The verb s'appeler
To give your name in French, use the verb s'appeler (to be called / to call oneself). It's a pronominal verb, meaning it requires an extra reflexive pronoun right before the verb.
The reflexive pronoun se becomes s' because the verb starts with a vowel. The same happens with the pronouns for "I" (me becomes m') and "you" (te becomes t').
When conjugating s'appeler in the singular, the single -l- from the infinitive doubles to -ll-.
| Subject | Pronoun | Verb |
|---|
| je | m' | appelle |
| tu | t' | appelles |
| il / elle | s' | appelle |
When talking about names, you will often use the words un prénom (a first name) and un nom (a last name, or just a name).
For the plural forms, nous (we) and vous (you plural/formal) keep the single -l- from the infinitive. For ils and elles (they), the -l- doubles to -ll-.
| Subject | Pronoun | Verb |
|---|
| nous | nous | appelons |
| vous | vous | appelez |
| ils / elles | s' | appellent |
Notice that the extra pronoun for nous is just nous, and for vous is vous!
Asking for names
To ask someone their name, the French use the question word comment (how). You are literally asking, "How do you call yourself?".
Greetings and introductions
When meeting new people, such as colleagues or neighbors, you can use bienvenue (welcome) and enchanté (nice to meet you).
