I can give my first and last name, ask someone's name with tu and with vous, ask someone to spell a word, and write down what I hear.
Je m'appelle… : who I am and how it's spelled
Je m'appelle… : who I am and how it's spelled
Saying your name, asking someone's name, spelling it out: three steps of any introduction.
Subject pronouns: je, tu, il, elle, nous, vous, ils, elles. Before a vowel je becomes j'. Vous is “you” to several people and the polite “you” to one. English “they” has one form, French has two: if the group has even one man, use ils; elles only for all women. See the table.
The four introduction phrases are in the second table. English says “My name is…”; French says Je m'appelle… After the subject comes a short word, m', t', s', or vous. For now, learn the phrases whole; we'll explain these later.
In writing, three phrases have two l (m'appelle, t'appelles, s'appelle), and the vous form has one (vous appelez). They sound the same.
To ask a name, with a rising voice: Tu t'appelles comment ? or Vous vous appelez comment ? There's also the polite Comment vous appelez-vous ? Learn it whole: its words come in a special order.
To write it down: Ça s'écrit comment ? and the other person spells it out. Note: le prénom is the first name, le nom the last name (English “name” is usually the first name).
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Je appelle Sophie” → Je m'appelle Sophie.
• NOT “Tu appelles comment ?” → Tu t'appelles comment ?
• NOT “Vous appelez comment ?” → Vous vous appelez comment ?
• NOT “Je m'appele Julien” → Je m'appelle Julien.
Subject pronouns
Eight subject pronouns: any verb can go with them.
| Pronoun | Translation | When it's used |
|---|---|---|
| je | I | written j' before a vowel |
| tu | you (informal) | a friend, a classmate, a child |
| il | he | about a man |
| elle | she | about a woman |
| nous | we | me and someone else |
| vous | you (plural or formal) | several people, or formal “you” to one person |
| ils | they | men or a mixed group |
| elles | they | women only |
Four set phrases for introductions
Learn the set phrases whole; why they have m', t', s' comes later.
| Set phrase | Example | When it's used |
|---|---|---|
| Je m'appelle … | Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Camille. | about yourself |
| Tu t'appelles … | Tu t'appelles Nicolas ? | with tu, with a first name |
| Vous vous appelez … | Vous vous appelez Julie Martin ? | with vous, to an adult you don't know |
| Il / Elle s'appelle … | Elle s'appelle Sophie. | about someone else |
Lesson notes
Je m'appelle… : who I am and how it's spelled
Saying your name, asking someone's name, spelling it out: three steps of any introduction.
Subject pronouns: je, tu, il, elle, nous, vous, ils, elles. Before a vowel je becomes j'. Vous is “you” to several people and the polite “you” to one. English “they” has one form, French has two: if the group has even one man, use ils; elles only for all women. See the table.
The four introduction phrases are in the second table. English says “My name is…”; French says Je m'appelle… After the subject comes a short word, m', t', s', or vous. For now, learn the phrases whole; we'll explain these later.
In writing, three phrases have two l (m'appelle, t'appelles, s'appelle), and the vous form has one (vous appelez). They sound the same.
To ask a name, with a rising voice: Tu t'appelles comment ? or Vous vous appelez comment ? There's also the polite Comment vous appelez-vous ? Learn it whole: its words come in a special order.
To write it down: Ça s'écrit comment ? and the other person spells it out. Note: le prénom is the first name, le nom the last name (English “name” is usually the first name).
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Je appelle Sophie” → Je m'appelle Sophie.
• NOT “Tu appelles comment ?” → Tu t'appelles comment ?
• NOT “Vous appelez comment ?” → Vous vous appelez comment ?
• NOT “Je m'appele Julien” → Je m'appelle Julien.