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Free practice

French flashcards with audio

Pick a set, listen, then translate. 100 cards from Madeleine's curriculum, free in your browser.

The sample

Five sets, 100 cards.

Every card comes from Madeleine's curriculum, with the same English meaning and the same lifelike French voice as the app. Select the speaker to hear one.

Essentials

The greetings and answers every exchange starts with.

  1. bonjourhello; good morningListen to bonjour
  2. bonsoirgood eveningListen to bonsoir
  3. salut !hi; bye (informal)Listen to salut !
  4. au revoirgoodbyeListen to au revoir
  5. mercithank youListen to merci
  6. merci beaucoupthanks a lotListen to merci beaucoup
  7. de rienyou're welcomeListen to de rien
  8. s'il vous plaîtplease (formal)Listen to s'il vous plaît
  9. s'il te plaîtplease (informal)Listen to s'il te plaît
  10. ouiyesListen to oui
  11. nonnoListen to non
  12. d'accordokay; agreedListen to d'accord
  13. pardonsorry; excuse meListen to pardon
  14. excusez-moiexcuse me (formal)Listen to excusez-moi
  15. ça va ?how are you; I'm fineListen to ça va ?
  16. enchanténice to meet youListen to enchanté
  17. bonne journéehave a good dayListen to bonne journée
  18. bonne soiréehave a good eveningListen to bonne soirée
  19. à demainsee you tomorrowListen to à demain
  20. à tout à l'heuresee you later todayListen to à tout à l'heure

Real French

What Parisians actually say: the fillers, reactions, and glue words textbooks skip.

  1. du coupso; as a resultListen to du coup
  2. en faitactually; in factListen to en fait
  3. quand mêmestill; anywayListen to quand même
  4. brefin short; anywayListen to bref
  5. carrément !absolutelyListen to carrément !
  6. tant pis !too badListen to tant pis !
  7. pas malnot badListen to pas mal
  8. ça marcheokay; that worksListen to ça marche
  9. voilà !there you go; that's itListen to voilà !
  10. c'est bonit's good; that's enoughListen to c'est bon
  11. pas de souci !no worriesListen to pas de souci !
  12. je sais pasI don't knowListen to je sais pas
  13. j'en sais rienI have no ideaListen to j'en sais rien
  14. trop bien !so good; awesomeListen to trop bien !
  15. ben oui !well yeah; obviouslyListen to ben oui !
  16. ben non !well no; of course notListen to ben non !
  17. non mais !seriously; come onListen to non mais !
  18. dis donc !hey; say; wowListen to dis donc !
  19. tu voisyou see; you knowListen to tu vois
  20. allez !come on; let's goListen to allez !

At the café

Order, ask, and respond without reaching for a phrasebook.

  1. je voudraisI would likeListen to je voudrais
  2. cafécoffee; caféListen to café
  3. eauwaterListen to eau
  4. mangerto eatListen to manger
  5. boireto drinkListen to boire
  6. l'addition s'il vous plaîtthe bill, pleaseListen to l'addition s'il vous plaît
  7. avoir faimto be hungryListen to avoir faim
  8. je vais prendreI'll haveListen to je vais prendre
  9. une table pour deuxa table for twoListen to une table pour deux
  10. je peux avoir... ?can I have; can I get?Listen to je peux avoir... ?
  11. sur placefor here; eat inListen to sur place
  12. sur place ou à emporter ?for here or to go?Listen to sur place ou à emporter ?
  13. bon appétit !enjoy your mealListen to bon appétit !
  14. sans viandewithout meat; no meatListen to sans viande
  15. une carafe d'eaua jug of tap waterListen to une carafe d'eau
  16. à emporterto go; takeawayListen to à emporter
  17. vinwineListen to vin
  18. bièrebeerListen to bière
  19. théteaListen to thé
  20. painbreadListen to pain

Getting around

Find the place, ask for help, and get understood.

