parlez-vous anglais ?
The phrase "do you understand english?" in French is parlez-vous anglais ?
This phrase is used to ask if someone is able to communicate in the English language.
Which one should you use?
Parlez-vous anglais ? is a way to ask if a person speaks English. Other ways to ask the same question include the formal Est-ce que vous comprenez l'anglais? and the informal Est-ce que tu comprends l'anglais? A colloquial way to phrase this is Tu piges l'anglais?
What mistakes should you avoid?
While comprenez-vous l'anglais ? is grammatically correct, English speakers often find parlez-vous anglais ? to be the more natural and common way to ask if someone can communicate in the language.
Did you know?
- The colloquial verb piger in Tu piges l'anglais? is a slang term that literally means 'to pick up' or 'to grasp', similar to the English phrase 'do you get it'.
- Unlike the English 'English' which is always capitalized, the French anglais is written in lowercase when it refers to the language. It only takes a capital letter if it is used as a proper noun to describe a person, like un Anglais.
- The word anglais is derived from the 'Angles', one of the Germanic tribes that migrated to Great Britain during the early Middle Ages.
Examples in context
- Pardon, parlez-vous anglais ?Sorry, do you speak English?
Example conversation
Hugo asks Emma for directions at a train station.
- HugoExcusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais ?Excuse me, do you speak English?
- EmmaOui, je parle un peu anglais.Yes, I speak a little English.
- HugoMerci beaucoup, vous êtes très gentille.Thank you very much, you are very kind.
- EmmaDe rien, comment puis-je vous aider ?You're welcome, how can I help you?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anglais, CC BY-SA 4.0.
