![\"beignet\"](\"https:\/\/www.neworleanskids.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/beignet.png\")
One way to get your kids excited about their upcoming trip to New Orleans is to teach them a little about our history and culture. New Orleans has a great deal of French influences and many locals still speak some variation of the language.<\/p>\nOne way to get your kids excited about their upcoming trip to New Orleans is to teach them a little about our history and culture. New Orleans has a great deal of French influences and many locals still speak some variation of the language.<\/p>\n
Here are five fun French words and phrases for kids that are easy to teach, easy to learn and useful in common daily circumstances.<\/p>\n
1. Thank you: merci<\/em> (pronounced mair-see<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n In French, as in English, politeness counts, and by learning to say merci<\/em>, kids can express gratitude and appreciation. In informal social settings, thank you is a very common phrase in most languages. When a child can say it in French, he or she will be seen as a polite young boy or girl.<\/p>\n 2. You’re welcome: de rein<\/em> (pronounced du-rhee-en<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n Most people are polite and say thank you often. The correct response to someone thanking you is “you’re welcome.” When children learn that merci<\/em> means that someone is thanking them, teach them to say de rein<\/em> right away to acknowledge the thanker. Merci<\/em> and de rein<\/em> will come in handy in all kinds of social situations.<\/p>\n 3. Yes\/no: oui<\/em> (pronounced whee<\/em>) no<\/em> (pronounced no<\/em>, the same as in English)<\/strong><\/p>\n We would be amazed at how often the words yes and no come up in our daily conversation, so the French versions of these words are always good to know. Oui<\/em> is easy to learn and say to express the affirmative: “Oui<\/em>, I like oysters,” “Oui<\/em>, I’m glad school is out.” The word no in French is the same as in English, so that will be easy to remember.<\/p>\n 4. Please: s’il vous plait<\/em> (pronounced see voo play<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n When a little one says, “I want a cookie,” what is the parent’s response? Often, it is “What do we say?” Then the child knows to add the word please. In French, the word is s’il vous plait<\/em>. It might go like this: “I want a cookie.” “What do you say?” “S’il vous plait<\/em>.” “Oui<\/em>, you may have a cookie.”<\/p>\n 5. Do you speak English?: parlez-vous Anglais?<\/em> (pronounced parlay vooz ong-glay?<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n Of all the words and phrases a child can learn to say in French, parlez-vous Anglais?<\/em> might be one of the most helpful – especially if a French speaker is rattling off his language and the child’s limited French vocabulary isn’t keeping up. By knowing how to say parlez-vous Anglais?<\/em>, the young person can quickly find out if the speaker might be able to converse in a language the child is more familiar with.<\/p>\n Bonus Word: Fitter or Doughnut: beignet<\/em> (pronounced be-nye)<\/span><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n