French Introductions, or Les Présentations

French Introductions, or Les Prà ©sentations When you meet French speakers, you need to know how to introduce yourself and what to say when you are introduced.  French can be a bit tricky when introducing yourself or others depending on whether you know the person to whom you are making the introduction(s) or even if you have had any contact with the person. In French, those circumstances all require different introductions. Basic Introductions French uses the verb  se prà ©senter, not  introduire,  meaning to introduce something into something else, which translates into English as to insert. The most basic introduction in French, then, would be: Je me prà ©sente. Let me introduce myself. Using s’appeler is the common way of introducing yourself in French. Don’t think of it as â€Å"to name oneself† because it will only confuse you. Think of it in the context of introducing your name to someone, and link the French words to that context instead of applying a literal translation, as in: Je m​appelle...   My name is... Use je suis with people who already know your name, such as those  you have already talked to on the phone or by mail but never met in person, as in: Je suis...   I am... If you dont know the person or have never spoken to him on the phone or contacted him by email or  mail, use  je m’appelle,  as noted previously. Introducing by Name There are also distinctions between formal and informal introductions, as well as singular versus plural introductions, as noted in the tables in this and the subsequent section. French Introduction English Translation Mon prà ©nom est My (first) name is Je vous prà ©sente (formal and/or plural) I’d like to introduce Je te prà ©sente (informal) I'd like to introduce Voici This is, Here is Il s'appelle His name is Elle s'appelle Her name is Meeting People In French, when you are meeting people, you have to be careful about using the correct gender, as well as whether the introduction is formal or informal, as in these examples. French Introduction Enlish Translation Comment vous appelez-vous? (formal and/or plural) What is your name? Comment t'appelles-tu? (informal) What is your name? Enchantà ©. (masculine) It's nice to meet you. Enchantà ©e. (feminine) It's nice to meet you. French Names Nicknames - or  un surnom in French - are much less common in this Romance language than in American English, but they are not unheard of. Often, a longer first name will be shortened, such as  Caro  for Caroline or  Flo  for Florence.   French Name English Translation Le prà ©nom first name, given name Le nom last name, family name, surname Le surnom nickname Cheek Kissing and Other Greetings Cheek kissing  is certainly an accepted form of greeting in France, but there are strict  (unwritten) social rules to follow. Cheek kissing is generally OK, for example, but not hugging. So, its important to learn not only the words that go with cheek kissing - such as  bonjour  (hello) - but also the social norms that are expected when greeting someone in this manner. There are also other ways to say  hello  and ask  How are you?  in French.