How to Introduce Yourself in French: Phrases, Examples, Dialogues

To introduce yourself in French, say Je m’appelle… (zhuh mah-PEHL — “My name is…”) followed by your name, or simply Je suis… (zhuh SWEE — “I am…”). Add Enchanté (ah(n)-shah(n)-TAY — “Nice to meet you”) — or Enchantée if you’re a woman — and you’ve completed a perfectly correct French introduction.

That’s the two-second version. The full version — the one that carries you through a dinner party, a hotel check-in, or a first conversation with a Parisian — needs about fifteen phrases and one crucial decision: formal or casual. Let’s build it properly.

The three ways to say your name

French	Pronunciation	Literally	When to use
Je m’appelle Marie	zhuh mah-pehl mah-REE	”I call myself Marie”	The universal default — works everywhere
Je suis Marie	zhuh swee mah-REE	”I am Marie”	Neutral, slightly quicker
Moi c’est Marie	mwah say mah-REE	”Me, it’s Marie”	Casual — parties, peers, very Parisian

Je m’appelle is the form every textbook teaches, and rightly so: it’s never wrong. But listen to actual Parisians at a soirée and you’ll mostly hear moi c’est — someone says “Moi c’est Léa,” you answer “Moi c’est Tom.” It’s warm, symmetrical, and instantly casual.

To ask the question back:

• Comment vous appelez-vous ? (koh-mah(n) voo zah-play VOO) — formal
• Comment tu t’appelles ? (koh-mah(n) tew tah-PEHL) — casual
• Et vous ? / Et toi ? (ay VOO / ay TWAH) — “And you?” — the effortless way to return any question

Teacher’s tip: Enchanté(e) covers “nice to meet you” in every register. The extra -e is purely written — enchanté and enchantée sound identical, so speak freely and only worry about the spelling in texts.

The full self-introduction toolkit

After your name, French small talk follows a predictable script: where you’re from, what you do, and — for learners — the inevitable conversation about your French. Here’s each block.

Where you’re from

French	Pronunciation	English
Je viens des États-Unis	zhuh vyeh(n) day zay-tah-zew-NEE	I come from the United States
Je suis américain(e)	zhuh swee zah-may-ree-KEH(N)	I’m American
Je suis anglais(e) / canadien(ne)	zhuh swee zah(n)-GLEH / kah-nah-DYEH(N)	I’m English / Canadian
J’habite à Paris	zhah-beet ah pah-REE	I live in Paris
Je suis de passage	zhuh swee duh pah-SAHZH	I’m just visiting

Note the feminine forms: a woman says américaine (ah-may-ree-KEHN — the final n is pronounced), anglaise (ah(n)-GLEHZ), canadienne. This is that silent-final-consonant rule doing its gender-marking work — the mechanics are in my guide to French pronunciation.

What you do

French	Pronunciation	English
Je travaille dans…	zhuh trah-VY dah(n)	I work in… (a field)
Je suis ingénieur / prof / étudiant(e)	zhuh swee…	I’m an engineer / teacher / student
Qu’est-ce que vous faites dans la vie ?	kess-kuh voo FEHT dah(n) lah VEE	What do you do for a living? (formal)
Tu fais quoi dans la vie ?	tew feh KWAH dah(n) lah VEE	What do you do? (casual)

A lovely quirk: French drops the article before professions. It’s je suis médecin — “I am doctor,” not “I am a doctor.” Saying je suis un médecin marks you as a learner immediately, so enjoy the shortcut.

Talking about your French

These four lines are your survival kit — they buy you patience, slower speech, and goodwill in every conversation:

• J’apprends le français (zhah-PRAH(N) luh frah(n)-SEH) — I’m learning French
• Je parle un peu français (zhuh parl uh(n) puh frah(n)-SEH) — I speak a little French
• Vous pouvez parler plus lentement ? (voo poo-vay par-lay plew lah(n)-tuh-MAH(N)) — Can you speak more slowly?
• Comment dit-on… en français ? (koh-mah(n) dee-TOH(N)… ah(n) frah(n)-SEH) — How do you say… in French?

More of these conversation-rescue lines live in my list of the 100 most common French phrases.

Formal introduction: the complete dialogue

Picture a professional context — a meeting, a language exchange with someone older, checking in with a host. Everything runs on vous.

— Bonjour, je me présente : je m’appelle Sarah Miller. (bohn-ZHOOR, zhuh muh pray-ZAH(N)T : zhuh mah-pehl…) “Hello, let me introduce myself: my name is Sarah Miller.”

— Enchanté, madame. Moi, c’est Laurent Dubois. Vous êtes américaine ? “Nice to meet you. I’m Laurent Dubois. Are you American?”

