Introducing Yourself in French
Welcome back!
In Lesson 1, you learned how to say hello and introduce yourself.
Today, we’ll learn how to ask someone’s name and answer when someone asks for yours.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Ask someone’s name
- Tell someone your name
- Have a simple introductory conversation
- Feel more confident speaking French
Let’s get started!
1. Asking Someone’s Name
The most common way to ask someone’s name is:
Comment vous appelez-vous ?
(Ko-mon voo zah-play voo)
Meaning:
What is your name?
Example:
Comment vous appelez-vous ?
What is your name?
2. Answering the Question
To answer, simply say:
Je m’appelle…
(Zhuh mah-pell)
Meaning:
My name is…
Example:
Je m’appelle Sarah.
My name is Sarah.
3. A Less Formal Version
When speaking with friends, children, or people your own age, you may hear:
Comment tu t’appelles ?
(Ko-mon too tah-pell)
Meaning:
What’s your name?
Example:
Comment tu t’appelles ?
What’s your name?
Je m’appelle Paul.
My name is Paul.
4. Let’s Practise
Imagine someone asks:
Comment vous appelez-vous ?
You answer:
Je m’appelle ________.
Insert your own name and practise saying it aloud.
Repeat this several times.
The goal is to make your answer feel natural.
5. Useful Names Practice
Try reading these examples:
Je m’appelle Marie.
Je m’appelle Pierre.
Je m’appelle Sophie.
Je m’appelle David.
Je m’appelle Emma.
Now replace the name with your own.
6. Simple Conversation
Person 1:
Bonjour !
Person 2:
Bonjour !
Person 1:
Comment vous appelez-vous ?
Person 2:
Je m’appelle Claire.
Et vous ?
Person 1:
Je m’appelle Jacques.
Enchanté.
Person 2:
Enchantée.
7. Speaking Tip
French speakers often introduce themselves very quickly.
Don’t worry if you don’t catch every word at first.
Focus on recognising:
Je m’appelle…
This phrase appears constantly in everyday French.
Quick Practice
Translate these into French:
- What is your name?
- My name is John.
- My name is Susan.
- What’s your name?
Answers:
- Comment vous appelez-vous ?
- Je m’appelle John.
- Je m’appelle Susan.
- Comment tu t’appelles ?
Mini Challenge
Can you say this entire conversation aloud?
Bonjour.
Bonjour.
Comment vous appelez-vous ?
Je m’appelle ________.
Enchanté.
If you can do that without looking at the lesson, you’re making excellent progress.
Lesson Summary
Today you learned:
Comment vous appelez-vous ? = What is your name?
Comment tu t’appelles ? = What’s your name?
Je m’appelle… = My name is…
You can now introduce yourself and ask someone’s name in French.
That’s a huge step forward for a beginner.
In Lesson 3, we’ll learn how to ask and answer “How are you?” and talk about how we’re feeling.
Here is the FREE download for Lesson 2