Can I ask your name in French?
To ask somebody What is your name in French, you can use “Comment vous appelez-vous”, or “Comment tu t'appelles”.
May I know your name? Votre nom, s'il vous plaît ?
If you'd like to say “What is your name?” in French, you generally have two options. To pose the question formally, you'd say “Comment vous-appelez vous? Speaking informally, you can simply ask “Comment t'appelles-tu?”
- There are 3 main ways to ask a question in French: • Formal: (question word quand, où, etc) + verb + subject + ? ...
- • Neutral: (question word) + est-ce que + subject + verb + ? Est-ce que vous connaissez Victor Hugo ? ...
- • More informal: subject + verb (+ question word) + ? Elle travaille chez vous ?
All together, it's Je voudrais ceci, s'il vous plaît. "I would like this, please." Je voudrais ceci, s'il vous plaît. Using Je voudrais to ask for something is rather polite, and it's commonly used in formal situations like restaurants, shops, etc.
You can either reply saying "Bonjour" back or you could say "salut" which also means hello but in an informal way. This is especially important in French because French-speakers tend to be much more formal about greetings. It's also nice for children to always sing the same song at the beginning of a class.
To answer this question, begin your sentence with je m'appelle… (I call myself…) and then say your name. You could also say je suis… (I am…) and then your name.
Je suis is a French phrase that translates to “I am” in English. It's used as an introduction when you want to present yourself, and it's often followed by your name. For example, if your name is Jennifer, you would say “je suis Jennifer.” This phrase can be used in both formal and informal settings.
Mon nom est…
Another way to say “My name is” in French is “Mon nom est.” It's a direct translation between French and English, and is often the response paired with the question “Quel est ton nom ?” Like its paired question, this response is less common than the classic “je m'appelle.”
Est-ce que is the inversion of c'est que, literally, “it is that.” Hence the hyphen between est and ce: c'est = ce + est is inverted to est-ce. Though est-ce que is widespread in spoken French, it's much less common in writing because it's slightly informal.
When to use pourquoi?
Pourquoi is the French word for why, used to ask about cause or reason. Outside of a question, it also means “why,” as in, “tell me why you came here” – dis-moi pourquoi tu es venu ici.
Using je voudrais + un/une + noun to order food
To order food, you can simply use the indefinite article un (masculine) or une (feminine) + the item. You would normally add s'il vous plaît ('please'), at the end of the sentence: Une soupe de poisson, s'il vous plaît.
Je voudrais is preferable in social contexts such as in a restaurant, as it is more polite and subtle than the blunt je veux (just like in English). [Note that j'aimerais (I would like) is also very commonly used in more polite contexts.]
Whether in a café, restaurant, or bakery a polite way to order in French is je voudrais meaning “I would like” followed by whatever you're ordering. To make it even better, add s'il vous plaît meaning "please" at the end!
It doesn't matter if you're getting on a bus or greeting the doctor's receptionist, you must say “Bonjour”. Otherwise, they'll think you have no manners, are rude, and are badly brought up.
Most of you know the formal expression “bonjour”, and you should since it's the most common way to greet someone in French. We use it to greet people in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening. “Bonjour” is always polite, and works in any situation.
The usual response to merci is de rien (You're welcome – literally, It's nothing) or il n'y a pas de quoi. In a more formal context, you could say Je vous en prie or Je t'en prie.
To ask someone what their name is you can say: Comment vous appelez-vous ? (“What's your name?” formal) Comment tu t'appelles ? (Also “what's your name?” but informal)
To ask someone their name, a stranger or someone older than you, ask, "Comment vous appelez-vous?". When asking someone your own age, it's "Comment tu t'appelles?" To answer, say "Je m'appelle" + Your Name. Example: "Je m'appelle David."
This one is the literal translation of My name is, and while it's not grammatically incorrect, it's better to use “Je m'appelle“.
What is your age in France?
How old are you? (formal) – Quel âge avez-vous?
You can reply to this phrase by saying De rien (You are welcome), if it's an informal engagement, or Je vous en prie (You are welcome), in a formal setting.
Some proper ways to respond to ça va? include, “Très bien, et vous ?” or in a more casual setting, “Ça va bien, et toi ?” But you can also respond with a simple “ça va,” which means you're doing fine.
You can use it with friends, family and with anyone you're on a tu basis. How to answer: If you're doing well, you can say Ça va bien, et toi ? (It's going well, and you?). If you're not doing well, you can answer with Ça va mal (It's not going well).
Can I get a drink, please? Puis-je avoir un verre, s'il vous plaît?
