mon père s'appelle
The French phrase for 'my father's name is' is mon père s'appelle.
This phrase is used to introduce the name of your father.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, mon père s'appelle translates to 'my father calls himself'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often try to translate 'my father's name is' word-for-word as le nom de mon père est, but mon père s'appelle is the natural idiomatic way to express this in French.
Did you know?
- In France, calling a Catholic priest mon père is a common mark of respect, regardless of whether the speaker is related to him.
- While père comes from Latin, the word mon likely took its current form due to the influence of Gaulish, the language spoken in France before the Roman conquest.
- The reflexive verb s'appeler is used for all people and pets, treating the act of being named as a reflexive action.
Examples in context
- Mon père s'appelle Jean.My father's name is Jean.
- Tu sais comment mon père s'appelle ?Do you know what my father's name is?
- Mon père s'appelle Pierre, et toi ?My father's name is Pierre, and yours?
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are talking about their families at a cafe.
- ChloéMon père s'appelle Marc, comment s'appelle le tien ?My father's name is Marc, what is your father's name?
- LucasMon père s'appelle Thomas.My father's name is Thomas.
- ChloéOh, c'est un joli prénom !Oh, that's a nice name!
- LucasMerci, c'est gentil de ta part.Thanks, that's kind of you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mon, père, CC BY-SA 4.0.
