Enchanté
/ɑ̃.ʃɑ̃.te/
The English phrase 'nice to meet you' can be expressed in French as Enchanté.
Enchanté is a common phrase used in formal situations to mean 'Delighted' or 'Pleased to meet you.' Other ways to express similar sentiments include the formal expression Ravi(e) de faire votre connaissance (Delighted to make your acquaintance) or the formal Heureux/Heureuse de vous rencontrer (Happy to meet you). In informal settings, you can use Content(e) de te rencontrer or Heureux/Heureuse de faire ta connaissance to say you are happy to meet someone.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Enchanté literally means 'enchanted' or 'delighted'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While Enchanté is common in formal situations, using the full phrase Enchanté de faire votre connaissance is a more formal and complete way to say 'nice to meet you.'
How does it change in a sentence?
The spelling of the word changes based on the gender of the speaker: if the person speaking is female, the word is written as Enchantée.
Did you know?
- The word Ravi used in Ravi de faire votre connaissance comes from the same root as 'ravish', originally meaning to be seized by emotion.
- When responding to Enchanté, a French person will often repeat Enchanté back to you rather than saying 'you too'.
- In some traditionalist French circles, using only the single word Enchanté can be seen as slightly too brief or even abrupt for a very formal introduction.
Examples in context
- Je m’appelle Cyril. Enchanté !My name's Cyril. Nice to meet you.This example shows how to introduce yourself and use Enchanté.Tatoeba #374027 by zmoo, translation #1346838 by CN
- Enchanté de te connaître, Ken.Nice to meet you, Ken.This example shows the use of Enchanté when addressing someone by name.Tatoeba #2014131 by Amastan, translation #267038 by CP
- Enchanté de faire votre connaissance.Nice to meet you.This example demonstrates the more formal way to say 'nice to meet you' using Enchanté.Tatoeba #1998088 by Rovo, translation #499617 by Shishir
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are introduced by a mutual friend at a party.
- EmmaBonjour, je m'appelle Emma.Hello, my name is Emma.
- LucasSalut Emma, moi c'est Lucas. Enchanté !Hi Emma, I'm Lucas. Nice to meet you!
- EmmaEnchantée, Lucas !Nice to meet you, Lucas!
- LucasTu habites dans le quartier ?Do you live in the neighborhood?
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry enchanté.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
