This page will help you compare French with other Romance languages based on a Swadesh list for French, Italian and Spanish. A Swadesh list is simply a list of the most important words with their basic meanings, named after its inventor Morris Swadesh. Although the Swadesh list was originally created as a linguistic tool to compare how similar the languages from the same language family are, you will find it to be a useful tool when learning French as a foreign language on your own. It will help you compare French to other Romance languages and learn the most common lemmas. A Swadesh list comes in two flavors — one with 207 meanings, the other with 100 meanings. A shorter Swadesh list includes the minimum set of the most important lemmas, while the longer version of the list may include a few old-fashioned and less common words. The list below includes the most basic French words (lemmas) along with their English, Italian and Spanish translations. Learning the French words on the Swadesh list will help you to get a better idea about how the French language is related to other Romance languages.
| Rank | English word | French translation | Italian translation | Spanish translation |
| 1 | I | je | io | yo |
| 2 | you, thou | tu, vous | tu | tu, Usted |
| 3 | he | il | lui, egli | el |
| 4 | we | nous | noi | nosotros |
| 5 | you | vous | voi | vosotros, Ustedes |
| 6 | they | ils, elles | loro, essi | ellos, ellas |
| 7 | this | ceci | questo | este |
| 8 | that | cela | quello | ese, aquel |
| 9 | here | ici | qui, qua | aqui, aca |
| 10 | there | là | la | ahi |
| 11 | who | qui | chi | quien |
| 12 | what | quoi | che | que |
| 13 | where | où | dove | donde |
| 14 | when | quand | quando | cuando |
| 15 | how | comment | come | como |
| 16 | not | ne...pas | non | no |
| 17 | all | tout | tutto | todo |
| 18 | many | plusieurs | molti | muchos |
| 19 | some | quelques | alcuni | algunos |
| 20 | few | peu | pochi | poco |
| 21 | other | autre | altro | otro |
| 22 | one | un | uno | uno |
| 23 | two | deux | due | dos |
| 24 | three | trois | tre | tres |
| 25 | four | quatre | quattro | cuatro |
| 26 | five | cinq | cinque | cinco |
| 27 | big | grand | grande | grande |
| 28 | long | long | lungo | largo |
| 29 | wide | large | largo | ancho |
| 30 | thick | épais | spesso | gordo |
| 31 | heavy | lourd | pesante | pesado |
| 32 | small | petit | piccolo | pequeno |
| 33 | short | court | corto | corto |
| 34 | narrow | étroit | stretto | estrecho |
| 35 | thin | mince | sottile | delgado,flaco |
| 36 | woman | femme | donna | mujer |
| 37 | man (adult male) | homme | uomo | hombre |
| 38 | man (human being) | homme | uomo | hombre |
| 39 | child | enfant | bambino | nino |
| 40 | wife | femme, épouse | moglie | esposa, mujer |
| 41 | husband | mari, époux | marito | esposo, marido |
| 42 | mother | mère | madre | madre |
| 43 | father | père | padre | padre |
| 44 | animal | animal | animale | animal |
| 45 | fish | poisson | pesce | pez, pescado |
| 46 | bird | oiseau | uccello | pajaro |
| 47 | dog | chien | cane | perro |
| 48 | louse | pou | pidocchio | piojo |
| 49 | snake | serpent | serpente | serpiente |
| 50 | worm | ver | verme | gusano |
| 51 | tree | arbre | albero | arbol |
| 52 | forest | forêt | foresta | bosque |
| 53 | stick | bâton | bastone | palo |
| 54 | fruit | fruit | frutta | fruta |
| 55 | seed | graine | seme | semilla |
| 56 | leaf | feuille | foglia | hoja |
| 57 | root | racine | radice | raiz |
| 58 | bark | écorce | corteccia | corteza |
| 59 | flower | fleur | fiore | flor |
| 60 | grass | herbe | erba | hierba |
| 61 | rope | corde | corda | cuerda |
| 62 | skin | peau | pelle | piel |
| 63 | meat | viande | carne | carne |
| 64 | blood | sang | sangue | sangre |
| 65 | bone | os | osso | hueso |
| 66 | fat (n.) | graisse | grasso | gordo |
| 67 | egg | œuf | uovo | huevo |
| 68 | horn | corne | corno | cuerno |
| 69 | tail | queue | coda | cola |
| 70 | feather | plume | piuma | pluma |
| 71 | hair | cheveu | capelli | cabello |
| 72 | head | tête | testa | cabeza |
| 73 | ear | oreille | orecchio | oreja |
| 74 | eye | œil | occhio | ojo |
| 75 | nose | nez | naso | nariz |
| 76 | mouth | bouche | bocca | boca |
| 77 | tooth | dent | dente | diente |
| 78 | tongue | langue | lingua | lengua |
| 79 | fingernail | ongle | unghia | una |
| 80 | foot | pied | piede | pie |
| 81 | leg | jambe | gamba | pierna |
| 82 | knee | genou | ginocchio | rodilla |
| 83 | hand | main | mano | mano |
| 84 | wing | aile | ala | ala |
| 85 | belly | ventre | pancia | barriga |
| 86 | guts | entrailles | intestino | tripas |
| 87 | neck | cou | collo | cuello |
| 88 | back | dos | schiena | espalda |
| 89 | breast | sein, poitrine | petto | pecho |
| 90 | heart | cœur | cuore | corazon |
| 91 | liver | foie | fegato | higado |
| 92 | drink | boire | bere | beber, tomar |
