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How to Say ‘What is your name? (informal)’ in French

Comment tu t'appelles ?

koh-mahn too t a-PEL

[koh-mahn too t a-PEL]

💬 Usage Tip: Same "call yourself" pattern: t' is te "yourself" shortened before a vowel. T' can't stand alone.

Phrase Breakdown

Comment

[koh-mahn]

How

Used to ask about the manner or way in which something is done.

Example

Explique-moi 'comment' faire cela.

Explain to me 'how' to do that.

tu t'appelles ?

too t a-PEL

are you called?

Say it 'tew tah-PEL' with rising intonation. 'Tu' is the informal 'you', for friends or children.

Example

Tu t'appelles Paul ?

Is your name Paul?

Words in this phrase

tu

[too]

you (informal singular)

Informal subject pronoun “you”. Used with friends; common when discussing tastes in anime.

Example

Tu aimes les shōnen ?

Do you like shōnen?

t'

[t]

yourself / you

Contracted reflexive or object pronoun before a vowel.

Example

De t'en sortir si facilement, ce serait trop simple.

For you to get out of it that easily would be too simple.

appelles

[a-PEL]

call (yourself)

Form of the verb 'appeler' (to call) used with 'tu'; with 't'' it means 'you are called'.

Example

Tu appelles ta mère ce soir ?

Are you calling your mother tonight?

Related guides

Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.Common French Phrases You'll Use Every Day (with Native Audio)The common French phrases and expressions people actually use every day: greetings, polite essentials, reactions and casual slang, with meanings and native audio.

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