bonjour, je m'appelle Evie
To say hello, my name is evie in French, use bonjour, je m'appelle Evie.
bonjour, je m'appelle Evie 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 suis Evie. means hi, I am Evie and is the informal choice. Salut is a relaxed way to say hi or hey.
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.
Did you know?
- When introducing yourself in a shop or cafe, failing to lead with bonjour before stating your name can be perceived as a social snub rather than just a direct introduction.
- While 'salut' is a common way to say 'hi', it is also used as a way to say 'bye' among friends, much like 'ciao' in Italian.
- The word je shares the same ancient roots as the Latin word 'ego', which is where the English word 'ego' originates.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, je m'appelle Evie. Enchanté(e) de faire votre connaissance.Hello, my name is Evie. Nice to meet you.
- Salut, je suis Evie. Enchanté(e) de te rencontrer.Hi, I am Evie. Nice to meet you.
- Bonjour, je m'appelle Evie, enchantée.Hello, my name is Evie, nice to meet you.
- Bonjour, je m'appelle Evie et je suis nouvelle ici.Hello, my name is Evie and I am new here.
Example conversation
Two students meet for the first time in class.
- LucasBonjour ! Je m'appelle Lucas.Hello! My name is Lucas.
- ManonBonjour, je m'appelle Evie.Hello, my name is Evie.
- LucasEnchanté de te rencontrer, Evie.Nice to meet you, Evie.
- ManonEnchantée, Lucas !Nice to meet you, Lucas!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonjour, je, CC BY-SA 4.0.