| 93 | eat | manger | mangiare | comer |
| 94 | bite | mordre | mordere | morder |
| 95 | suck | sucer | succhiare | chupar |
| 96 | spit | cracher | sputare | escupir |
| 97 | vomit | vomir | vomitare | vomitar |
| 98 | blow | souffler | soffiare | soplar |
| 99 | breathe | respirer | respirare | respirar |
| 100 | laugh | rire | ridere | reir |
| 101 | see | voir | vedere | ver |
| 102 | hear | entendre | udire, sentire | oïr |
| 103 | know | savoir | sapere | saber |
| 104 | think | penser | pensare | pensar |
| 105 | smell | sentir | odorare, annusare | oler |
| 106 | fear | craindre, avoir peur | temere | temer |
| 107 | sleep | dormir | dormire | dormir |
| 108 | live | vivre | vivere | vivir |
| 109 | die | mourir | morire | morir |
| 110 | kill | tuer | uccidere | matar |
| 111 | fight | se battre | combattere | pelear |
| 112 | hunt | chasser | cacciare | cazar |
| 113 | hit | frapper | colpire | golpear |
| 114 | cut | couper | tagliare | cortar |
| 115 | split | fendre | dividere, separare | partir |
| 116 | stab | poignarder | pugnalare | apunalar |
| 117 | scratch | gratter | graffiare | aranar, rascar |
| 118 | dig | creuser | scavare | cavar |
| 119 | swim | nager | nuotare | nadar |
| 120 | fly (v.) | voler | volare | volar |
| 121 | walk | marcher | camminare | caminar |
| 122 | come | venir | venire | venir |
| 123 | lie | s'étendre | distendersi | echarse |
| 124 | sit | s'asseoir | sedere | sentarse |
| 125 | stand | se lever | stare in piedi | estar de pie |
| 126 | turn | tourner | girare | voltear |
| 127 | fall | tomber | cadere | caer |
| 128 | give | donner | dare | dar |
| 129 | hold | tenir | tenere | sostener |
| 130 | squeeze | serrer | spremere | apretar |
| 131 | rub | frotter | strofinare | frotar |
| 132 | wash | laver | lavare | lavar |
| 133 | wipe | essuyer | asciugare | limpiar |
| 134 | pull | tirer | tirare | tirar |
| 135 | push | pousser | spingere | empujar |
| 136 | throw | jeter | tirare | tirar |
| 137 | tie | lier | legare | atar |
| 138 | sew | coudre | cucire | coser |
| 139 | count | compter | contare | contar |
| 140 | say | dire | dire | decir |
| 141 | sing | chanter | cantare | cantar |
| 142 | play | jouer | giocare | jugar |
| 143 | float | flotter | galleggiare | flotar |
| 144 | flow | couler | fluire | fluir |
| 145 | freeze | geler | gelare | helar |
| 146 | swell | gonfler | gonfiare | hincharse |
| 147 | sun | soleil | sole | sol |
| 148 | moon | lune | luna | luna |
| 149 | star | étoile | stella | estrella |
| 150 | water | eau | acqua | agua |
| 151 | rain | pluie | pioggia | lluvia |
| 152 | river | rivière | fiume | rio |
| 153 | lake | lac | lago | lago |
| 154 | sea | mer | mare | mar |
| 155 | salt | sel | sale | sal |
| 156 | stone | pierre | pietra | piedra |
| 157 | sand | sable | sabbia | arena |
| 158 | dust | poussière | polvere | polvo |
| 159 | earth | terre | terra | tierra |
| 160 | cloud | nuage | nuvola | nube |
| 161 | fog | brouillard | nebbia | niebla |
| 162 | sky | ciel | cielo | cielo |
| 163 | wind | vent | vento | viento |
| 164 | snow | neige | neve | nieve |
| 165 | ice | glace | ghiaccio | hielo |
| 166 | smoke | fumée | fumo | humo |
| 167 | fire | feu | fuoco | fuego |
| 168 | ashes | cendres | ceneri | cenizas |
| 169 | burn | brûler | bruciare | quemar |
| 170 | road | route | strada | camino |
| 171 | mountain | montagne | montagna | montana |
| 172 | red | rouge | rosso | rojo |
| 173 | green | vert | verde | verde |
| 174 | yellow | jaune | giallo | amarillo |
| 175 | white | blanc | bianco | blanco |
| 176 | black | noir | nero | negro |
| 177 | night | nuit | notte | noche |
| 178 | day | jour | giorno | dia |
| 179 | year | an, année | anno | ano |
| 180 | warm | chaud | caldo | calido |
| 181 | cold | froid | freddo | frio |
| 182 | full | plein | pieno | lleno |
| 183 | new | nouveau | nuovo | nuevo |
| 184 | old | vieux | vecchio | viejo |
| 185 | good | bon | buono | bueno |
| 186 | bad | mauvais | cattivo | malo |
| 187 | rotten | pourri | marcio | podrido |
| 188 | dirty | sale | sporco | sucio |
| 189 | straight | droit | diritto | recto |
| 190 | round | rond | rotondo | redondo |
| 191 | sharp | tranchant, pointu | aguzzo, affilato | agudo, afilado |
| 192 | dull | émoussé | noioso | romo |
| 193 | smooth | lisse | liscio | suave |
| 194 | wet | mouille | bagnato | mojado |
| 195 | dry | sec | asciutto, secco | seco |
| 196 | correct | juste, correct | corretto | correcto |
| 197 | near | proche | vicino | cerca |
| 198 | far | loin | lontano | lejos |
| 199 | right | à droite | destra | derecha |
| 200 | left | à gauche | sinistra | izquierda |
| 201 | at | à | a | a, en |
| 202 | in | dans | in | en |
| 203 | with | avec | con | con |
| 204 | and | et | e | y |
| 205 | if | si | se | si |
| 206 | because | parce que | perche | porque |
| 207 | name | nom | nome | nombre |
