introduce myself essay in french

LinguaJunkie.com

A very cranky language blogger dishing out brutal language tips.

How to Introduce Yourself in French in 10+ Lines + Audio

Want to speak French? Yes? Good – keep reading.

This is for those that truly want to learn the language. Here’s how you introduce yourself in French in 10 easy lines… and this might take you 2 to 3 minutes or less. You can also listen to audio by pressing the play button.

There’s also a PDF for these phrases at the end!

But if you’re JUST looking for the ONE French phrase, it’s this:

• My name is ______.
• Je m’appelle ______.

1) Bonjour, enchanté(e) de faire votre connaissance.

“Hello” and “Nice to meet you” are must-know phrases. Any introduction will probably will start with these words.

• Hello, it’s nice to meet you.
• Bonjour, enchanté(e) de faire votre connaissance.

You should also listen and hear real French – Press play below. Try this Free Lesson from FrenchPod101.com (click here to visit) for the complete explanation about introducing yourself!

Press play to listen below.

Now, let’s say someone asks for your name in French.

They would say….

2) Comment t’appelles-tu?

• What’s your name?
• Comment t’appelles-tu?

3) Je m’appelle ______.

This is simple. To say “my name is” in French, you just need the phrase “Je m’appelle.” Then say your name. For example, if the name is Linguajunkie, it would be like this…

• Je m’appelle Linguajunkie.

Here’s another example:

• Je m’appelle Robert. Comment t’appelles tu ?
• My name is Robert. What’s your name?

4) Je viens de ____.

So, where are you from? America? Europe? Africa? Asia? Just stick the name of your country inside this phrase. We’ll use France as an example.

• Je viens de France .
• I’m from France .

5) J’habite à ______.

What about now – where do you live? Just fill in the blank with the country or city (if famous) into this phrase. I’ll use Paris as an example.

• J’habite à Paris .
• I live in Paris .

6) J’apprends le français depuis _____.

How long have you been learning French for? A month? A year?

• J’apprends le français depuis un an .
• I’ve been learning French for a year .

7) J’apprends le français sur _____.

Where are you learning French? At school? At home? This would be a great line to know and use when you’re introducing yourself. Here’s my example:

• J’apprends le français sur FrenchPod101.com .
• I’m learning French at FrenchPod101.com .

8) J’ai  ___  ans.

Here’s how to say how old you are in French. Just add the number in. You will want to know French numbers from 1 to 100 , so click the link to review and find out how to say your age in French.

• J’ai      ans.
• J’ai 27 ans.
• I’m 27 years old .

9) Je suis ______.

What about your position? Are you a student? Yoga teacher? Lawyer for the potato industry? Potato salesman? Super important question that people like to ask (and judge you about – Hey, I’m just a blogger! ). Just use “ani” meaning “I” and add your position.

• Je suis enseignant (e).
• I’m a teacher .

Here are some examples of other jobs:

• ingénieur – engineer
• programmeur – programmar
• infirmière – nurse
• professeur – professor
• employé de bureau – office worker/clerk
• ouvrier de société – company worker
• gérant – manager
• secrétaire – secretary
• docteur – doctor
• agent comptable – accountant
• officier de police – police officer
• pompier – firefighter
• avocat – lawyer
• cuisinier – cook

10) Un de mes passe-temps est la lecture. _____.

Now, let’s move onto personal interests – hobbies! My hobbies are languages, linguajunkieing and such. How about you? You’ll definitely need this line when introducing yourself in French.

Here’s an example to use:

• Un de mes passe-temps est la lecture.
• One of my hobbies is reading.

11) J’aime écouter de la musique.

Now, this is just another example line about your hobbies . You can use something else where.

• J’aime écouter de la musique.
• I enjoy listening to music.

So now you know how to introduce yourself in French.

Remember, if there’s only ONE phrase you’ll remember me, Lingajunkie, let it be:

If you want a French PDF lesson for this Introductions lesson, check out the link below. You can download it for free.

Let’s recap the French phrases for self-introduction:

I’m sure there’s a ton more you can say – but this is an easy, simple start that any beginner can put to use. It’s all about starting easy. Here are the French lines for your self-introduction.

See if you can introduce yourself below. Leave me a comment.

I read all comments!

Hope you enjoyed this!

– The Main Junkie

P.S. I highly recommend this for French learners. If you REALLY want to learn French with effective lessons by real teachers – Sign up for free at FrenchPod101 (click here) and start learning!

Merci,this helps alot

Wow I love this it help a lot

Merci beaucoup

merci becoup

I found this very useful as I prepare myself for the oral test thanx for this

how to say daddy in french

THANKS FOR THIS!!

merci madam

how do you say ” I am taking 6 classes this semester” ?

merci bonjour je m’appelle Malveer J’habite a mosh

um…could you write an introduction for students?????

[…] learn bonus lines for introducing yourself in French in part […]

Bonjour , enchante de faire votre connaissance. je m’appelle Gloria Ewoigbe . Je viens de Nigeria. J’ai 17 ans. J’habite ‘a England . J’apprends Francais depuis trois mois. j’apprends Francais ‘a mon Ecole, ma maison et sur French pod 101 .com un de mes passe -temps est la lecture. J’aime ecouter la Chritienne musique . J’aime Paris repas il est de’licious. Je suis une etudiante . Aussi J’aime Dieu. Et Toi? qui es -tu?

[…] This next section of French phrases contains basics you’d need for conversations. Like, how to say “yes,” “thank you,” “how are you,” or even introduce yourself in French. […]

whats up yo

Thank you for helping

It was not easy and unable to understand for a 7 class child

Very nice! I love it! It helped me a lot!!

Wow I can’t read?

agréable de vous rencontrer copains

Mille merci

Merci, C’est tres simple et utile 😉

Talking about yourself in French 🇫🇷

Talking about yourself in French is one of the first you’ll have to do. 

Especially if you’re looking for a penpal, want to go a bit deeper with natives in France, or just simply journal about yourself in French.

Bref, you need to be able to introduce yourself, express who you are, your opinions, where you come from,…

And that’s exactly what we are going to learn right now with 5 ready to use sentences.

Don’t worry, I’m not asking you for an essay about yourself… The key word here is PRACTICAL.

5 sentences to talk about yourself in French

Ok so we are going to learn how to describe yourself (your tastes, your goals,…). 

Keep in mind, the sentences below are made to be easily customisable.

In the video, I go in more details about how to customise them (what verb to use, what forms, in what order,..). AND, I gave you examples.

Ok, c’est parti.

• Je suis passionné(e – for girls ) de… (+ noun ) – I am passionate about…
• J’adore… (+ verb ) – I like to…
• Je veux… (+ verb ) – I want to…
• Mon ( film ) préféré(e – if feminine ), c’est… – My favourite ( movie ) is…
• Je suis fan de… – I am a fan of…

Now, it’s your time to use it. Leave me a comment with a sentence about you! 

Please use the video to learn how to pronounce the sentences correctly. 

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👉 MORE HERE 👈 Yay, I’m back with another challenge for you: being polite in France. Yes, it’s not just about not being rude. French

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How to swear in French 🤬 5 extremely rude French words

In today’s Vendredi Vocabulary, we are learning: How to be rude, extremely rude and totally out of line in French, 5 words to never say

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What about age ,state,nationalism,etc?

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How to Introduce Yourself in French

Last Updated: March 16, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Language Academia and by wikiHow staff writer, Glenn Carreau . Language Academia is a private, online language school founded by Kordilia Foxstone. Kordilia and her team specialize in teaching foreign languages and accent reduction. Language Academia offers courses in several languages, including English, Spanish, and Mandarin. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 143,686 times.

If you want to master French, it’s important to learn the basics—including how to introduce yourself. By learning just a few simple words and phrases, you can greet and get to know French speakers. You can even form cross-language friendships! This comprehensive guide will show you how to say hello, identify yourself, and share some information with your new acquaintance.

Greetings in French

• " Bonjour " is pronounced, "bohn-zhoor." The "zh" sound is pronounced like the "ge" in "deluge." The “n” is delicate, almost silent. The “r” is also delicate and pronounced with friction (like a gargling sound) in your throat.
• The “bon” in " Bonjour " means “good,” and “jour” means “day.” Put together into one word, it means “Good day.”

• " Salut " is pronounced, “Sah-loo.” The "loo" uses a subtle sound uncommon in English; it sounds like "liu" with a very soft ee sound at the beginning.

• " Bon matin " is pronounced “bohn mah-ten.” “ Bon ” is pronounced like the beginning of Bonjour , while the “tin” in matin has a soft, subtle “n” sound that is almost silent.

• " Bonsoir " is pronounced “Bohn-swahr.” Like the end of Bonjour , the “r” is soft and pronounced with a gargling sound in your throat.
• " Bonne nuit " is pronounced, “Bun nwee.” " Bonne " has more of a heavy “u” sound than " Bon ."

• An informal way to say, “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” is " C’est un plaisir de faire votre reconnaissance " (pronounced, “Set uhn play-zheer duh fayr vot-ruh re-ko-nay-sans”).
• The formal version of this phrase is " C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer " (pronounced, “Set uhn play-zheer duh voo ran-con-tray”). It means, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
• " Enchanté de faire votre connaissance " is pronounced, “An-shan-tay duh fayr vot-ruh con-nay-sahnse.”

Giving Your Name in French

• " Je m’appelle " is pronounced, “Zhuh mah-pell.” Again, the " Je " here (or the “zhuh” sound) is pronounced like the "ge" in "deluge."
• For example, a full introduction could be, “ Bonjour! Je m’appelle David. ” In that case, you’d be saying, “Good day! My name is David.”
• Tell someone if you have a preferred name. Say " Je m'appelle Alexandra, mais je me fais appeler Alex " (“Zhuh mah-pell Alexandra, may zhuh muh fay ah-pel-ay Alex.”) It means, “My name is Alexandra, but I prefer to be called Alex.”

• " Je suis " is pronounced, “Zhuh swee.”
• In a full sentence, you could say, “ Bonsoir! Je suis Alex ,” to introduce yourself.

• Finish the phrase by saying your name after " Moi c’est. " In a full sentence, you could say, “ Moi c’est Candice .”
• " Moi c’est " is pronounced, “Mwah say.” The phrase " c’est " can sound different depending on the context, which is why it sounds like “say” here, but “set” in C’est un plaisir de vous rencontrer.

