je m'appelle …
To say my name is in French, use je m'appelle … followed by your name. If unsure, use je m'appelle … Wiktionary also lists mon nom est …
Meaning: a way to identify oneself (phrase)
Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| je m'appelle … |
| mon nom est … |
je m'appelle is the usual way to introduce yourself in French.
What does it mean word for word?
je m'appelle literally means I call myself.
Which one should you use?
mon nom est … is a word for word translation of my name is, but je m'appelle is much more natural and common. For a polite, professional introduction, you can say Permettez-moi de me présenter, je suis before your name.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, some people say Je me nomme instead of Je m'appelle.
How does it change in a sentence?
je m'appelle is built on a reflexive verb, which is why a reflexive pronoun comes before the verb.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often say je suis … with their name. It is grammatically correct but sounds less natural for a standard introduction than je m'appelle.
Did you know?
- In the phrase mon nom est …, the word est is a rare linguistic survivor. It is the only word in modern French (aside from 'Jésus-Christ') that keeps a silent internal 's' to reflect its original Latin form.
- While je m'appelle is standard, using je suis to give your name can sometimes make it sound like you are announcing your professional title or social role rather than your identity.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, je m'appelle Marie.Hello, my name is Marie.
- Salut, je suis Pierre.Hi, I am Pierre.
- Hé, je m'appelle Anne. Mais on m'appelle Annie.Hey, my name is Anne. But they call me Annie.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “my name is” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries est, je, mon, nom, CC BY-SA 4.0.
