How to Say “What Is Your Name?” in French

By •
comment vous appelez-vous ?
In French, the phrase "what is your name?" can be expressed as comment vous appelez-vous ?
The phrase is used to ask a person for their name. It relies on the verb s'appeler, which means "to call oneself" or "to be named".

What does it mean word for word?

Literally, comment vous appelez-vous ? translates to "how do you call yourself?" The word comment means "how".

Which one should you use?

Comment vous appelez-vous ? is the standard polite version. In contrast, you should use comment tu t'appelles ? or comment t'appelles-tu ? when speaking to a child, a peer or someone you know well.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

Comment vous appelez-vous ? is the formal way to ask for someone's name. The use of the pronoun vous makes this the standard polite or formal way to address someone.

How does it change in a sentence?

The phrase comment vous appelez-vous ? uses inversion to form a question, meaning the subject pronoun vous is placed after the verb appelez.

What mistakes should you avoid?

Avoid translating the English "What is your name?" literally as Comment est votre nom ? This phrase is not used in French.

When do people say it?

The standard way to respond to this question is by using the reflexive verb s'appeler in the first person: Je m'appelle [Name].

Did you know?

  • The word vous shares an ancient root with the Russian word вы, which is used for both 'you' (plural) and the formal 'you'.
  • In some traditional or high-society French contexts, using vous is not just about politeness but about maintaining a strict social distance between the speakers.

Examples in context

  • Excusez-moi, comment vous appelez-vous ?
    Excuse me, what is your name?
  • Monsieur, comment vous appelez-vous ?
    Sir, what is your name?

Example conversation

Emma meets Gabriel at a formal business reception.

  1. Emma

    Bonjour, comment vous appelez-vous ?
    Hello, what is your name?
  2. Gabriel

    Je m'appelle Gabriel. Et vous ?
    My name is Gabriel. And you?
  3. Emma

    Je m'appelle Emma. Enchantée.
    My name is Emma. Nice to meet you.
  4. Gabriel

    Enchanté, Emma.
    Nice to meet you, Emma.

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏
Peyton Faith
Peyton FaithHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
guest
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Scroll to Top