In this workshop you will practice a short first conversation in French. You will learn how to give your name, ask another person's name, and say where you come from. You will also practice choosing between the informal tu and the polite vous. Each native example comes from a recording, and the English meaning is explained before you use it. You can play both roles in the dialogues, but there is no automatic correction, so use the answer keys to check yourself.
Giving your name and asking for someone's name
The most common way to give your name is «Je m'appelle Marie.», which means "My name is Marie." It works in almost any situation, formal or informal. To ask a friend or someone your age for their name, use «Comment tu t'appelles ?», which means "What is your name?" in an informal way. To ask a stranger, an older person, a teacher, or a group, use «Comment vous vous appelez ?», which means "What is your name?" in a polite or plural way. Notice that the polite form uses vous twice, and the two words are pronounced together. When you answer, you can simply say «Je m'appelle Marie.» with your own name in place of the example name. In a real conversation, people often add et toi? or et vous? to return the question, but keep your first practice simple: give your name, then ask the other person.
Saying where you come from
To say where you come from, use je viens de plus a place. For example, «Je viens du Canada.» means "I come from Canada." The word du is used here with a masculine country name. In conversation, je viens de is the most common way to state origin. You can also hear tu viens d'où? in «Salut ! Moi, c'est Thomas. Tu viens d'où, Claire ?», which means "Hi! Me, I'm Thomas. Where are you from, Claire?" Notice that d'où is used in the question, while de or du appears in the answer. When someone tells you where they are from, you can react with a short comment and then ask about the other person, as in «Je viens de Bordeaux. Et toi, tu viens de Paris ?», which means "I come from Bordeaux. And you, are you from Paris?" You do not need to add new places; use the places in the recordings or your own real place if you prefer.
Choosing between tu and vous
French has two ways to say "you." Use tu with a friend, a classmate, or someone your age. Use vous with a stranger, an older person, a teacher, or a group. In «Comment tu t'appelles ?», the question uses tu, so it is informal. In «Comment vous vous appelez ?», the question uses vous, so it is polite or plural. In the dialogue, «Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Claire. Et toi ?» says "Hello! My name is Claire. And you?" with the informal et toi. Later, «Salut ! Moi, c'est Thomas. Tu viens d'où, Claire ?» answers with "Hi! Me, I'm Thomas. Where are you from, Claire?" also using tu. If you are not sure which one to use, vous is the safer choice with someone you do not know. As the conversation continues, the other person may invite you to use tu, but you do not need to decide that in advance.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
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 ! Je m'appelle Claire. Et toi ?
Hello! My name is Claire. And you?Salut ! Moi, c'est Thomas. Tu viens d'où, Claire ?
Hi! Me, I'm Thomas. Where are you from, Claire?Je viens de Bordeaux. Et toi, tu viens de Paris ?
I come from Bordeaux. And you, are you from Paris?Non, je viens de Montréal, au Canada.
No, I come from Montreal, in Canada.Ah, Montréal ! Tu parles français et anglais ?
Ah, Montreal! Do you speak French and English?Oui, je parle les deux. Et toi ?
Yes, I speak both. And you?Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: give your name and ask
Imagine you meet a new classmate about your age. You will play both roles. First, listen to «Je m'appelle Marie.» and «Comment tu t'appelles ?». «Je m'appelle Marie.» means "My name is Marie." «Comment tu t'appelles ?» means "What is your name?" in an informal way.
Your task: Use the sample name Marie. Ask «Comment tu t'appelles ?», then answer «Je m'appelle Marie.». Switch learner roles and repeat the same two lines. You are practising the informal question and its first-person answer, without adding another reply.
Reply comprehension: choose the correct answer
Thomas asks Claire where she comes from. Claire answers with Bordeaux and then asks whether Thomas comes from Paris. Listen to these two recorded lines in their original order.
Your task: Read «Salut ! Moi, c'est Thomas. Tu viens d'où, Claire ?», then «Je viens de Bordeaux. Et toi, tu viens de Paris ?». In English, say who comes from Bordeaux and who is being asked about Paris. Then read «Non, je viens de Montréal, au Canada.» and identify where Thomas actually comes from.
Recall with correct roles: polite or informal
Listen to «Comment vous vous appelez ?» and «Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Claire. Et toi ?». «Comment vous vous appelez ?» means "What is your name?" in a polite or plural way. «Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Claire. Et toi ?» means "Hello! My name is Claire. And you?" using the informal et toi. Think about who is speaking to whom.
Your task: Imagine two situations. In situation one, you meet a teacher for the first time. In situation two, you meet a friend your age. For each situation, choose the correct question: «Comment tu t'appelles ?» for informal or «Comment vous vous appelez ?» for polite. Say the question out loud, then give a short answer with «Je m'appelle Marie.». Finally, switch roles and answer as the other person.
Common questions
When should I use tu and when should I use vous?
The informal recorded question is «Comment tu t'appelles ?». The polite or plural version is «Comment vous vous appelez ?». Choose the version that fits the relationship and setting; a person's age alone does not determine the choice. Both can be answered with the first-person name pattern.
How do I say where I am from?
Use je viens de plus a place. For example, «Je viens du Canada.» means "I come from Canada." The word du is used with a masculine country name. In a question, you may hear tu viens d'où? as in «Salut ! Moi, c'est Thomas. Tu viens d'où, Claire ?», which means "Hi! Me, I'm Thomas. Where are you from, Claire?" Answer with je viens de or je viens du plus your place.
Sources and further reading
- french: introduce yourselfChecked September 2026
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