How to introduce yourself in French in 22 notable ways
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Even if you’ve just started to learn French, you probably know a couple of ways to say “Bonjour”. That’s great, but what will you say once you’ve started a conversation with a French speaker you’ve just met?
It would probably be a good time to introduce yourself, right? Well, keep reading! This article explains how to say My name is in French and other useful sayings to make a great first impression.
Allez, c’est parti !
How to introduce yourself in French
The most common way to say “Hello, my name is” in French is “Bonjour, je m’appelle”. And while “I’m” is very common in English, it’s not in French. For example, “Je suis Charlotte” (I’m Charlotte) would be understood, but doesn’t sound natural.
If you’re not sure about the pronunciation, you’ll find a short lesson from Phoebe at the end of this article. Hopefully, you do a better job than Joey!
What is your name in French
To ask somebody What is your name in French, you can use “Comment vous appelez-vous”, or “Comment tu t’appelles”. If you need a refresher on French pronouns, check out this article.
As a rule of thumb, if you’re meeting a person for the first time and you’re hesitating between “vous” and “tu”, go with “vous”, especially in France — except if you’re speaking to a child, or a young peer.
| English | French | IPA | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello, nice to meet you. What’s your name? | Bonjour, ravi(e) de faire votre connaissance. Comment vous appelez-vous ? | bõʒuɾ, ɾavi(ɛ) də fɛɾə vɔtɾə kɔnɛsɑ̃sə. kɔmə vuz‿ apəle-vu ? | All-purpose |
| Hello, nice to meet you. What’s your name? | Salut, enchanté(e), comment tu t’appelles ? | saly, ɑ̃ʃɑ̃te(ɛ), kɔmə ty tapɛlə ? | Meeting a child, a young peer |
My name is in French
Now, let’s learn different ways to say My name is in French. What’s in a name, after all?
| English | French | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Hello my name is Charlie, and yours? | Bonjour, je m’appelle Charlie, et vous ? | bõʒuɾ, ʒə mapɛlə ʃaɾljə,e vu ? |
| Hi, nice to meet you! My name is Charlie. | Bonjour, enchanté(e) ! Je m’appelle Charlie. | bõʒuɾ, ɑ̃ʃɑ̃te(ɛ) ! ʒə mapɛlə ʃaɾljə. |
| Nice to meet you! What’s your name? | Enchanté(e) ! Comment vous appelez-vous ? | ɑ̃ʃɑ̃te(ɛ) ! kɔmə vuz‿ apəle-vu ? |
| My name is Charlotte, but I prefer to be called Charlie. | Je m’appelle Charlotte, mais je préfère qu’on m’appelle Charlie. | ʒə mapɛlə ʃaɾlɔtə, me ʒə pɾefɛɾə kõ mapɛlə ʃaɾljə. |
| My name is Charlotte, but my nickname is Charlie. | Je m’appelle Charlotte, mais on me surnomme Charlie. | ʒə mapɛlə ʃaɾlɔtə, mɛz‿ õ mə syɾnɔmə ʃaɾljə. |
| My name is Charlotte, but my friends call me Charlie. | Je m’appelle Charlotte, mais mes amis m’appellent Charlie. | ʒə mapɛlə ʃaɾlɔtə, memez‿ ami mapɛlə ʃaɾljə. |
| My first name is Charlotte, and my last name is Smith. | Mon prénom est Charlotte, et mon nom de famille est Smith. | mõ pɾenõm‿ɛ ʃaɾlɔtə,e mõ nõ də famijɛ smit. |
| My name is Charlotte, and this is my friend Jake. | Je m’appelle Charlotte, et voici mon ami Jake. | ʒə mapɛlə ʃaɾlɔtə,e vwasi mõn‿ ami ʒakə. |
How to introduce yourself in response
Did you manage to ask somebody’s name in French? Chapeau ! Now, time to respond and introduce yourself. You can also slip in a compliment!