• For example, you could say, “ Bonjour, je me présente. Je m’appelle Karin, ” which means, “Hello, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Karin.”
• " Je me présente " is pronounced, “Zhuh muh pray-zant.”

• "(Name) à l’appareil" is pronounced, “ah lah-par-ay.” Like other words with an “r” sound, this “r” is delicate and pronounced with friction in your throat.
• When answering the phone in French, you can also begin with the greeting " Allô ?" (Ah-low?) It means “Hello,” and it’s only used by French speakers over the phone.

Sharing Information in French

• " J'habite à " is pronounced “Zhah-beet ah.”
• Finish the phrase by naming your town or even country of origin. For example, " J'habite à New York! " means “I live in New York!”

• For example, you could say, " Je suis docteur, " which means, “I am a doctor,” or " Je suis artiste, " which means, “I am an artist.”
• If you’re in school (rather than working), talk about your main area of study by saying " J’étudie " (Zhey-too-dee), which means, “I study.” For example, " J’étudie l'écriture créative " means, “I study creative writing.”

• " J'ai (number) ans " is pronounced, “Zheh (number) ahn.” The final n is delicate and almost silent.

• " Je vous présente …" (Zhuh voo preh-zont) means “I present to you…” Say the other person’s name after this introductory phrase.
• " Voici …" (Vwuh-see…) means “Here is…” This is a more informal way to introduce someone. Like the first phrase, say the other person’s name after saying Voici.

• " Comment vous appelez-vous? " (“Co-mahnt vooz ah-play-voo?”) means “What is your name?”
• " D'où êtes-vous? " (“Doo eht-voo?”) means “Where are you from?”
• " Quel est votre profession? " (Kell ay vote-ruh pro-fess-yone?) means “What do you do for a living?”
• " Comment allez-vous? " (Co-mahnt ah-lay-voo?) means “How are you?”

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://lingvist.com/course/learn-french-online/resources/french-greetings/
• ↑ https://alpinefrenchschool.com/blog/les-salutations/
• ↑ https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/meet.htm
• ↑ http://www.frenchtutorial.com/en/learn-french/vocabulary/introducing
• ↑ https://www.tandem.net/blog/the-complete-guide-to-introducing-yourself-in-french
• ↑ https://www.mattfrenchtutor.com/courses/vocabulary/lessons/how-to-introduce-yourself/
• ↑ https://www.lawlessfrench.com/vocabulary/on-the-phone/
• ↑ https://www.mezzoguild.com/learn/french/phrases/self-introduction/

About This Article

To introduce yourself in French, start by saying, “Bonjour,” which means “Hello,” or something more specific, like "Bonsoir" for "Good evening." Then, say, “Je m'appelle," or "My name is," followed by your name. Alternatively, try saying 'Je suis," which means "I am," before your name. In casual settings, you can simply state your name after you say, “Bonjour,” and shake the person's hand. For more tips, including how to introduce someone else in French, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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• , April 10, 2023

Introduce Yourself In French In 7 Best Ways

Are you wondering what the best way to introduce yourself in French is? Introducing yourself to others can be complicated because a proper introduction should include your name, where you live, your job, how old you are, and often even your hobbies. And if this is your first time speaking French, you will have to take note of certain words and phrases.

In general, it is not part of French etiquette to start with an introduction without greeting the other person. After the initial greetings, you are asked basic information about yourself, and you should know the very basic phrases and words to answer appropriately. Here is a complete guide to introducing yourself in French. Keep reading!

Simple French Greetings

In French culture, you always greet other people when meeting them. Here are standard French greetings:

• Bonjour – Hello (or good morning)
• Salut – Hello (informal context, similar to “hi”)
• Bonsoir – Good evening
• Bonne nuit – Good night (typically used when leaving)
• C’est un plaisir de vous rencontrer – It’s a pleasure to meet you (formal version)
• Enchanté de faire votre connaissance – Delighted to make your acquaintance
• C’est un plaisir de faire votre connaissance – it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance

When you complete the conversation and are about to leave, you can say:

• Au revoir – Goodbye
• À bientôt – See you later

À bientôt is an informal option used only when you know a French person, or you can use the formal version au revoir, with strangers.

Remember that in French, in informal situations, you can use the word “ Tu .” However, if you are meeting others in formal situations, you should use “ Vous .” Learn more about the French basic greetings as you study along with Ling.

Best Ways To Introduce Yourself In French

In introducing yourself in French, you have to use a few words to say who you are. Typically, the first thing that others want to know is your name.

During a French introduction, you can say your name in different ways. Here are the most common:

• Je m’appelle… – I am … ( literally translates in “I am calling myself…)
• Je suis… – I am…
• Mon nom est… – My name is…
• Moi c’est… – I am… (used when the other person’s name is said first)
• Mon prénom est… – My first name is…
• Je m’appelle (name), mais je me fais appeler (name) – My name is (name), but I prefer to be called (name)
• Je me présente – I’d like to introduce myself

Note : Sometimes, you are the one who will say your name first saying your name, but there may also be times wherein you will suddenly be asked about your name and where you live and work. For example, your French friends can ask you:

• Comment vous appelez vous? – What is your name? (formal way used with strangers)
• Comment t’appelles tu? – What’s your name? (informal version)
• Quel est ton travail? – What is your job? (informal version)
• D’où venez vous? – Where are you from? (formal)
• Qu’est-ce que tu aimes faire? – What do you like to do? (used with a french friend)
• Qu’est-ce que vous aimez faire? – What do you like to do (used when you just met someone)

You could also be asked où habitez-vous? (Where do you live). This is used with a new french friend or people you don’t know. The informal version is où habites-tu?

Answering Questions During The Introductions

Learning French introductions includes answering common questions when you are asked. Typically, other people want to know basic information to relate with you and have something to talk about.

Where Do You Live – Où Habites-Tu (Vous)?

• J’habite à Paris – I live in Paris
• Je viens de Paris – I come from Paris
• Je viens de France – I come from France

What Is Your Job – Quel Est Votre (Ton) Travail?

• Je suis… – I am… (tell your profession)

You should just say your profession after Je suis without any other word. For example:

• Je suis enseignant – I am a teacher
• Je suis un pilote – I am a pilot
• Je travaille comme (or je suis) réceptionniste – I work as a receptionist

What You Like To Do – Qu’est-ce Que Vous (Tu) Aimez Faire?

• J’aime… – I like …
• Je m’intéresse à… – I am interested in…

For example, you can say:

• J’aime voyager – I like to travel
• J’aime étudier les langues étrangères – I like to study foreign languages

What Languages Do You Speak? – Quelle Langue Parles-tu (Vous)?

When you are making French friends, they may also be curious about your abilities to learn new languages and how many languages you know. So it can be part of the introduction.

• Je parle French et (other languages) – I speak French and …
• J’étudie…  – I am studying…
• J’apprends le Français depuis… – I learn French since…

How Old Are You (Quel Âge As-tu?)

It is perfectly fine to answer the following:

• J’ai (numbers of years) ans – I am (number of years)

Examples Of Introduction In French

Here are some French phrases of how you put together all the above information with a conversation partner.

• Introduce yourself in French when speaking first:
• Bonjour (or salut)! Je m’appelle (name). Comment vous appelez-vous? – Hello! My name is (name). What’s your name?
• Introduce yourself in French when you are asked your name:
• Bonjour je m’appelle (name). Et toi? – Hello! My name is Renée. And you?

You can respond:

• Bonjour! Moi c’est (name). Enchanté(e). – Hello! I’m (name). Nice to meet you.
• Introducing yourself in French in formal contexts
• Pardonnez-moi. Je me présente, (name). Enchanté(e). – Excuse me. My name is (name). I’m pleased to meet you.

Do you want to master the French language? Then, you can continue your progress by reading 50 French Adjectives and 10 Basic French Pronouns .

Learn French With Ling App

Speaking of basics, there are many French words that you will learn as you develop your skills in reading, writing, listening, or speaking. But, don’t exclude yourself from exploring Arabic, Spanish, or Japanese too. Do you want to learn more languages? Or simply know more about French? Then, you can use Ling App . It is a learning app that can help you improve your French and offers the possibility of learning 60+ languages from a mobile device or desktop.

What are you waiting for? Download Ling from App Store and Play Store for free!

6 Responses

Merci buocoup

Salute Madame

Merci beaucoup

This all makes french language more interesting actually. After going through this reading.

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8 ways to introduce yourself in French

Introducing yourself in French is an important skill.  After all, chances are, at least part of the reason you’re learning French is to talk to French speakers one day, right?

But what will you say when you meet them?

Let’s look at 8 ways to introduce yourself in French, as well as some ways to introduce someone else, too.

Here are 8 common ways to introduce yourself in French.

The standard French introduction: Bonjour, je m’appelle _.

The most common way to introduce yourself in French is to say Bonjour, je m’appelle,  followed by your name.

This can be used in most formal as well as informal situations.

As you may have noticed, there’s nothing complicated about this introduction; it literally translates to “Hello, my name is _ .”

Bonjour, je m’appelle Jean. (Hello, my name is Jean.)

The less formal standard French introduction: Salut, je m’appelle _ .

You can make the standard way of introducing yourself in French a little more informal by using Salut instead of Bonjour , with Salut, je m’appelle (Hi, my name is _ )

Salut, je m’appelle Marie. (Hi, my name is Marie.)

The “I am” standard introduction: Bonjour/Salut, je suis _ .

If you want to change it up, you can pair either Bonjour  or Salut  with je suis , instead of je m’appelle ,  followed by your name.

These two expressions are more or less equivalent and choosing to say je m’appelle or je suis is mostly just a personal preference.

Bonjour, je suis Jean. Salut, je suis Marie. (Hi, I’m Jean. Hi, I’m Marie.)

The formal French introduction: Bonjour, je me présente….

If you’re giving a speech, introducing yourself at a job interview, or in some other very formal or extremely professional situation, you may want a more formal way to introduce yourself. (Even though, in most cases, Bonjour, je m’appelle _  works perfectly fine.) 

This would be: Bonjour, je me présente. Je m’appelle/Je suis _ .  (Allow me to introduce myself. My name is/I’m _ .)

Bonjour, je me présente. Je m’appelle Marie. (Hello, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Marie.)

The “And I’m…” introduction: Moi c’est _

In English, we might introduce ourselves after someone else by saying “And I’m _ .”  To do this in French, you’d say Moi c’est _ .

