bonjour, je m'appelle Emma
To say hello, my name is emma in French, use bonjour, je m'appelle Emma.
bonjour, je m'appelle Emma is the standard way to greet someone and introduce yourself. Bonjour is the everyday word for hello and suits both formal and informal situations, and je m'appelle is how French speakers say my name is.
What does it mean word for word?
bonjour means hello. je m'appelle literally means I call myself and is used to say my name is.
Which one should you use?
Salut, je m'appelle Emma. is an informal version for peers or children. In very informal settings, Coucou is a friendly way to say hello. Salut, moi c'est Emma. Ravi(e) de te rencontrer. is a casual introduction that adds nice to meet you.
How does it change in a sentence?
je m'appelle comes from a reflexive verb meaning to be called. The pronoun m' is the shortened form of me, used before a vowel sound.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often translate my name is word for word as mon nom est Emma. je m'appelle is the much more natural way to introduce yourself.
Did you know?
- While bonjour is the standard hello, the informal salut is a linguistic curiosity because it is used for both arriving and leaving, functioning as both 'hi' and 'bye'.
- Using the greeting coucou to say hello is quite playful, as it shares its name with the cuckoo bird.
- While bonjour is the standard greeting, using it after sunset is often considered a mistake. In the evening, French speakers switch to bonsoir, meaning 'good evening'.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, je m'appelle Emma, et vous ?Hello, my name is Emma, and you?
- Pardon, bonjour, je m'appelle Emma.Excuse me, hello, my name is Emma.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa meet for the first time at a party.
- GabrielBonjour, je m'appelle Gabriel.Hello, my name is Gabriel.
- LéaBonjour, je m'appelle Emma.Hello, my name is Emma.
- GabrielEnchanté de vous rencontrer, Emma.Nice to meet you, Emma.
- LéaMerci, enchantée aussi !Thank you, nice to meet you too!
