How to Say Nice to Meet You in French (Enchanté)

Nice to meet you in French is famously enchanté — literally “enchanted,” which sounds far more romantic than the plain English version. It’s the one-word reflex the French reach for the instant they shake a new hand. But there’s a spelling twist that trips up learners (it changes depending on who’s speaking), and a couple of fuller, more formal alternatives worth having ready for a first day at work or a business dinner in Paris.

The main way to say it

Enchanté — pronounced ahn-shahn-TAY.

Here’s the twist: the ending changes to agree with the speaker’s gender.

• A man says enchanté (ends in a clean “-ay” sound).
• A woman says enchantée — spelled with an extra e, but pronounced exactly the same: ahn-shahn-TAY.

So there’s no difference to your ear, only to the pen. If you’re writing it, match your own gender.

Pronunciation notes:

• Both -an- syllables are nasal — ahn-shahn — with the air resonating through the nose, not a hard “an.”
• The ch is a soft “sh,” as in “shoe,” never the hard English “ch.”
• Stress the final syllable: ahn-shahn-TAY.

Fuller, more formal options

Enchanté on its own is warm and universal, but in professional or elegant settings you can expand it:

• Enchanté de faire votre connaissance — “delighted to make your acquaintance.” Polished, formal.
• Ravi de vous rencontrer (ra-VEE duh voo rahn-KOHN-tray) — “delighted to meet you.” A common, slightly formal alternative; a woman writes ravie.
• Content de vous rencontrer — “happy to meet you.” Simpler, friendly.
• Je suis heureux / heureuse de vous rencontrer — “I’m happy to meet you.” Warm and complete.

Note the vous in these: meeting someone new almost always calls for formal vous. Only switch to te rencontrer if you’re clearly among peers your own age in a casual setting.

Hear it in context

A professional first meeting (formal):

— Bonjour, je suis Camille Durand, la nouvelle responsable marketing. — Enchanté, Camille. Ravi de vous rencontrer. Bienvenue dans l’équipe. — Merci beaucoup, enchantée également.

Hello, I’m Camille Durand, the new marketing manager. — Nice to meet you, Camille. Delighted to meet you. Welcome to the team. — Thank you so much, nice to meet you too.

A casual introduction through a friend:

— Léa, je te présente Marco, un ami d’enfance. — Salut Marco, enchantée ! — Enchanté ! Léa m’a beaucoup parlé de toi.

Léa, this is Marco, a childhood friend. — Hi Marco, nice to meet you! — Nice to meet you! Léa’s told me a lot about you.

Common mistakes

• Worrying about the -e out loud. Enchanté and enchantée sound identical. The extra e only matters when you write it — and it agrees with the speaker, not the listener.
• Adding “vous” incorrectly. It’s not enchanté vous or enchanté de vous. Say enchanté alone, or the full enchanté de faire votre connaissance.
• Using tu too fast. Meeting someone new defaults to vous. Jumping straight to tu with an older person or in a work context can feel over-familiar.
• Hardening the nasal vowels. “En-chan-tay” with flat English vowels loses the whole sound. Let ahn-shahn hum through your nose.
• Reserving it only for goodbyes. Unlike English “nice to meet you” (often said when parting), enchanté is said at the start of the introduction, on the handshake.

A Parisian note

The French introduction is a compact ritual: eye contact, a firm-but-not-crushing handshake, and “Enchanté” — all in one beat. Among friends and in social (non-work) settings, the handshake is often replaced by la bise, the cheek kisses, even on a first meeting. Reading which one is expected is a real Parisian skill: colleagues and strangers get a handshake; a friend-of-a-friend at a dinner party often gets la bise. When unsure, extend your hand and let the other person upgrade to la bise if they lean in. And always pair the intro with bonjour first — walking up and launching straight into enchanté skips the opening the French consider non-negotiable.

Related phrases

• How to say how are you in French — the comment allez-vous ? that naturally follows an introduction.
• How to say see you later in French — for closing the conversation you just opened.
• Round out your first-conversation toolkit with our guide to common French phrases.

FAQ

Is it “enchanté” or “enchantée”? Both — the spelling agrees with the speaker’s gender. A man writes enchanté, a woman writes enchantée. They’re pronounced identically (ahn-shahn-TAY), so the difference only shows up in writing.

What does “enchanté” literally mean? “Enchanted” or “charmed.” It’s a short form of an older phrase meaning “delighted to make your acquaintance,” and it’s the standard French way to say “nice to meet you.”

Is “enchanté” formal or casual? It works in both. It’s polite enough for a business meeting and natural enough for a casual introduction. For extra formality, expand it to enchanté de faire votre connaissance.

What can I say instead of “enchanté”? Ravi(e) de vous rencontrer (“delighted to meet you”), content(e) de vous rencontrer (“happy to meet you”), or enchanté de faire votre connaissance are all natural alternatives.

Do I shake hands or do “la bise” when meeting someone? In professional settings, a handshake with enchanté. In casual social settings among friends-of-friends, la bise (cheek kisses) is common, even on a first meeting. When unsure, offer a handshake and follow the other person’s lead.