Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| je m'appelle … |
| mon nom est … |
The most common and natural way to identify yourself in almost all social situations, ranging from casual greetings to formal introductions, is to use je m'appelle … In informal settings, you may also use Je suis to mean "I am".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase je m'appelle literally translates to "I call myself".
Which one should you use?
While mon nom est … might look like a direct translation from English, it sounds more formal or like a translation rather than a natural way to introduce yourself. For a more natural approach, use je m'appelle …
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase je m'appelle uses a reflexive verb. Because of this, the pronoun m' (a form of "me") must be used to indicate that the action of calling is being performed on oneself.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use mon nom est because it is a literal translation of "my name is", but this sounds unnatural in spoken French. Use je m'appelle instead.
Did you know?
- The word mon may have been influenced by the Gaulish word mon, suggesting a Celtic linguistic layer beneath the Latin-based French.
- When introduced to someone in a professional setting, French speakers often state their nom and prénom separately to avoid confusion between their family name and given name.
- In very formal French administration, you might be asked Votre nom, s'il vous plaît?, which focuses on the 'name' as a legal label rather than a personal introduction.
Examples in context
- Je m'appelle Monsieur Dupont.My name is Mr. Dupont.
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.
