Introduce yourself in French
Learn to introduce yourself in French with je m'appelle, je viens de, and je suis, then ask Tu t'appelles comment? and Tu viens d'où? Includes pronunciation and regional notes.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In this lesson you will learn a small set of French sentences that let you handle a first conversation: giving your name, saying which country or city you come from, and asking the same questions back. The key reusable pattern is Je + verb + information, and its question partner Tu + verb + information? You will also learn the difference between je viens de (I come from) and je suis de (I am from), and how to use the polite vous form with someone you do not know well.
By the end, you can…
- say my name in French using je m'appelle and give it in a short answer.
- say where I am from with je viens de or je suis de plus a country or city.
- ask another person's name and origin with tu or vous.
- recognize when to use tu and when to use vous in a first conversation.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Je m'appelle Marie.
My name is Marie.
zhuh mah-PEL mah-REE
The standard, neutral way to give your name. Literally 'I call myself Marie.' Use it in almost any situation, formal or informal.
Comment tu t'appelles ?
What is your name? (informal)
koh-MAHN tew tah-PEL
Informal question to a friend, a classmate, or someone your age. In casual speech many speakers drop the ne in negative sentences, but this question has no ne.
Comment vous vous appelez ?
What is your name? (polite or plural)
koh-MAHN voo voo-zah-PLAY
Use with a stranger, an older person, a teacher, or a group. The second vous is the reflexive pronoun; the two words are pronounced together as voo-zah-play.
Je viens du Canada.
I come from Canada.
zhuh vyen dew kah-nah-DAH
Use du with a masculine country name. Je viens de is the most common way to state origin in conversation.
Je suis de Lyon.
I am from Lyon.
zhuh swee duh lee-YON
Use de with a city. Je suis de is slightly more static than je viens de, but both are correct and common.
Tu viens d'où ?
Where are you from? (informal)
tew vyen DOO
Informal question. D'où is pronounced like 'doo'. The polite version is Vous venez d'où ?
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern Je + verb + detail lets you build many first-meeting sentences: Je m'appelle Paul. Je viens de Belgique. Je suis étudiant. To ask the same thing, change Je to Tu or Vous and use a rising voice: Tu t'appelles comment ? Tu viens d'où ? Vous vous appelez comment ? Notice that French often keeps normal word order in questions and simply adds a question phrase at the end or uses rising intonation.
When to use it
Use tu with friends, family, classmates, children, and people who have invited you to use tu. Use vous with strangers, shopkeepers, officials, older people, and anyone you want to show respect to. If you are unsure, start with vous; the other person may say on peut se tutoyer, which means 'we can use tu with each other.' For origin, je viens de is safe in most conversations: Je viens des États-Unis, Je viens d'Italie, Je viens de Tokyo.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Claire. Et toi ?
Hello! My name is Claire. And you?bohn-ZHOOR zhuh mah-PEL KLAIR ay TWAHSalut ! Moi, c'est Thomas. Tu viens d'où, Claire ?
Hi! Me, I'm Thomas. Where are you from, Claire?sah-LEW mwah say toh-MAH tew vyen DOO KLAIRJe viens de Bordeaux. Et toi, tu viens de Paris ?
I come from Bordeaux. And you, are you from Paris?zhuh vyen duh bor-DOH ay TWAH tew vyen duh pah-REENon, je viens de Montréal, au Canada.
No, I come from Montreal, in Canada.nohn zhuh vyen duh mon-ray-AL oh kah-nah-DAHAh, Montréal ! Tu parles français et anglais ?
Ah, Montreal! Do you speak French and English?ah mon-ray-AL tew parl frahn-SEH ay ahn-GLEHOui, je parle les deux. Et toi ?
Yes, I speak both. And you?wee zhuh parl lay DUH ay TWAHA little context goes a long way
In France, Belgium, and Switzerland, tu is common among young people and colleagues of similar age, but vous remains normal with strangers and in service situations. In Quebec, tu is also very common in informal settings, and vous is used for politeness or with more than one person. Greetings matter: bonjour is standard before noon and can be used all day in many contexts, while salut is informal and works with people you already know.
One thing to watch for
Saying Je suis Canada or Je suis de le Canada.
Try this instead: Use je viens du Canada for a masculine country, je viens de France for a feminine country, and je suis de Lyon for a city. De + le contracts to du, and de + les contracts to des: Je viens des États-Unis.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'My name is Sophie' in French?
Show a sample answer
Je m'appelle Sophie.
Je m'appelle is the standard phrase for giving your name. Moi, c'est Sophie is also correct in informal conversation.
2A new adult neighbor says Bonjour. Should you ask Comment tu t'appelles ? or Comment vous vous appelez ?
Show a sample answer
Comment vous vous appelez ?
With an adult you do not know well, vous is the safer polite choice. If the neighbor suggests tutoiement, you can switch to tu.
3How do you say 'I come from Japan'?
Show a sample answer
Je viens du Japon.
Japon is masculine, so de + le becomes du. Je suis du Japon is also possible, though je viens du Japon is more common for origin.
Learn Je m'appelle + name, Je viens de + place, and their question forms Tu t'appelles comment ? and Tu viens d'où ? Start with vous if you are unsure, and switch to tu when the other person invites you to.
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