“What is your name? in French is: “Comment vous appelez-vous?”. This is the formal way of asking. The informal way is: “Comment t’appelles-tu ?”. This post will explore different ways of asking somebody their name in French as well as how to say, “My name is” (Je m’appelle). Keep reading!
How To Ask, “What Is Your Name?” In French
“Comment vous appelez-vous ?” pronunciation
Before we go any further, let’s learn how to pronounce “Comment vous appelez-vous ?”. This is the fomral form of “What is your name?”. The pronunciation is as follows: koh-moh-vooh-zah-play-vooh? This page on Forvo offers several good audio samples.
The following video shows how to pronounce, “Bonjour (hello), comment vous appelez-vous ?”.
Comment t’appelles-tu ? Pronunciation
Now we’ll look at how to pronounce “Comment t’appelles-tu ?”. This is the informal singular form of “What is your name?”. The pronunciation is: “Koh-moh tah-pehl-tew?”. This page on Forvo gives several good audio samples.
One important note: In addition to “Comment t’appelles-tu ?”, you can also say, “Comment tu t’appelles?”. These two ways of asking are synonymous.
The following video does a great job teaching how to pronounce, “Comment t’appelles-tu ?”.
Other ways to ask somebody their name
In addition to what we’ve just learned, there are a few other ways to ask somebody their name. The “c’est quoi” format below is considered less formal language.
- C’est quoi ton nom ? What’s your name? (informal, singular)
- Quel est ton nom ? What’s your name (informal, singular)
- C’est quoi votre nom ? What’s you name (formal, plural)
- Quel est votre nom ? What’s your name (formal, plural)
How To Say “My Name Is” In French
In French, to say “my name is”, say “Je m’appelle” then add you name. The pronunciation of Je m’appelle is: zhuh mah-pehl. This page on our site covers how to say my name is in French in detail.
Exploring the verb “s’appeler” (to be called)
By now you’ve probably noticed that all of these expressions having to do with “my name is”, etc. all use the verb appeler (to call). In the reflexive form “s’appeler” translates literally to “to be called”. Hence, “Je m’appelle” literally means “I call myself.
The following table examines “s’appeler” with pronunciation and translations.
| S'appeler = to be called | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Je m'appelle | My name is | zhuh mah-pehl |
| Tu t'appelles | You name is (singular, informal) | tew tah-pehl |
| Il/elle/on s'appelle | He/she/one is named | eel/ehl/ohn sah-pehl |
| Nous nous appelons | Our names are | noo noo zah-plohn |
| Vous vous appelez | Your names are (formal, plural) | voo vou zah-play |
| Ils/elles s'appellent | Their names are | eel/ehl sah-pehl |
Here are a few sample sentences using the verb “s’appeler”.
- Je m’appelle Sylvie. My name is Sylvie.
- Tu t’appelles Pierre. Your name is Pierre.
- Il s’appelle Martin. His name is Martin.
- Elle s’appelle Julie. Her nams is Julie.
- Nous nous appelons Marc et Pierre. Our names are Marc and Pierre.
- Vous vous appelez Sylvie et Julie. Your names are Sylvie and Julie.
- Ils s’appellent Martin et Julie. Their names are Martin and Julie.
- Elles s’appellent Sylvie et Julie. Their names are Sylvie and Julie.
Take your French to the next level!
Take your French learning to the next level. In this lesson you can learn how to say, “How are you?” in French. This lesson explores French greetings in detail and this lesson explores ways of saying goodbye.
If you’re looking for a useful and methodically written audio course, we’d strongly suggest FrenchToday’s French Greetings & Politeness course, written by our personal friend, Camille!
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- French for beginners – how to get started
- Most common French verbs
- Most common French words
- Guide to French numbers
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Bonjour! My name is David Issokson. I'm based in Victor, Idaho (near Jackson, Wyoming) and have helped hundreds of students to learn French online since 2013.
