French for Beginners: Daily Routine Vocabulary ⏰🪥🍽️
If you’re starting to learn French, one of the most practical topics is daily routine vocabulary.
Talking about what you do every day — waking up, eating, going to work or school, relaxing, and going to bed — helps you practice verbs, time expressions, and useful words.
This guide gives you the most common French daily routine vocabulary, with English translations and example sentences to help you sound natural in everyday conversations.
🌅 Morning Routine in French
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Se réveiller – to wake up
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Se lever – to get up
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Se laver / se doucher – to wash / to shower
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Se brosser les dents – to brush one’s teeth
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S’habiller – to get dressed
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Prendre le petit déjeuner – to have breakfast
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Un café – coffee
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Un croissant – croissant
👉 Example: Je me lève à 7h et je prends un café.
(I get up at 7 a.m. and have a coffee.)
🏫 Work & School Routine
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Aller au travail / à l’école – to go to work / school
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Prendre le bus / le métro – to take the bus / subway
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Travailler – to work
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Étudier – to study
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Déjeuner – to have lunch
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Une pause – a break
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Un collègue – coworker
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Un professeur – teacher
👉 Example: Je vais à l’école en bus et j’étudie le français.
(I go to school by bus and I study French.)
🌇 Afternoon & Evening Routine
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Rentrer à la maison – to go back home
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Faire les courses – to go grocery shopping
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Préparer le dîner – to prepare dinner
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Manger / dîner – to eat / to have dinner
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Regarder la télévision – to watch TV
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Lire – to read
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Se reposer – to rest
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Se promener – to go for a walk
👉 Example: Après le travail, je fais les courses et je prépare le dîner.
(After work, I do the shopping and prepare dinner.)
🌙 Night Routine in French
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Se déshabiller – to undress
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Se brosser les dents – to brush one’s teeth
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Se coucher – to go to bed
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Dormir – to sleep
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Faire un rêve – to dream
👉 Example: Je me couche vers 23h et je dors huit heures.
(I go to bed around 11 p.m. and sleep eight hours.)
⏱️ Time Expressions for Daily Routine
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Le matin – in the morning
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L’après-midi – in the afternoon
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Le soir – in the evening
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La nuit – at night
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Tous les jours – every day
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D’habitude – usually
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Parfois – sometimes
👉 Example: D’habitude, je me lève tôt le matin.
(Usually, I wake up early in the morning.)
đź’¬ Useful Phrases
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Quelle est ta routine quotidienne ? – What is your daily routine?
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Je prends une douche le matin. – I take a shower in the morning.
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Nous dînons ensemble le soir. – We have dinner together in the evening.
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Je me couche tard le week-end. – I go to bed late on weekends.
🎯 Practice Activity
👉 Write a short paragraph in French describing your own daily routine using at least 5 verbs from this list. Example:
Je me réveille à 7h, je prends mon petit déjeuner, puis je vais au travail. L’après-midi, je fais du sport, et le soir je me repose avant de me coucher.
âś… Conclusion
By learning this French daily routine vocabulary list, beginners can quickly talk about everyday life in French. These words and expressions are practical, simple, and essential for building confidence in conversation.
If you liked this guide, explore more of our French vocabulary lists for beginners to expand your learning step by step.