You are meeting a friend of a friend at a casual gathering, or you have just been introduced to a new classmate. You want to greet them naturally, say who you are, share where you are from, and ask a few simple personal questions without sounding stiff or overly formal. This session gives you a structured way to practise the French phrases you have already seen for informal greetings, self-introductions, and basic personal questions. You will work through three different speaking scenarios, each with a specific conversational pressure: one where you initiate, one where you respond and redirect, and one where you handle a follow-up question that goes slightly deeper than you expected. The goal is not to memorise a script but to build enough flexibility that you can use these phrases in a real exchange without freezing.
Prepare your opening, your anchor facts, and one question
Before you speak, decide on three things. First, choose your greeting. If the setting is casual and the person is roughly your age or a friend of a friend, Salut works well. If you are unsure, Bonjour is always safe and you can shift to Salut once the other person does. Second, prepare two anchor facts about yourself: your name and where you are from. Use the pattern Salut, moi c'est + your name, then Je viens du / de la / de + your place. For masculine countries use du (Je viens du Canada), for feminine countries use de la (Je viens de la France), and for cities use de or d' (Je viens de Montréal, Je viens d'Ottawa). Third, prepare one interest sentence using J'adore + noun or J'aime beaucoup + infinitive. J'adore la randonnée or J'aime beaucoup cuisiner. Having these three pieces ready means you can carry the first thirty seconds of any introduction without searching for words. Rehearse them aloud three times so the rhythm feels natural, not read.
When the other person asks you a personal question you did not plan for
The harder turn in a relationship-building conversation is not the greeting. It is the moment the other person asks you something you did not rehearse: Quel âge avez-vous ? Vous faites quoi dans la vie ? Vous venez d'où exactement ? The instinct is to answer with one word and stop. Instead, use a two-part response: answer the question, then return a question of your own. If someone asks Vous faites quoi dans la vie ?, answer with one short sentence about your work or studies using the source pattern, then add Et vous ? Even a short answer plus Et vous ? keeps the exchange alive. If the question feels too direct, you can soften your own reply without deflecting: answer the question, then add one extra detail about yourself so the other person has something to respond to. The key skill is not perfect grammar. It is staying in the conversation by pairing every answer with a follow-up question or a small additional detail. Practise this by recording yourself answering three personal questions and checking whether each answer ends with a question back or a new piece of information.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Salut !
Hi! / Hey!
sa-LÜ
Ça va ?
How's it going? / You okay?
sa VA
Quoi de neuf ?
What's up? / What's new?
kwa də NÖF
Coucou !
Hey there! / Hi!
ku-KU
Salut, moi c'est Alex.
Hi, I'm Alex.
sah-LOO, mwah say ah-LEKS
Je viens du Canada.
I'm from Canada.
zhuh vyen dew kah-nah-DAH
Je viens de Montréal.
I'm from Montreal.
zhuh vyen duh mon-ray-AL
J'adore la randonnée.
I love hiking.
zhah-DOR lah rahn-doh-NAY
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Salut ! Ça va ?
Hey! How's it going?Ça va bien, merci. Et toi ?
I'm doing well, thanks. And you?Ça va. Quoi de neuf ?
I'm good. What's up?Pas grand-chose. On se voit plus tard ?
Not much. See you later?Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
First meeting at a friend's dinner
You arrive at a small dinner hosted by your friend Nadia. She introduces you to her colleague, who looks about your age and says Salut, ça va ? You are meeting for the first time.
Your task: Greet them back with Salut, give your name using moi c'est, say which city you are from, and share one interest using J'adore or J'aime beaucoup. Then ask them one question about themselves using either Tu viens d'où ? or Tu aimes quoi ?
Responding to a personal question from someone older
You are at a community event and an older neighbour you have just met says Bonjour and then asks Quelle est votre nationalité ? and Où habitez-vous ? You want to answer politely without sounding like you are filling out a form.
Your task: Respond using the polite vous register. State your nationality or origin, say where you live, and then ask them one polite question using either Vous habitez ici depuis longtemps ? or Vous venez d'où ? Keep your tone warm rather than administrative.
Reconnecting with someone you met once before
You run into someone you met briefly at a party two months ago. You remember their name is Camille and that they said they were from Lyon. You are not sure they remember you.
Your task: Open with Salut, and remind them of your name and where you met. Use Quoi de neuf ? to ask what is new, and answer their likely return question with Pas grand-chose or Rien de spécial plus one real update about your week.
Common questions
I keep mixing up du, de la, and de when saying where I am from. How do I stop hesitating?
Group the places you actually talk about into three short lists: masculine countries with du, feminine countries with de la, and cities with de or d'. Rehearse only those specific places aloud until the pattern feels automatic, then add new places one at a time.
What if someone uses Salut with me but I am not sure whether to use it back?
If they used Salut first, matching it is usually fine in a casual setting. If you are still unsure, answer with Bonjour and let them continue with Salut. You can shift to Salut once the conversation clearly feels informal on both sides.
Sources and further reading
- french: greet friends casuallyChecked September 2026
- french: introduce yourself sociallyChecked September 2026
- french: ask basic personal questionsChecked September 2026
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