Bonjour ! Premiers contacts
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Recognize the accent marks used in this chapter, and begin producing a few French sounds — including the vowel in salut and the French r — in familiar greeting expressions.
- Greet someone and say goodbye using level-appropriate expressions.
- Introduce yourself using je m'appelle..., and ask someone else's name.
- Choose between tu and vous in a small set of controlled everyday situations.
- Ask and answer a small set of controlled questions using only formulaic language.
- Recognize a small set of fixed classroom expressions, including simple requests for repetition and clarification.
Communication Scenario
Léa is starting a beginner French class on a Tuesday evening. As students arrive, the teacher greets each one at the door, and the students greet each other before the lesson begins. Nobody in the room has met before, so the entire first evening is built from the same small handful of expressions, said again and again, until they start to feel natural. This chapter follows that first evening, greeting by greeting, name by name.
- You will meet the same expressions in several short exchanges, so that repetition, not memorization, builds your first working French.
- Every new word introduced in this chapter keeps its correct accent, since French spelling includes accents from the very beginning.
Core Vocabulary
The words below are your first productive French vocabulary. All examples reflect contemporary, broadly understood French based primarily on educated metropolitan usage in France, the production model used throughout this course.
| Français | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| salut | hi / bye | informal; works for both greeting and leave-taking |
| bonjour | hello / good day | neutral; works in most situations, day-appropriate |
| bonsoir | good evening | used from roughly late afternoon or evening onward |
| au revoir | goodbye | neutral, all registers |
| à bientôt | see you soon | |
| merci | thank you | does not change for the speaker's gender |
| s'il vous plaît | please (to vous) | fixed courtesy formula; used with vous; contains an elision (s') |
| s'il te plaît | please (to tu) | fixed courtesy formula; used with tu; contains an elision (s') |
| excusez-moi | excuse me (to vous) | fixed courtesy formula; used to pass by or interrupt politely |
| pardon | sorry, excuse me | neutral, all registers |
| oui | yes | |
| non | no |
| Français | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| je m'appelle... | my name is... (literally "I call myself...") | formulaic reflexive pattern; full grammar comes later |
| comment tu t'appelles ? | what is your name? (to tu) | formulaic pattern; informal, familiar |
| comment vous appelez-vous ? | what is your name? (to vous) | formulaic pattern; polite singular or plural |
| et toi ? | and you? (to tu) | fixed formula for returning a question informally |
| enchanté | nice to meet you (said by a man) | fixed expression; written form reflects the speaker's own gender, not treated yet as a general agreement rule |
| enchantée | nice to meet you (said by a woman) | fixed expression; final -e is silent but required in writing |
| Français | English |
|---|---|
| comment ? | what did you say? (asking for repetition) |
| pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? | can you repeat, please? (formulaic classroom expression; learn as a fixed whole) |
Most words above are productive: expected in speech and writing by the end of the chapter. Items marked fixed expression or formulaic should be learned and used as complete units; you are not yet expected to build new sentences on their internal grammar.
You may notice the numbers 0–10 (zéro, un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix) appear from time to time in classroom contexts, such as when counting off partners for an activity. They are included here only for early, receptive exposure. Numbers become productive vocabulary later in the course, where they connect to prices, ages, and schedules, so nothing on this page or in the chapter tasks requires you to produce or spell them from memory yet.
Pronunciation: Accent Marks and First Sounds
French spelling uses the 26-letter Latin alphabet, plus a small set of accents and one ligature that you will meet gradually across this volume: the acute accent (é), the grave accent (à, è, ù), the circumflex (â, ê, î, ô, û), the diaeresis (ë, ï, ü), the cedilla (ç), and the ligature œ. These marks are a required part of French spelling. Depending on the word, they may affect pronunciation, distinguish one word from another, or preserve an established spelling convention.
Say each vocabulary word above aloud, paying attention to any accent mark. Not every accent changes a vowel's sound. The acute accent in é normally represents one clear vowel sound, close to the vowel in the English word "say" but without the extra glide. An unaccented e is different: depending on the word and its position, it can represent several different sounds, or it can be silent altogether, so it does not have one single pronunciation to compare é against. The grave accent in à, by contrast, does not change how the vowel sounds at all; here it mainly distinguishes the word à ("to, at") in writing from the unrelated word a ("has"). You will meet both functions of French accents again: some mark pronunciation, and some simply distinguish words or preserve spelling.
A few specific sounds are worth practicing carefully from this chapter's vocabulary:
- The vowel in salut: round your lips as if to say "oo," but try to say "ee" instead. This vowel does not exist in English, so expect it to feel unfamiliar at first.
- The French r, as in merci and au revoir: it is produced further back in the throat than an English "r," closer to a soft gargling sound. Listen carefully and imitate rather than substituting an English "r."
- Elision in s'il (as in s'il vous plaît): the vowel of si drops and is replaced in writing by an apostrophe before il. Say the two words as one smooth unit: seel, not see-il.