Bonjour, je m’appelle Jean.  (Hi, my name is Jean.) Moi c’est Marie.                    (And I’m Marie.) Bienvenue sur notre chaîne YouTube ! (Welcome to our YouTube channel!)

Note that, as in English, this phrase can often seem slightly informal/friendly. In a very formal context, you should probably say Et je m’appelle _  instead.

The “By the way, I’m….”: Moi c’est _ .

Sometimes you’ll also see the previous example, Moi c’est _ , used to mean “By the way, I’m _ ” or “I’m _ , by the way.”

This somewhat informal usage would come in the middle of a conversation, when you realize that you haven’t introduced yourself yet. Of course, there are other ways to do this, depending on the context and vibe of the conversation. For instance, there could be a lull and you could simply use the standard introduction instead.

C’était un super match! (What a great game!) Oui vraiment bien. (Yeah, it was really good!) Moi c’est Jean. (I’m Jean, by the way.) Bonjour Jean, je m’appelle Marie.   (Hello Jean, I’m Marie.)

The radio or TV introduction: Ici _

If you watch a French news broadcast or listen to the radio in French, you may hear a reporter say Ici  followed by their name. This roughly translates to “This is…”

Note that this introduction is only used in this context, so unfortunately, you shouldn’t try to adopt it in real life. But if you’re ever reporting for a French newscast, this is the one to use!

Ici Marie Dupont, en direct de Paris.  (This is Marie Dupont, reporting live from Paris.)

The phone-only introduction: _ à l’appareil.

Most of the time, a French person will use a standard introduction when introducing themself over the phone. But in some cases, especially if you called to speak to them, you might hear:  [Name] à l’appareil .

This translates to “ _ here” or “ _ speaking.”

This introduction is typically used in formal business situations, especially if the line has been transferred. Sometimes you may also hear it if a business contact is calling you back, or, very rarely, if a business contact is calling you in general.

But when it comes to making phone calls in everyday life in French, you normally would just use a standard introduction, so this is primarily one to be familiar with but not necessarily use.

– Bonjour, je voudrais parler avec Jean Martin.  (Hello, I’d like to speak to Jean Martin.) – Un instant, je vous mets en ligne avec Monsieur Martin.  (One moment, I’ll connect you to Monsieur Martin.) – Bonjour, Jean Martin à l’appareil.  (Hello, Jean Martin speaking.)

How to introduce someone else in French

Now you know how to introduce yourself in French. But if you’re wondering how to introduce someone else in French, here are a few common options:

The formal way to introduce someone else : Je vous présente _ /Je te présente _

Je vous présente _ /Je te présente _  means “Allow me to introduce _ ”

Note that this phrase depends on whether you use vous or tu with the person you’re talking to.

Example: Je vous pr é sente Marie. (Allow me to introduce Marie.).  

This is often followed by a brief explanation of who the person is.

Je vous présente Marie, ma collaboratrice.  (Allow me to introduce Marie, my business partner.)

The informal way to introduce someone else : Voici _

In a general or informal context, you can introduce someone else by saying Voici (This is), followed by their name. For instance: Voici Jean. (This is Jean.)

This phrase is often followed by some explanation of who the person is.

Voici Jean, mon meilleur ami.  (This is my best friend Jean.)

“Over there” introductions

You may find yourself introducing someone at a distance or talking about a new person in French. There are many ways to do this, but here are two common options.

• Ça, c’est _ (That person there is ).  

Ça, c’est Jean.  (That person there is Jean.)

Note that this phrase can be followed with additional information. For instance:

Ça, c’est Marie. Elle est française.  (That person there is Marie. She’s French.)

2. Voilà _. (That’s_).

Note that this phrase doesn’t always have to be immediately followed by a name.

Voilà Jean.  (That’s Jean.) Voilà mon frère. Il s’appelle Jean.  (That’s my brother. His name is Jean.)

How to respond to an introduction in French

Depending on the situation and context, there are many ways to respond to an introduction in French.

The easiest and most typical is saying Enchanté(e) , a very useful word that means “Pleased to meet you” or “A pleasure to meet you.”  

Enchant é( e)  can be used in formal and informal contexts.

Although it’s pronounced the same way in its masculine and feminine forms, if you’re writing it, remember to make it agree with your gender.

– Bonjour, je m’appelle Marie. – Enchanté.

If you want to reply a little more formally, you could say Ravi(e) de faire votre connaissance  (I’m pleased to meet you.)

More formal still is C’est un plaisir de faire votre connaissance. (It’s a pleasure to meet you.)

Another way to respond to a French introduction is to simply say Bonjour or Salut , followed by the person’s name . This will probably be followed by an expression of courtesy, like one of the two above, or else with some sort of information or phrase.

– Bonjour, je m’appelle Marie. (Hello, I’m Marie.) – Ravi de faire votre connaissance. Moi, c’est Jean. (I’m pleased to meet you. (And) I’m Jean.)

How to follow up an introduction in French

Often when you introduce yourself, you may need or want to add some additional details about why you’re there, who you are, etc.

Fortunately, like most French introductions, these are also fairly intuitive and basic, for the most part.

For instance, you might talk about where you’re from, how old you are, what you do for work, how you know a common acquaintance, etc.

Here are some examples:

Bonjour, je m’appelle Marie. Je viens de Paris. (Hello, I’m Marie. I’m from Paris.) Salut, je m’appelle Marie. J’ai 25 ans. (Hi, I’m Marie. I’m 25 years old.) Bonjour, je m’appelle Marie. Je suis médecin. (Hello, I’m Marie. I’m a doctor.) Bonjour, je m’appelle Marie. Je travaille avec Jean. (Hello, I’m Marie. I work with Jean.)

You can also follow up an introduction by asking about the other person. The easiest and most common way to do this is with the phrase Et vous ?  or Et toi ?

For instance:

– Bonjour, je m’appelle Marie. Je viens de Paris. Et toi ?   (Hello, my name is Marie. I’m from Paris. And you?) – Bonjour, Marie. Ravi de faire ta connaissance. Je m’appelle Jean. Je viens de Lyon. (Hello, Marie.Pleased to meet you. My name is Jean. I come from Lyon.)

Three takeaways about French introductions

Although there are several common ways to introduce yourself in French, keep in mind that:

• You will almost always begin an introduction by saying Bonjour or Salut .
• You will never use the verb introduire  to introduce yourself or someone else in French. As this webpage helpfully points out, that’s because the verb introduire in French means  to physically put something inside of something else. That would be quite an awkward mistake!
• It’s easy to learn how to introduce yourself in French because it’s fairly intuitive and there aren’t a lot of options or variations. Just a greeting and saying what your name is, is perfectly sufficient!

How can I practice introducing myself in French?

The best way to practice introducing yourself in French is to actually do it! if you can’t travel to a French-speaking country, you can find French-speaking conversation partners  in real life and, easier still, online. Conversation exchanges are often free and are a great way to meet new people and practice French.

Reading, listening to, and watching things in French  is also helpful, since people and characters will often have to introduce themselves and each other.

I hope you found this introduction to French introductions helpful. Have you ever introduced yourself in French? What, if any, details about yourself did you add? Feel free to share in the comments! And feel free to introduce yourself there, too!

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Alysa Salzberg

Alysa Salzberg is an American writer, worrier, teacher, and cookie enthusiast who has lived in Paris, France, for more than a decade. She has taught English and French for more than ten years, most notably as an assistante de langue vivante for L'Education Nationale. She recently published her first novel, Hearts at Dawn , a "Beauty and the Beast" retelling that takes place during the 1870 Siege of Paris. You can read about her adventures here , or feel free to stop by her website .

How To Introduce Yourself In French [Essential Phrases]

• Read time 11 mins

Salut ! Bonjour ! Comment vas-tu ?

Are you looking for ways to introduce yourself in French?

Knowing how to introduce yourself in French is a necessary skill; it can help us to make lasting friendships, get off on the right foot with new people, or meet a potential soulmate.

So if you’ve been wondering how to introduce yourself in French, take a look at this guide to learn ways to make a good first impression (and gain a few grammatical hints along the way).

How to introduce yourself in French the formal way: Step one, stating your name

To introduce yourself in French formally, that’s to people you don’t know, or in a work environment, simply say:

Bonjour je m’appelle [your name].

Now, je m’appelle literally translates to English as “I call myself”.

This is similar to the Spanish introductory phrase me llamo . But it is the standard way to tell someone your name and is used to say “my name is”.

You can then follow this up with the following sentence:

Je suis enchanté de vous rencontrer.

Note that the word enchanté here is the masculine single version of this adjective, whereas the word enchantée is the feminine single version of the adjective.

This means that if you’re a male introducing yourself to colleagues, you would use the adjective enchanté , and if you’re a female introducing yourself to colleagues, you would use the adjective enchantée .

What you should also note is that the formal version of making French introductions uses the pronoun vous .

This differs from the informal French introduction, as you will see in the following section.

One quick fact: enchanté or enchantée as an adjective means “delighted” or “pleased”.

How to introduce yourself in French the informal way

So now, let’s look at how to introduce yourself in French informally, which means to friends of friends, or family members related to your spouse who you’re meeting for the first time.

This requires a different register, but it’s less complex than the informal way to introduce yourself in French.

To do it, simply say:

Salut, je m’appelle [your name].

In this instance, did you notice that the introductory greeting word bonjour has been replaced with salut ?

This is because salut is normally used when greeting friends and family.

Quick tip: salut sort of means “hi” in English.

You can continue by saying the following:

Enchanté de te rencontrer.

Now, in this sentence, note that you don’t use the vous pronoun.

This has been replaced with the pronoun te , which must be used if you’re speaking with friends of friends or new family members that you might be meeting for the first time.

If you use vous , your introduction will sound a bit off… as though you’re being prim and proper with close friends.

That’s okay, but you’ll probably want to stick with te if you’re speaking with friends of friends.

What if you’re not sure if the situation is formal or informal?

It’s not always clear whether the situation is formal or informal.

For this reason, it’s always good to have a backup.

Instead of je suis enchanté de vous rencontrer or enchanté de te rencontrer , is just the word enchanté (if your male), or enchantée if you’re female.

What are reflexive pronouns and how to use them when introducing yourself in French?

You might have noticed, when reading this article on how to introduce yourself in French, that in the sentence je m’appelle , there is a strange m followed by an apostrophe.

This m’ is a reflexive pronoun and means that the verb appelle is reflexive.

Reflexive verbs are used when introducing yourself in French or asking someone their name in French.

