Saying your name with Je m'appelle/Tu t'appelles/Vous vous appelez

Take the fastest path to fluent French

In French, you use a specific verb to give your name as well as someone else's.

Learn how to say your name in French

Look at these examples:

Comment tu t'appelles ?What is your name?

Comment vous vous appelez ?What is your name?

Je m'appelle Aurélie.My name is Aurélie.

Tu t'appelles Théo.Your name is Théo.

Vous vous appelez Monsieur Durand.Your name is Mr Durand.

To say your name in French, you use the verb s'appeler (literally "to call oneself")

If you want to be informal, use the "tu" form.

If you need to be formal, use the "vous" form.

Note the difference in spelling between appelle / appelles and appelez

 

ATTENTION:

It's tempting to translate Je m'appelle... as I call myself... but despite this being its literal translation, this is not correct.

I call myself... implies one's real name is something else, or a choice over one's name.
-> My real name's John but I call myself / everyone calls me Jack.

In French, the equivalent of this is Je me fais appeler..., which has the same implication of choice over the name.

Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources

Vous vous appelez Monsieur Durand.Your name is Mr Durand.
Comment tu t'appelles ?What is your name?
Comment vous vous appelez ?What is your name?
Je m'appelle Aurélie.My name is Aurélie.
Tu t'appelles Théo.Your name is Théo.
I'll be right with you...