My name is in French: introduce yourself with confidence

My name is in French is je m’appelle, followed by your name [1][2]. This page covers how to say it, how to ask someone else’s name, when to use tu or vous, and a short self-introduction with your age, where you are from and your work. For the greeting that comes first, see hello in French. For more everyday lines, see common French phrases, and to say your sentences out loud, try French speaking practice.

How do you say my name is in French?

You say je m’appelle and then your name: Je m’appelle Sam. The Académie française lists the pronoun use of appeler with the example “Je m’appelle Louis” [1]. Larousse defines the pronominal verb s’appeler as “avoir comme nom”, to have as a name, and translates it as “to be called” [2][4].

So the phrase reads word for word as “I am called Sam”. That is why it feels odd to English speakers, who say “my name is”. The pattern is the same for everyone: il s’appelle, elle s’appelle. Larousse translates “comment s’appelle-t-il ?” as “what’s his name?” [4].

Say bonjour first, then the name: bonjour, je m’appelle Sam. After the name, enchanté is the usual “nice to meet you”. That usage is a general observation, not a dictionary finding.

What is the French of “my name is”? Mon nom est or je m’appelle?

The usual French of “my name is” is je m’appelle. The word-for-word version, mon nom est, is grammatical, and you will see le nom on forms, but in speech it sounds stiff. Treat that as a general observation: none of the official sources we opened rank the two.

You may also hear moi, c’est Sam (casual) or je suis Sam (I am Sam). Both are understood. They are general observations too. If you want one line that works everywhere, use je m’appelle.

Two words help on forms and at the front desk: le prénom (first name) and le nom de famille (last name).

What is your name in French?

To ask “what is your name?” in French, use the same verb: Comment vous appelez-vous ? or Comment tu t’appelles ? The first uses vous, the second tu. Both come from s’appeler, which Larousse defines as “avoir comme nom” [2][4].

The verb changes by person. The Académie’s conjugation table gives: j’appelle, tu appelles, il appelle, nous appelons, vous appelez, ils appellent [5]. Larousse adds a spelling warning: the ll becomes l in nous appelons [2]. Note that in the question, tu t’appelles and vous vous appelez use the reflexive pronoun as well.

Should you use tu or vous when you ask someone’s name?

Use vous with a stranger. The Office québécois de la langue française says that in general you use vous with people you meet for the first time, your superiors and people older than you [3]. It says tu marks closeness and less formal settings, and that young people and family members usually say tu to each other [3].

The Office says it is safer to use vous until the question comes up, because moving from vous to tu marks a relationship changing [3]. Its sample ways to propose it include “On pourrait peut-être se dire tu ?” and “Voulez-vous qu’on se tutoie ?” [3]. Usually the older person, the senior person or the host decides [3].

How do you say myself in French?

“Myself” depends on the sentence. To introduce yourself, French uses a reflexive verb: je me présente (I introduce myself). To stress yourself, use moi-même. Both are general observations. For the plain job of giving your name, je m’appelle is all you need.

How do you introduce yourself in French with age, origin and work?

Add one short sentence at a time. Here is a model self-introduction. These are our own example sentences in everyday French, a general observation rather than a sourced rule:

French says “I have thirty years”, not “I am thirty”: j’ai trente ans. The country adjective changes for gender: canadien or canadienne. Practise these out loud. You can hear enchanté, travailler and le métier (job) on this page, and you can say the whole block in one breath: Bonjour, je m’appelle Sam, j’ai trente ans, je suis canadien, j’habite à Toronto.

Keep it short at first. Two or three sentences are a real introduction.

Common mistakes

• Saying “je suis” for every introduction. It is understood, but je m’appelle is the standard for your name. That is a general observation.
• Using tu with someone you have just met. The Office advises vous until the question is raised [3].
• Translating “my name is” as “mon nom est” in speech. It is grammatical but stiff; none of our sources rank the two.
• Writing “nous appellons”. Larousse warns that the ll becomes l: nous appelons [2].
• Mixing up the reflexive pronoun. It changes with the person: je m’appelle, tu t’appelles, vous vous appelez.
• Relying on a vocabulary page from a blog, including this one. Dictionary entries and Office pages change. Compare each page’s date and edition with the date at the top of this one.

See also: family in French and French names.

Sources