Dictionary French to English

French is a language spoken all around the world.  It is spoken in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, but you never know where you will find someone that speaks the French language.  It is the official language in 29 countries and is one of the official languages of United Nations agencies as well as a number of international organizations.  It is spoken by approximately 300 million people.  However, due to the influence of the British Empire as well as the United States, the English language spread through the world.  Over one billion people speak English on a basic level and it is one of the six official languages of the United Nations.  If you are a native French speaker and you plan to travel to a country that speaks English, a French to English dictionary can come in very handy!

The French language, along with Spanish, Italian, Catalan, Romanian, and Portuguese, descended from Latin.  However, development of the language was also influenced by both the Celtic and German languages.  English is an Anglo-Frisian language, which, while based in part on West Germanic languages, isn’t very similar to French.  This requires many French speakers to carry a French to English dictionary when traveling to a country that primarily speaks English.

What type of French to English dictionary should you buy?  It really depends upon your level of understanding of the language. If you are just a beginner, you may want a small French to English dictionary just to get you by on the basic words and phrases needed.  However, if you have a more intermediate understanding of English, you may want to invest in a larger French to English dictionary as you will be using words that a beginner may not. 

If you travel to an English speaking country for business, check to see what types of French to English dictionary may be available.  There are often translation dictionaries geared towards specific fields such as science, economics, or medicine.