French phrases for meeting someone new
Bonsoir, je m'appelle Alex. Enchanté.
“Good evening, my name is Alex. Nice to meet you.”
When: Being introduced to someone
The moment
At an apéro in Lyon, your friend introduces you to their colleague who prefers speaking French.
A1 · Unit 4 · People
The lines
Introducing yourself
"Je m'appelle..." plus "enchanté(e)" is the complete introduction kit.
Bonsoir, je m'appelle Alex. Enchanté.
“Good evening, my name is Alex. Nice to meet you.”
When to use it: Being introduced to someone
What you’ll hear back: Enchantée, moi c'est Claire.
The follow-up question
Ask "vous venez d'où ?" or the friendlier "tu viens d'où ?" (where are you from?) to keep things moving.
Et tu viens d'où ?
“And where are you from?”
When to use it: After exchanging names
What you’ll hear back: De Bordeaux, et toi ?
Words for this scene
| French | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| je m'appelle... | zhuh mah-PELL | my name is... |
Je m'appelle Alex. My name is Alex. Tip: Literally "I call myself". | ||
| enchanté / enchantée | on-shon-TEH | nice to meet you |
Enchanté de faire votre connaissance. Delighted to meet you. Tip: Add the extra -e in writing if you are a woman; sounds the same. | ||
| tu viens d'où ? | tü vyen DOO | where are you from? |
Et toi, tu viens d'où ? And you, where are you from? Tip: Use "vous venez d'où ?" in formal settings. | ||
Your objective
Introduce yourself with your name and where you’re from, then ask them one question about themselves.
- your name
- where you’re from
- a question about them
Lines that get it done
- Je m'appelle Alex. · My name is Alex.
- tu viens d'où ? · where are you from?
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. How do you introduce yourself?
- Je m'appelle Alex
- Je suis appelle Alex
- Mon nom Alex
- Alex je suis nom
Show the answer
Je m'appelle Alex
"Je m'appelle..." is the standard form.
2. "Enchanté" is said when...
- Meeting someone for the first time
- Saying goodbye
- Asking for help
- Apologizing
Show the answer
Meeting someone for the first time
It literally means "delighted" — the French "nice to meet you".
3. The informal "where are you from?" is...
- Tu viens d'où ?
- Où vas-tu ?
- Qui es-tu ?
- Quel âge as-tu ?
Show the answer
Tu viens d'où ?
"Venir de" = to come from; d'où = from where.