In many situations, they are the equivalent of using the word myself or yourself in the introductory sentence.

So, let’s go ahead and take a look at the many different reflexive pronouns in the French language:

Reflexive verbs can alter the meaning of a sentence since they make the object of the sentence different.

So in one context, you might use the reflexive s’appeler verb to say “call myself” or you might use it to say “call one another”.

How to introduce yourself in French: Step two, asking someone’s name

As well as knowing how to introduce yourself in French, you’re going to need to know how to ask someone their name in French too.

The way to ask someone their name in French in a formal situation is to ask the interrogative:

Comment vous appelez-vous ?

This would literally translate to the English language as “what do you call yourself?”.

Also take note that the verb appeler must be conjugated with the verb form related to the person you are addressing, so in the following section, we’ve covered how to conjugate the verb appeler . Stick with us to find out!

Asking someone their name with the verb appeler

So, why and how do we need to conjugate the verb appeler to ask someone their name? Well, in one situation you might be asking just one person who you already know because they’re a friend of a friend.

In this case, you’d conjugate the verb appeler in the second person informal form: appelles _and use the reflexive pronoun _se .

In another situation, you might be asking someone to tell you what their friend’s name is.

In this case, you’d conjugate the verb appeler in the third person informal form: appelle .

Comment il s’appelle ?

You might want to ask for the names of several people in French, which will require the vous form of the verb appeler and the reflexive pronoun vous :

Or in the off chance that you’re forming a new band, you might want to ask your bandmates “what are our names?” which will require the nous form of the verb appeler and the reflexive pronoun nous :

Comment nous appelons-nous ?

Let’s look at the conjugation table below to confirm all of the conjugations of appeler , so you know how to ask anyone for their name.

How to ask someone their name in French informally

As mentioned above, there is a different register and word choice required for informal situations.

Here’s how to ask someone their name in French in informal situations:

Comment t’appelles-tu ?

So, here, we have a different sentence structure which uses the pronoun tu instead of the pronoun vous .

How to introduce yourself in French: Step three, talking about where you’re from

When introducing yourself in French, as the dialogue or chat starts to flow, someone might ask you where you’re from.

They might say:

D’où venez-vous ?

Or they might say:

D’où viens-tu ?

As you might have noticed, each of these mean the same thing.

It’s just the register that’s different here.

The first interrogative is the formal vous form, and the second interrogative is the informal tu form; the first interrogative is used in formal situations and the second is used in informal ones.

Part of knowing how to introduce yourself in French is knowing how to respond to this question, so here’s how to do it:

Je viens de [name of country]

Someone who wants to get to know you might also then ask you where you live, which in French would be:

Où habitez-vous ?

Or if they’re a friend of a friend, they will use the informal:

Où habites-tu ?

In response, just use the sentence j’habite à [name of city] .

Introducing yourself in French: Step four, stating your age, hobbies and occupation

Now you’re hitting it off with a person, they might ask you how old you are, what your hobbies are and what your occupation is.

Let’s take a look at each of these in turn.

Talking about how old you are when introducing yourself in French

So, if someone wants to know how old you are, in French they might use the interrogative sentence:

Quel âge as-tu ?

Note that the French interrogative uses the verb avoir , meaning “to have” in English. This means the sentence would literally translate to English as “what age do you have?”

You can respond to this question by saying:

J’ai [number of years] ans

Talking about hobbies when introducing yourself in French

Say you’re preparing for a blind date with a French native speaker. One of the things you’ll want to be able to mention when you introduce yourself in French are your hobbies. They might ask you:

Que fais-tu pendant ton temps libre ?

And if you’re wondering how to introduce yourself in French and make the best impression with your special someone asks you a question like this, here’s how you might respond:

J’aime [state hobby or interest]

For instance, if you like to listen to music, you might say:

J’aime écouter de la musique.

Note that the sentence structure “I like to” in French normally features the verb aimer with a second verb in its infinitive form.

In our example above, the second verb is écouter meaning “to listen”.

Talking about your occupation when introducing yourself in French

One final, but critical thing that might come up when introducing yourself in French is your occupation; someone might ask you:

Quel est ton travail ?

Or, in formal contexts, they’ll ask:

Quel est votre travail ?

Both of these translate to English as “what is your job/occupation?”

If you’re asked about your occupation when introducing yourself in French, here’s the best way to answer.

Just as with the Spanish language, we don’t use the article a when describing our professions in French.

So whereas in English we would say “I am a teacher”, here’s the French equivalent:

Je suis médicin.

It works for any profession, just substitute the profession with your own.

General tips for getting better at self-introductions in French

As it’s sometimes challenging enough to introduce yourself without the grammatical rules here are six crucial tips to help you:

• Listen to introductory conversations in audios, podcasts or French films . Get a feel for the way French native speakers introduce themselves.
• If you’re starting with zero knowledge, sign up to a French course to get started. Introductory dialogues in these courses are useful starting points.
• If you know the basics but are struggling with verb conjugation, grab a stack of flashcards and write all six French pronouns on each one. Shuffle and select a flashcard from your stack. If you receive tu , try to conjugate the verb appeler in the tu form. Make this a habit every day until you get more confident. Repeat the flashcard game with a set of reflexive pronoun flashcards and you’ll be on your way.
• Some other challenges you might face as a French student is making literal translations between English and French. Now, this won’t work very well, particularly because English sentences don’t translate word for word when introducing yourself in French. Just to repeat an example, we don’t normally say “how old are you?” word for word in French. We don’t use the verb to be, either–we’d use the verb avoir in this case. Or, to use another example from this article, we don’t say “I am a writer” in French – it’s not a word for word translation. So, the tip is to avoid literal translations.
• It’s helpful to try and memorise some of these sentences to help you make the best impression. You’ll want to learn to think in French as well, even though this might be a bit challenging at first, so you could record your voice to practice introducing yourself in French. The more you record yourself, the more you’ll remember how to do this.

Make your first impression count in French

Introductions can make a difference to your relationships, but can be challenging in another language like French.

The best way to get better at introducing yourself is to do it often .

Connect with your local French community (ideally in a French-speaking country), or chat with French speakers online.

What are some other important phrases for self-introductions in French?

Comment below.

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The Complete Guide to Introducing Yourself in French

When you meet a French speaker for the first time, it’s important to make a good first impression by properly introducing yourself in French - the locals will really appreciate it! So, without further ado here’s the complete guide to introducing yourself in French!

One phrase that you might need when meeting people is je me présente , meaning “let me introduce myself”. This is a nice introduction to your introduction.

Then, you can head into some French greetings.

Greetings, like with all conversations is how an introduction in the French language will start. A standard greeting that you can’t go wrong with is bonjour (good day). Though it translates to “good day” it is as universal as the English “hello.” Bonjour can also be used at most times of the day, and can in both formal and informal scenarios.

For more specific times of the day, you can say bon matin (good morning) or bonsoir (good evening). Bonne nuit (good night), however, is generally used to say goodbye when it’s late at night or when you’re heading to bed so best not to use this one as a greeting.

For a greeting not bound to any particular time of the day, you can use the trusted salut (hello). Lastly, if you’re talking to someone on the phone, it’s customary to answer with âllo (hello).

If someone asks you for your name, they will say comment t’appelles-tu ? (What is your name?). This is the informal option. The formal version of this question is comment vous appelez-vous ? (What is your name?).

To answer this question, begin your sentence with je m’appelle… (I call myself…) and then say your name. You could also say je suis… (I am…) and then your name.

In return, it’s always polite to ask for the other person’s name. Remember to think about whether the formal or informal version of the question is more appropriate. Alternatively, you could simply ask et tu ? (and you?) for informal situations and et vous ? (and you?) for formal situations.

Your Basic Information

Now that you’ve got the pleasantries out of the way and your conversation partner knows you by name, it’s time for them to get to know you a little better. Sharing basic information is the first step to making French friends and acquaintances!

Where are you from?

The common questions you might get asked include d’où venez-vous ? (where are you from?), or the informal version d’où viens-tu ? . This question is generally asking for your country or region of origin, but it’s also appropriate to name a major city such as New York or London.To answer this question, you can say ** je viens de…** (I am from) followed by the name of the place.

You may also get asked où habitez-vous ? (where do you live?) or the informal version où habites-tu ? . You can answer the question by saying J’habite à… (I live in…) followed by the name of the city, town or village where you’re currently living.

What do you do?

Another common topic of conversation when getting to know eachother better is asking “what do you do for work?” In French, you can say quel est ton travail ? (what is your job?) or the more formal version quel est votre travail ? To answer, you can simply say je suis… (I am) followed by the name of your job or profession. Here are some common job titles in French:

Gérant/Gérante - Manager

Enseignant/Enseignante - Teacher

Infirmier/Infirmière - Nurse

Écrivain - Writer

Peintre - Painter

Boulanger/Boulangère - Baker

Coiffeur/Coiffeuse - Hairdresser

Do you have any hobbies?

Okay, the conversation is going well, good job! You’ve nailed the basics and now you just need something interesting to talk about - your interests and hobbies!

Questions around this topic may sound like qu’est-ce que tu aimes faire ? (what do you like to do?) or the formal qu’est-ce que vous aimez faire ? . To answer this question, you can say j’aime… (I like) and then list a noun or a verb. For example, j’aime voyager, lire et étudier les langues étrangères (I like to travel, read and study foreign languages).

You could also say** je m’intéresse à…** (I am interested in) and then name a noun or two. For example, je m’intéresse à la culture française (I am interested in French culture).

To politely end the conversation (or when the conversation has come to a natural end), you can say enchanté (charmed) to indicate that you’ve been happy to meet someone. In formal contexts, c’est un plaisir de faire votre connaissance (it is a pleasure to make your acquaintaince) or c’est un plaisir de vous rencontrer (it is a pleasure to meet you) would be more appropriate.

Then, to say goodbye, you can say au revoir (goodbye) or the less formal à bientôt (see you later).

And there you have it, you have just made a nouvel ami français (new French friend)!

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How to Write an Essay in French Without Giving Yourself Away as a Foreigner

Have something to say?

When it comes to expressing your thoughts in French , there’s nothing better than the essay.

It is, after all, the favorite form of such famed French thinkers as Montaigne, Chateaubriand, Houellebecq and Simone de Beauvoir.

In this post, I’ve outlined the four most common types of essays in French, ranked from easiest to most difficult, to help you get to know this concept better. 

Why Are French Essays Different?

