“Do You Speak English?” in French, and What to Say When You Don't Speak French

"Do you speak English?" in French is Parlez-vous anglais ? It's said roughly par-lay voo-zahn-glay: the s of vous runs into anglais as a z sound. That's the polite version, right for strangers, staff and anyone you don't know. Below are the everyday and casual versions, how to ask so people actually want to help, what they'll say back, and what to say when you don't speak French.

How to say "Do you speak English?" in French

French has three ways to ask, from most to least formal:

All three mean the same thing. Parlez-vous anglais? flips the verb and vous to make a question; Vous parlez anglais ? keeps normal word order and lets your rising tone do the work. Both use vous, the polite "you". Only switch to tu when the other person does.

Ask it the French way: bonjour first

In France, launching straight into a question, even a polite one, comes across as abrupt. Greet the person first, then ask:

• Bonjour (or bonsoir in the evening), then
• Excusez-moi: excuse me, then
• Vous parlez anglais ?

All together: Bonjour, excusez-moi, vous parlez anglais ? If you know a few words of French, start in French anyway. People are often happier to switch to English for someone who has made the effort than for someone who assumed they would.

French lesson · 13 phrases with audioBasic phrases for learners: Basic PhrasesPractise this conversation →

What you'll hear back

• Oui, un peu. Yes, a little. The most common answer, and often modest: many people who say it speak good English. I've lost count of the times I asked Vous parlez anglais ? in my best accent, heard Oui, un peu, and then got a reply in perfectly fluent English.
• Un petit peu. A little bit.
• Oui, bien sûr. Yes, of course.
• Pas vraiment. Not really.
• Non, désolé. No, sorry (désolée from a woman).

If the answer is no, the phrases below will get you through.

"I don't speak French" in French

• Je ne parle pas français. I don't speak French. In everyday speech the ne often disappears: Je parle pas français.
• Je parle un peu français. I speak a little French.
• Je ne parle pas bien français. I don't speak French well.
• J'apprends le français I'm learning French. People tend to slow down and help once they hear this.
• Français is "French" (the language). The ç is an s sound: frahn-say.

When you don't understand

These keep a conversation going instead of ending it:

• Je ne comprends pas I don't understand. You'll hear the casual je comprends pas too.
• Pardon: sorry? The shortest way to ask someone to repeat.
• Pouvez-vous répéter cela ? Can you repeat that? In everyday speech: Vous pouvez répéter ?
• Pouvez-vous parler lentement ? Can you speak slowly? Much softer than the command Parlez lentement, which can sound blunt.
• Pouvez-vous expliquer encore une fois ? Can you explain again?
• Comment dit-on ... en français ? How do you say ... in French?
• Ça veut dire quoi ? What does that mean?
• Vous pouvez l'écrire ? Can you write it down? Useful for addresses and names.

French lesson · 17 phrases with audioTop 50 phrases to get by France: Essential communicationPractise this conversation →

"Do you speak French?"

The same pattern with français instead of anglais:

• Parlez-vous français ? / Vous parlez français ? Do you speak French? (polite)
• Tu parles français ? (casual)

To check whether someone understood you, it's Comprenez-vous ? (do you understand?), or more casually, Tu comprends ?

Cheat sheet

Next steps

You can hear Parlez-vous anglais ? spoken by a native speaker, with a word-by-word breakdown. If you're preparing for a trip, French phrases for tourists covers cafés, directions and restaurants, and French conversation for beginners walks through five everyday conversations. The lessons below let you practise all of this out loud, so asking is automatic when you need it.