il s'appelle
The French phrase for "his name is" is il s'appelle.
This phrase is used to introduce a male person by stating his name.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, il s'appelle translates to "he calls himself".
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use son nom est to say "his name is", but il s'appelle is the much more natural and common way to introduce someone.
Did you know?
- The phrase il s'appelle uses the same verb found in the English word 'appellation', which refers to the act of naming something.
- If you are introducing someone you just met and you forgot their name, you might say il s'appelle… comment déjà?, using déjà to signal a memory lapse.
- While il s'appelle is used for people, French speakers rarely use it for pets unless they are treating the animal as a human member of the family.
Examples in context
- Je crois qu'il s'appelle Tom.I believe his name is Tom.Tatoeba #5899609 by Aiji, translation #2294019 by CK
- Il s'appelle Jean.His name is Jean.
- C'est Pierre.His name is Pierre.
- Il se prénomme Thomas.His name is Thomas.
- Il s'appelle Marc.His name is Marc.
- Est-ce qu'il s'appelle Lucas ?Is his name Lucas?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are at a party and discussing a person nearby.
- LéaTu connais cet homme ?Do you know this man?
- HugoOui, il s'appelle Pierre.Yes, his name is Pierre.
- LéaAh, il est très gentil.Ah, he is very kind.
- HugoOui, Pierre est un ami.Yes, Pierre is a friend.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