References
- https://www.frenchpod101.com/lesson/can-do-french-for-absolute-beginners-72-how-to-ask-for-something-at-a-store-lesson-focus
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Americans
- https://www.strakertranslations.com/insights/the-major-challenges-of-translation
- https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
- https://www.researchpublish.com/upload/book/Strategy%20to%20Solve%20Translation%20Problems-4967.pdf
- https://phrase.com/blog/posts/translation-career/
- https://emeritus.org/in/learn/ai-and-ml-chatgpt-vs-google/
- https://www.dabblinginjetlag.com/how-to-say-my-name-is-in-french/
- https://lifeinruralfrance.com/bonjour-word-important-france/
- https://lokalise.com/blog/best-ai-translation-tools/
- https://translatepress.com/what-makes-translation-difficult/
- https://learn-french.wonderhowto.com/how-to/say-what-is-your-name-and-my-name-is-french-379533/
- https://localizejs.com/articles/translation-errors-how-to-fix/
- https://coffeebreaklanguages.com/2019/12/quel-age-as-tu-quel-age-avez-vous-how-old-are-you-coffee-break-french-to-go-episode-4/
- https://workspace.google.com/marketplace/app/workspace_translator_with_gpt_translate/257171559362
- https://www.frenchcourses-paris.com/useful-french-greetings-to-say-hello/
- https://thewordpoint.com/blog/what-are-the-fastest-spoken-languages-in-the-world-today
- https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/grammar/je-voudrais-versus-je-veux
- https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/easiest-languages-for-english-speakers-to-learn
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexical_similarity
- https://www.visualcapitalist.com/100-most-spoken-languages/
- https://www.alphatrad.com/news/cultural-differences-spain-france
- https://superb-ai.com/blog/why-deepl-is-emerging-as-an-ai-translation-powerhouse/
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Romance-languages
- https://context.reverso.net/translation/english-french/Can+I+get+a+drink
- https://phrase.com/blog/posts/is-google-translate-accurate/
- https://www.universal-translation-services.com/which-language-is-most-similar-to-english/
- https://golocalise.com/blog/translation-and-the-most-useful-languages-to-learn
- https://translatepress.com/best-alternative-google-translate/
- https://www.umritun.com/single-post/10-most-popular-language-for-translation
- https://www.mathildekien.com/podcast-episodes/8
- https://pdfrest.com/solutions/translate-pdf-text-to-new-language-with-chatgpt/
- https://botpress.com/blog/list-of-languages-supported-by-chatgpt
- https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/6-hardest-languages-for-english-speakers-to-learn
- https://itertrans.com/en/why-being-bilingual-does-not-mean-that-you-can-translate/
- https://www.freedmaninternational.com/insights/how-to-avoid-getting-lost-in-translation/
- https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/interpreters-and-translators.htm
- https://www.smartling.com/resources/101/10-ways-to-optimize-content-for-easy-translation/
- https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/translator
- https://context.reverso.net/translation/english-french/May+I+know+your+name
- https://lingoculture.com/blog/vocab/what-is-your-name-in-french/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK121306/
- https://www.analyticsinsight.net/is-chatgpt-a-reliable-translator/
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/google-translate-vs-chatgpt-which-one-best-language-translator
- https://www.quora.com/Is-European-Portuguese-closer-to-Italian-or-to-French
- https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/german-vs-french
- https://translatepress.com/deepl-translator-review/
- https://www.techopedia.com/who-are-the-competitors-of-chatgpt
- https://translatepress.com/hardest-language-to-translate/
- https://slator.com/resources/can-i-use-chatgpt-for-translation/
- https://umanisticadigitale.unibo.it/article/view/12631/13138
- https://lingopie.com/blog/is-french-or-spanish-easier-to-learn/
- https://www.fluentu.com/blog/similar-languages/
- https://culturesconnection.com/2015/08/06/6-translation-problems/
- https://writesonic.com/blog/chatgpt-alternatives
- https://medium.com/@arpitchandak18/is-chatgpt-4-0-worth-buying-for-designers-especially-after-its-new-update-0f77a122ece4
- https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/IE_Centum_French.html
- https://eriksen.com/general/translation-quality-accuracy-tips/
- https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/discussions/25745
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/interpreting-vs-translation-hard-challenging-exiting-igor-bukharkov
- https://www.boldare.com/blog/will-chatgpt-replace-google-search-engine/
- https://www.lexigo.com/post/chatgpt-vs-google-translate-who-does-it-better
- https://www.tooltester.com/en/blog/deepl-vs-chatgpt/
