Learning French Journal #5 Meeting People

Hi everyone! I've been trying to teach myself French for a while and I thought it would be fun to create some blog posts as I go along to help myself study so I will be doing regular posts on French. In my last post I discussed times. In this post I will be looking at meeting people. Please note this is not a study guide, if I make any mistakes please let me know!

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You

Formal

Use vous (vooh) for strangers, workers, managers and older people.

Informal

Use tu (tew) for friends, animals, children and young people in informal settings.

Note:
Vous is also used as the plural for you in both formal and informal settings.

Referring to men and women in formal settings:

• Monsieur (muh-syuh)- mister/sir, used to address a man
• Madame (mah-dahm)- miss/ma'am, used to address a woman

Saying hello

Formal

Bonjour (bohN-zhoohr)- hello/good day, use it when first greeting someone in the morning or afternoon

Informal

Salut (sah-lew)- hi or bye, used with people you are familiar with and children.

Note:
When you meet someone, rather than a smile, in France you say something like Bonjour, monsieur/madame

Introducing names

• Je m'appelle (zhuh mah-pehl)- My name is/ I call myself or Je suis- (zhuh swee) I am
• Tu t'appelles (tew tah-pehl)- Your name is
• Il/elle/on s'appelle (eel/ehl/ohN sah-pehl- his/her/its name is
• Nous nous appelons (nooh nooh zah-plohN)- our names are
• Vous vous appelez (vooh vooh zah-pley)- your names are
• Ils/elles s'appellent (eel/ehl sah-pehl)- their names are

Asking someone for their name

Formal

Comment vous appelez-vous? (koh-mahN vooh zah-pley-vooh?)- What's your name?/What are your names? Singular/plural

Informal

Comment tu t'appelles? (koh-mahN tew tah-pehl?)/ Comment t'appelles-tu?(koh-mahN tah-pehl-tew?)- What's your name? Singular

Asking about others

• Comment s'appelle?/ (koh-mahN sah-pehl)- What's their/its name? (general when you don't know)
• Et lui, qui est-ce?(ey lwee, kee ehs)- and who is he?
• Et elle, qui est-ce? (ey ehl, kee ehs)- and who is she?

• The answer= C'est (sey)- that is

Introducing people

Formal

Je vous présente (zhuh vooh prey-zahNt)- let me introduce ... to you singular/plural

Informal

Je te présente (zhuh tuh prey-zahNt)- let me introduce ... to you singular
Voici.../voilà (vwah-see.../vwah-lah...)- here is.../ there is...

This will be answered by:
Enchanté (ahN-shahN-tey) from a man- delighted!
Enchantée (ahN-shahN-tey) from a woman- delighted!

Saying goodbye:
Au revoir (ohr-vwahr)- goodbye
Bonsoir (boHn-swahr)- hello/goodbye in the afternoon and evening
Bonne journée (buhhn zhoor-ney)- have a good day
Bonne soirée (buhhn swah-rey)- have a good evening (if that person has plans for the night)
Bonne nuit (buhhn nwee)- sleep well, used when you are going to bed
à bientôt (ah byaN-toh)- see you soon
à tout à l'heure (ah tooh tah luhr)- see you later
à demain (ah duh-maN)- see you tomorrow

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