Must-have french phrases for writing essays, 4 types of french essays and how to write them, 1. text summary (synthèse de texte).

• 2. Text Commentary (Commentaire de texte)

3. Dialectic Dissertation (Thèse, Antithèse, Synthèse)

• 4. Progressive Dissertation (Plan progressif)

And one more thing...

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Writing an essay in French is not the same as those typical 5-paragraph essays you’ve probably written in English.

In fact, there’s a whole other logic that has to be used to ensure that your essay meets French format standards and structure. It’s not merely writing your ideas in another language .

And that’s because the French use Cartesian logic (also known as Cartesian doubt) , developed by René Descartes , which requires a writer to begin with what is known and then lead the reader through to the logical conclusion: a paragraph that contains the thesis. Through the essay, the writer will reject all that is not certain or all that is subjective in his or her quest to find the objective truth.

Sound intriguing? Read on for more!

Before we get to the four main types of essays, here are a few French phrases that will be especially helpful as you delve into essay-writing in French:

Introductory phrases , which help you present new ideas.

Connecting phrases , which help you connect ideas and sections.

Contrasting phrases , which help you juxtapose two ideas.

Concluding phrases , which help you to introduce your conclusion.

The text summary or synthèse de texte  is one of the easiest French writing exercises to get a handle on. It essentially involves reading a text and then summarizing it in an established number of words, while repeating no phrases that are in the original text. No analysis is called for.

A  synthèse de texte  should follow the same format as the text that is being synthesized. The arguments should be presented in the same way, and no major element of the original text should be left out of the  synthèse.

Here is an informative post about writing a synthèse de texte , written for French speakers. 

The text summary is a great exercise for exploring the following French language elements:

• Synonyms , as you will need to find other words to describe what is said in the original text.
• Nominalization , which involves turning verbs into nouns and generally cuts down on word count.
• Vocabulary , as the knowledge of more exact terms will allow you to avoid periphrases and cut down on word count.

While beginners may wish to work with only one text, advanced learners can synthesize as many as three texts in one text summary. 

Since a text summary is simple in its essence, it’s a great writing exercise that can accompany you through your entire learning process.

2. Text Commentary  (Commentaire de texte)

A text commentary or commentaire de texte   is the first writing exercise where the student is asked to present an analysis of the materials at hand, not just a summary.

That said, a  commentaire  de texte  is not a reaction piece. It involves a very delicate balance of summary and opinion, the latter of which must be presented as impersonally as possible. This can be done either by using the third person (on) or the general first person plural (nous) . The singular first person (je) should never be used in a  commentaire de texte.

A commentaire de texte  should be written in three parts:

• An introduction , where the text is presented.
• An argument , where the text is analyzed.
• A conclusion , where the analysis is summarized and elevated.

Here is a handy in-depth guide to writing a successful commentaire de texte,  written for French speakers.

Unlike with the synthesis, you will not be able to address all elements of a text in a commentary. You should not summarize the text in a commentary, at least not for the sake of summarizing. Every element of the text that you speak about in your commentary must be analyzed.

To successfully analyze a text, you will need to brush up on your figurative language. Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Here’s an introduction to figurative language in French.
• This guide to figurative language  presents the different elements in useful categories.
• This guide , intended for high school students preparing for the BAC—the exam all French high school students take, which they’re required to pass to go to university—is great for seeing examples of how to integrate figurative language into your commentaries.
• Speaking of which, here’s an example of a corrected commentary from the BAC, which will help you not only include figurative language but get a head start on writing your own commentaries.

The French answer to the 5-paragraph essay is known as the  dissertation .  Like the American 5-paragraph essay, it has an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. The stream of logic, however, is distinct.

There are actually two kinds of  dissertation,  each of which has its own rules.

The first form of  dissertation  is the dialectic dissertation , better known as  thèse, antithèse, synthèse . In this form, there are actually only two body paragraphs. After the introduction, a thesis is posited. Following the thesis, its opposite, the antithesis, is explored (and hopefully, debunked). The final paragraph, what we know as the conclusion, is the  synthesis , which addresses the strengths of the thesis, the strengths and weaknesses of the antithesis, and concludes with the reasons why the original thesis is correct.

For example, imagine that the question was, “Are computers useful to the development of the human brain?” You could begin with a section showing the ways in which computers are useful for the progression of our common intelligence—doing long calculations, creating in-depth models, etc.

Then you would delve into the problems that computers pose to human intelligence, citing examples of the ways in which spelling proficiency has decreased since the invention of spell check, for example. Finally, you would synthesize this information and conclude that the “pro” outweighs the “con.”

The key to success with this format is developing an outline before writing. The thesis must be established, with examples, and the antithesis must be supported as well. When all of the information has been organized in the outline, the writing can begin, supported by the tools you have learned from your mastery of the synthesis and commentary.

Here are a few tools to help you get writing:

• Here’s a great guide to writing a dialectic dissertation .
• Here’s an example of a plan for a dialectic dissertation , showing you the three parts of the essay as well as things to consider when writing a dialectic dissertation.

4. Progressive Dissertation ( Plan progressif)

The progressive dissertation is slightly less common, but no less useful, than the first form.

The progressive form basically consists of examining an idea via multiple points of view—a sort of deepening of the understanding of the notion, starting with a superficial perspective and ending with a deep and profound analysis.

If the dialectic dissertation is like a scale, weighing pros and cons of an idea, the progressive dissertation is like peeling an onion, uncovering more and more layers as you get to the deeper crux of the idea.

Concretely, this means that you will generally follow this layout:

• A first, elementary exploration of the idea.
• A second, more philosophical exploration of the idea.
• A third, more transcendent exploration of the idea.

This format for the dissertation is more commonly used for essays that are written in response to a philosophical question, for example, “What is a person?” or “What is justice?”

Let’s say the question was, “What is war?” In the first part, you would explore dictionary definitions—a basic idea of war, i.e. an armed conflict between two parties, usually nations. You could give examples that back up this definition, and you could narrow down the definition of the subject as much as needed. For example, you might want to make mention that not all conflicts are wars, or you might want to explore whether the “War on Terror” is a war.

In the second part, you would explore a more philosophical look at the topic, using a definition that you provide. You first explain how you plan to analyze the subject, and then you do so. In French, this is known as  poser une problématique  (establishing a thesis question), and it usually is done by first writing out a question and then exploring it using examples: “Is war a reflection of the base predilection of humans for violence?”

In the third part, you will take a step back and explore this question from a distance, taking the time to construct a natural conclusion and answer for the question.

This form may not be as useful in as many cases as the first type of essay, but it’s a good form to learn, particularly for those interested in philosophy. Here’s an in-depth guide  to writing a progressive dissertation.

As you progress in French and become more and more comfortable with writing, try your hand at each of these types of writing exercises, and even with other forms of the dissertation . You’ll soon be a pro at everything from a synthèse de texte to a dissertation!

FluentU has a wide variety of great content, like interviews, documentary excerpts and web series, as you can see here:

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All throughout, FluentU tracks the vocabulary that you’re learning and uses this information to give you a totally personalized experience. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned.

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All Ways to Introduce Yourself in French

Learning to introduce yourself is the first thing you should learn if you are studying French .

In comparison with American English, French tends to be more formal. Consequently, introductions in French follow a pattern more so than they do in the U.S.

You’ll learn soon that French people above all appreciate good manners.

Introducing yourself

We’ll help you easily meet new people and start every conversation in French.

1. Start with a greeting

The simplest greeting is  Bonjour , which means Hello or Good day , and it pretty much covers most of the speaking situations. For more variations on how to greet in French , you can refer to our post about Greetings in French (formal and informal).

2. Introduce yourself

As in English, the two most common ways to introduce yourself are :

with the verb s’appeler

 Je m’appelle …… prénom

My name is ……name.

or with the verb être

 Je suis …..prénom

I’m . …… name.

Since you are meeting the person for the first time, you should use the formal form.

If somebody asks specifically about your first or last name, you can answer in this manner.

Mon prénom est

My name is …

Mon nom est.

My last name is …

 3. Ask for a person’s name

As we mentioned, the French language is more formal than English, so it’s recommended to be more formal, especially when meeting for the first time. This means using Vous, instead of Tu.

Of course, the Tu form when speaking to children is appropriate at any time.

The following questions are made in both formal and informal ways, or using tu and vous forms.

Comment t’appelles-tu?

What’s your name?  (Informal)

Comment vous appelez-vous?

What’s your name? (Formal)

4.  Nice to meet you part

 Once you heard the name of your interlocutor, it’s time to express your gratitude and appreciation. Common ways to express this are:

Enchanté de faire votre connaissance.

Delighted to make your acquaintance

C’est un plaisir de vous rencontrer.

It’s a pleasure to meet you

 When they have said this to you before, you should respond as follows, the appropriate response is :

Conjugation of French Verb S’appeler

to call, be named

The French word for “to call” is s’appeler . The verb follows the regular pattern for the first group of verbs, such as aimer.   To learn more about First group verbs in French.

S’appeler is the reflexive form of the verb appeler . Reflexive verbs are a unique category of verbs, and it can be a bit tricky to understand them if your native language is English. That’s because reflexive verbs in English aren’t their own unique word, nor do they have a special conjugation pattern.  Instead, you need to refer to other words within the sentence to identify reflexive verbs in English.

Take a look at the example. See how English reflexive pronouns when attached to a verb can transform the verb’s meaning. While in French, the verb itself is reflexive or not.

Je me lave.

l wash myself.

To renew your understanding of the verb s’appeler , watch how Alexa , the French teacher, explains introducing yourself in French.

Introducing somebody else

You can also introduce someone else, such as your spouse, child, or a close friend, in two simple ways:

Je vous présente Lilla, ma femme.

 Let me introduce you my wife, Lilla.

Voici Jean Claude, mon ami.

 My friend, Jean Claude.

Let’s practice

Je m’appelle Pierre.

My name is Pierre.

Je suis Pierre.

l am Pierre.

Il s’appelle Michelle.

His name is Micheal.

Elle s’appelle Maria.

Her name is Maria.

Vous vous appelez Luca. (formal)

Your name is Luca. (formal)

Conquering the famous Je m’appelle

Starting off on the right foot when making acquaintances in French is essential.

In this article, you learned how important formal addressing is, especially when meeting somebody for the first time. Eventually, both parties decide whether to continue formal communication or move to informal communication.