- Liaison in vous appelez-vous: the normally silent -s at the end of vous is pronounced as a "z" sound before the following vowel, linking the words together: vooz-apuh-lay-voo.
Beyond these specific points, say each French vowel as a single, steady sound, and try not to glide from one vowel quality into another the way English vowels such as the "ay" in "day" often do. Never drop an accent mark when writing, even informally in this course — accents are required spelling, not optional styling.
Language Focus: Greeting and Introducing Yourself
Purpose: greet someone appropriately, introduce yourself with je m'appelle..., ask a name, and choose between tu and vous.
1.1 The formula Je m'appelle...
Je m'appelle... is a reflexive expression that literally means "I call myself...". At this stage, treat it as a fixed formula for stating your name. You do not yet need to conjugate the underlying verb s'appeler for other subjects; that fuller system develops gradually in a later chapter.
To ask someone's name, French uses two common formulas depending on the relationship: comment tu t'appelles ? with someone you address as tu, and comment vous appelez-vous ? with someone you address as vous. Both are treated as fixed units for now.
- Je m'appelle Léa. My name is Léa.
- Comment tu t'appelles ? — Je m'appelle Marc. What's your name? — My name is Marc.
1.2 Tu and vous
French has two words for "you": tu and vous. This distinction is not simply informal versus formal, and it does not depend only on age. Vous has two different jobs: it is the safe way to address one unfamiliar adult, and it is also the only way to address more than one person, no matter how well you know them. Tu is common among peers once the group norm is clear — for example, once classmates have started using it with each other — but a shared age or student status does not automatically make tu correct. Norms vary across Francophone communities and situations, so this chapter presents only a safe, common starting pattern: use vous when addressing a teacher, a stranger, or more than one person, and use tu once a peer relationship has clearly established it, as modeled in the dialogue below. You will refine this choice across the whole course as you meet more contexts.
- Bonjour, comment vous appelez-vous ? Hello, what is your name? (to a teacher or stranger)
- Salut, comment tu t'appelles ? Hi, what's your name? (to a classmate)
1.3 Classroom survival language
You will meet être in Chapter 3, where introductions expand to talking about origin, nationality, and language.
Model Dialogue: Bonjour, enchanté !
Context: The teacher greets a new student at the door on the first evening of class.
Marc sits down next to another student, who turns to greet him informally.
Notice that Marc greets the teacher with bonsoir and vous, and greets Léa with salut and tu, choosing his greeting and form of address according to context and relationship, not a single fixed rule. Et toi ? is a fixed formula for returning a question informally; Entrez is receptive teacher language, included so you recognize it, not because you are expected to produce it yet.
Listening Practice
If no audio recording is available, ask a partner, instructor, or text-to-speech tool to read the lines below aloud, or read them aloud to yourself slowly, paying attention to the accents.
- Listen to (or read aloud) the script above, then answer, in French, with your own name using the correct formula.
- Listen for the greeting word at the start of the script. Is it more likely used earlier or later in the day than bonsoir?
- Listen for whether the speaker uses tu or vous. How can you tell from the question alone?
Speaking Practice
Pratique contrôlée — Controlled practice: greet and respond
Practice saying each greeting and courtesy word from the vocabulary table aloud, three times each, paying attention to accents and vowel sounds.
Tâche communicative — Communicative task: meet a classmate
With a partner, greet each other informally using tu, ask and answer each other's names, and say goodbye. Then repeat the exchange as if meeting a teacher, using vous and a more neutral greeting such as bonjour or bonsoir.
Pratique individuelle — Solo alternative
Record yourself greeting an imaginary teacher (using vous) and an imaginary classmate (using tu), introducing yourself in both exchanges. Listen back and check your pronunciation of any accented vowels against the vocabulary table.
Reading Practice
Un petit mot — A short note
Salut ! Je m'appelle Sophie. Merci ! À bientôt !
Tâche de lecture — Reading task:
- What is the name of the person who wrote this note?
- Is this note written in an informal or a neutral/formal style? Point to one word that tells you.
- Find the word that means "thank you" and the word that means "see you soon." Would this note likely be addressed to a stranger or to a friend? Why?
Writing Workshop
Complete the following linked writing tasks in order.
Tâche 1 — Copy with accents: Copy each word from the Core Vocabulary tables by hand, including every accent mark, three times each.
Tâche 2 — Complete the exchange: Fill in your own name in the blank, then write the full formulaic answer.
Tâche 3 — Carte de présentation — Introduction card: Fill in your own short greeting card below, one line at a time. Do not connect the lines into a paragraph; each line stands on its own.
- Copy the vocabulary with accents first. This builds accurate spelling habits from the start.
- Fill in the blank exchange. Check that your answer uses the full formula, not just your name alone.
- Fill in your introduction card. Choose one greeting line, complete the name line, and choose one closing line, keeping every word within this chapter's vocabulary.
