FlexiLingoIn one line
French officialdom has a vocabulary of its own that never comes up in conversation — and you need it for the exam and for real life alike.
Nouns
Documents
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
le document | /dɔ.ky.mɑ̃/ | document |
le dossier | /do.sje/ | file, application pack |
le formulaire | /fɔʁ.my.lɛʁ/ | form |
la demande | /də.mɑ̃d/ | application, request |
l'attestation (f.) | /a.tɛs.ta.sjɔ̃/ | certificate, statement |
le justificatif | /ʒys.ti.fi.ka.tif/ | supporting document |
le justificatif de domicile | /ʒys.ti.fi.ka.tif də do.mi.sil/ | proof of address |
l'acte de naissance (m.) | /akt də nɛ.sɑ̃s/ | birth certificate |
la carte de séjour | /kaʁt də se.ʒuʁ/ | residence card |
le titre de séjour | /titʁ də se.ʒuʁ/ | residence permit |
le récépissé | /ʁe.se.pi.se/ | interim receipt |
la traduction assermentée | /tʁa.dyk.sjɔ̃ a.sɛʁ.mɑ̃.te/ | sworn translation |
la copie | /kɔ.pi/ | copy |
l'original (m.) | /ɔ.ʁi.ʒi.nal/ | original |
le tampon | /tɑ̃.pɔ̃/ | stamp |
la signature | /si.ɲa.tyʁ/ | signature |
Institutions
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
la mairie | /mɛ.ʁi/ | town hall |
la préfecture | /pʁe.fɛk.tyʁ/ | prefecture |
le consulat | /kɔ̃.sy.la/ | consulate |
l'ambassade (f.) | /ɑ̃.ba.sad/ | embassy |
le guichet | /ɡi.ʃɛ/ | counter, window |
l'administration (f.) | /ad.mi.nis.tʁa.sjɔ̃/ | the administration |
le service | /sɛʁ.vis/ | department |
l'agent (m.) | /a.ʒɑ̃/ | official |
le fonctionnaire | /fɔ̃k.sjɔ.nɛʁ/ | civil servant |
The process
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
le rendez-vous | /ʁɑ̃.de.vu/ | appointment |
la démarche | /de.maʁʃ/ | administrative step |
le délai | /de.lɛ/ | time limit, processing time |
la file d'attente | /fil da.tɑ̃t/ | queue |
le numéro de dossier | /ny.me.ʁo də dɔ.sje/ | file number |
la convocation | /kɔ̃.vɔ.ka.sjɔ̃/ | summons, appointment letter |
le refus | /ʁə.fy/ | refusal |
le recours | /ʁə.kuʁ/ | appeal |
la taxe | /taks/ | duty, levy |
l'impôt (m.) | /ɛ̃.po/ | tax |
l'assurance maladie (f.) | /a.sy.ʁɑ̃s ma.la.di/ | health insurance |
le numéro de sécurité sociale | /ny.me.ʁo də se.ky.ʁi.te so.sjal/ | social security number |
l'allocation (f.) | /a.lɔ.ka.sjɔ̃/ | benefit, allowance |
English has most of these words and uses them for something else.
French Means here English "same" word le dossieryour whole application pack a dossier = a report on someone la demandean application demand = a forceful request le délaithe processing time delay = a hold-up la convocationyour appointment letter convocation = a ceremony le recoursa formal appeal recourse = a fallback
le délaiis the one that misleads daily.Le délai est de trois moisdoes not mean anything has gone wrong — it is the normal quoted processing time. Andla demandeis neutral:faire une demande de titre de séjouris simply applying, not demanding anything.
