1000 Words

Learn French – start with the 1000 most important words

Around 1000 words are enough to understand roughly 85% of everyday speech. That is exactly what 1000 Words focuses on: instead of endless grammar tables, you first learn the French vocabulary you will actually meet in real life – nouns, verbs, adjectives and full sentences, each with translation, example sentence and native-speaker audio.

Learn the way that fits your day: as a video to read along, as an audiobook for your commute or for falling asleep, as an ebook, or with the built-in vocabulary trainer that shows you every word again at the scientifically optimal moment (spaced repetition). Everything is available on the website and in the free app for iOS and Android.

A taste: French vocabulary with example sentences

EnglishFrenchExample sentence
the applela pommeI eat the apple.
Je mange la pomme.
the bookle livreShe reads the book.
Elle lit le livre.
the catle chatThe cat is sleeping.
Le chat dort.
the dogle chienThe dog is barking.
Le chien aboie.
the carla voitureHe drives the car.
Il conduit la voiture.
the housela maisonWe live in a house.
Nous vivons dans une maison.
the chairla chaiseShe sits on the chair.
Elle s'assoit sur la chaise.
the tablela tablePut the book on the table.
Mets le livre sur la table.
the windowla fenêtreOpen the window.
Ouvre la fenêtre.
the doorla porteClose the door.
Ferme la porte.
the pencille crayonI write with the pencil.
J’écris avec le crayon.
the paperle papierThe paper is on the table.
Le papier est sur la table.
the schooll’écoleThe school is big.
L’école est grande.
the teacherl’enseignant(e)The teacher teaches math.
L’enseignant enseigne les maths.
the studentl’élèveThe student is studying.
L’élève étudie.
the boyle garçonThe boy is playing.
Le garçon joue.
the girlla filleThe girl is singing.
La fille chante.
the adultl’adulteThe adult is working.
L’adulte travaille.
the friendl’ami(e)My friend is here.
Mon ami(e) est ici.
the treel’arbreThe tree is tall.
L’arbre est grand.

Every word explained individually – with example sentence and audio: Browse all 1000 words →

The 100 most important French words →

Essential French verbs & adjectives

to acceptaccepter
to addajouter
to agreeaccepter
to allowpermettre
to askdemander
to believecroire
to borrowemprunter
to breakrompre
to bringapporter
to buildconstruire

French sentences for beginners

I like applesJ’aime les pommes
She is my friendElle est mon amie
It is a sunny dayC’est une journée ensoleillée
He runs fastIl court vite
We are happyNous sommes heureux
They play soccerIls jouent au football

How you learn French with 1000 Words

🎬 Learning videos

Every word narrated and illustrated – read along and repeat.

🎧 Audiobooks

All vocabulary as audio – including a 3x repetition version, perfect for learning while you sleep.

📖 Ebooks & PDFs

All words and sentences to look up and read offline.

🧠 Vocabulary trainer

Spaced-repetition system like flashcards – reviews exactly when you need them.

✨ AI stories

Short stories built from the words you already know, with audio and tap-to-explain.

📴 Offline mode

Download Premium content and keep learning without internet.

Frequently asked questions

How many words do I need to understand French?

With the 1000 most frequent words you understand about 85% of everyday spoken language. That is why 1000 Words focuses exactly on this core vocabulary – organized into nouns, verbs & adjectives and full sentences.

Does learning French while sleeping really work?

Research shows the brain consolidates previously learned material during sleep. Our audiobooks with triple repetition are made for this: listen in the evening, relax, and anchor what you learned. Read more in our article on learning while you sleep.

Is 1000 Words free?

Yes, getting started is free: parts of the videos and audiobooks, the vocabulary trainer, the matching game and previews of all content. Premium unlocks everything – including downloads for offline mode.

Who is 1000 Words for?

For beginners and returners (level A1–B1) who want to build a usable French vocabulary fast – without grammar overload, with native-speaker audio.

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