What does it mean word for word?
Literally, comment vous appelez-vous ? translates to "how do you call yourself?"
Which one should you use?
While comment vous appelez-vous ? is the standard formal question, you may also use the even more polite Pourriez-vous me dire votre nom, s'il vous plaît?, which means "Could you tell me your name, please?" In contrast, if you are speaking to someone in an informal setting, you would use Comment tu t'appelles?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form comment vous appelez-vous ? is appropriate for use with strangers, superiors or in professional settings where the formal vous is required.
How does it change in a sentence?
This phrase uses inversion to form a question, where the subject pronoun vous is placed after the conjugated verb appelez.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the literal translation of the English phrase, Comment est votre nom?, as this is not used in French.
When do people say it?
When someone asks you this question, the standard way to respond is Je m'appelle [name].
Did you know?
- The formal vous in comment vous appelez-vous ? is a cognate of the Russian word вы ('vy') and the Italian voi, both of which also function as formal pronouns.
- In historical French, the use of vous was not just for strangers but was a mandatory sign of social hierarchy between different classes.
- The verb appeler doubles its 'l' in some forms, such as je m'appelle, but not in others, such as vous vous appelez.
Examples in context
- Excusez-moi, comment vous appelez-vous ?Excuse me, what is your name?
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa meet for the first time at a professional conference.
- GabrielBonjour, comment vous appelez-vous ?Hello, what is your name?
- LéaJe m'appelle Léa. Et vous ?My name is Léa. And you?
- GabrielJe m'appelle Gabriel. Enchanté.My name is Gabriel. Nice to meet you.
- LéaEnchantée, Gabriel.Nice to meet you, Gabriel.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries comment, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