- https://thelanguagedoctors.org/is-portuguese-similar-to-spanish/
- https://www.berlitz.com/blog/spanish-vs-french
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/10/25/what-hardest-easiest-languages-learn-mandarin/7836742001/
- https://blog.rosettastone.com/what-is-your-name-in-french/
- https://global-translationsuk.com/the-easiest-languages-to-learn-translate/
- https://frenchscope.com/how-are-you-in-french/
- https://www.weglot.com/blog/machine-translation-software
- https://botpress.com/blog/can-chatgpt-understand-and-respond-in-multiple-languages
- https://www.universal-translation-services.com/20-rare-languages-still-spoken-today/
- https://blog.bigtranslation.com/en/most-difficult-languages/
- https://www.open.edu/openlearn/languages/french/beginners-french-food-and-drink/content-section-2.2
- https://ititranslates.com/blog/will-ai-replace-human-translators/
- https://aicontentfy.com/en/blog/chatgpt-and-language-translation
- https://en.amazingtalker.com/blog/en/french/73485/
- https://preply.com/en/blog/how-accurate-is-google-translate/
- https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-learners/learning-french/learnng-french-common-courtesies/
- https://www.atanet.org/resources/greatest-challenge-facing-translators/
- https://translatepress.com/yandex-translate-vs-google-translate/
- https://www.g2.com/products/google-translate/competitors/alternatives
- https://www.gymglish.com/en/frantastique/french-grammar/asking-questions
- https://blog.bit.ai/best-google-translate-alternatives/
- https://www.deepl.com/docs-api
- https://www.translateplus.com/blog/chatgpt-translating-content/
- https://www.bureauworks.com/blog/how-accurate-is-google-translate-in-2022
- https://thelanguagedoctors.org/top-10-hardest-languages-to-learn/
- https://www.lawlessfrench.com/expressions/est-ce-que/
- https://theperfectfrench.com/learning-tips/je-mappelle-or-mon-nom-est/
- https://www.argotrans.com/blog/7-tips-translating-english
- https://translatepress.com/deepl-vs-google-translate-comparison/
- https://www.deepl.com/translator
- https://acutrans.com/the-top-5-hardest-languages-to-translate/
- https://www.tandem.net/blog/the-complete-guide-to-introducing-yourself-in-french
- https://www.basiccat.org/ChatGPT-image-translator/
- https://www.interactio.io/post/how-to-prevent-interpreter-fatigue
- https://www.lionbridge.com/blog/translation-localization/8-traits-of-a-great-translator/
- https://www.smartling.com/resources/101/using-gpt-for-translation-how-to-get-the-best-outcomes/
- https://www.g2.com/products/deepl/competitors/alternatives
- https://ad-astrainc.com/2022/10/what-makes-a-good-translation-good/
- https://altalang.com/beyond-words/ten-most-difficult-words-to-translate/
- https://www.translateday.com/translation-problems-and-solutions/
- https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-translator/reviews
- https://ad-astrainc.com/2022/10/are-there-languages-that-cant-be-translated/
- https://blog.rosettastone.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-how-to-use-ca-va/
- https://www.languageconnections.com/blog/the-pros-cons-of-google-translate/
- https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/italian-vs-french
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language
- https://www.fluentu.com/blog/learning-two-languages-at-once/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_language
- https://www.ziprecruiter.com/g/Highest-Paying-Language-Interpreter-Jobs
- https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/20/technology/chatgpt-dalle3-images-openai.html
- https://www.weglot.com/blog/how-accurate-is-google-translate
- https://www.ceastudyabroad.com/blog/content-creator/2019/09/30/5-essential-french-phrases-for-any-traveler
- https://thespanishbrew.com/why-we-dont-use-google-translate-in-spanish-class/
- https://www.busuu.com/en/french/question-words
- https://blog.rosettastone.com/the-easiest-languages-to-learn-for-spanish-speakers/
- https://www.goabroad.com/articles/language-study-abroad/should-i-learn-french-or-portuguese
- https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/03/google-shuts-down-translate-service-in-china-.html
- https://www.gmrtranscription.com/blog/challenges-in-translation-and-how-to-overcome
- https://www.universal-translation-services.com/which-languages-are-similar/
- http://ripo.unibel.by/core1/packages/znk33953/response-to-bonjour-in-french.html
- https://www.pcguide.com/apps/chat-gpt-better-than-google/
- https://circletranslations.com/blog/why-are-some-words-difficult-to-translate
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language
- https://www.deepl.com/translator-mobile/tr/Oops!/en
- http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/e/languages/similarities/french/index.html
- https://blog.rosettastone.com/closest-language-to-english/