With that, I say goodbye, my friend! You’re ready for your first French conversation. Remember-every Bonjour! Je m’appelle ,  could lead to a life-long friendship.

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Write an essay in French

Beyond the fact that writing an essay in French can be a good practice to improve your writing, you may also be asked to write one during your schooling. So, it is important to study the topic of French essay writing and get some useful tips..

» Tips and tricks for your French essay » The structure of a French essay » Sample French Essay

Tips and tricks for your French essay

When writing a French essay for school, you should always use a structured approach and good French skills to present your arguments in a focused way. Beyond French skills, there are also important formal requirements for a successful French essay. We will come back to this in detail later. First, you will find some useful tips and tricks that will help you write more compelling and better French essays in the future.

• Have a clear thesis and structure
• Do sufficient research and use reliable sources
• Use examples and arguments to support your thesis
• Avoid plagiarism and cite correctly
• Always check structure, grammar and spelling

When you write your essay at school or university, you need to make sure that the general structure of your essay, the presentation of the arguments and, above all, your French language skills play a role in the mark you will get. This is why you should definitely take a closer look at the structure of an essay as well as the most important grammar rules and formulations for French essays.

The structure of a French essay

In an essay, you deal at length and in detail with a usually given topic. When you write an essay in French, you must follow a certain structure. Below we show you what this structure looks like and give you some tips for writing the most important parts of your essay.

The Introduction

The introduction prepares the main body of your essay. You think of a meaningful title for your essay, you describe your thesis or your question, you give general information on the subject and you prepare your argument by giving an overview of your most important arguments.

Below are examples and phrases that you can use to write the introduction to your essay in French.

The title should be meaningful, concise and reflect the content of the essay.

Introductory paragraph

The first paragraph of your French essay should briefly introduce the topic and engage the reader. Here are some examples to help you write your essay:

Proposal or question

The central proposition or question of your French essay should be a clear and concise definition of the purpose of the essay. Use these examples to get a clearer idea of ​​how to write theses in French:

Overview of Arguments and Structure

At the end of your introduction, describe the structure of the main part of your essay (your outline) and outline your argument. Here are some French expressions that will certainly help you write your essay:

The body of your essay

The main part of your French essay deals with the given topic in detail. The subject is studied from all angles. The main body of your essay follows a thread of argument and discusses in detail the main arguments of your thesis previously made in the introduction.

In the body of the text, you should discuss the subject of your essay in clear and concise language. To achieve this, we give you some wording aids as well as vocabulary and phrases that you can use to write your essay in French.

Formulation tools:

French vocabulary for essays.

In the conclusion of your French essay, you address the thesis of your essay, summarize the main points of your discussion in the main body, and draw a conclusion. On the basis of the arguments and the resulting conclusions, you formulate in the conclusion of your dissertation final thoughts and suggestions for the future. It is important that you do not add new information or new arguments. This should only be done in the body of your text.

Here are some wording guides to help you write your essay in French:

Sample French Essay

Les avantages des voyages linguistiques

Malgré les difficultés potentielles, les voyages linguistiques offrent aux apprenants une occasion unique d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, ce qui en fait un investissement précieux pour leur développement personnel et académique.

Les séjours linguistiques sont des voyages organisés dans le but d'améliorer les compétences linguistiques des participants. Ces voyages peuvent se dérouler dans le pays ou à l'étranger et durer d'un week-end à plusieurs semaines. L'un des principaux avantages des séjours linguistiques est l'immersion. Entourés de locuteurs natifs, les apprenants sont contraints de pratiquer et d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques dans des situations réelles.Il s'agit d'une méthode d'apprentissage beaucoup plus efficace que le simple fait d'étudier une langue dans une salle de classe.

Un autre avantage des séjours linguistiques est l'expérience culturelle. Voyager dans un nouveau pays permet aux apprenants de découvrir de nouvelles coutumes, traditions et modes de vie, et de se familiariser avec l'histoire et la culture du pays. Cela enrichit non seulement l'expérience d'apprentissage de la langue, mais contribue également à élargir les horizons et à accroître la sensibilisation culturelle.

Cependant, les séjours linguistiques peuvent également présenter des inconvénients. Par exemple, le coût du voyage et de l'hébergement peut être élevé, en particulier pour les séjours de longue durée. En outre, les apprenants peuvent être confrontés à la barrière de la langue ou à un choc culturel, ce qui peut être difficile à surmonter. Le coût et les difficultés potentielles des séjours linguistiques peuvent sembler décourageants, mais ils offrent des avantages précieux en termes d'épanouissement personnel et scolaire.

Les compétences linguistiques et les connaissances culturelles acquises peuvent déboucher sur de nouvelles opportunités d'emploi et améliorer la communication dans un cadre professionnel. Les bourses et les aides financières rendent les séjours linguistiques plus accessibles. Le fait d'être confronté à une barrière linguistique ou à un choc culturel peut également être l'occasion d'un développement personnel. Ces avantages l'emportent largement sur les inconvénients et font des séjours linguistiques un investissement qui en vaut la peine.

En conclusion, malgré les difficultés potentielles, les séjours linguistiques offrent aux apprenants une occasion unique d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, ce qui en fait un investissement précieux pour le développement personnel et académique. Qu'il s'agisse d'un débutant ou d'un apprenant avancé, un voyage linguistique est une expérience à ne pas manquer.

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Spoken French for The Real Life

How to talk about yourself in French

Talking about yourself in French can be fun if you're hanging out with French speaking friends, students or co-workers.

The situations of life in which you need to present yourself are countless : school, job interviews, professional meetings, administrative stuff, social encounters, dating ...

Introducing yourself in French, that is, saying out your name, age, home country, occupation etc, is not so different than in your native language.

Where things start to differ from culture to culture, is what you actually choose to say about yourself as a French speaker.  And of course the way you choose to say it.

For example, French people often find it unpleasant when a person is talking about him/herself in a self-confident way, which they often consider as bragging.  E.g, talking openly about your qualities or achievements.

In this article, we hear Fred, a French guy, talking about himself, perhaps recording a quick presentation video for a social website.  After hearing the presentation, we comment the spoken French phrases and expressions he's using.

Here's Fred's presentation :

Salut, moi c'est Fred, j'ai 36 ans, je suis de Toulouse, diplômé d'une école de commerce. Je suis commercial chez un concessionnaire auto. Je suis du genre extraverti, sociable, j'adore les contacts. Mon trip à moi, c'est de sortir, m'amuser, mater le foot avec les potes, délirer avec les filles... Je suis quelqu'un de cool, je n'aime pas me prendre la tête.  Je laisse couler ! Je suis célibataire. j'ai été avec quelqu'un pendant deux ans, mais ça n'a pas marché. Je ne supportais plus ses reproches, pourquoi tu fais ci, pourquoi tu fais pas ça ... Sur mon lieu de travail, je vois souvent passer de jolis petits lots... Et sur Facebook aussi. Mon job, c'est pas ma vie.  Je fais mon boulot, je ne cherche pas midi à 14h. Mon chef est du genre chicaneur, alors que moi je suis plutôt zen. Je n'aime pas trop les objectifs, les évaluations, et les patrons prise de tête. Je ne suis pas non plus très fan des clients qui posent des tonnes de questions !

Listen to the audio :

And here's the English version :

Hey, Fred here, 36, from Toulouse, business school graduate. I work as a salesman at a car dealership. I'm the extraverted type, social guy, I love contacts. I get kicks from going out, having fun, watching soccer with my boys, hanging out with the girls... I'm  a mellow person,  don't like to complicate things.  I just let things roll. I'm single.  I was involved with someone for two years, but it didn't work out. Could no longer stand her complaints, why are you doing this, why don't you do that ... In my workplace I see some hot little numbers go by ... And on Facebook as well. My job is not my life.  I do my work, I try not to complicate things too much. My boss is kind of a nitpicker, whereas I'm more of an easy-going person. I'm not crazy about sales quotas, evaluations, and picky managers. Nor am I a big fan of customers who ask tons of questions !

Talking about yourself in French : identity and basic information

Fred starts his talk by introducing himself : his name, his age, his home town, his education.

For his name, he uses the phrase :

"Salut, moi c'est Fred"

This is a colloquial way in French to introduce oneself, a bit like saying "Hey, Fred here !"  When talking about yourself, you would only use " Moi c'est ... " in very informal and relaxed situations, e.g. a friend circle.  Otherwise, you would use a more classic :

"Je m'appelle Fred"  or "Mon nom est Fred"

For his age, he could have gone on using an informal style by omitting "j'ai" :

"Salut, moi c'est Fred, 36 ans ..."  (I'm Fred, 36.)

He says "je suis de Toulouse", I'm from Toulouse.  Other ways he could have said it include :

"Je viens de Toulouse" (I come from Toulouse) or "Je suis toulousain"  (I'm a "Toulousan") https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/3-j-viens-de-toulouse-toulousain.mp3

He then adds :

"diplômé d'une école de commerce"  (I have a degree from a business school)

Note he omits "je suis" this time.  It's worth noting that the French are highly averse to repeating words - word repetition is considered a very bad thing in French.   French speakers always look for alternative words or phrases to avoid repetition, even if that affects the clarity of the sentence.

For example, in a news report in French about the president of the United States, the journalist will say "the President of the United States" once, but will then refer to him as "the tenant of the White House", or other similar contrived phrases .

Here, the offending phrase would be "je suis", which was already used in "je suis de Toulouse".

There are lots of "ecoles de commerce" (business / management schools) all over France, from small, less competitive ones, to top prestigious schools such as H.E.C. and INSEAD.   Business and Engineering are two of the most common degrees college graduates earn.

Fred goes on saying :

"Je suis commercial chez un concessionnaire auto".

When talking about yourself and your occupation in French, you typically use the construct " être + occupation " :

"Je suis entrepreneur" (I'm an entrepreneur) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/5-j-s-entrepreneur.mp3 "Elle est boulangère"  (she's a baker) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/6-elle-est-boulang.mp3 "Il est jardinier"  (he's a gardener) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/7-il-est-jardinier.mp3

Click here for more examples on discussing your occupation at a cocktail party.

Note he uses the phrase "concessionnaire auto" ( car dealership).  Native French speakers love to shorten words in everyday spoken French, here "concessionnaire auto" is short for "concessionnaire automobile".

Click here for more word shortening examples in spoken French.

