If you want to say “Do you speak English?” in French, you have two options. The first is the formal/polite version, Parlez-vous anglais ? The other is the more relaxed, informal phrasing, Parles-tu anglais ? Generally, you should use the informal version when speaking to children, friends, family, or those you meet in a casual social setting. The formal version is best for business, in stores, when addressing someone older, or when you’re unsure of which form is most appropriate.
Rosetta Stone’s language learning programs build confidence in speaking and understanding French, from the basics like “Do you speak English?” and “What is your name?” in French, to advanced and proficient French conversations where you won’t want to switch languages at all.
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Formal ways to ask ‘Do you speak English?’ in French
Your best bet in French is to start with the more formal Parlez-vous anglais ? until someone tells you otherwise. Here, vous is the formal French word for “you.”
You can also construct your question with est-ce que while remaining polite.
- Est-ce que vous parlez anglais ? = Do you speak English?
Slightly more casual, while maintaining vous polite forms of the verb, is to form your French question with intonation alone.
- Vous parlez anglais ? = (Do) You speak English?
You’ll notice that none of these questions use the verb faire (to do/to make), because, in French, it isn’t necessary to form questions with “do.”
How to ask ‘Do you speak English?’ in French informal settings
Once you know a French speaker well, they might suggest on peut se tutoyer, in other words, “we can talk to each other using the informal tu forms.” It might also be obvious from the context. In cases where tu is more acceptable, you have a few options.
All three mean “Do you speak English?”
- Parles-tu anglais ? (uses inversion of the subject and verb)
- Est-ce que tu parles anglais ? (uses est-ce que)
- Tu parles anglais ? (uses intonation alone)
Knowing whether to use the more formal Parlez-vous anglais ? or a relaxed alternative comes from not only understanding how French works, but also a cultural understanding of when to use tu vs. vous.
To build fluency in speaking French, you’ll want to begin by learning the basics and then move naturally into a more nuanced understanding of the language. That’s why Rosetta Stone’s French language learning program is based on an immersive approach. Rosetta Stone lessons introduce words along with visual and audio cues designed to help you learn in the context of real-life, everyday conversations.
How to pronounce ‘Do you speak English’ in French
Some French pronunciations can be tricky because they are more nasal-sounding than pronunciations in other languages. Even the simplest beginner questions and answers contain uniquely French sounds that don’t necessarily match what you’d expect based on the spellings.
The French ‘r’
The French “r” sound doesn’t exist in English. It’s more guttural, coming from the back of the throat, so avoid the American English-sounding “r” in the word parlez.
Silent letters
The ending “ez” of parlez is pronounced like “-ay” in English, while the ending “es” in parles is silent. Both français (French) and anglais (English) end in a silent “s.”
Vowels
The vowels in vous sound like the “oo” in “food,” but with tu, you’ll need the uniquely French “u” sound. Form your lips like you’re preparing to say “oo.” Without changing the position of your lips, say “ee” like in cheese.
Accent marks
There are five different French accent marks to know, and the Académie Française affirms their use and importance, even on capital letters. If you say français, remember that the ç with the cédille mark changes the pronunciation to “s” like in “sit.”
To perfect your French pronunciation, you will need immediate and accurate feedback. Rosetta Stone integrates our TruAccent speech-recognition engine into every language lesson to provide precise and instant feedback to help you align your accent with that of native French speakers.
Responding to ‘Do you speak English?’ in French
If you’re the one who can help a traveler needing assistance or someone you meet on your travels, here are a few ways to respond to “do you speak English” in French and talk about various languages.
- Oui, je parle anglais. = Yes, I speak English.
- Oui, je parle espagnol couramment. = Yes, I speak Spanish fluently.
- Oui, je parle un peu de français. = Yes, I speak a little French.
- Oui, je parle anglais, mais je voudrais pratiquer le français, si ça ne vous dérange pas. = Yes, I speak English, but I would like to practice French, if that doesn’t bother you.
- Non, je ne parle pas italien. = No, I don’t speak Italian.
What to do if no one speaks English
You might be asking, “Do you speak English” in French if you’re traveling and have an emergency. It’s understandable to want to speak your first language in a high-pressure situation. If no one can help out in English, part of your repertoire of French phrases for travel should be some phrases to get help.
| French | English |
| Aidez-moi, s’il vous plâit. | Help me, please. |
| Au secours !/ À l’aide ! | Help! (emergency) |
| J’ai besoin de/d’… | I need… |
| …une ambulance. | …an ambulance. |
| …aller à l’hôpital. | …to go to the hospital. |
| …un chargeur. | …a charger. |
| …faire un appel/faire un coup de téléphone. | …to make a phone call. |
| …la police. | …the police. |
| …un traducteur/une traductrice. | …a translator. |
| J’ai un problème. | I have a problem. |
| J’ai perdu… | I lost… |
| …mon passeport. | …my passport. |
| …mon portefeuille. | …my wallet. |
| …mon téléphone portable/móbile/cellulaire. | …my cell phone. |
| Je me suis perdu/perdue. | I’m lost. |
Keep the basic French conversation going
If your goal is to converse fluently in French, you may not want to switch to English right away, even if someone responds to your question with oui, je parle anglais (“Yes, I speak English”) and has excellent English.
There are several commonly used words and conversational phrases that make up the backbone of the French language. Beyond greetings like Bonjour (“Hello”) or s’il vous plaît (“if you please”) that you will need, it’s also advisable to learn the words for questions in French, such as:
- quoi (what)
- où (where)
- qui (who/whom)
- quand (when)
- pourquoi (why)
- comment (how)
Now you’ll be able to carry on a more detailed conversation, asking and answering questions about your languages.
- Pourquoi est-ce que vous parlez anglais ? = Why do you speak English?
- Je parle anglais pour mon travail. = I speak English for my job.
- Quand est-ce que tu parles anglais? = When do you speak English?
- Je parle anglais en classe. = I speak English in class.
- Avec qui parlez-vous français ? = With whom do you speak French?
- Je parle français avec ma grand-mère. = I speak French with my grandmother.
- Où parles-tu français ? = Where do you speak French?
- Je parle français au Québec quand je voyage. = I speak French in Quebec when I travel.
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