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Lesson 7 of 10
Meeting people in French
How are you, what is your name, where are you from, I like it: the first five minutes. Play the ten French words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 French phrases in this lesson
- Comment allez-vous ?ko-mahn ta-LAY voo
- How are you?
- Ça va biensah vah bee-AHN
- I'm fine, thanks
- Et vous ?ay VOO
- And you?
- Comment vous appelez-vous ?ko-MAHN voo za-play VOO
- What's your name?
- Je m'appelle...zhuh ma-PEL
- My name is...
- Vous venez d'où ?voo vuh-NAY DOO
- Where are you from?
- Je viens de...zhuh vyan duh
- I'm from...
- Ça me plaîtsah muh PLAY
- I like it
- C'est magnifiquesay man-yee-FEEK
- It's beautiful
- Bienvenuebyan-vuh-NEW
- Welcome
The formal version using vous. Use with strangers, older people, or anyone in a professional context. Always greet with "bonjour" first before asking.
The standard positive response. "Très bien" (very well) is a step up. The French often add "et vous ?" or "et toi ?" to bounce the question back.
Polite. With friends: "et toi ?" (ay TWAH).
"Je viens du Canada".
Literally "it pleases me". "J'aime bien" (zhem BYAN) is the other everyday way.
Where French is spoken
- Facts about Belgium · Map of Belgium
- Facts about Burkina Faso · Map of Burkina Faso
- Facts about Burundi · Map of Burundi
- Facts about Benin · Map of Benin
- Facts about Canada · Map of Canada
- Facts about DR Congo · Map of DR Congo
- Facts about Central African Republic · Map of Central African Republic
- Facts about Republic of Congo · Map of Republic of Congo