French Greetings and Introductions for Complete Beginners
Welcome to your very first French lesson.
If you have never spoken a word of French before, don’t worry. This lesson is designed for complete beginners.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Say hello
- Ask someone how they are
- Say your name
- Introduce yourself politely
Let’s begin.
1. Saying Hello
The most common French greeting is:
Bonjour
(Bon-zhoor)
Meaning: Hello / Good morning
Example:
Bonjour !
Hello!
2. Saying Hi
For friends and family you can use:
Salut
(Sa-loo)
Meaning: Hi
Example:
Salut !
Hi!
3. Asking “How Are You?”
The most common phrase is:
Comment allez-vous ?
(Ko-mon tah-lay voo)
Meaning: How are you?
This is the polite version.
Example:
Bonjour. Comment allez-vous ?
Hello. How are you?
4. Replying
If you are feeling well, say:
Je vais bien.
(Zhuh vay bee-en)
Meaning: I am well.
You can also say:
Très bien.
(Tray bee-en)
Meaning: Very well.
5. Saying Your Name
To introduce yourself:
Je m’appelle…
(Zhuh mah-pell)
Meaning: My name is…
Example:
Je m’appelle Tony.
My name is Tony.
6. Nice to Meet You
Enchanté
(On-shon-tay)
Meaning: Nice to meet you.
Example:
Bonjour.
Je m’appelle Tony.
Enchanté.
7. A Simple Conversation
Person 1:
Bonjour !
Person 2:
Bonjour !
Person 1:
Comment allez-vous ?
Person 2:
Je vais bien, merci.
Et vous ?
Person 1:
Très bien, merci.
Je m’appelle Tony.
Person 2:
Je m’appelle Marie.
Enchanté.
Person 1:
Enchanté.
Quick Practice
Can you say these in French?
- Hello
- How are you?
- I am well
- My name is…
- Nice to meet you
Answers:
- Bonjour
- Comment allez-vous ?
- Je vais bien
- Je m’appelle…
- Enchanté
Lesson Summary
Today you learned:
- Bonjour = Hello
- Salut = Hi
- Comment allez-vous ? = How are you?
- Je vais bien = I am well
- Je m’appelle… = My name is…
- Enchanté = Nice to meet you
Practice these phrases aloud several times today.
The more you speak them, the easier French becomes.
FREE RESOURCES
I know this can be a lot to take it so here is this lesson in an easy to download PDF that you can then use offline as well.
Pop it on you phone or tablet and use it as much as you want!
Also, here is the audio only version of the Youtube video for you to download and keep too. You can play this on your phone too as well as any device that supports MP3 audio!
Download Here