How to introduce yourself in French

One of the most important things to learn in French is how to introduce yourself. By mastering greetings, introductory questions and the different ways to relay basic information about yourself, you'll be able strike up conversations in French and get a grasp of the essentials.

There are a few different ways to introduce yourself in French, as well as different things you can mention depending on who you're talking to and the context of your conversation. Let's take a look at some of the things you can say to make the perfect introduction in French.

French greetings vary depending on the time of day and how formal you want to sound. Here are some common options:

• Bonjour – Hello / Good morning (you can use 'bonjour' in the afternoon too, but not the evening or night)
• Bonsoir – Good evening (used around 6 p.m. )
• Enchanté(e) - A pleasure (best used when meeting someone for the first time in a formal setting)
• Salut – Hi (casual, for friends and peers)

For even more French greetings, check out our blog 'Different ways to greet people in French'.

If you're talking to someone you haven't met before - or if they've forgotten your name - it's a good idea to let them know what to call you. Again, there are a few ways you can say this:

• Je m’appelle [Name] – My name is [Name]
• Moi, c’est [Name] – I’m [Name]. (more casual)
• Mon nom est [name] - My name is [name]

To ask someone what their name is, say:

• Comment tu t’appelles ? - What is your name? (informal)
• Comment vous appelez-vous ? - What is your name? (formal)

It's common - and polite - to ask the person you're speaking to how they are. There are a few different ways of asking this, depending on how formal you want to be.

• Comment ça va ? - How's it going?
• Ça va ? - How's it going? (this is a more informal way of asking the question)
• Comment allez-vous ? - How are you? (formal)
• Comment vas-tu ? How are you? (when talking to someone you know)

If someone asks you how you are, you can reply in the following ways:

• Ça peut aller - it's all right
• Pas mal – Not bad
• Bof, pas terrible - Meh, not great

If the question includes 'Ça va', you can use 'Ça va' in the answer too:

• Ça va bien, merci. Et toi ? – I’m good, thanks. And you?
• Ça va - I'm fine (informal)
• Ça ne va pas très bien – Things aren’t going so well

If you're unsure whether to speak to your interlocutor in formal or informal language, you can always ask 'Est-ce que je peux vous tutoyer ?'

When talking to native French speakers in a French-speaking country, they'll often be curious to know where you're visiting from. You can use either say the name of a country or the adjective to describe where you've come from:

• Je suis algérien(ne) - I am Algerian
• Je viens d’Algérie - I come from Algeria
• Je suis américain(e) - I am American
• Je viens des États-Unis - I come from the United States

Remember when saying you come from somewhere, you must use 'venir' with 'de' (for instance, 'Je viens de Pologne', 'Je viens des Seychelles' etc.).

If you just want to say that you live somewhere, you can use the verbs vivre.

• Je vis en Suisse - I live in Switzerland
• J’habite en Chine - I live in China

When you want to talk about where you live, the preposition you use is contingent on the number, spelling and gender of the country. For instance, we use 'en' when referring to feminine countries or countries beginning with a vowel or soft 'h'. To understand which prepositions you should use when discussing countries, refer to Lesson 09 of The Complete French Course.
If you want to ask where they're from, you can say

• D’où venez-vous? - Where are you from? (formal)
• Tu viens d’où? - Where are you from? (informal)

For a full list of the names of different countries in French, check out our blog 'French names for different countries.'

Telling your interlocutor what you do - whether it's work, study, or something else - reveals a lot about you and is a great way to open up a conversation. Here are a few examples:

• J’enseigne dans une école primaire - I teach at a primary school
• Je suis ingénieur - I am an engineer
• Je suis étudiant à l’université - I'm studying at university

Remember that in French, we don't say 'Je suis un ingénieur'. When describing a profession, we don't use an article.

If you want to wrap up a conversation, you have a few options for what to say:

• Au revoir - Goodbye!
• À plus tard - See you later
• À bientôt - See you soon
• Bonne nuit - Good night
• Bonne journée - Good day (unlike in English, we only use this expression to say goodbye in French)
• Enchanté(e) de t’avoir rencontré- A pleasure to have met you (formal)

Jacques: Bonjour. Je m’appelle Jacques. Et vous ?

Éloise: Bonjour. Moi, c’est Éloise. Comment ça va, Jacques ?

Jacques: Ça va bien, merci Éloise. Est-ce que je peux vous tutoyer ?

Éloise: Oui, bien sûr, tutoyons-nous. Alors, Jacques, tu viens d’où ?

Jacques: Je viens du Canada, du Québec pour être précis.

Éloise: Je vis au Canada aussi, mais je suis belge. J’étudie à l’université de Montréal.

Jacques: Vraiment ? Moi, je suis enseignant.

Éloise: À l’université ?

Jacques: Non, au lycée. Alors, je dois y aller. Au revoir, Éloise !

Éloise: À plus tard, Jacques !