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Classroom vocabuary and commands

Classroom vocabuary and commands

La salle de classe

Whether you’re a student learning how to speak French or a classroom teacher you’ll definitely want to learn some useful classroom commands and expressions. This list includes common phrases and vocabulary words for both teachers and students. 

Classroom

Phrases for teachers

Homework, assignments

  • Where is your paper? Où est votre papier ?
  • Turn in your homework. Rendez vos devoirs.
  • Who wants to correct the work? Qui veux corriger le travail ?
  • Make the corrections. Faites les corrections.
  • Did you finish? Vous avez fini?
  • Good job! C’est bien! Bravo !

During the class

  • Show me . Montrez-moi .
  • Repeat. Répétez !
  • Repeat three times. Répétez trois fois.
  • Take your book. Prenez votre livre.
  • Open your book to page __ . Ouvrez votre livre à la page __.
  • Close your books. Fermez vos livres.
  • Do you understand? Vous comprenez…?
  • What does that mean? Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire?
  • Raise your hand. Levez la main.
  • Look at the blackboard. Regardez le tableau noir.
  • Take a sheet of paper. Prenez une feuille de papier.
  • Read __. Lisez __ .
  • Listen and repeat. Écoutez et répétez.
  • Write this word. Écrivez ce mot.
  • Spell this word, sentence. Épelez ce mot, cette phrase.
  • You understand this word, sentence? Vous comprenez ce mot, cette phrase ?
  • How do you say _ in French? Comment on dit _ en français ?
  • I’ll explain the word. J’explique le mot.
  • Speak louder. Parlez plus fort.
  • Ask the question. Posez la question.
  • Who can reply/answer? Qui peut répondre?
  • What’s the right answer? Quelle est la bonne réponse?
  • Who can answer? Qui peut répondre?
  • Who wants to read aloud? Qui veut lire à voix haute ?
  • Do the exercise. Faites l’exercise.
  • Work alone. Travaillez seul.
  • Work with a partner, in pairs. Travaillez deux par deux.
  • Work in small groups. Travaillez en petits groupes.

Discipline

  • Sit down! Asseyez-vous !
  • Who’s absent (not in class)? Qui est absent ?
  • Pay attention! Faites attention !
  • Leave the room! Sortez de la salle !
  • Silence! Silence !
  • Stand up! On your feet! Levez-vous ! Debout !
  • Shut up at the back of the class! Taisez-vous au fond de la classe !

Phrases for students

Relating to homework

  • Here’s my homework. Voici mes devoirs.
  • I forgot my homework. J’ai oublié mes devoirs.
  • I haven’t done my homework. Je n’ai pas fait mes devoirs.
  • My dog ate my homework. Mon chien a mangé mes devoirs.

During class

  • What page? Quelle page
  • Where’s my textbook. Où est mon manuel scolaire.
  • I lost my notebook. J’ai perdu mon cahier.
  • I don’t have a book, a pen. Je n’ai pas de livre, de stylo
  • How do you write this word? Comment écrit-on ce mot ?
  • How do you say _ in French? Comment dit-on _ en français?
  • I’m having a hard time ___ . J’ai du mal à ___.
  • Can you teach ? Pouvez-vous enseigner ?
  • I already learned this word. J’ai déjà appris ce mot.
  • What does that mean? Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ?
  • I don’t understand. Je ne comprends pas.
  • I understand. Je comprends.
  • How do you pronounce this word? Comment prononce-t-on ce mot?
  • Could you repeat, please? Vous pouvez répéter, s’il vous plaît ?
  • You’re speaking to fast. Vous parlez trop vite.
  • Speak slower. Parlez moins vite.

Related lessons

French vocabulary | Word of the day | Lessons by David Issokson

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David Issokson Founder & French Teacher at FrenchLearner.com
David Issokson is the founder of FrenchLearner.com, where he’s been helping students master French through vocabulary, grammar, and cultural lessons since 2012.

    David Issokson

    About the Author – David Issokson David Issokson is an online French teacher and the founder of FrenchLearner.com (established 2012). He has been teaching French online since 2014 and brings over 30 years of experience as a passionate French learner and fluent speaker. David creates clear, structured lessons supported by native audio recorded by Marie Assel Cambier, a professional voice artist and native French speaker. A graduate of McGill University in Montreal, he has taught hundreds of learners worldwide and publishes daily French lessons for more than 12,000 email subscribers. 📘 About David » 🌐 David’s personal site » 👍 Follow on Facebook »

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