In this workshop you will practice asking and answering simple personal questions in polite French. You will work with questions about age, nationality, origin, and where someone lives. Each native example comes from a short recording, and you will see its English meaning before you practice it. You can play both roles yourself: first ask the question, then answer it. Speak out loud, repeat each line a few times, and check your answers with the self-checks provided.
Asking About Age and Nationality
Start with two polite questions you can use with someone you address as vous. The first question asks about age. The recording «Quel âge avez-vous ?» means "How old are you?" Notice that the question word matches the noun âge, which is masculine singular. The second question asks about nationality. The recording «Quelle est votre nationalité ?» means "What is your nationality?" Here the question word is feminine because nationalité is feminine. In everyday conversation, some speakers prefer a different question about origin, and you will meet that form in the next section. For now, practice saying both questions slowly, then a little faster. Keep a calm, friendly tone. These are neutral questions, so a smile and a normal voice are enough.
Asking Where Someone Is From and Where They Live
A common spoken way to ask about origin is the recording «Vous venez d'où ?», which means "Where are you from?" It can refer to a city, a region, or a country. The question word sits at the end in this word order, which is very common in speech. To ask where someone lives, use the recording «Où habitez-vous ?», which means "Where do you live?" This is a polite standard question with inversion. When you answer, you can name your city or street. In the short dialogue, one speaker says the line in «Oui, je viens d'arriver. J'habite rue Victor-Hugo.», which means "Yes, I just arrived. I live on rue Victor-Hugo." Later, the same speaker gives an origin in «Je viens du Canada, de Montréal. Et vous, vous habitez ici depuis longtemps ?», which means "I'm from Canada, from Montreal. And you, have you lived here long?" Listen for the place name and the polite question at the end.
Following a Short Exchange
Now look at how these questions work in a short conversation. One speaker opens with the line in «Bonjour ! Vous êtes nouveau dans le quartier ?», which means "Hello! Are you new in the neighborhood?" The other speaker answers with «Oui, je viens d'arriver. J'habite rue Victor-Hugo.». Then the first speaker reacts and asks about origin with «D'accord. Et vous venez d'où ?», which means "Okay. And where are you from?" The answer comes in «Je viens du Canada, de Montréal. Et vous, vous habitez ici depuis longtemps ?». Notice the order: greeting, answer, follow-up question, answer with a return question. When you practice, say each line out loud and pause after each question, as if you were waiting for a reply. This helps you build a natural rhythm. You do not need to add new phrases; use only the lines you have practiced.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Quel âge avez-vous ?
How old are you?
kel ahzh ah-vay VOO
Quelle est votre nationalité ?
What is your nationality?
kel eh votr nah-syoh-nah-lee-TAY
Vous venez d'où ?
Where are you from?
voo vuh-nay DOO
Où habitez-vous ?
Where do you live?
oo ah-bee-tay VOO
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Bonjour ! Vous êtes nouveau dans le quartier ?
Hello! Are you new in the neighborhood?Oui, je viens d'arriver. J'habite rue Victor-Hugo.
Yes, I just arrived. I live on rue Victor-Hugo.D'accord. Et vous venez d'où ?
Okay. And where are you from?Je viens du Canada, de Montréal. Et vous, vous habitez ici depuis longtemps ?
I'm from Canada, from Montreal. And you, have you lived here long?Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided Exchange: Ask and Answer
You will play both roles in a short polite exchange. First you are the person asking, then you are the person answering. Use only the lines you have practiced.
Your task: Step 1: Say the question in «Quel âge avez-vous ?» out loud. Then answer it with the recorded line «Je viens du Canada, de Montréal. Et vous, vous habitez ici depuis longtemps ?» only if it fits the question; otherwise use the recorded line «Oui, je viens d'arriver. J'habite rue Victor-Hugo.» as a model answer for a personal reply. Step 2: Say the question in «Quelle est votre nationalité ?» out loud. Then answer it with the recorded line «Je viens du Canada, de Montréal. Et vous, vous habitez ici depuis longtemps ?». Step 3: Say the question in «Où habitez-vous ?» out loud. Then answer it with the recorded line «Oui, je viens d'arriver. J'habite rue Victor-Hugo.». Repeat the whole sequence twice.
Reply Comprehension: Choose the Right Response
In this task you listen to or read a line and choose the best reply from the options. All options come from the recordings you have practiced.
Your task: Question 1: Someone says the line in «Bonjour ! Vous êtes nouveau dans le quartier ?». Which reply fits best? Option A: the line in «Oui, je viens d'arriver. J'habite rue Victor-Hugo.». Option B: the line in «Quel âge avez-vous ?». Question 2: Someone says the line in «D'accord. Et vous venez d'où ?». Which reply fits best? Option A: the line in «Je viens du Canada, de Montréal. Et vous, vous habitez ici depuis longtemps ?». Option B: the line in «Où habitez-vous ?». Question 3: Someone says the line in «Où habitez-vous ?». Which reply fits best? Option A: the line in «Oui, je viens d'arriver. J'habite rue Victor-Hugo.». Option B: the line in «Quelle est votre nationalité ?». Say your chosen answer out loud, then say the other option out loud and notice why it does not fit.
Recall and Role Swap
Now you will recall the lines from memory and practice both roles in the short dialogue. This task has no audio assessment, so use the self-check to judge your own speaking.
Your task: Step 1: Cover the lines and say the question in «Vous venez d'où ?» from memory. Then say the question in «Où habitez-vous ?» from memory. Step 2: Play both roles in the short exchange. Say the line in «Bonjour ! Vous êtes nouveau dans le quartier ?», then the line in «Oui, je viens d'arriver. J'habite rue Victor-Hugo.», then the line in «D'accord. Et vous venez d'où ?», then the line in «Je viens du Canada, de Montréal. Et vous, vous habitez ici depuis longtemps ?». Step 3: Swap roles and say the exchange again, so you practice both the person asking and the person answering.
Common questions
Can I use these questions with anyone?
These are polite questions that use vous, so they fit many everyday situations with strangers, colleagues, or people you do not know well. The tone is neutral and friendly. When you speak with a close friend, you may hear or use other forms, but for this workshop, practice the polite forms you have seen in the recordings.
How do I know which question word to use?
The question word matches the noun that follows it. In the age question, the noun is masculine singular, so the masculine form is used. In the nationality question, the noun is feminine, so the feminine form is used. When you practice, say the whole question out loud and listen to the ending of the question word. This helps you remember the pattern without thinking about grammar rules.
Sources and further reading
- french: ask basic personal questionsChecked September 2026
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