- Read your three lines aloud once. Listen for any accented vowels.
- Check your accent marks against the vocabulary tables. Correct any missing or misplaced accent.
Liste de révision — Editing checklist:
- Every accent mark is included where the vocabulary table shows it.
- The formula je m'appelle... is used correctly and completely on its own line.
- The greeting line and closing line match a consistent, reasonable relationship and time of day.
- enchanté/enchantée agrees with the writer's own gender, if used.
- No new vocabulary from outside this chapter has been used.
Culture and Communication
The choice between tu and vous depends on relationship, age, institutional context, and region, not on a single universal rule. Many French speakers also greet in person with a light physical gesture such as a handshake or a cheek kiss (la bise), and the details of this custom vary by region, generation, and relationship. This textbook focuses on the words themselves; nonverbal greeting customs are best learned directly from the community you are engaging with.
French is spoken as a first, official, or widely used language in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec and other French-speaking communities in Canada, many Caribbean nations, much of North, West, and Central Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific, and Francophone communities elsewhere. This course uses contemporary, broadly understood French based primarily on educated metropolitan usage in France as its production model, and it will introduce labeled comparisons with other varieties as the volume progresses. Speaking French does not by itself indicate a person's nationality, ethnicity, or political views.
Common Mistakes
Error: Writing a bientot instead of à bientôt, treating accents as optional.
Correction: Always include the acute, grave, circumflex, diaeresis, or cedilla shown in the vocabulary table. Depending on the word, these marks may affect pronunciation, distinguish one word from another, or preserve an established spelling convention — but they are never optional.
Error: Saying comment tu t'appelles ? to a teacher, then switching to vous a moment later with the same person.
Correction: Choose one form of address for a given person and relationship, and keep it consistent within an interaction unless the relationship itself changes.
Error: Writing enchanté regardless of who is speaking.
Correction: This chapter teaches enchanté and enchantée as two fixed spellings of the same fixed expression: a speaker who identifies as a man typically writes enchanté, and a speaker who identifies as a woman typically writes enchantée. In ordinary speech the two sound alike. For now, simply reproduce the correct written form of this one expression for yourself; the broader system behind it is introduced later in the course.
Chapter Review
Partie A — Compréhension (Comprehension)
1. Return to the Model Dialogue, and answer these short questions.
- Which greeting and which form of address does Marc use with the teacher, and which does he use with Léa?
- What does the teacher say after learning Marc's name?
Partie B — Écriture (Writing)
1. Write two different formulas for asking someone's name, and identify which uses tu and which uses vous.
2. Write one short exchange (two lines) in which one person greets another and gives their name.
Partie C — Lecture (Reading)
1. Return to the short note in Reading Practice, and identify which word signals that the note is informal.
Partie D — Oral (Speaking)
1. Greet a partner using vous and a time-of-day greeting, then greet the same partner informally using tu, and explain to your partner why you chose each form of address.
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 1 Guided Performance Practice
First Meetings, Fully Introduced
Complete the following connected tasks, in order, treating them as one small first meeting. This is guided practice with newly introduced material, not a mastery test — you are beginning to use these forms, not expected to have them fully automatic yet.
- Read the model dialogue and the short note. Answer the comprehension questions above before continuing.
- Prepare and deliver a neutral introduction. Greet an imagined teacher with a time-of-day greeting and vous, give your name, and say goodbye politely.
- Prepare and deliver an informal introduction. Greet an imagined classmate with tu, give your name, and say goodbye informally.
- Fill in your introduction card. Apply the editing checklist from the Writing Workshop, keeping each line separate.
| Area | What the learner is beginning to demonstrate |
|---|---|
| Formula use | The learner is beginning to use je m'appelle... as a complete, recognizable formula in speech and writing. |
| Register and form of address | The learner is beginning to select a greeting and a consistent tu or vous for each context, with support as needed. |
| Accents in writing | The learner is beginning to reproduce accent marks accurately on practiced vocabulary. |
This guided practice checklist covers only material introduced in this chapter, at the level of controlled and initial production the chapter targets. It is a formative check for the learner and instructor, not a pass/fail exam.
Answer Key
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Marc greets the teacher with bonsoir and vous, and greets Léa with the informal salut and tu.
- The teacher says enchantée, meaning "nice to meet you," using the feminine written form.
Writing
- comment tu t'appelles ? (tu) and comment vous appelez-vous ? (vous)
- Answers will vary. Model: — Salut ! Comment tu t'appelles ? — Je m'appelle Camille.
Reading
- The word salut shows that the note is informal; it would most likely be addressed to a friend rather than a stranger.
Looking Ahead
Ce que vous savez déjà faire — What you can do now
You can greet someone informally or neutrally by time of day, introduce yourself with je m'appelle..., ask someone else's name, choose between tu and vous in simple situations, and use a small set of courtesy expressions, all while preserving French accents.