In this workshop you will practice introducing yourself in French using short recorded model lines. You will learn how to give your name in formal and informal ways, respond politely when you meet someone, share your age, and say where you come from. Each native example is a full recorded line you can listen to and repeat. You will do three tasks: a guided exchange, a reply comprehension choice, and a recall task where you play both roles. There is no automatic scoring, so use the answer keys to check yourself honestly.
Giving your name and responding politely
The most common way to give your name is «Je m'appelle Marie.», which means 'My name is Marie.' You can use this in both formal and informal situations. A friendlier, more casual option is «Moi, c'est Sophie.», which means 'Me, I'm Sophie.' This is common among friends and young people. When someone introduces themselves, a polite response is «Enchanté, madame.», which means 'Nice to meet you, ma'am.' If you are female, the written form adds an extra 'e' but the pronunciation stays the same. In a short exchange, one person might say «Bonjour, je m'appelle Claire. Et vous ?», which means 'Hello, my name is Claire. And you?' The other person can reply with «Bonjour, moi, c'est Thomas. Enchanté.», which means 'Hello, I'm Thomas. Nice to meet you.' Notice how the second speaker uses the informal name phrase and then adds the polite response.
Sharing your age and where you are from
To give your age in French, you use the verb 'avoir' (to have), not 'être' (to be). For example, «J'ai vingt ans.» means 'I am twenty years old,' but literally it is 'I have twenty years.' After giving your age, you can ask the other person with 'Et vous ?' which means 'And you?' In a longer exchange, one speaker might say «Enchantée. J'ai vingt-deux ans. Et vous ?», which means 'Nice to meet you. I am twenty-two. And you?' The other person can answer with «J'ai vingt-cinq ans. Je viens de Belgique.», which means 'I am twenty-five. I come from Belgium.' The phrase 'Je viens de' means 'I come from' and is followed by a place. You can use these recorded lines as models and replace only the age number or the place name if you wish, but for this workshop you will practice the exact recorded lines.
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
Moi, c'est Sophie.
Me, I'm Sophie.
mwah, say so-FEE
Enchanté, madame.
Nice to meet you, ma'am.
ahn-shahn-TAY, mah-DAHM
J'ai vingt ans.
I am twenty years old.
zhay van tahn
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Bonjour, je m'appelle Claire. Et vous ?
Hello, my name is Claire. And you?Bonjour, moi, c'est Thomas. Enchanté.
Hello, I'm Thomas. Nice to meet you.Enchantée. J'ai vingt-deux ans. Et vous ?
Nice to meet you. I am twenty-two. And you?J'ai vingt-cinq ans. Je viens de Belgique.
I am twenty-five. I come from Belgium.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: meet and greet
Imagine you are at a language exchange event. You meet a new person. You will play the role of Speaker A first, then Speaker B. Use the recorded lines to guide you.
Your task: Listen to «Bonjour, je m'appelle Claire. Et vous ?» and «Bonjour, moi, c'est Thomas. Enchanté.». Then repeat the exchange aloud, playing both roles. First say the line from «Bonjour, je m'appelle Claire. Et vous ?» as Speaker A. Then respond with the line from «Bonjour, moi, c'est Thomas. Enchanté.» as Speaker B. After that, switch roles: say «Bonjour, moi, c'est Thomas. Enchanté.» first, then «Bonjour, je m'appelle Claire. Et vous ?». Focus on clear pronunciation and polite tone.
Reply comprehension: choose the right response
You will hear a line from a native speaker. Your job is to choose the best reply from two options. This checks if you understand the meaning and the social tone.
Your task: Listen to «Enchantée. J'ai vingt-deux ans. Et vous ?», which means 'Nice to meet you. I am twenty-two. And you?' Now choose the best reply for continuing the recorded exchange: Option A is «J'ai vingt-cinq ans. Je viens de Belgique.», which means 'I am twenty-five. I come from Belgium.' Option B is «Je m'appelle Marie.», which means 'My name is Marie.' Say your choice aloud, then say the full line of your chosen option.
Recall and role-play: introduce yourself fully
Now you will recall the lines from memory and play both roles in a longer introduction. Imagine you are meeting someone new and you want to share your name, age, and where you are from.
Your task: Without looking at the lines, say the following in French: 1) Give your name using the most common phrase. 2) Respond politely when meeting someone. 3) Give your age. 4) Say where you come from. Use the recorded lines as your model. After you finish, listen to «Je m'appelle Marie.», «Enchanté.» from the dialogue, «J'ai vingt ans.», and «J'ai vingt-cinq ans. Je viens de Belgique.» to check your recall. Then switch roles and imagine you are the other person asking 'Et vous ?' after each piece of information.
Common questions
What is the difference between «Je m'appelle Marie.» and «Moi, c'est Sophie.»?
«Je m'appelle Marie.» means 'My name is Marie' and is the most common way to give your name. It works in both formal and informal situations. «Moi, c'est Sophie.» means 'Me, I'm Sophie' and is more casual and friendly. It is common among friends, students, and young people. Use «Je m'appelle Marie.» when you are unsure, and «Moi, c'est Sophie.» with people you know well.
Why does «J'ai vingt ans.» use 'avoir' instead of 'être' for age?
In French, age is expressed with the verb 'avoir' (to have), not 'être' (to be). «J'ai vingt ans.» literally means 'I have twenty years,' but the natural English translation is 'I am twenty years old.' So when you give your age, always use the 'avoir' pattern, as in «J'ai vingt ans.» and «J'ai vingt-cinq ans. Je viens de Belgique.».
Sources and further reading
- french: introducing yourself nameChecked September 2026
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