comment s'appellent-ils ?
The English phrase "what are their names?" is translated into French as comment s'appellent-ils ?
This phrase is used to ask for the names of a group of people.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase comment s'appellent-ils ? literally translates to "how call themselves they ?"
Which one should you use?
While comment s'appellent-ils ? uses subject-verb inversion, the informal version comment ils s'appellent ? does not invert the subject and verb.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To ask a question formally, you can use comment s'appellent-ils ?, Quels sont leurs noms? or Pourriez-vous me dire leurs noms? In informal situations, you might say Comment ils s'appellent? or Tu peux me dire leurs noms?
How does it change in a sentence?
If the group being referred to is exclusively female, you must use the feminine form comment s'appellent-elles ? instead of using ils.
Did you know?
- If you are asking about a mixed-gender group, even if there are ninety-nine women and only one man, the French language requires you to use the masculine ils in the phrase comment s'appellent-ils ?
- The verb in s'appellent is actually a reflexive one, meaning the people are not being 'named' by someone else, but are literally 'calling themselves' that name.
- Depending on the choice of words, asking Quels sont leurs noms ? can sound like an inquiry into official records, while comment s'appellent-ils ? is a more natural way to ask who people are.
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are looking at a photo of some new classmates.
- NathanCes garçons sont sympas.These boys are nice.
- EmmaOui, mais comment s'appellent-ils ?Yes, but what are their names?
- NathanJe ne me souviens plus de leurs noms.I don't remember their names anymore.
- EmmaOn demandera à l'enseignant demain.We will ask the teacher tomorrow.