| English | French (Singular) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| I’m Jordan. Nice to meet you! | Moi c’est Jordan. Ravi de vous rencontrer. | mwa kɛ ʒɔɾdɑ̃. ɾavi də vu ɾɑ̃kõtɾe. |
| Nice to meet you, my name is Jordan. | Enchanté, je m’appelle Jordan. | ɑ̃ʃɑ̃te, ʒə mapɛlə ʒɔɾdɑ̃. |
| Pleasure to meet you, I’m Jordan. | C’est un plaisir de faire votre connaissance, moi c’est Jordan. | kɛt‿ œ̃ pl(e)ziɾ də fɛɾə vɔtɾə kɔnɛsɑ̃sə, mwa kɛ ʒɔɾdɑ̃. |
| Happy to meet you, I’m Jordan. | Heureux de vous connaître, moi c’est Jordan. | (ø)ɾø də vu kɔnɛtɾə, mwa kɛ ʒɔɾdɑ̃. |
| What a beautiful name. I’m Jordan. | C’est un beau prénom. Moi c’est Jordan. | kɛt‿ œ̃ bo pɾenõ. mwa kɛ ʒɔɾdɑ̃. |
| Hi, nice to meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Jordan. | Salut, enchanté(e), j’ai beaucoup entendu parler de vous. Moi c’est Jordan. | saly, ɑ̃ʃɑ̃te(ɛ), ʒe bokup‿ ɑ̃tɑ̃dy paɾle də vu. mwa kɛ ʒɔɾdɑ̃. |
His/her name is in French
Feminine and masculine in French can be very confusing for English speakers. But don’t despair. Here is a little help (from your friends).
| English | French (Singular) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| What is her name? | Comment s’appelle-t-elle ? | kɔmə sapɛlə-t‿-ɛlə ? |
| Her name is Taylor. | Elle s’appelle Taylor. | ɛlə sapɛlə tɛjlɔɾ. |
| What is his name? | Comment s’appelle-t-il ? | kɔmə sapɛlə-t‿-il ? |
| His name is Taylor. | Il s’appelle Taylor. | il sapɛlə tɛjlɔɾ. |
How to introduce yourself formally in French
If you’re using “vous”, you can absolutely use the expressions above to introduce yourself in a formal/professional setting. But here are a couple more!
| English | French (Singular) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Let me introduce myself | Permettez-moi de me présenter | pɛɾmɛte-mwa də mə pɾezɑ̃te |
| Hello, I’m Jake Pool, head of marketing | Bonjour, Jake Pool, directeur marketing | bõʒuɾ, ʒakə poɔl, diɾɛktœɾ maɾkətɛ̃ |
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Learning how to introduce yourself in French is definitely the very first skill that you’ll need in order to master that important first impression and to make new French friends. We've put together some real life examples to help you on your way. Let's go!
How to not introduce yourself by Joey Tribbiani
“Je m’appelle Claude.” Does it ring a bell? If it doesn’t, you might want to try watching Friends — and thank us later. If it does, you’ll understand why we couldn’t write an article about “Je m’appelle” without mentioning the worst French learner ever — no, not you — Joey Tribbiani! And if your French teacher is not as patient as Phoebe, you might prefer to learn French online.
La bise or not la bise ?
If a French person you’re meeting for the first time leans forward and kisses you on both cheeks, — actually, it can be up to four times depending on the region — don’t freak out!
“La bise” is very common in French, even for strangers.
If you’re unsure, just let the other person take the lead, and see what he/she does… and on which sides he/she starts!. More on this sometimes awkward French habit here.
Knowing how to say your name in French is a great start.
Since names are very different from one country to another, it’s also a good idea to learn the French alphabet, so you can spell yours.
And if you have a hard time remembering “Je m’appelle”, think about Joey… or Hélène, a soap opera actress and singer who was a hit in China with “Je m’appelle Hélène” — not even sorry for this.
As long as you don’t give people “des noms d’oiseaux”, you should be fine.
If you loved this blog lesson, you know where to keep up the free French vocabulary fun!
