How to Say "Your Name Is" in French

tu t'appelles

In French, 'your name is' is expressed as tu t'appelles.

The phrase is used to state or ask what someone is called.

What does it mean word for word?

Literally, tu t'appelles means 'you call yourself'.

The word tu in tu t'appelles is a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'thou'. Although 'thou' sounds archaic to modern ears, it shares the exact same ancient root as this common French pronoun.
In many French-speaking African countries, the distinction between using tu and vous in this phrase can carry even heavier weights of social hierarchy and seniority than in mainland France.
The French verb appeler inside tu t'appelles also means 'to call' in the sense of phoning someone, making the phrase a pun in certain contexts.

Tu t'appelles Tom, n'est-ce pas ?
Your name is Tom, right?
This sentence shows how to confirm someone's name using tu t'appelles.
Tatoeba #3604312 by Aiji, translation #3368217 by CK
Pardon ! J'ai oublié ton prénom. Ah non, j'y suis ! Tu t'appelles Marie.
Pardon me! I forgot your first name. Oh no, I remember. Your name is Maria.
This sentence demonstrates using tu t'appelles when remembering someone's name after a moment of forgetfulness.
Tatoeba #6626438 by felix63, translation #6626445 by Eccles17
Excusez-moi, comment vous appelez-vous?
Excuse me, what is your name?
Pourriez-vous me dire votre nom, s'il vous plaît?
Could you tell me your name, please?
Salut! Comment tu t'appelles?
Hi! What's your name?
Dis-moi, c'est quoi ton nom?
Tell me, what's your name?
Tu t'appelles comment ?
What is your name?
1 more sentence on Tatoeba

Two students meeting for the first time at a university.

Sources

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