comment tu t'appelles ?
To ask what is your name? In French in a casual setting, say comment tu t'appelles ? With strangers or in formal situations, say Comment vous appelez-vous? instead.
comment tu t'appelles ? is the informal question you use with peers, children and in casual settings. Comment vous appelez-vous? is the standard formal question, and Pourriez-vous me dire votre nom? is an even more polite way to ask for someone's name.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, comment tu t'appelles ? means how do you call yourself.
Which one should you use?
Use comment vous appelez-vous ? instead of comment tu t'appelles ? when you speak to a stranger, an elder or a group of people. Keep comment tu t'appelles ? for friends, peers and children.
When do people say it?
The usual answer is Je m'appelle followed by your name, which means my name is.
Did you know?
- In France, the distinction between tu and vous is so significant that using the wrong one can change the perceived power dynamic of a conversation. Choosing tu when vous is expected can be interpreted as an intentional act of social aggression.
- The informal pronoun tu shares the same Proto-Indo-European roots as the English word 'thou', which is now considered archaic in English.
- In very casual spoken French, the word order is often flipped to tu t'appelles comment ? This moves the question word to the end, a common trait of colloquial speech that differs from textbook grammar.
Examples in context
- Salut ! Comment tu t'appelles ?Hi! What is your name?
- Désolé, comment tu t'appelles ?Sorry, what is your name?
Example conversation
Two students meet for the first time at a party.
- LéaSalut, je suis Léa. Comment tu t'appelles ?Hi, I am Léa. What is your name?
- NathanMoi, c'est Nathan. Enchanté !I'm Nathan. Nice to meet you!
- LéaEnchantée, Nathan.Nice to meet you, Nathan.
- NathanTu es nouvelle ici ?Are you new here?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries comment, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
