You are preparing for real conversations in French: meeting a neighbor, joining a class, or inviting a friend out. This page helps you rehearse aloud immediately, using the greetings, introductions, and invitation phrases from the Yapr lessons. You will practise saying hello, giving your name and origin, suggesting a time, accepting or declining, and handling a follow-up question. The focus is on speaking, not on grammar rules. Each exercise gives you a concrete situation and a next-turn complication so you can build fluency step by step.
Warm up with greetings and introductions
Start by saying each greeting aloud twice: the daytime hello, the evening hello, the informal hi, and the standard goodbye. Then add a short question after each greeting, matching the register. For example, after the daytime hello, ask the formal how-are-you; after the informal hi, ask the casual how-are-you. Next, introduce yourself aloud: say your name, where you come from, and ask the other person's name and origin. Use the polite form with a stranger and the informal form with a peer. Record yourself and check that you kept the same register throughout. This preparation makes the role-plays feel less scripted because you have already spoken the phrases in isolation.
Handling the harder turn: when the other person switches topic or register
In real conversations, the other person may suddenly ask a question you did not prepare, or they may switch from formal to informal. If you lose track, use a repair phrase from the source lesson: ask them to repeat, or say you do not understand. Then take a breath and answer with a short sentence. If they switch to informal, you can mirror that if you are comfortable, or keep the polite form if you prefer. The key is to keep the conversation going rather than freeze. Practise this by having a friend ask an unexpected follow-up after your invitation, such as suggesting a different day or asking who else is coming. Your job is to respond with one clear sentence and then ask a question back.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Bonjour.
Hello. / Good morning. / Good afternoon.
bohn-ZHOOR
Bonsoir.
Good evening.
bohn-SWAHR
Salut !
Hi! / Bye!
sah-LOO
Comment allez-vous ?
How are you? (formal or plural)
koh-mahn tah-lay VOO
Je m'appelle Marie.
My name is Marie.
zhuh mah-PEL mah-REE
Comment tu t'appelles ?
What is your name? (informal)
koh-MAHN tew tah-PEL
Comment vous vous appelez ?
What is your name? (polite or plural)
koh-MAHN voo voo-zah-PLAY
Je viens du Canada.
I come from Canada.
zhuh vyen dew kah-nah-DAH
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Bonjour, comment allez-vous ?
Hello, how are you?Bonjour, je vais bien, merci. Et vous ?
Hello, I'm well, thank you. And you?Ça va bien, merci. Vous êtes ici pour le cours ?
I'm well, thank you. Are you here for the class?Oui, c'est ça. Et vous ?
Yes, that's right. And you?Moi aussi. Bon, je dois y aller. Au revoir !
Me too. Well, I have to go. Goodbye!Au revoir, à bientôt !
Goodbye, see you soon!Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
First day at a language class
You arrive at a community center in Lyon for an evening French class. It is 6:30 PM. A classmate named Camille, who looks about your age, says hello to you. You do not know her.
Your task: Greet her appropriately for the time of day, say your name, and say where you are from. Then ask her name and where she is from. Say everything aloud in French, using the phrases from the greetings and introductions lessons. Keep your register consistent: since you are meeting a peer in a class, you may start with the polite form and see if she switches.
Inviting a neighbor to a picnic
You live in a small apartment building in Bordeaux. Your neighbor, Monsieur Lefèvre, is an older man you greet politely but do not know well. You want to invite him to a neighborhood picnic this Saturday at 3 PM in the park.
Your task: Greet him politely, then invite him to the picnic. Suggest the day, time, and place. Use the formal invitation pattern. If he accepts, confirm the plan and ask if he can bring something to drink. If he declines, respond politely and suggest another day. Say everything aloud.
Declining and rescheduling with a friend
Your friend Thomas invites you to go to the movies this Friday at 8 PM. You are busy because you have to work late. You want to decline politely and suggest another day.
Your task: Respond to Thomas's invitation. Decline politely, give a brief reason, and suggest a different day or time. Use the informal register because Thomas is a close friend. Then ask him if he is free on the new day. Say everything aloud.
Common questions
I keep mixing up the formal and informal forms. How can I practise keeping them consistent?
Pick one role-play scenario and decide in advance whether you are using the formal or informal register. Say all your lines aloud with that choice, then repeat the same scenario using the other register. Record yourself and listen for any accidental switches. The source lessons show that the greeting word sets the register, so start each sentence by choosing your greeting or address form first.
What should I do if I do not understand the other person's follow-up question?
Use a repair phrase from the source lesson, such as asking them to repeat or saying you do not understand. Then ask them to speak more slowly if needed. After they repeat, answer with a short sentence. It is better to ask for clarification than to guess and answer the wrong question. Practise this by having a partner mumble a follow-up so you can rehearse asking for repetition.
Sources and further reading
- french: hello and goodbyeChecked September 2026
- french: introduce yourselfChecked September 2026
- french: make plansChecked September 2026
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