Comment vous appelez-vous? / What’s Your Name?

Asking for and giving names is one of the first things you’ll do when meeting French speakers.

French	IPA	English	Formality
Comment vous appelez-vous?	[kɔ.mɑ̃ vu.za.ple vu]	What is your name?	Formal
Comment tu t’appelles?	[kɔ.mɑ̃ ty ta.pɛl]	What’s your name?	Informal
Je m’appelle…	[ʒə ma.pɛl]	My name is…	Universal
Moi, c’est…	[mwa sɛ]	I’m… (casual)	Informal
Enchanté(e)	[ɑ̃.ʃɑ̃.te]	Nice to meet you	Universal

Asking Someone’s Name

Formal: Comment vous appelez-vous? — use with strangers, older people, in professional
settings.

Informal: Comment tu t’appelles? — use with friends, children, people your age.

Saying Your Name

Je m’appelle [ʒə ma.pɛl] is the most common way (literally “I call myself”):

• Je m’appelle Marie. — My name is Marie.
• Je m’appelle Jean-Pierre. — My name is Jean-Pierre.

Casually with friends: Moi, c’est Sophie. [mwa sɛ sɔ.fi] — I’m Sophie.

After introducing yourself, say Enchanté(e) [ɑ̃.ʃɑ̃.te] — Nice to meet you. Always reciprocate when
someone says it to you.

Gender: Enchanté (masc.) / Enchantée (fem.) — both sound the same.

Asking About Someone Else

French	IPA	English
Il s’appelle…	[il sa.pɛl]	His name is…
Elle s’appelle…	[ɛl sa.pɛl]	Her name is…
C’est qui?	[sɛ ki]	Who is that?

Useful Vocabulary

French	IPA	English
le prénom	[lə pʁe.nɔ̃]	first name
le nom (de famille)	[lə nɔ̃ (də fa.mij)]	last name / surname
Comment ça s’écrit?	[kɔ.mɑ̃ sa se.kʁi]	How do you spell that?

Common Mistakes

❌ Wrong	✓ Correct	Why
Comment tu t’appelles? to a stranger	Comment vous appelez-vous?	Use formal with strangers
Je suis appelle…	Je m’appelle…	Reflexive verb: s’appeler
Not responding to enchanté	Enchanté / Moi de même	Always reciprocate the greeting

Practice Sentences

1. Bonjour, comment vous appelez-vous?
   [bɔ̃.ʒuʁ kɔ.mɑ̃ vu.za.ple vu]
   Hello, what is your name?
2. Je m’appelle Sophie. Et vous?
   [ʒə ma.pɛl sɔ.fi e vu]
   My name is Sophie. And you?
3. Salut! Tu t’appelles comment?
   [sa.ly ty ta.pɛl kɔ.mɑ̃]
   Hi! What’s your name?
4. Moi, c’est Thomas. Et toi?
   [mwa sɛ tɔ.ma e twa]
   I’m Thomas. And you?
5. Je suis Monsieur Dupont. Enchanté.
   [ʒə sɥi mə.sjø dy.pɔ̃ ɑ̃.ʃɑ̃.te]
   I am Mr. Dupont. Nice to meet you.

Exercise: Complete the Introduction

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate expression:

1. Formal question: _______ vous appelez-vous?
2. Informal answer: _______, c’est Julie.
3. Response to meeting: _______, moi de même.
4. Giving your name: Je _______ Martin.
5. Informal question: Tu _______ comment?

Answers

1. Comment [kɔ.mɑ̃] — How (question word)
2. Moi [mwa] — Me (casual intro)
3. Enchanté(e) [ɑ̃.ʃɑ̃.te] — Nice to meet you
4. m’appelle [ma.pɛl] — am called
5. t’appelles [ta.pɛl] — are you called