Making friends can be hard when you are an adult. As a child everything is much easier, you just need to ask a simple question such as ‘Tu veux jouer avec moi ?’ and that’s it! you have a new friend!

Unfortunately, the older we get, the more difficult it becomes. And if we add the ‘barrier’ of not speaking the language as a native speaker, this can be ‘mission impossible'. If you have that feeling, don’t worry, you are not alone, vous n’êtes pas seul. In fact, there are lots of people out there in the same situation.

Conversation starters

Breaking the ice is the first step, and maybe the hardest. If you don’t know what to say to start a conversation, here are some useful phrases you can use in endless situations:

• Vous venez souvent ici ? (Do you come here often?)
• C’est ma première fois ici, et vous ? (It’s my first time here, what about you?) 
• Comment avez-vous entendu parler de cet événement ? (How did you hear about this event?)
• Ça fait longtemps que vous habitez à Genève ? (Have you been living in Geneva for a long time?)
• Bonjour, moi c’est …. et vous ? (Hi, I am… and you?)

And if you want to use an easy subject, you can always talk about the weather!  Remember you have lots of ideas in our blog post: Talking about la météo

Introduce yourself

If we go beyond ‘Bonjour, je m’appelle… et vous?’, there are lots of things you can say about yourself. 

• Je m’appelle … mais tout le monde m’appelle … (My name is… but everyone calls me…)
• Je suis originaire de … mais maintenant j’habite à … j’adore cette ville. (I am originally from… but I have lived in… since… and I love it!)
• Je viens de … comme vous pouvez le remarquer par mon accent. (I come from … as you can notice by my accent)

Compliments

Legend has it that French strangers and acquaintances never give compliments. But anyway, taking five seconds out of your day to let someone know their work, clothing, or whatever is great can make a world of difference to them. Here are some examples:

• J'aime beaucoup votre accent. (I really like your accent)
• C'est un sac vraiment cool ! (That’s a really cool bag!)
• Super chaussures, tu les as eues où ? (Nice trainers, where did you get them?)

Extending the friendship

Bravo ! You’ve made it! After a little chat, you might want to be in touch with that person. Don’t be shy and let them know.

• On devrait sortir plus souvent. (We should hang out more) 
• Ça serait sympa de se revoir. (It would be nice to meet again)
• Vous avez un compte Instagram? (Have you got an Instagram account?)

Practice Makes Perfect! 

By using these phrases, I am sure you will be able to have a first conversation with a stranger who, after a while, might become your nouvel(le) ami(e). 

If you want to go further and feel more confident when speaking French, remember we have an amazing discount for our French toolbox! It will provide you with 80+ video recorded lessons and review sheets you will be able to watch as you please, according to your own busy schedule. Register now