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 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.
You will start with everyday French words like the food (la nourriture), the drink (la boisson), the cup (la tasse) — the vocabulary that appears most often in real conversations.
| English | French | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| the food | la nourriture | The food is delicious. La nourriture est délicieuse. |
| the drink | la boisson | I want a drink. Je veux une boisson. |
| the cup | la tasse | The cup is full. La tasse est pleine. |
| the bottle | la bouteille | The bottle is empty. La bouteille est vide. |
| the plate | l’assiette | The plate is clean. L’assiette est propre. |
| the spoon | la cuillère | I use a spoon. J’utilise une cuillère. |
| the fork | la fourchette | I eat with a fork. Je mange avec une fourchette. |
| the knife | le couteau | The knife is sharp. Le couteau est tranchant. |
| the breakfast | le petit-déjeuner | I eat breakfast. Je prends le petit-déjeuner. |
| the lunch | le déjeuner | We have lunch at noon. Nous déjeunons à midi. |
| the dinner | le dîner | They eat dinner together. Ils dînent ensemble. |
| the bread | le pain | I buy bread. J’achète du pain. |
| the butter | le beurre | I put butter on the bread. Je mets du beurre sur le pain. |
| the cheese | le fromage | I eat cheese. Je mange du fromage. |
| the milk | le lait | I drink milk. Je bois du lait. |
| the coffee | le café | I drink coffee in the morning. Je bois du café le matin. |
| the tea | le thé | I like tea. J’aime le thé. |
| the juice | le jus | I drink juice. Je bois du jus. |
| the soda | le soda | I drink soda. Je bois du soda. |
| the rice | le riz | I eat rice. Je mange du riz. |
Every word explained individually – with example sentence: Browse all 1000 words →
The 100 most important French words →
The 100 most important French verbs →
| to borrow | emprunter |
| to buy | acheter |
| to clean | nettoyer |
| to close | fermer |
| to cook | cuisiner |
| to do | faire |
| to drink | boire |
| to eat | manger |
| to find | trouver |
| to get | obtenir |
| She is my friend | Elle est mon amie |
| They have fun together | Ils s’amusent ensemble |
| We eat lunch together | Nous déjeunons ensemble |
| She smiles a lot | Elle sourit beaucoup |
| He tells funny jokes | Il raconte des blagues drôles |
| I visit my friends | Je rends visite à mes amis |
Every word narrated and illustrated – read along and repeat.
All vocabulary as audio – including a 3x repetition version, perfect for listening before you fall asleep.
All words and sentences to look up and read offline.
Spaced-repetition system like flashcards – reviews exactly when you need them.
Type your own words – AI translates them, adds example sentences and the trainer practises them with you.
Short stories built from the words you already know, with audio and tap-to-explain.
Download Premium content and keep learning without internet.
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.
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.
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.
For beginners and returners (level A1–B1) who want to build a usable French vocabulary fast – without grammar overload, with audio.