I'm staying at CERN this summer (2025) as part of an HSF project! CERN, based in Geneva, is mostly French-speaking, so I thought it would be fun to keep a running list of French words I come across during my time here. I’ll keep updating it as I go!

Genève -> Geneva

Merci -> Thank you

Bonjour -> Hello

Bonne journée ->Good Day

Bonsoir -> Good Evening

Francais -> French

Parle -> Speak

Je -> I

Je ne -> I don't

Je ne parle pas francais -> I don't speak french

Passeport -> Passport

Billet -> Ticket

Tout -> Tout

Billets Tout Genève - zone 10 -> Tickets all Geneva - Zone 10

Sortie -> Exit

Prochain -> Next

Gare -> Station

Prochaine gare -> Next Station

à -> to

gauche -> Left

Droite -> Right

Sortie à gauche -> Exit to left

Sortie à droite -> Exit to right

Terminaison -> Termination

Entrée -> Entrance

Bâtiment -> Building

Oui -> Yes

Non -> No

Au revoir -> Good Bye ( no one uses this one; very formal)

Merci Beaucoup -> Thank you very much

Bon appétit -> Good Appetite/Enjoy your meal

Livraison -> Delivery

Défibrilateur -> Defibrilator

Conditionneur -> Conditioner

Dans -> in, into, within, inside, during

Vide -> Void, Empty

Plein -> Full

Dans le vide -> In the void

Excusez moi -> Excuse me

Pardon -> Forgive me, sorry

Desolé (Desolée) -> Sorry

de -> of

eau -> Water

vin -> Wine

Jet de Eau ( Jet D'Eau) -> Jet of water

Lundi -> Monday

Mardi -> Tuesday

Tirez -> Pull

poussez -> Push

Hôspital -> Hospital

Jardin -> Garden

Alpin -> Alpine

Papier -> Paper

végétarien -> Vegetarian

Nouveau -> New

De rein -> It was nothing/You are welcome

chambre -> Bedroom/Room

Salle -> Room

oeuf / œuf -> Egg

Soja -> Soyabean

Chantier -> Construction Site

proprieté privée -> Property Private/Private property

Risque -> Risk

Risque de Radiation -> Risk of Radiation

defence de fumer -> No smoking (lit. defence of smoke?)

Vélo -> Bike/Bicycle

Pour -> For