je m'appelle
The English phrase "I call myself" is translated into French as je m'appelle.
je m'appelle is the standard idiomatic way for a person to introduce themselves by stating their name.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal combination of je (I), me (myself) and appelle (call).
Which one should you use?
You can also use Je suis to say "I am [name]". Je suis is a more direct way of stating your identity.
Did you know?
- French uses the reflexive form m'appelle because it views the act of naming as something the person does to themselves, unlike the English 'my name is' which treats the name as a property.
- The verb used in je m'appelle, appeler, shares its roots with the English word 'appeal'. While they look different now, they both stem from the Latin 'appellare', meaning 'to address or call upon'.
- While je m'appelle is used for people, French uses the phrase ça s'appelle to name an object, literally meaning 'that calls itself'.
Examples in context
- Je me nomme MarieI call myself Marie
- Je me nomme Lucie, enchantée de faire votre connaissance.I call myself Lucie, pleased to meet you.
- Je m'appelle Marie.My name is Marie.
- Je m'appelle Marc.My name is Marc.
- Bonjour, je m'appelle Sophie.Hello, my name is Sophie.
- Je m'appelle Thomas et j'ai vingt ans.My name is Thomas and I am twenty years old.
Example conversation
Two students meeting for the first time at a university.
- GabrielSalut, je m'appelle Gabriel.Hi, my name is Gabriel.
- LéaEnchantée, Gabriel. Moi, je m'appelle Léa.Nice to meet you, Gabriel. I am Léa.
- GabrielTu es nouvelle ici, Léa ?Are you new here, Léa?
- LéaOui, je commence mes cours aujourd'hui.Yes, I am starting my classes today.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, je m'appelle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
