By the end of this lesson you'll be able to write a short introduction of yourself in French: your name and how to spell it, your nationality, where you live, your age and your phone number, in the right register for the reader.
What you've learned
Before you start writing, here's what you can already do. Skim the list, and go back to any lesson that feels shaky.
- Greet and be polite. You know bonjour, salut, and how to behave in French encounters from the lesson on politeness and la bise.
- Spell. You can name letters and accents, thanks to the alphabet lesson.
- Give your name. Je m'appelle… comes from the introductions lesson.
- Talk about people. You know the pronouns from the subject pronouns lesson and every form in the lesson on être.
- Count. You can give your age and read small numbers, from the numbers lesson.
- Say where you're from. You can give your nationality and your city, from the lesson on countries and nationalities.
A few new words to hold it together
A paragraph needs some glue. These small words will make your sentences flow, instead of sitting in a list.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bonjour à tous ! | bohn-zhoor ah TOOS | Hello everyone! |
| et | ay | and |
| mais | meh | but |
| aussi | oh-SEE | also, too |
| J'apprends le français. | zhah-PRAHN luh frahn-SEH | I'm learning French. |
| Mon numéro, c'est le… | mohn new-may-ROH seh luh | My number is… |
| À bientôt ! | ah byan-TOH | See you soon! |
A model introduction
Imagine Emma has joined an online French class and is posting a message to the group. Here it is line by line.
Bonjour à tous !
Hello everyone!
Je m'appelle Emma Wilson. Ça s'écrit W, I, L, S, O, N.
My name is Emma Wilson. It's spelled W, I, L, S, O, N.
Je suis canadienne, mais j'habite à Lyon.
I'm Canadian, but I live in Lyon.
J'ai dix-neuf ans et je suis étudiante.
I'm nineteen and I'm a student.
J'apprends le français.
I'm learning French.
Mon numéro, c'est le zéro six, douze, quinze, dix-huit, zéro deux.
My number is 06 12 15 18 02.
À bientôt !
See you soon!
Notice how little new French that took. Almost every line is a chunk you've already practised. Mais and et do the joining.
Choosing the right register
Emma's message is friendly and addressed to a group, so Bonjour à tous works. Who you're writing to changes a few words.
To a friend of a friend, you can be relaxed: start with Salut !, use Moi, c'est Emma, and finish with Et toi ?
To a teacher, a landlord, or anyone you'd call vous, start with Bonjour, madame or Bonjour, monsieur, use Je m'appelle, and if you ask a question, finish with Et vous ?
Choose one register and keep it all the way through.
Your turn
Write your own introduction on paper or in a notes app. Aim for five or six sentences, and include:
- a greeting that suits your reader
- your name, with the spelling if it's unusual for French speakers
- your nationality, and the city you live in
- your age
- what you do, if you're a student, or just that you're learning French
- a sign-off
Then check it against the warning below.
What's next
The next unit starts with the lesson on gender and articles, where you'll learn why every French noun comes with a le or a la. If you'd like more practice before moving on, try rewriting your introduction with the phrases from the introductions lesson, this time for a different reader.