Talking about yourself in French : your personality and tastes

Referring to himself, he says :

"Je suis du genre extraverti"  (I'm the extraverted kind)

"Etre du genre" is frequently used in spoken French when talking about yourself or someone else, to mean being of a certain type  :

"Je suis du genre poli"  : I'm the polite type https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/8-j-s-du-genre-poli.mp3 "Elle est du genre timide"  : she's a shy kind of girl https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/9-elle-est-du-genre-timide.mp3 "Ils sont du genre stressé"  : they are the stressed out kind https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/10-ils-sont-du-genre-stresse.mp3

We also use " je suis plutôt + adjective "  for a similar meaning :

"Je suis plutôt calme (comme garçon)"  :  I'm more of a quiet boy https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/11-chui-pluto-calme-garcon.mp3 Or, combining the two constructs, you can say : "Il est plutôt du genre nerveux !"  (he's more of the nervous type) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/12-il-est-pluto-genre-nerveux.mp3

The phrase  "j'adore les contacts" is commonly used in French to mean "I love social interactions" - an important aspect of a person's personality, both in the personal or professional realm.

Fred then starts a sentence with :

" mon trip, c'est  ... "

This is a colloquial French phrase to say : the things that I like, the things that make me tick, my thing is.  A phrase you may often employ when talking about yourself :

"Son trip c'est le sport !"  (sports are what makes her tick) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/13-son-trip-c-le-sport.mp3 "C'est quoi ton trip dans la vie ?"   (what's your thing in life ? What do you like ?) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/14-c-koi-ton-trip-vie.mp3 "Moi,  mon trip, c'est la danse"  (danse is my thing) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/15-moi-mon-trip-danse.mp3

Fred is a party guy, likes to go out and have fun :

"Sortir, m'amuser"  (go out, have fun)

Another way to say "sortir" is "faire la fête" (to party) :

"J'adore faire la fête !"

He could have used "s'éclater" instead of "s'amuser" :

"J'aime m'éclater"  (I like to have fun, have a ball)

As he talks about himself and the things he likes to do, he says :

"Mon trip, c'est de mater le foot avec les potes"

The verb " mater " is a very colloquial, even slanguy French word for "to watch".   It's often used in slang to mean "check out", often in the context of checking out girls / guys :

"Il n'arrête pas de mater les filles"  (he keeps checking out the girls)

"Arrête de mater !"  (stop staring !)

In our dialogue, there's no sexual connotation, but using the verb "mater" sounds cooler and more relaxed, a reference to the population that most frequently uses these words, i.e. the "cool and tough" youth population in rough city areas.

French speakers frequently say :

"On va mater un film ?"  (shall we watch a movie ?) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/21-on-va-mater-un-film.mp3 or "on va se mater un film ?" https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/22-on-va-mater-se-mater-film.mp3 "On mate un petit match de tennis" (we're watching a tennis game for a little while) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/23-on-mate-petit-match-tennis.mp3

Fred likes to watch soccer games with his friends :

"avec les potes"

The word " pote " is another colloquial French term for friends, buddies, pals :

"Je vais au restau avec un pote"  (I'm going to the restaurant with a buddy) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/24-j-vais-restau-avec-un-pote.mp3 "Avec des potes on part en Grèce"  (with my buddies we're going to Greece) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/25-ac-des-potes-Grece.mp3

Saying " avec les potes " (vs. "avec mes potes") is like saying "with the boys", or if it's a woman speaking, "with the girls", suggesting your everyday friends.

He also says "délirer avec les filles", which in French literally means talking crazy with the girls, talk nonsense, babble, rave.  The expression " délirer " normally refers to being delirious, but is often used in spoken French to mean hanging out and talking about fun stuff.

So here, "délirer avec les filles" really means "hanging out with the girls".

Other examples :

"On s'est posé et on a déliré pendant deux heures"  (we hung our and talked about fun stuff for 2 hours) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/26-pose-delire-2h.mp3 "On a bien déliré à propos de musique"  (we talked away about music) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/27-on-a-delire-musique.mp3 "On s'est fait un délire toute la soirée"  (we talked about fun stuff all evening) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/28-on-s-fait-delire-soiree.mp3 The phrase "se faire un délire" is often used instead of just "délirer".

Fred then says :

"Je suis quelqu'un de cool"

French speakers often use " je suis quelqu'un (de, qui) " when talking about themselves, referring to themselves in the third person.  For example, you may talk about yourself saying :

"Je suis quelqu'un de très patient"  (I'm a very patient person)

"C'est quelqu'un de très ponctuel"  (she's a very puntual person)

"je suis quelqu'un qui n'aime pas les disputes  (I don't like arguments)

French people are often keen on being modest, and quite averse to what they see as bragging.  So, when talking about yourself, using "je suis quelqu'un de (+ adjective)" will often be perceived as more pleasant than "je suis (+ adjective)", because it's a more indirect way of referring to your own self  : you're NOT the center of the universe !

Click here for more about why you need to be modest in French.

Fred also adds :

"Je n'aime pas me prendre la tête."

In colloquial spoken French, the phrase " se prendre la tête ", possibly a reference to the gesture of holding your head when dealing with a complex issue, is a very colloquial expression for saying : to make simple things more complicated than they are, or to worry about things too much.

So Fred is saying he doesn't like to complicate his life by worrying about things unuyly. In other words, he lets things slide.

" je laisse couler "  (I let things slide, flow, I don't get hung up about anything)

Note that "se prendre la tête avec quelqu'un" means to have an argument, a quarrel, with someone.

Talking about yourself in French : your love life

He then goes on to talk about his love life.  He's currently single, but hasn't always been :

"j'ai été avec quelqu'un pendant deux ans"  (I was with someone for 2 years)

When talking about yourself and your relationship status in French, you typically use " être avec " for being in a relationship :

"Je suis avec une française en ce moment"  (I'm dating / going out with a French woman these days) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/36-j-suis-ac-une-frs-en-ce-momt.mp3 "Je suis avec quelqu'un depuis longtemps"  (I've been in a relationship for a long time) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/37-chui-ac-qq-depuis-lgtps.mp3

Note how "être avec" translates literally to "to be with" in English, which has a similar meaning.  To clearly express the notion of a relationship, you typically add an element of time in the sentence ("depuis longtemps").

Fred doesn't say "depuis deux ans" but " pendant deux ans", because his relationship has already ended - another cue is his use of "j'ai été" (passé composé).

He then adds "mais ça n'a pas marché"  (it didn't work out)

The phrase "ça marche" (and "ça marche pas") is extremely common in everydat colloquial French.  You use " ça marche /   ça a marché " (or negative) to express that something succeeded or failed :

"Ça a marché tes exams ?"  (did your exams work out well ?)  Note the shortened word "exam", normally "examen". https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/38-ca-a-marche-exams.mp3 "Ça marche le boulot ?"  (is your work going well ?) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/39-ca-marche-boulot.mp3 "J'ai posé ma candidature mais ça n'a pas marché"  (I applied but it didn't work out) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/40-candidature-pas-marche.mp3

Note that it's particularly common in French to use "ça n'a pas marché" when referring to a relationship.

In everyday spoken French, you'll also hear the phrase "ça marche" used for "OK", "sure", "deal", or "see ya" :

"On se voit demain ?"  "Ça marche !"  (shall we meet tomorrow ? Sure) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/41-on-se-voit-demain-ca-marche.mp3 "Bon à plus tard !"  "Ça marche !"  (see you later !  See you)

Fred then explains why his relationship ended :

"Je ne supportais plus ses reproches"

The verb " supporter " in French typically means to stand, to bear, to put up with :

"Je dois te supporter toute la journée"  (I have to put up with you all day) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/42-j-dois-te-supporter-tt-journee.mp3 "J'ai du mal à supporter cette situation"  (I have trouble putting up with this situation) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/43-g-du-mal-supporter-situation.mp3 "Je ne la supporte pas !"  (I can't stand her) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/44-je-ne-la-supporte-pas.mp3

Click here to watch a video dialogue and lesson in French about people who can't stand either either (uses the word "supporter")

Fred can't stand his girlfriend's constant complains, accusations : " reproches "

"Tu me fais beaucoup de reproches"  (you blame me for  / blame me for too many things) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/45-tu-me-fais-bcp-reproches.mp3 "Il te reproche de ne pas l'écouter" (he blames you for not listening to him) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/46-il-te-reproche-pas-ecouter.mp3

He gives an illustration of his girlfriend's nagging :

"pourquoi tu fais ci, pourquoi tu fais pas ça ..."  (why do you do this, why don't you do that)

Fred goes on to explains how he meets women as a single guy, including at work :

"Sur mon lieu de travail"

This French phrase is commonly used to refer to the place where you work.  It's typically an office space or a public place such as a restaurant, but it can be something else, for example if you work outdoors.

In Fred's case, he's referring to the car showroom where he works as a sales person.

"Je vois souvent passer de jolis petits lots"

The French phrase " joli petit lot " refers to a pretty girl, an expression that brings up images of a petite, neat-looking and well-dressed woman seeking to purchase a new vehicle.

Stronger French expressions to designate a hot looking girl include :

"une pin-up" (old fashion) "un canon" "une bombe" "une beauté" (a beauty) "un bonnasse" (a hottie, vulgar) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/49-pinup-canon-bombe-beaute-bonnasse.mp3

He uses the phrase " je vois passer ", meaning"I see them walk by".  So while Fred is standing in the showroom waiting for customers to walk in, he watches pretty girls as they look around and check out the cars for sale.

He also checks out pretty girls on social networks.  Judging from his talk,  one may believe Fred is a real lady-killer, seducing women all day both offline and online...

Talking about yourself in French : work life

Fred goes back to his self-description, saying his job is not the center of his life :

"Mon job, c'est pas ma vie."

He could have said alternatively "ma vie c'est, pas mon job".  That is, he has a life outside of work, work is actually not that important.

The French phrase :

"je fais mon boulot" (I do my job)

is often used by public-sector employees (fonctionnaires) or people with low motivation at work.  It's a bit like saying "I do what I have to do, what they pay me for".

This idea is further confirmed by the phrase that follows :

"je ne cherche pas midi à 14 heures"

This French expression literally means "I don't look for noon at 2 oclock", possibly referring to the position of the hands of a clock.  Common English translations of this expression include :

"I don't overthink things" "I don't make a mountain out of a mole hill"

French speakers commonly say, in everyday life :

"Il ne faut pas chercher midi à quatorze heures"

that is, there's no need to look for complicated things, this matter is simpler than it looks.

