Simply Fluent
The 100 most common French words
These hundred words make up a large share of everything written in French. Learn them and a page stops looking like a wall.
Space shows the answer, then the arrow keys answer it. Hold the green button until the ring fills to mark the word as learned.
How the cards work
Frequency order, not alphabetical
New words arrive in order of how often they appear in real French. The first twenty do more work for you than the next two hundred, so they come first.
Each word keeps its own schedule
Every word carries its own gap, and the gap grows each time you get it right. Miss one and it resets to a day. Each word is asked both ways round, and each way keeps its own gap, because recognising a word comes well before you can say it yourself.
How fast you answer counts
A word you answer instantly is scheduled further out than one you hesitate over, even though you got both right. Hesitation is the signal that a word is not secure yet.
The full list
All hundred, in frequency order. Words you have practised are marked.
- 1deof, from, some
- 2etand
- 3lathe, her, it
- 4lethe, him, it
- 5àto, at, in
- 6lesthe, them
- 7quethat, which, whom
- 8jeI
- 9una, an, one
- 10ilhe, it
- 11pasnot, step, pace
- 12unea, an, one
- 13nenot (with pas, rien, jamais)
- 14enin, to, of it
- 15elleshe, it, her
- 16desof the, some, any
- 17dansin, into, inside
- 18pourfor, in order to, to
- 19sehimself, herself, themselves
- 20sonhis, her, its
- 21cethis, that, it
- 22duof the, from the, some
- 23maisbut, however
- 24vousyou, you (plural)
- 25quiwho, which, that
- 26nouswe, us
- 27étaitwas, used to be
- 28suron, about, over
- 29plusmore, most, no longer
- 30avecwith
- 31sahis, her, its
- 32avaithad
- 33siif, whether, so
- 34auto the, at the, in the
- 35seshis, her, its (plural)
- 36ditsays, tells, said
- 37luihim, her, to him
- 38parby, through, per
- 39toutall, everything, every
- 40commelike, as, how
- 41meme, to me, myself
- 42bienwell, good, quite
- 43estis
- 44ahas, there is
- 45qu'ilthat he, that it, than he
- 46monmy
- 47cettethis, that (feminine)
- 48ythere, to it, about it
- 49c'estit is, this is, that is
- 50ouor
- 51ilsthey
- 52qu'ellethat she, that it, than she
- 53tuyou
- 54celathat, it
- 55jamaisnever, ever
- 56trèsvery
- 57quandwhen, whenever
- 58faitdoes, makes, fact
- 59êtreto be, being
- 60deuxtwo
- 61étébeen, summer
- 62d'unof a, from a
- 63sanswithout
- 64j'aiI have
- 65mêmesame, even, self
- 66oùwhere
- 67alorsthen, so, at that time
- 68mamy
- 69faireto do, to make
- 70aussialso, too, as
- 71verstoward, around, to
- 72d'uneof a, from a, by a
- 73cesthese, those
- 74futwas
- 75c'étaitit was, that was
- 76puisthen, next
- 77leurtheir, them, to them
- 78suisam, follow
- 79moime, myself
- 80votreyour
- 81étaientwere
- 82aprèsafter, afterwards
- 83maintenantnow
- 84peulittle, few, not much
- 85riennothing, anything
- 86nonno, not
- 87chosething
- 88foistime, occasion
- 89toujoursalways, still
- 90auxto the, at the (plural)
- 91tousall, every, everyone
- 92tempstime, weather
- 93sontare
- 94carbecause, for
- 95làthere, here
- 96direto say, to tell
- 97quelquesome, a few
- 98onwe, one, people
- 99commenthow, what
- 100pourquoiwhy
