Essential French Vocabulary for TEF Canada: Reading & Listening

by | Aug 31, 2025 | Blog, French Vocabulary & Expressions, TEF - Comprehension Orale (Listening Comprehension), TEF - Expression Écrite (Writing) - Section B Tasks, TEF - Expression Écrite (Writing) – Section A Tasks, TEF - Expression Orale (Speaking) - Section (B), TEF Canada Preparation, TEF- Expression Orale (Speaking) - Section (A), TEF/ TCF Canada Format & Strategies, TEF/ TCF Canada Preparation

 

Preparing for TEF Canada can feel overwhelming, especially for the reading and listening modules. A strong vocabulary is your key to understanding texts, dialogues, announcements, and articles easily. Here’s a long, practical list of French words and phrases that appear frequently in TEF Canada exams, with simple English explanations so you can remember and use them confidently.

1. General Vocabulary for Daily Life

  • un rendez-vous- an appointment
  • un horaire- schedule, timetable
  • la durée- duration
  • un document- document, paper
  • un formulaire- form (official)
  • une inscription-  registration, enrollment
  • le service client- customer service
  • le numéro de téléphone- phone number
  • un message vocal- voicemail
  • un courrier électronique / un e-mail- email
  • la date limite- deadline
  • confirmer- to confirm
  • annuler- to cancel
  • reporter- to postpone
  • disponible- available
  • fermé(e)- closed
  • ouvert(e)- open
  • une adresse- address
  • une direction- direction, guidance
  • un plan- map, plan

Tip: Reading notices, emails, or public announcements will often use these words.

2. Travel and Transportation Vocabulary

  • un billet: ticket

  • un vol: flight

  • un train: train

  • un autobus / un bus: bus

  • un taxi: taxi

  • un arrêt: stop, station

  • la gare: train station

  • l’aéroport: airport

  • le départ: departure

  • l’arrivée: arrival

  • en retard: late

  • à l’heure: on time

  • une correspondance: connection (train or flight)

  • le quai: platform

  • une ligne: line (bus, metro, train)

  • réserver: to book

  • annuler: to cancel

  • composter: to validate a ticket

  • le guichet: ticket counter

Tip: Listening modules often include conversations in transport, announcements, or ticket-related dialogues.

3. Work, Office, and Administration Vocabulary

  • un employé / une employée: employee

  • un poste: position, job

  • un salaire: salary

  • un contrat: contract

  • un stage: internship

  • un entretien: interview

  • une réunion: meeting

  • un dossier: file, record

  • un document officiel: official document

  • signer: to sign

  • remplir: to fill in

  • envoyer: to send

  • recevoir: to receive

  • une lettre: letter

  • une demande: request, application

  • un formulaire: form

  • la permission: permission

  • approuver: to approve

  • refuser: to refuse

Tip: Many listening texts involve office or administration conversations, like booking appointments, applying for a job, or dealing with official documents.

4. Shopping and Services Vocabulary

  • acheter: to buy

  • vendre: to sell

  • un magasin: store, shop

  • un supermarché: supermarket

  • un centre commercial: mall

  • la caisse: cash register

  • le prix: price

  • une réduction / un rabais: discount

  • un ticket de caisse: receipt

  • échanger: to exchange

  • retourner: to return

  • une promotion: promotion, sale

  • un produit: product

  • disponible: available

  • en stock: in stock

  • en rupture de stock: out of stock

Tips: Reading passages may describe shopping situations or service announcements.

5. Health & Medical Vocabulary

  • un médecin: doctor

  • un hôpital: hospital

  • une clinique: clinic

  • un patient / une patiente: patient

  • une ordonnance: prescription

  • les médicaments: medicine

  • la consultation: consultation

  • une urgence: emergency

  • la santé: health

  • malade: sick

  • se soigner: to take care of oneself / treat

  • avoir de la fièvre: to have a fever

  • tousser: to cough

  • une blessure: injury

  • une fracture: fracture

Tip: Listen for announcements, dialogues, or reading passages about medical situations or health advice.

6. Housing & Accommodation Vocabulary

  • un appartement: apartment

  • une maison: house

  • louer: to rent

  • un propriétaire: landlord

  • un locataire: tenant

  • un bail: lease

  • le loyer: rent

  • les charges: utilities, charges

  • une chambre: room

  • une cuisine: kitchen

  • une salle de bain: bathroom

  • une adresse: address

  • déménager: to move (house)

  • le voisin / la voisine: neighbor

Tip: Reading and listening can involve announcements, ads, or conversations about renting or housing.

7. Time, Numbers, and Dates Vocabulary

  • aujourd’hui: today

  • demain: tomorrow

  • hier: yesterday

  • la semaine: week

  • le mois: month

  • l’année: year

  • la date: date

  • l’heure: hour

  • tôt: early

  • tard: late

  • souvent: often

  • parfois: sometimes

  • rarement: rarely

  • toujours: always

  • jamais: never

  • premier: first

  • deuxième: second

  • le numéro: number

  • le temps: time, weather

Tip: This vocabulary is everywhere in reading announcements, schedules, and listening dialogues.

8. Common Connectors & Useful Expressions

  • et: and

  • mais: but

  • ou: or

  • donc: so, therefore

  • parce que: because

  • car: because / for

  • cependant: however

  • malgré: despite

  • en raison de: due to

  • à cause de: because of

  • selon: according to

  • d’après: according to

  • comme: like, as

  • par exemple: for example

  • notamment: especially

  • en général: in general

  • parfois: sometimes

Tip: Recognizing these will help you understand relationships between ideas in texts and conversations.

9. Verbs Frequently Used in TEF Reading & Listening

  • dire: to say / to tell

  • demander: to ask for

  • répondre: to answer

  • expliquer: to explain

  • montrer: to show

  • commencer: to start

  • finir: to finish

  • travailler: to work

  • étudier: to study

  • utiliser: to use

  • pouvoir: can / to be able to

  • devoir: must / to have to

  • vouloir: to want

  • savoir: to know (facts)

  • connaître: to know (people, places)

  • entendre: to hear

  • écouter: to listen

  • lire: to read

  • écrire: to write

Tip: Verbs are critical in understanding instructions, dialogues, and article content.

How to Use This Vocabulary

1. Flashcards: Make simple flashcards with French on one side, English on the other.
2. Context Practice: Try reading short news, ads, or announcements using these words.
3. Listening Practice: Listen to French audios (radio, podcasts, announcements) and identify these words.
4. Sentence Formation: Write simple sentences using new vocabulary to remember it better.

With these essential words and expressions, you will feel more confident in reading and listening sections of TEF Canada. Gradually, you’ll notice that texts start to feel familiar, and understanding becomes easier.

If this helped you, feel free to share it with your French learning friends. And if you’re looking for structured support, check out our French courses at LingoRelic, we focus on real-life grammar use, not just textbook rules.

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