Learning to meet, greet and introduce yourself to others is an important skill in all languages, including French. By learning a few simple words and sentences, you can begin to introduce yourself in French and create friendships across languages. Also, familiarizing yourself with basic French etiquette will help you avoid the carelessness that can occur on your first encounter.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Basic Introduction
Step 1. Use proper greetings at certain times
"Hi" and "Hello" are examples of greetings. This greeting can be used when you meet someone. There are many greetings in French (as well as in English). Below are some examples of greetings in French that are often used (followed by how to pronounce them):
- Bonjour (Hello / Good Afternoon): Bohn-zhouu. The letter "zh" is pronounced like the "ge" in "deluge." The letters "n" and "r" are quite soft spoken - barely audible.
- Bonus (Good evening): Bohn-swah. In this phrase, the letter "n" is pronounced very softly.
- Bonne nuit (Good night): Bun nwi. The "n" in this phrase is pronounced clearly, not too softly.
- You can use "bonjour" almost any time, so it's a good idea to memorize this word. Other greetings can be used at certain times.
Step 2. If you are talking to a close friend, you can use "salute"
"Salut" is a greeting informal. This word means something like "Hi" or "Hey" in English. This greeting can be used to greet friends, family members, and children, so you certainly wouldn't use it to greet a new boss or a professor - as this would be considered rude.
salute (Hi [informal]): legal-lu. The "lu" in this word is pronounced softly, which is rare in English - like "liu" with a very soft "i" at the beginning of the word. An example of pronouncing this word correctly can be found here.
Step 3. State your name
After greeting, you can introduce yourself to the person you are talking to. There are several ways to introduce yourself (see below). Use informal ways to talk to friends, family members, children, and so on.
- Je m'appelle _ (My name is _): zuh mah-pell (your name)The "zh" in this word is pronounced like the "ge" in "deluge."
- Je suis _ (I _): zhuh swi (your name)
- Moi c'est _ (I _ [informal]): Mwah sei (your name).
- Another informal way to introduce yourself is to say your name right after you exchange greetings. For example, say "Hi. Judy." (if your name is Judy) when you shake hands with other people.
Step 4. Listen to the introduction from the other person, then you can joke around a bit
In English, when you meet someone, you usually close your introduction with "nice to meet you," "nice to meet you," or some other phrase. This expression is also used in French. Use some of the phrases below to show your excitement when you meet other people:
- "Ravis de vous connaitre" (Nice to meet you): Ra-vi deh vu kon-net-trey. The letter "r" is pronounced by lifting the back of the tongue toward the roof of the mouth. As a result, a smoother, breezy sound will be created than the English "r".
- "Ravis de vous rencronter" (Nice to meet you): Ra-vi deh vu ohn-kon-trey. The meaning of this phrase is the same as the previous phrase. Note that the second "r" is not heard.
- Enchanté (Happy): Ohn-shon-tey.
- If the other person utters one of these phrases first, you can respond with "de même (duh meh-mah), which means "you're welcome."
Method 2 of 2: Starting a Conversation
Step 1. State your place of origin
This is often asked when you meet someone for the first time. Since you are not an expert in French, chances are that the person you are talking to will be interested in learning where you come from. Use one of the phrases below:
- J'habite _ (I live in _): Zhah-bit ah (location)
- Je vis _ (I live in _): zhah viz ah (location)
- Je suis de _ (I'm from _): Zhah swi dah (location)
- State the name of the city, state, or country you are from in the dots above. For example, if you are from the United States, you might say, "Je suis des tats-Unis."
Step 2. If required, state your age
This may be a rare question, but if you are meeting an older person, you should know how to say a proper greeting. Use some of the simple phrases below:
- J'ai _ ans (My age is _ years): Zheh (number) ahn. The letter "n" at the end of the phrase is pronounced very softly - barely audible.
- Place your age on the dots above. See our guide to saying numbers in French to help you.
Step 3. Introduce the other person you are with
Introducing the other person is just as important as introducing yourself - especially if the person doesn't speak French. Use some of the phrases below to introduce people you know to people you don't know:
- Je vous presente _ (Introduce, this is_): Zhah vu preh-zon (name and/or title)
- Voici _ (This is _): Vwah-si (name and/or title)
- Once you've mentioned someone's name, you'll want to describe the person's relationship to you. For example, you could say "Voici Emma, ma femme" ("This is Emma, my wife").
Step 4. Ask some basic questions
When the introduction process is complete, the conversation can begin. Below are some sample questions you should prepare - you don't have to speak fluently to show your interest in getting to know someone you've just met.
- Comment vous appelez-vous? (What is your name?): By the way vuz ah-pley-vu?
-
D'où tes-vous ? (Where do you come from?): Du eht-vu?
- Quel est voter profession? (What do you do?): Kell ay vout-rah pro-fess-yon?
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Comment allez-vous? (How are you?): By the way ah-ley-vu?
Tips
- When you're meeting someone for the first time, use a formal word like vous for "you." Don't use informal words like that unless you're talking to your children, friends, or loved ones.
- If you're a girl, add an "e" to the end of "enchanté" to make "enchantée," which is the feminine form.
- Don't be surprised if you get a peck on both cheeks when you meet a French person. This is considered a matter of course. A characteristic feature of French acquaintances is that men shake hands with each other, but men can also kiss women, women kiss each other, and men and women kiss children. On the other hand, hugs are seen as something that is too intimate/intimate.
