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?
The single word enchanté is a common way to express this sentiment, but you can use the full phrase Enchanté de faire votre connaissance to be more formal and complete. If you want to say "Delighted to make your acquaintance", you would use Enchanté(e) de faire votre connaissance. For a slightly different formal tone, you might say Je suis ravi(e) de vous rencontrer, which means "I am pleased to meet you". In informal settings, you can say Heureux/Heureuse de te rencontrer for "Happy to meet you" or C'est sympa de faire ta connaissance for "It's nice to meet you".
How does it change in a sentence?
The spelling of the word changes based on the gender of the person speaking. If the person speaking is female, the spelling changes to enchantée to reflect feminine gender agreement.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɑ̃.ʃɑ̃.te/
Did you know?
- The word enchanté shares a root with the English word 'chant'. Both derive from the Latin 'cantus' meaning 'song', suggesting that the original meaning of being enchanted was to be influenced by music.
- The word enchanté also describes a magical place, like une forêt enchantée for 'an enchanted forest'. Using it as a greeting applies the language of folklore and mythology to social etiquette.
- While enchanté is the standard translation for 'nice to meet you', it is technically a passive participle. By saying it, you are literally telling the other person that you have been cast under a spell by the meeting.
Examples in context
- Je m’appelle Cyril. Enchanté !My name's Cyril. Nice to meet you.This sentence shows how to use enchanté as a standalone exclamation during an introduction.Tatoeba #374027 by zmoo, translation #1346838 by CN
- Enchanté de te connaître, Ken.Nice to meet you, Ken.This sentence shows enchanté used within a slightly longer, friendly phrase.Tatoeba #2014131 by Amastan, translation #267038 by CP
- Enchanté de faire votre connaissance.Nice to meet you.This sentence shows the more formal version of the expression.Tatoeba #1998088 by Rovo, translation #499617 by Shishir
- Monsieur Dupont, enchanté de faire votre connaissance.Mr. Dupont, delighted to make your acquaintance.
- Madame Martin, je suis ravi de vous rencontrer.Mrs. Martin, I am pleased to meet you.
- Monsieur Lambert, c'est un plaisir de vous connaître.Mr. Lambert, it is a pleasure to know you.
- Salut Marie, heureux de te rencontrer.Hi Marie, happy to meet you.
- Jeanne, c'est sympa de faire ta connaissance.Jeanne, it's nice to meet you.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are meeting at a mutual friend's party.
- LucasBonjour, je suis Lucas.Hello, I am Lucas.
- ManonBonjour, moi c'est Manon. Enchantée.Hello, I'm Manon. Nice to meet you.
- LucasEnchanté, Manon.Nice to meet you, Manon.
- ManonTu es nouveau ici ?Are you new here?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry enchanté, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
