How Do You Say… in French? (Comment dit-on…)
"How do you say… in French?" is comment dit-on… en français ? Learn the three questions that turn any French speaker into your teacher.
“How do you say… in French?” is Comment dit-on… en français ?, pronounced /koh-mahn dee-TOHN… ahn frahn-SEH/. Casually, French speakers just say comment on dit… ?. Pair it with qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ? (what does that mean?) and you can learn new words from any conversation.
Quick answer
”How do you say… in French?” is Comment dit-on… en français ?, pronounced /koh-mahn dee-TOHN… ahn frahn-SEH/. Casually, French speakers just say comment on dit… ?. Pair it with qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ? (what does that mean?) and you can learn new words from any conversation.
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Comment dit-on: the phrase and its variants
Break it down: comment (how) + dit-on (says one - an inverted, impersonal construction) + en français. In everyday speech, most people simplify to comment on dit… ?, and if you’re asking a specific person directly and formally: comment dites-vous… ?
Try it out: Comment dit-on “seal” en français ? - Un phoque ! (See our page on how to say seal in French for that particular word’s surprising pronunciation.)
The learner’s toolkit: three questions that teach you French
- Comment dit-on… en français ? - get the word.
- Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ? /kes-kuh sah vuh DEER/ - what does that mean? (decode a word you just heard)
- Comment ça s’écrit ? - how is it spelled? (capture it in writing)
Bonus: vous pouvez répéter plus lentement ? (can you repeat that more slowly?) keeps the conversation from stalling entirely.
| Question | Pronunciation | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Comment dit-on… ? | /koh-mahn dee-TOHN/ | get the word |
| Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ? | /kes-kuh sah vuh DEER/ | decode meaning |
| Comment ça s’écrit ? | /koh-mahn sah say-KREE/ | get the spelling |
| Vous pouvez répéter ? | /voo poo-vay ray-pay-TAY/ | buy time / hear again |
For a broader everyday phrase set that pairs naturally with these, see 25 common French phrases.
Answering patterns you’ll hear
Expect replies built around on dit… (we say…) and ça se dit… (that’s said…): - Comment on dit “thank you” ? - On dit merci. - Et “you’re welcome” ? - Ça se dit de rien.
The most-searched “how to say” words
Ready to look up something specific? Here’s the hub - our most popular “how to say X in French” guides:
Pro tip: ask in French, learn double
Asking your question in French rather than switching to English keeps the whole exchange in the target language - you practice while you learn. Wrap it politely if you’re asking a stranger: Excusez-moi, petite question… before diving in.
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Questions about this note
What does comment dit-on mean literally?
"How does one say" - on is the impersonal "one/we" in French.
Is comment on dit correct?
Yes - it's the everyday spoken form; the inverted comment dit-on sounds slightly more careful.
How do you ask what a word means?
Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ? or the more casual ça veut dire quoi ?
How do you ask someone to repeat?
Vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ? - add plus lentement to ask for it slower.
How do you ask how a word is spelled?
Comment ça s'écrit ?