How to Introduce Yourself
in French

1. Start with the right greeting

Every French introduction begins with a greeting, and getting this right sets the tone immediately. The good news is that French greetings are simple — but they do depend on context.

French	Pronunciation	English	When to use
Bonjour	bon-ZHOOR	Hello / Good morning	Any time, any context — always safe
Bonsoir	bon-SWAHR	Good evening	After around 6pm
Salut	sah-LUE	Hi / Hey	Friends and people your own age — never formal
Enchanté(e)	on-shon-TAY	Pleased to meet you	Said immediately after exchanging names

2. Saying your name

There are two natural ways to give your name in French. Both are completely correct — the choice comes down to register and flow.

French	Pronunciation	English
Je m'appelle [name].	zhuh mah-PEL	My name is [name]. / I call myself [name].
Je suis [name].	zhuh SWEE	I am [name].
Et vous ? / Et toi ?	ay VOO / ay TWAH	And you? (formal / informal)

Je m'appelle is the most common and feels the most natural in conversation. Je suis is a little more direct and is perfectly fine in both formal and casual settings. After giving your name, turn the exchange around immediately with Et vous ? (formal) or Et toi ? (informal) — French people appreciate the reciprocity.

3. Where you're from

After names, the next natural question is almost always about origin — especially once your accent signals that French is not your first language. Here are the phrases you need:

French	Pronunciation	English
D'où venez-vous ?	doo vuh-NAY voo	Where do you come from? (formal)
Tu viens d'où ?	tü vyaN DOO	Where are you from? (informal)
Je viens de [pays/ville].	zhuh vyaN duh	I come from [country/city].
Je suis [nationalité].	zhuh SWEE	I am [nationality].
J'habite à [ville].	zhah-BEET ah	I live in [city].

4. Asking and answering "how are you?"

Ça va ? is one of the most-used phrases in the French language, and understanding its register is important. It is informal — you wouldn't use it to open a meeting with your boss. But between equals, it flows into almost every greeting.

French	Pronunciation	English
Comment allez-vous ?	koh-MON tah-lay VOO	How are you? (formal)
Ça va ?	sah VAH	How's it going? (informal)
Ça va bien, merci.	sah vah byaN, mehr-SEE	I'm well, thank you.
Très bien, et vous ?	treh byaN, ay VOO	Very well, and you?
Pas mal.	pah MAL	Not bad.
Comme ci, comme ça.	kom SEE, kom SAH	So-so.

5. A complete introduction, start to finish

Here is everything above woven into a natural first conversation. Read it through, then try saying your side aloud — replacing the example details with your own.

Notice how the conversation flows naturally from greeting to names to origin to profession — that sequence is instinctive to French speakers. Follow that order and you'll immediately feel more natural, even at beginner level.

6. Common mistakes to avoid

Forgetting to say bonjour first

In France especially, launching straight into a question or request without a greeting first is considered abrupt. Even "Bonjour, parlez-vous anglais ?" is vastly better received than "Do you speak English?" alone.

Confusing tu and vous

French has two words for "you": tu (informal, one person) and vous (formal, or more than one person). As a learner, defaulting to vous is always the safer choice with strangers and anyone older than you. You can switch to tu once the other person invites it — a French speaker will often say On peut se tutoyer ? ("Can we use tu with each other?") when they're ready.

---

7. The fastest way to make this stick

As with all language learning, practice makes perfect. Words and phrases need to be spoken out loud in changing scenarios, which practice your ability to identify the right thing to say, and how to say it.

Clara's conversational French tutoring follows this approach. She will teach you words and phrases through conversation, ensuring you are completely comfortable conversing at your current level before advancing to new material. The talking is the teaching.