Verbs
| Verb | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
remplir | /ʁɑ̃.pliʁ/ | to fill in |
déposer | /de.po.ze/ | to submit, to lodge |
demander | /də.mɑ̃.de/ | to request |
faire une demande de | /fɛʁ yn də.mɑ̃d də/ | to apply for |
s'inscrire à | /sɛ̃s.kʁiʁ a/ | to register for |
fournir | /fuʁ.niʁ/ | to provide |
joindre | /ʒwɛ̃dʁ/ | to attach, to enclose |
signer | /si.ɲe/ | to sign |
renouveler | /ʁə.nu.və.le/ | to renew |
délivrer | /de.li.vʁe/ | to issue |
traiter | /tʁɛ.te/ | to process |
accorder | /a.kɔʁ.de/ | to grant |
refuser | /ʁə.fy.ze/ | to refuse |
contester | /kɔ̃.tɛs.te/ | to challenge |
prendre rendez-vous | /pʁɑ̃dʁ ʁɑ̃.de.vu/ | to make an appointment |
Adjectives
| Masculine | Feminine | English |
|---|---|---|
obligatoire /ɔ.bli.ɡa.twaʁ/ | obligatoire /ɔ.bli.ɡa.twaʁ/ | compulsory |
valable /va.labl/ | valable /va.labl/ | valid |
périmé /pe.ʁi.me/ | périmée /pe.ʁi.me/ | expired |
complet /kɔ̃.plɛ/ | complète /kɔ̃.plɛt/ | complete |
incomplet /ɛ̃.kɔ̃.plɛ/ | incomplète /ɛ̃.kɔ̃.plɛt/ | incomplete |
officiel /ɔ.fi.sjɛl/ | officielle /ɔ.fi.sjɛl/ | official |
légal /le.ɡal/ | légale /le.ɡal/ | legal |
gratuit /ɡʁa.tɥi/ | gratuite /ɡʁa.tɥit/ | free of charge |
urgent /yʁ.ʒɑ̃/ | urgente /yʁ.ʒɑ̃t/ | urgent |
en cours /ɑ̃ kuʁ/ | — | in progress |
Set phrases
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
Je voudrais prendre rendez-vous. | /ʒə vu.dʁɛ pʁɑ̃dʁ ʁɑ̃.de.vu/ | I'd like to make an appointment |
Quels documents faut-il fournir ? | /kɛl do.ky.mɑ̃ fo.til fuʁ.niʁ/ | which documents are required? |
Mon dossier est incomplet. | /mɔ̃ dɔ.sje ɛt ɛ̃.kɔ̃.plɛ/ | my file is incomplete |
Où en est mon dossier ? | /u ɑ̃n ɛ mɔ̃ dɔ.sje/ | where has my application got to? |
Quel est le délai ? | /kɛl ɛ lə de.le/ | how long does it take? |
Veuillez trouver ci-joint… | /vœ.je tʁu.ve si.ʒwɛ̃/ | please find attached… |
Dans l'attente de votre réponse… | /dɑ̃ la.tɑ̃t də votʁ ʁe.pɔ̃s/ | awaiting your reply… |
Je vous remercie par avance. | /ʒə vu ʁə.mɛʁ.si paʁ a.vɑ̃s/ | thank you in advance |
pièces à fournir | /pjɛsz a fuʁ.niʁ/ | documents required |
sous huitaine | /ɥi.tɛn/ | within a week |
dans les meilleurs délais | /dɑ̃ le mɛ.jœʁ de.lɛ/ | as soon as possible |
Traps
| Trap | Explanation |
|---|---|
la demande is an application | And economic demand too. demander is to request, not merely to ask. |
déposer un dossier, not donner | The administrative verb is déposer. |
Know what justificatif de domicile is | An electricity bill or tenancy agreement. Every file asks for it. |
le récépissé is the interim residence receipt | It stands in for the card until the card is issued. |
assurance is both insurance and assurance | Context decides. |
Veuillez is the polite imperative of vouloir | Formal writing only. |
sous huitaine means within eight days | And sous quinzaine within fifteen. |
The language of an official letter
the formulas every formal letter is built from
A French administrative letter has a fixed structure with almost no freedom in it:
| Part | Formula | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Salutation | Madame, Monsieur, | /ma.dam mə.sjø/ |
| Subject | Objet : demande de… | /ɔb.ʒɛ də.mɑ̃d də/ |
| Opening | Je me permets de vous écrire au sujet de… | /ʒə mə pɛʁ.mɛ də vu.z‿e.kʁiʁ o sy.ʒɛ də/ |
| The request | Je vous serais reconnaissant(e) de bien vouloir… | /ʒə vu sə.ʁɛ ʁə.kɔ.nɛ.sɑ̃ də bjɛ̃ vu.lwaʁ/ |
| Attachment | Veuillez trouver ci-joint… | /vœ.je tʁu.ve si.ʒwɛ̃/ |
| Awaiting | Dans l'attente de votre réponse, | /dɑ̃ la.tɑ̃t də votʁ ʁe.pɔ̃s/ |
| Close | Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées. | /ʒə vu pʁi da.ɡʁe.e ma.dam mə.sjø lɛks.pʁɛ.sjɔ̃ də me sa.ly.ta.sjɔ̃ dis.tɛ̃.ɡe/ |
That closing sentence looks absurdly long, and it is compulsory. Leaving it out of a formal letter reads as rude.
The shorter forms:
| Register | Formula | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| fully formal | Je vous prie d'agréer… salutations distinguées. | /ʒə vu pʁi da.ɡʁe.e sa.ly.ta.sjɔ̃ dis.tɛ̃.ɡe/ |
| moderately formal | Cordialement, | /kɔʁ.djal.mɑ̃/ |
| semi-formal | Bien à vous, | /bjɛ̃.n‿a vu/ |
| friendly | Amicalement, Bises, | /a.mi.kal.mɑ̃/ · /biz/ |
In everyday administrative email, Cordialement is enough almost everywhere. The long formula is for paper letters and genuinely formal situations.
English has spent fifty years getting shorter and French has not. "Best regards" or "Thanks!" is now normal in an English work email; the direct French equivalents do not exist at the same register. Merci ! alone at the end of a letter to a prefecture reads as brusque.
Do not translate your English sign-off — pick from the table. And note the salutation: English opens with a name, French with Madame, Monsieur, when you do not know who will read it. Never Cher Monsieur to an office; cher is for people you actually know.
Fully set out in email-formel.