “first floor” is really on the second story of any building.
Hotel Amenities
| English | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| bar | le bar | luh bahr |
| bellhop | le bagagiste | luh bah-gah-zheest |
| business center | le centre d’affaires | luh sahNtr dah-fehr |
| concierge (caretaker) | le (la) concierge | luh (lah) kohN-syehrzh |
| doorman | le portier | luh pohr-tyay |
| elevator | l’ascenseur m. | lah-sahN-suhr |
| fitness center | le club santé | luh klewb sahN-tay |
| gift shop | la boutique | lah boo-teek |
| maid service | la gouvernante | lah goo-vehr-nahNt |
| restaurant | le restaurant | luh rehs-toh-rahN |
| staircase | l’escalier m. | lehs-kahl-yay |
| swimming pool | la piscine | lah pee-seen |
| valet parking | l’attendance du garage f. | lah-tahN-dahNs dew gah-rahzh |
Getting What You Want
Is something missing? Are you dissatisfied with your accommodations? If you need something to make your stay more enjoyable, don’t be afraid to speak up. Here are a few items you might want or need:
| I would like … | Je voudrais … | zhuh voo-dreh |
| I need … | Il me faut … | eel muh foh |
| I need … | J’ai besoin de (d) … | zhay buh zwaN duh |
| Please send me … | Veuillez m’envoyer … | vuh-yay mahN-vwah-yay |
| There isn’t (aren’t) … | Il n’y a pas de … | eel nyah pah duh |
Don’t forget to show good manners by using the following phrases:
| please | s’il vous plaît | seel voo pleh |
| thank you very much | merci beaucoup | mehr-see bo-koo |
| you’re welcome | de rien | duh ryaN |
| you’re welcome | pas de quoi | pahd kwah |
| don’t mention it | Je vous en prie | zhuh voo zahN pree |
Wants and Needs
| English | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| air conditioning | la climatisation | lah klee-mah-tee-zah-syohN |
| an ashtray | un cendrier | uhN sahN-dree-yay |
| a balcony | un balcon | uhN bahl-kohN |
| a bar of soap | une savonnette | ewn sah-voh-neht |
| a bathroom | une salle de bains | ewn sahl duh baN |
| a blanket | une couverture | ewn koo-vehr-tewr |
| a hair dryer | un sèche-cheveux | uhN sehsh shuh-vuh |
| hangers | des cintres | day saNtr |
| a key | une clé | ewn klay |
| ice cubes | des glaçons | deh glah-sohN |
| some mineral water | de l’eau minérale | duh lo mee-nay-rahl |
| a pillow | un oreiller | uhN noh-reh-yay |
| a safe (deposit box) | un coffre | uhN kohfr |
| a shower | une douche | ewn doosh |
| a single (double) room | une chambre à un (deux) lit(s) | ewn shahNbr ah uhN (duh) lee |
| on the courtyard | côté cour | koh-tay koor |
| on the garden | côté jardin | koh-tay zhahr-daN |
| on the sea | côté mer | koh-tay mehra |
| telephone | un téléphone | uhN tay-lay-fohn |
| a television | une télévision | ewn tay-lay-vee-zyohN |
| (color) | (en couleurs) | (ahN koo-luhr) |
| (flat screen) | (écran plat) | (ay-krahN plah) |
| (large screen) | (grand écran) | (grahN tay-krahN) |
| tissues | des mouchoirs en papier | day moo-shwahr ahN pah-pyay |
| toilet paper (roll) | un rouleau de papier hygiénique | uhN roo-lo duh pah-pyay ee-zhyay-neek |
| a towel | une serviette | ewn sehr-vyeht |
| a beach towel | un drap de bain | uhN drah duh baN |
| a transformer | un transformateur | uhN trahNz-fohr-mah-tuhr |
Elevator Speak
I’d bet that like most of us, you’ve had an elevator experience—either in a hotel or elsewhere—in which you’ve felt like a large sardine in a small can. When you’re pushed to the back or squished to the side, you have to hope that a kind and gentle soul will wiggle a hand free and ask: “Quel étage, s’il vous plaît?” (kehl ay-tahzh seel voo pleh)—in other words, “Which floor, please?” You will need the ordinal numbers in the following table to give a correct answer, such as: “Le troisième étage, s’il vous plaît” (luh trwah-zyehm ay-tahzh seel voo pleh).
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| premier (première) | pruh-myay (pruh-myehr) | 1st |
| deuxième (second[e]) | duh-zyehm (suh-gohN[d]) | 2nd |
| troisième | trwah-zyehm | 3rd |
| quatrième | kah-tree-yehm | 4th |
| cinquième | saN-kyehm | 5th |
| sixième | see-zyehm | 6th |
| septième | seh-tyehm | 7th |
| huitième | wee-tyehm | 8th |
| neuvième | nuh-vyehm | 9th |
| dixième | dee-zyehm | 10th |
| onzième | ohN-zyehm | 11th |
| douzième | doo-zyehm | 12th |
| vingtième | vaN-tyehm | 20th |
| vingt et un(e)ième | vaN-tay-uhN (ewn)-nyehm | 21st |
| soixante-douzième | swah-sahNt doo-zyehm | 72nd |
| centième | sahN-tyehm | 100th |
- The only ordinal numbers that must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) with the noun they describe are premier and second.
- Except for premier and second, add ième to all cardinal numbers to form the ordinal number. Drop the silent e before ième.
- Observe that u was added in cinquième and that v replaced f in neuvième.
- Second(e) is generally used in a series that does not go beyond two.
- Elision does not occur (the definite article le or la does not drop its vowel) with huitième and onzième.
son premier roman his (her) first novel
sa première chanson his (her) first song
le huitième mois the eighth month
la onzième année the eleventh year
With these helpful French phrases you’ll have no trouble getting what you need in your hotel! For more helpful travel information, check out our Video Quick Guide How to Handle a Taxi Driver in a Foreign Country. Have fun, and bonne chance!
From The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to French Phrases, Third Edition, by Gail Stein