For example, someone you know is looking upset, and you're wondering if you've said or done something wrong.  You talk to a common friend about it, and he says :

"Elle est juste fatiguée, il ne faut pas chercher midi à 14 heures"   (she's just tired, don't work your brain too much trying to figure out what's wrong)

Talking about his boss, Fred says ".

"mon chef est du genre chicaneur"  (my boss is the nitpicking kind)

In French, the verb "chicaner" means to nibble / quibble :

"On ne va pas chicaner pour quelques centimes !"  (we're not going to quibble over a few cents) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/53-on-va-pas-chicaner-centimes.mp3 Note that in Canadian French (Québec), "chicaner" is used in a different way and means arguing, quarreling.

In contrast to his boss, Fred says he's a mellow kind of guy :

"Je suis plutôt zen"

French speakers use the word "zen" a lot when referring to a relaxed, serene person or situation :

"Elle est très zen"  (she's very calm, serene, collected) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/54-elle-est-tres-zen.mp3 "c'est plutôt zen ici !"  (this place is quite calm, relaxed) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/55-c-pluto-zen-ici.mp3

Fred adds "... alors que moi je suis zen". When talking about yourself in French, you can use the the phrase "alors que moi"  (whereas I ...) to highlight a contrast with someone else :

"Il a les yeux bleus, alors que moi j'ai les yeux marrons"  (he has blue eyes whereas I have brown eyes)

"Je n'aime pas trop les objectifs, les évaluations, ni les patrons prise de tête."

The phrase " je n'aime pas trop " is very frequently used in colloquial French conversation.  We typically mean "I don't like", but in French saying "je n'aime pas" is considered a strong statement which can be unpleasant to the listener.

In general, French speakers use "pas trop" a lot to mitigate their negative statements :

"Je n'aime pas trop les fruits"  (I don't like fruits) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/57-jaime-pas-trop-les-fruits.mp3 "Elle n'a pas trop la forme"  (she's not in good shape) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/58-elle-a-pas-trop-la-forme.mp3 "On ne regarde pas trop la télé" (we don't watch TV) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/59-on-regarde-pas-trop-la-tele.mp3

Of course, there are cases where " pas trop " actually means "not too much", but if you've been around French people for long enough, you probably noticed it's often used as a way to damper negative statements.

In Fred's case, he's clearly saying he does NOT like sales objectives, evals and picky managers.  We can even safely say he actually HATES those things.

Notice the phrase "les patrons prise de tête".  It's a very colloquial French phrase related to the phrase "se prendre la tête", which as we saw earlier, means to make things complicated, to worry a lot about small things.

So " prise de tête " is used as an adjective to refer to someone who "prend la tête", that is someone who is a pain, who creates complication and stress to others (as opposed to self for " se prendre la tête").

"Ce type est vraiment prise de tête !"  (this guy is really a pain) = "il me prend la tête"  (he stresses me out, makes me anxious)

Fred says :

"Je ne suis pas non plus très fan des clients qui posent des tonnes de questions !"

The French phrase " je ne suis pas fan de " (I'm not a fan of) is another way of saying "je n'aime pas trop", which in turn typically means "je n'aime pas" :

"Je ne suis pas fan de la nourriture asiatique"  (I'm not a fan of Asian food) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/61-suis-pas-fan-nourriture-asiat.mp3 "Je ne suis pas très fan de la musique classique"  (I'm not crazy about classical music) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/62-j-suis-pas-tres-fan-musique-classique.mp3

Fred is not a big fan of clients who ask tons of questions.  The colloquial French phrase "des tonnes de" is similar to the English "tons of" :

"Il n'a pas des tonnes de fric"  (he doesn't have tons of money - "fric" is slang) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/63-il-a-pas-des-tonnes-fric.mp3 "Il y a des tonnes de rochers"  (there are tons of rocks) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/64-ya-des-tonnes-de-rochers.mp3 "On n'a pas des tonnes de possibilités"  (we don't have tons of options) https://www.blablafrancais.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/65-tonnes-possibilites.mp3

An alternative phrase you can use for "des tonnes de" is "des tas de" :

"Il y a des tas de gens qui font pareil" (there are tons of people who do the same)

Wrapping up

I hope what you've learned through Fred's self-presentation will be helpful to you the next time you need to talk about yourself in French.

I also hope you are more a professional worker than Fred is ...  But even if you are, ne vous prenez pas trop la tête ! Ne cherchez pas toujours midi à quatorze heures.

If you liked this article, leave me a comment below !  And please share it with your friends using the buttons below the comments.

Until next time !

Click to download the MP3 files for this article (zip)

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One Comment on “How to talk about yourself in French”

Great Article!

Again, there are so many informal, colloquial phrases in it that are just not taught in schools and institutions. For example, “c’est mon trip” was something I’ve heard when among French friends but did not really know what it meant!

Also found it interesting just how much French speakers hate repetition with such a passion!

Comments are closed.

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Lesson 1 of French for beginners: introduce yourself in French

French lesson 1 of communication: introduce yourself in french.

Knowing how to introduce yourself is the first thing you need to learn in French. This will allow you to establish a simple first contact with a French speaker. This lesson will also be useful for the first part (guided conversation) of the DELF A1 speaking test. The video below will teach you how to simply introduce yourself in French. You will be able to greet and express your first name, your age, your nationality, the city where you live, your occupation (your profession):

Introduce yourself in French: example of a dialogue in video

Oral production and interaction activities to introduce yourself in French

Activity 1 : Using this presentation template as inspiration:

Bonjour, Je m’appelle Thomas. J’ai 26 ans. Je suis français. J’habite à Paris. Je suis professeur de français.

Introduce yourself by making a video and post your video in Flemotion's Vimeo group:  https://vimeo.com/groups/flemotion

We will select some videos to make a nice cut that we will post on our Youtube channel.

Activity 2 : With a friend, make a video using the model below and post your video in Flemotion's Vimeo group:  https://vimeo.com/groups/flemotion

Bonjour, Je m’appelle Thomas. Et toi ? Votre interlocuteur répondra : Je m’appelle (son prénom). J’ai 26 ans. Et toi ? Votre interlocuteur répondra : J’ai (son âge) ans. Je suis français. Et toi ? Votre interlocuteur répondra : Je suis (sa nationalité). J’habite à Paris. Et toi ? Votre interlocuteur répondra : J’habite à (sa ville).

Je suis professeur de français. Et toi ? Votre interlocuteur répondra : Je suis (son métier).

Written production activity to introduce yourself in French

Introduce yourself at delf a1.

During the first part (guided conversation) of the DELF A1 speaking test, the examiner will ask you questions to know your first name, your age, your nationality, the city where you live, your occupation. The video below is a very good example of the first part (guided conversation) of DELF A1 speaking test:

Once you have mastered this first French lesson for beginners “introduce yourself in French”, you can move on to the next French communication lesson:

Lesson 2 of French for beginners: introduce someone in French

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How to Introduce Yourself in Formal and Informal French

• By Catherine Rickman
• August 16, 2019

You may have spent your whole life studying French, but sometimes it all comes down to that first point of contact. Nail the introduction, and you’ll have the confidence to sail through the rest of the conversation.

This video from Easy Languages ’s Super Easy French series covers the different ways to introduce yourself either formally or informally in French. Note the difference between “vous” and “toi,” and remember that the formal “vous” would be used for meeting someone in the professional workplace, or someone in a position of authority, while “toi” would be used to address someone in a more casual social environment, or when addressing children or inferiors. Important verbs to know for these introductions are: “habiter” (to live), “venir” (to come), “être” (to be), and “s’appeler” (to call oneself).

Now that the introductions are out of the way, it’s time to get to the fun part — having a real conversation in French .

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How To Introduce Yourself In French – Beginners Guide

In this lesson, we will talk about how to introduce yourself in French (with audio) and have your first-ever French conversation. You’ll learn how to ask someone about their name, age, nationality, and work, let’s get started!

Introduce Yourself In French

Note : you can practice what you’ve learned here, and learn how to pronounce each of the words in our Memrise course here , don’t know how to use the platform or sign up? we’ve got you covered in this easy-to-follow tutorial here .

Related posts:

• Countries and nationalities

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Frenchlanguagebasics 🇫🇷

Learn French the fast and easy way!

10 French basic sentences: Introducing yourself and someone

Introducing yourself and someone is one of the most fundamental and essential things to learn when studying a new language.

In this lesson, we will explore ten basic French sentences to help you introduce yourself and someone else.

• Bonjour, je m’appelle [votre nom]. (Hello, my name is [your name].)

Use this sentence to introduce yourself to someone.

• Je suis [nationalité]. (I am [nationality].)

Use this sentence to share your nationality or cultural background.

• Je viens de [ville / pays]. (I’m from [city / country].)

Use this sentence to share your place of origin or where you’re from.

• Enchanté(e) de vous rencontrer. (Nice to meet you.)

Use this sentence to express pleasure in meeting someone.

• Voici [nom de la personne]. (This is [person’s name].)

Use this sentence to introduce someone else to a third person.

• C’est mon ami(e). (This is my friend.)

Use this sentence to introduce someone as your friend.

• Elle / il est [profession ou occupation]. (She / he is a [profession or occupation].)

Use this sentence to introduce someone’s profession or occupation.

• Nous sommes étudiants. (We are students.)

Use this sentence to introduce yourself and others as students.

• Je parle [langue(s)]. (I speak [language(s)].)

Use this sentence to share your language skills or proficiency.

• Et vous, comment vous appelez-vous ? (And you, what is your name?)

Use this sentence to ask for someone’s name in a polite manner.

In conclusion, these ten basic French sentences for introducing yourself and someone else can help you communicate effectively and confidently with others. Whether you’re meeting someone for the first time, introducing a friend or acquaintance, or simply sharing information about yourself, these sentences will help you navigate your conversations in French. With practice, you will be able to use these sentences effortlessly and communicate effectively in a French-speaking environment.

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How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview (Plus Examples!)

• Share This: Share How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview (Plus Examples!) on Facebook Share How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview (Plus Examples!) on LinkedIn Share How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in an Interview (Plus Examples!) on X

By Stav Ziv

“Tell me about yourself” might seem like an easy win of an  interview question —after all, you know all about yourself! And good thing, too, because it’s often the very first thing an interviewer will ask you to do—whether you’re having a preliminary phone screen, speaking to your prospective boss, or sitting down with the CEO during the final round.”

Read the full article on The Muse: https://www.themuse.com/advice/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question-answer-examples