1.2. ask-answer-return the question
1. Ask someone’s name
Comment tu t’appelles ? | What’s your name? (informal) |
Comment vous appelez-vous ? | What’s your name? (formal) |
Use tu with friends, vous with strangers, professors, or in formal situations.
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How do you say “What’s your name?”
2. Say your name
Je m’appelle… | My name is… |
👉 Example:
Je m’appelle Haoxuan.
How would YOU say your name?
Pause. Say: “Je m’appelle ___.”
3. Ask how someone is
Comment ça va ? | How are you? (very common) |
Ça va ? | How’s it going? (more casual) |
4. Respond
Ça va bien | I’m good |
Ça va | I’m okay / fine |
Comme ci, comme ça | So-so |
5. Keep the conversation going
Et toi ? | And you? (informal) |
Et vous ? | And you? (formal) |
This is key in French — you almost always return the question.
6. Enchanté(e)!
Enchanté(m.) | nice to meet you (masculine) |
Enchantée(f.) | nice to meet you (feminine) |
7. Example mini-conversation
L: Bonjour ! Comment tu t’appelles ?
E: Je m’appelle Emma. Enchantée !
L: Enchanté ! Moi, c’est Lucas. Ça va ?
E: Ça va bien, merci. Et toi ?
L: Ça va !
L: Hello! What’s your name?
E: My name is Emma. Nice to meet you!
L: Nice to meet you! I’m Lucas. How are you?
E: I’m good, thanks. And you?
L: I’m good!
With just these pieces, you can already hold a natural first conversation in French.