The 80/20 Rule of Vocabulary

80% of French conversations use only 300 words. That's it. Master these 300, and you can communicate at A1 level. Everything else is expansion.

This guide covers the core 300 words organized by category for easy learning.

Pronouns (12 words)

Je (I), Tu (you informal), Il (he), Elle (she)
Nous (we), Vous (you formal/plural), Ils (they M), Elles (they F)
Me/Moi, Te/Toi, Lui, Elle

Essential Verbs (30 words)

Core Verbs:

Être (be), Avoir (have), Aller (go), Faire (do/make), Venir (come)
Parler (speak), Manger (eat), Boire (drink), Dormir (sleep), Voir (see)
Entendre (hear), Comprendre (understand), Donner (give), Prendre (take)
Aimer (like/love), Pouvoir (can), Vouloir (want), Devoir (must), Savoir (know)

Numbers (25 words)

0-10: Zéro, Un, Deux, Trois, Quatre, Cinq, Six, Sept, Huit, Neuf, Dix

Tens: Vingt, Trente, Quarante, Cinquante, Soixante, Soixante-dix, Quatre-vingts, Quatre-vingt-dix, Cent

Family (12 words)

Père (father), Mère (mother), Frère (brother), Sœur (sister)
Grand-père (grandfather), Grand-mère (grandmother)
Fils (son), Fille (daughter), Bébé (baby), Mari (husband), Femme (wife)

Food & Drink (30 words)

Pain (bread), Fromage (cheese), Viande (meat), Poisson (fish)
Fruits: Pomme (apple), Orange, Banane, Raisin (grape), Fraise (strawberry)
Légumes: Tomate, Carotte, Oignon, Pomme de terre (potato)
Drinks: Eau (water), Lait (milk), Café, Thé, Vin (wine), Bière (beer)
Utensilils: Assiette (plate), Verre (glass), Fourchette (fork), Cuillère (spoon), Couteau (knife)

Places (20 words)

Maison (house), Appartement (apartment), Chambre (bedroom), Cuisine (kitchen)
Gare (train station), Aéroport (airport), Hôtel, Restaurant, Café
École (school), Université (university), Bibliothèque (library)
Parc (park), Plage (beach), Montagne (mountain), Ville (city), Pays (country)

Colors (10 words)

Noir (black), Blanc (white), Gris (gray), Rouge (red), Bleu (blue)
Vert (green), Jaune (yellow), Orange, Rose (pink), Marron (brown)

Time & Dates (20 words)

Days: Lundi, Mardi, Mercredi, Jeudi, Vendredi, Samedi, Dimanche
Months: Janvier, Février, Mars, Avril, Mai, Juin, Juillet, Août, Septembre, Octobre, Novembre, Décembre
Time: Heure (hour), Minute, Seconde, Matin (morning), Soir (evening), Nuit (night)

Adjectives (25 words)

Bon (good), Mauvais (bad), Grand (big), Petit (small), Long (long), Court (short)
Nouveau (new), Vieux (old), Jeune (young), Beau (beautiful), Joli (pretty), Horrible
Facile (easy), Difficile (difficult), Riche (rich), Pauvre (poor)
Heureux (happy), Triste (sad), Fatigué (tired), Malade (sick)

Prepositions (15 words)

À (to, at), De (from, of), En (in), Dans (in), Sur (on), Sous (under)
Par (by), Pour (for), Avec (with), Sans (without), Avant (before), Après (after)
Entre (between), Pendant (during)

Question Words (10 words)

Qui (who), Quoi (what), Où (where), Quand (when), Pourquoi (why)
Comment (how), Quel (which), Combien (how many/much), Lequel (which one)

Conjunctions (8 words)

Et (and), Ou (or), Mais (but), Car (because), Parce que (because), Donc (so), Cependant (however)

Common Phrases (20+ expressions)

Bonjour, Bonsoir, Au revoir, Merci, S'il vous plaît, De rien
Excusez-moi, Je m'appelle..., Ça va?, Ça va bien, Comment allez-vous?
Je suis français(e), Je viens de..., J'ai X ans, Je travaille...

How to Learn 300 Words in 6 Weeks

Week 1: Pronouns + Core Verbs (50 words)

Week 2: Numbers + Family + Food (65 words)

Week 3: Places + Colors (30 words)

Week 4: Time + Adjectives (45 words)

Week 5: Prepositions + Question Words (25 words)

Week 6: Review + Common Phrases (20+ words)

Bottom Line

These 300 words are your foundation. Master them, and you'll understand the skeleton of French. Everything else is expansion and nuance.

Want to build exam-ready vocabulary around this topic? Check out our TCF vocabulary lists.

Basic French Vocabulary: 300 Essential Words That Cover 80% of Conversations