French Manners Vocabulary List – Les Bonnes et les Mauvaises Manières
Wherever you go in the world, good manners can open doors—and bad manners can quickly close them! In French, there’s a whole range of vocabulary to describe polite (and not-so-polite) behavior. Whether you’re talking about chewing with your mouth open, showing respect, or simply saying “à vos souhaits” after someone sneezes, knowing the right words will help you navigate everyday situations more smoothly.
In this lesson, you’ll learn essential vocabulary about good and bad manners, from the simple (poli, impoli) to the colorful (un gros mot, Monsieur je sais tout). It’s a fun way to expand your French and better understand how culture and language go hand in hand.
You can download a free PDF of this list and much more in my private French Grammar Library.
| les manières | manners |
| l’éducation | education |
| bien se tenir | to behave properly |
| mal se tenir | to behave badly |
| être bien élevé | to be well-mannered |
| être mal élevé | to be rude |
| se comporter | to behave |
| le vocabulaire | vocabulary |
| l’argot | slang |
| mâcher | to chew |
| avaler | to swallow |
| se moucher | to blow one’s nose |
| roter | to burp |
| péter | to fart |
| se curer le nez | to pick one’s nose |
| se gratter | to scratch |
| bailler | to yawn |
| éternuer | to sneeze |
| malpoli(e) | impolite |
| poli(e) | polite |
| vieux jeu | old fashioned |
| un gros mot | a curse word |
| bruyant(e) | noisy |
| honnête | honest |
| malhonnête | dishonest |
| se vanter | to brag |
| à vos souhaits | bless you |
| insulter | to insult |
| un faux pas | a misstep |
| polluer | to pollute |
| le bruit | noise |
| les déchets | waste |
| les poubelles | trash |
| entretenir | to maintain |
| une réparation | a repair |
| un horaire | a schedule |
| en retard | late |
| en avance | early |
| un mauvais joueur | a sore loser |
| une tricheuse | a cheater |
| la vitesse | speed |
| conduire vite | to drive fast |
| un clignotant | a blinker |
| un passage piéton | a crosswalk |
| texter | to send a text |
| une sonnerie de téléphone | a phone ring |
| parler fort | to speak loudly |
| le tapage nocturne | night-time disturbance |
| faire du bruit | make some noise |
| arrogant(e) | arrogant |
| impatient(e) | impatient |
| l’ignorance | ignorance |
| Monsieur je sais tout | Mister know-it-all |
| le respect | respect |
| la xénophobie | xenophobia |
| sympathique | nice |
| accueillant(e) | welcoming |
| l’humour | humor |
| le tact | tact |
| serviable | helpful |