  1. c'est où ?where is it?Listen to c'est où ?
  2. vous parlez anglais ?do you speak English?Listen to vous parlez anglais ?
  3. vous pouvez m'aider ?can you help me?Listen to vous pouvez m'aider ?
  4. vous pouvez répéter ?can you say that again?Listen to vous pouvez répéter ?
  5. vous pouvez parler plus lentement ?can you speak more slowly?Listen to vous pouvez parler plus lentement ?
  6. je comprends pasI don't understandListen to je comprends pas
  7. comment on dit ?how do you say?Listen to comment on dit ?
  8. je parle un peu françaisI speak a little FrenchListen to je parle un peu français
  9. je parle pas bien françaisI don't speak French wellListen to je parle pas bien français
  10. icihereListen to ici
  11. làthere; hereListen to là
  12. tout droitstraight aheadListen to tout droit
  13. à droiteto the rightListen to à droite
  14. à gaucheto the leftListen to à gauche
  15. près d'icinear hereListen to près d'ici
  16. garetrain stationListen to gare
  17. je dois changer ?do I need to transfer?Listen to je dois changer ?
  18. tu vas où ?where are you going?Listen to tu vas où ?
  19. t'es où ?where are you?Listen to t'es où ?
  20. on y va !let's goListen to on y va !

Everyday actions

The verbs that carry almost every sentence.

  1. êtreto beListen to être
  2. avoirto haveListen to avoir
  3. allerto goListen to aller
  4. faireto do; to makeListen to faire
  5. direto sayListen to dire
  6. pouvoirto be able toListen to pouvoir
  7. vouloirto wantListen to vouloir
  8. savoirto knowListen to savoir
  9. voirto seeListen to voir
  10. devoirto have to; mustListen to devoir
  11. venirto comeListen to venir
  12. partirto leave; to goListen to partir
  13. prendreto takeListen to prendre
  14. parlerto speakListen to parler
  15. comprendreto understandListen to comprendre
  16. attendreto waitListen to attendre
  17. chercherto look forListen to chercher
  18. trouverto findListen to trouver
  19. je peuxI canListen to je peux
  20. avoir besoin deto needListen to avoir besoin de

Why audio

What you read isn't always what you hear.

French spelling does not tell you how a word sounds in everyday speech. A silent flashcard teaches you to read a word you may not catch when someone says it. Every Madeleine card includes lifelike native audio, so you train the ear alongside the eye.

More on the most common French words and how they really sound.

  • je ne sais paschais pasI don't know
  • il y ay athere is / there are
  • je suischuisI am

Keep going on iPhone.

Madeleine continues with 874 words and 400 phrases, four lifelike French voices, and review that adapts to your memory.

Download

FAQs

How do I use the free flashcards?
Choose one of five sets: essentials, real French, the café, getting around, or everyday actions. Each card is read aloud as it appears; the speaker button mutes it. Try to recall the English meaning, then tap the card to check. Use Previous and Next to move between cards.
Are these French vocabulary flashcards free?
Yes. All 100 cards on this page are free to use in your browser, with English meanings and audio. The full Madeleine iPhone app is a separate paid subscription with no standard trial.
Do the free flashcards have audio?
Yes. Every card is read aloud in lifelike French generated with neural text-to-speech. Choose any of Madeleine's four voices: Margaux, Stéphanie, Vincent, or Julien.
Does the browser practice use spaced repetition?
The sample lets you browse cards at your own pace. It does not schedule future reviews. The Madeleine iPhone app uses FSRS-6 spaced repetition to adapt review intervals to your memory.
Will my progress appear in the iPhone app?
No. The free sample and the iPhone app are separate. The sample keeps no account and does not sync with the app.
Can I make my own flashcards?
The browser sample and the iPhone app use a fixed curriculum. The sample has 100 cards; the app has 874 words and 400 phrases. Neither includes a custom deck editor.
Will flashcards alone make me fluent?
No. Madeleine does not teach grammar or give you a full course. It makes high-frequency French vocabulary stick, in the ear as well as the eye, so time with a tutor or a class goes to grammar and conversation.