The island of Madagascar has two main official languages. They are Malagasy and French. At the same time, French is spoken by the majority of inhabitants throughout the territory.
So, it makes sense to rely on it when coming here. Especially since the Malagasy language has many dialects and accents, which might not be so easy for a foreigner to understand. A French phrasebook with pronunciation will be useful to you.
Wherever you go in Madagascar, take an English-French phrasebook with you. This simple trick will allow you to negotiate with sellers, clarify the cost of goods, find out the way. Having a French phrasebook in your pocket or smartphone will make your journey a bit more comfortable. We have gathered some useful French phrases for you:
| In English | In French |
| Yes | Oui |
| No | Non |
| Thank you (thank you very much) | Merci (merci beaucoup) |
| You're welcome (response to thank you) | Je vous en prie. |
| Not at all | De rien |
| Please (request) | S’il vous plaît |
| Excuse me | Pardon / excusez-moi |
| Hello | Bonjour |
| Goodbye | Au revoir |
| Bye | A bientôt |
| I do not understand. | Je ne comprends pas. |
| Do you speak... Russian? ...English? ...French? | Parlez-vous... russe? ...anglais? ...français? |
| I do not speak French. | Je ne parle pas…français. |
| Mister, Madam... | Monsieur, madame... |
| Slower, please. | Plus lentement, s’il vous plaît. |
| Help me, please. | Aidez-moi, s’il vous plaît. |
| I need... | J’ai besoin de... |
| Where is...? | Où se trouve... ? |
| Hotel | L’hôtel |
| Restaurant | Le restaurant |
| Shop | Le magasin |
| Museum | Le musée |
| Street | La rue |
| Square | La place |
| Airport | L’aéroport |
| Train station | La gare |
| Bus station | La gare routière |
| Stop | L’arrêt |
| Bus | Le bus |
| Tram | Le tram |
| Train | Le train |
| Airplane | L’avion |
| Metro | Le métro |
| Taxi | Le taxi |
| Car | La voiture |
| Departure | Le départ |
| Arrival | L’arrivée |
| Ticket | Le billet |
| How much does a ticket cost? | Quel est le prix d’un billet ? |
| To the left | A gauche |
| To the right | A droite |
| Straight ahead | Tout droit |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes ? |
| How much does it cost? | Combien ça coûte ? |
| What is the price? | Quel est le prix ? |
| I would like to buy / order... | Je voudrais acheter / commander… |
| Do you have...? | Avez-vous… ? |
| I'll take it. | Je le prends. |
| Do you accept credit cards? | Acceptez-vous les cartes de crédit ? |
| Open | Ouvert |