— Oui, je viens de Chicago, mais j’habite à Paris depuis deux mois. Et vous, vous êtes d’ici ? “Yes, I’m from Chicago, but I’ve lived in Paris for two months. And you, are you from here?”

— Oui, parisien depuis toujours. Qu’est-ce que vous faites dans la vie ? “Yes, Parisian all my life. What do you do?”

— Je travaille dans le marketing. Et j’apprends le français — soyez indulgent ! (swah-yay zeh(n)-dewl-ZHAH(N)) “I work in marketing. And I’m learning French — be kind!”

That last line — soyez indulgent — always gets a laugh, and a French person who laughs with you will slow down for you.

Note je me présente (zhuh muh pray-ZAH(N)T), “allow me to introduce myself”: a polished opener for professional settings, emails, and any moment you’re introducing yourself unprompted.

Casual introduction: the party version

Same information, completely different music. Everything runs on tu, sentences shrink, and moi c’est replaces je m’appelle.

— Salut ! Moi c’est Tom. (sah-LU ! mwah say TOM) “Hi! I’m Tom.”

— Salut Tom, moi c’est Chloé. Ça va ? “Hi Tom, I’m Chloé. How’s it going?”

— Ça va ! T’es d’où ? (sah VAH ! tay DOO) “Good! Where are you from?”

— De Lyon, mais j’habite ici maintenant. Et toi, t’es américain ? “From Lyon, but I live here now. And you, are you American?”

— Ouais, de New York. Je suis là pour six mois. (WEH, duh noo-YORK) “Yeah, from New York. I’m here for six months.”

— Trop bien ! Tu parles super bien français ! “Cool! Your French is really good!”

Two very Parisian details hiding in there: t’es (TAY) is the spoken contraction of tu es — nobody at a party says “tu es d’où ?” — and ouais (WEH) is the universal casual “yeah.” You don’t have to produce these yet, but you absolutely need to recognize them.

Teacher’s tip: if you’ve just been introduced by a friend, you can skip names entirely and open with “Salut, ça va ?” The name exchange happens later, if at all — very French.

The follow-up questions to expect

Introductions are a two-way script, and freezing on the reply is the classic beginner failure. After you introduce yourself, expect some mix of:

• Vous venez d’où ? / Tu viens d’où ? — Where are you from?
• Vous êtes en France pour longtemps ? — Are you in France for long?
• Ça vous plaît, Paris ? (sah voo PLEH) — Do you like Paris? (The only correct answer is an enthusiastic “J’adore !” — zhah-DOR)
• Pourquoi vous apprenez le français ? — Why are you learning French?

Prepare a one-sentence answer to each and your first conversations stop being scary. Notice how much of this runs on just two verbs — être (to be) and venir (to come); if you want the grammar underneath, start with my guide to the 25 most common French verbs.

And it all starts with getting the hello right — which bonjour or salut to open with is its own little system, covered in French greetings: bonjour, salut, coucou.

FAQ

What’s the difference between “je m’appelle” and “je suis”?

Both introduce your name and both are correct. Je m’appelle (literally “I call myself”) is the standard, slightly fuller form; je suis is quicker and equally natural. The truly casual option is moi c’est + name, which is what young Parisians actually say at parties. With je suis you can also attach nationality or profession: je suis canadienne, je suis prof.

Do I say enchanté or enchantée?

They’re pronounced identically (ah(n)-shah(n)-TAY), so in speech it makes no difference. In writing, a man uses enchanté and a woman enchantée — the extra -e is the feminine agreement. Some French people find the word slightly old-fashioned; a warm “Bonjour !” with a smile, or “Ravi(e) de vous rencontrer” (delighted to meet you) in formal settings, works just as well.

Should I introduce myself with tu or vous?

Default to vous with strangers, anyone older, and all professional contexts — it’s never rude. Switch to tu at parties among peers, with children, or when invited (“On se tutoie ?” — “Shall we use tu?”). A good shortcut: if the other person opens with salut, you’re in tu territory; if they open with bonjour plus vous, follow their lead.

How do I say “Nice to meet you” without using enchanté?

The main alternatives are Ravi de vous rencontrer (rah-VEE duh voo rah(n)-koh(n)-TRAY — “delighted to meet you”; ravie for a woman) in formal settings, and the very casual “Ça fait plaisir” (“it’s a pleasure”) among peers. In relaxed situations, French people often skip the phrase entirely — the exchange of names with a smile does the job.

Why do French people drop the article before jobs?

It’s simply how the grammar works: professions after être behave like adjectives, so it’s je suis médecin, elle est avocate — no un/une. English speakers instinctively add the article (“I am a doctor”), which French listeners understand perfectly but immediately recognize as a learner’s reflex. Dropping it is a free, instant upgrade to your French.