This series is for beginner learners ready to reach intermediate level!
Welcome back to the “600 Useful French Phrases” series!
Volume 3 is here to give your conversations more color, depth, and flow. Whether you’re changing topics, adding nuance, or making subtle comparisons, these phrases will help you sound more natural—and maybe even a little funnier🤗
🗣️ Key Focus of This Volume
- Remembering and forgetting things naturally
- Staying realistic and considering the situation
- Making comparisons
- Smoothly shifting or adding topics
- Talking about time and polite suggestions
I’ve picked everyday expressions that French natives actually use—plus I’ve sprinkled in light humor (and dark sarcasm) to help you remember them. Let’s dive in!
🔟✨ Today’s 10 Key Phrases（021–030)
021. Je me souviens de… / I remember…
📘 Mini Dialogue Practice
A: Tu te souviens de ton ex ?
B: Bien sûr. J’essaie d’oublier, mais même mon chien grogne quand il entend son nom🐶.
A: Do you remember your ex?
B: Of course. I try to forget, but even my dog growls when he hears his name🐶.
🧠 Grammar & Usage Notes
- se souvenir de = to remember something (reflexive verb + preposition “de”)
- “de + noun” is always required: Je me souviens de ce jour.
- grogner = to grunt , to growl
021. J’ai oublié…/ I forget…
📘 Mini Dialogue Practice
A: Tu as acheté du pain?
B: Oups… J’ai oublié. Mais j’ai acheté chocolat. Ça compte🍫?
A: Did you buy bread?
B: I forgot… But I bought chocolate. That counts, right🍫?
🧠 Grammar & Usage Notes
- oublier + noun = to forget something (no preposition)
- oublier de + infinitive = to forget to do something: J’ai oublié de fermer la porte.
- Ça compte ? = “Does that count?” (from compter = to count / to matter)
023. Soyons réalistes… / Let’s be realistic…
📘 Mini Dialogue Practice
A: On pourrait adopter un lama, non🦙?
B: Soyons réalistes…On n’arrive déjà nourrir le chat.
A: We could adopt a llama, right🦙?
B: Let’s be realistic… We can’t even feed the cat.
🧠 Grammar & Usage Notes
- soyons = imperative of “être” in the 1st person plural (let’s be)
- arrive à infinitive = to manage to do something/to succeed in doing something
024. Vu la situation… / Considering the situation…
📘 Mini Dialogue Practice
A: Tu vas à la soirée chez Julie?
B: Vu la situation… j’ai un rhume et trois deadlines…😵💫
A: Are you going to Julie’s party?
B: Considering the situation… I have a cold and three deadlines…😵💫
🧠 Grammar & Usage Notes
- vu = past participle of “voir” but used here as a preposition meaning “given” or “in light of”
- j’ai un rhume = I have a cold
025. Comparé à… / Compared to…
📘 Mini Dialogue Practice
A: Ce resto est bon?
B: Comparé à celui de la gare? C’est un trois étoiles Michelin😋.
A: Is this restaurant good?
B: Compared to the one at the train station? It’s Michelin-star level😋.
🧠 Grammar & Usage Notes
- comparé à = compared to (past participle used as a prepositional phrase)
026. Sinon… /Otherwise…, By the way…
📘 Mini Dialogue Practice
A: On regarde un film.
B: Sinon, on peut aller prendre une glace🍨. Il fait super chaud aujourd’hui.
A: Wanna watch a movie?
B: Otherwise, we could go grab some ice cream🍨. It’s very hot today.
🧠 Grammar & Usage Notes
- sinon = otherwise / or else / by the way (context-dependent)
027. À propos…/ By the way…
📘 Mini Dialogue Practice
A: T’as vu mon chargeur?
B: No…À propos, tu me dois un café depuis lundi😑.
A: Have you seen my charger?
B: No…By the way, you owe me a coffee since Monday😑.
🧠 Grammar & Usage Notes
- à propos = by the way (often used to change the subject)
- “T’as” is the informal spoken contraction of “Tu as” (you have), commonly used in everyday French conversations.
- tu me dois = you owe me
028. En plus… / On top of that…, Also…
📘 Mini Dialogue Practice
A: J’ai oublié mon mot de passe🤥.
B: En plus, t’as encore changé d’adresse mail hier.
A: I forgot my password🤥.
B: And on top of that, you changed your mail address again yesterday.
🧠 Grammar & Usage Notes
- en plus = in addition / what’s more (informal, common in speech)
- encore = again
029. Si j’ai le temps… / If I have time…
📘 Mini Dialogue Practice
A: Tu viens courir demain matin?
B: Si j’ai le temps…et si mon lit me laisse partir😅.
A: Coming for a run tomorrow morning?
B: If I have time… and if my bed lets me go😅.
🧠 Grammar & Usage Notes
- si + present tense = used even when talking about the future in French
- laisser quelqu’un + infinitive = to let someone do something
030. Si ça ne te dérange pas…/If you don’t mind…
📘 Mini Dialogue Practice
A: Si ça ne te dérange pas…je vais finir le reste du gâteau.
B: Vas-y. Mon estomac a déjà abandonné.
A: If you don’t mind… I’ll finish the rest of the cake.
B: Go ahead. My stomach has already given up.
🧠 Grammar & Usage Notes
- déranger = to bother / to disturb
- ne … pas makes it polite: “if it doesn’t bother you.” Use vous for formality: Si ça ne vous dérange pas…
- abandonner = to give up, surrender, quit)
📎 Coming Next
Vol.4 – Phrases No.031–040: Asking questions
Ready to ask questions like a native? In the next volume, we’ll explore how to politely check in, ask for info, and get help in shops and everyday situations—with phrases that make you sound curious, not pushy.
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