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10 Simple French Sentences to Get Started with Basic Conversation

Hi, today I'm gonna to help you for your first conversation in French, here we go!

1. Comment vous appelez-vous? (What's your name?)

The most common conversation starter: What's your name? There's a more informal way to say this (Comment t'appelles-tu?), but typically when you ask this question, it's best to use the formal version of the phrase to show respect.

How can I continue the conversation?
Je m'appelle... (My name is...)

The best way to keep this conversation going? Introduce yourself, too. "Appeler" is actually the French verb meaning "to call," so "Je m'appelle" literally translates to "I call myself."

2. Enchanté(e)! (Pleased to meet you!)

This is the simplest and most common way to tell the person you just met, "I'm pleased to meet you." Other options include, "Enchanté(e) de faire votre connaissance," (Pleased to make your acquaintance), which is just as formal in French as it is in English, and "C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer" (It's a pleasure to meet you), which is formal, but not quite as formal as the former.

Note: The (e) that you see at the end of enchanté(e) is added when a woman is speaking. This of course only matters if you are corresponding through writing, since this extra e does not affect pronunciation at all.

How do I continue the conversation?
There are a lot of ways to continue the initial introduction; you could choose to ask one of the other questions in this list, or say something kind about what they're wearing, such as, "J'aime bien votre t-shirt" (I like your t-shirt).

3. Je viens de... (I'm from...)

This phrase, meaning "I'm from..." will come in handy after you've introduced yourself. You can use this to refer to both your country and your city. For example, I'm from Atlanta, Georgia in the United States, so I could say either "Je viens des Etats-Unis" or "Je viens d'Atlanta."

Notice how the "de" changes depending on the noun used. Since the word for "United States" in French is plural, it uses "des" rather than "de." Since "Atlanta" begins with a vowel, and "de" ends with an "e," you drop the "e" in "de." This rule applies only for words that end in "e" that are directly next to words beginning in a vowel; words ending in a, o, u and y are never connected in that fashion.

How can I continue the conversation?
D'où viens-tu/D'où venez-vous? (Where are you from?)

It's possible your conversation partner will ask you this question first, but if they don't, you can follow up your discussion about your home country or city by asking them where they are from.

There are two different phrases here; the first one that includes "tu" is the informal version of the phrase that should only be used with friends, family or peers. The second version, with the formal "vous," is most appropriate with people that you have just met, and will probably be the best choice here.

4. J'habite à... (I live in...)

This sentence, meaning "I live in," will likely follow the question "Where are you from?" For me, that answer is New York City, so I would say, "J'habite à New York." Be careful, though, because the "à" is only used when you are talking about a city. When you want to refer to the country in which you live, things get a bit more complex.

As a general rule, if the country you live in ends with an "e" in French, it's a feminine country and you'll use en. If the country you live in ends with anything but "e" it's most likely a masculine country and you'll use au, unless of course the country is plural (like les États-Unis – the United States), in which case you'll use aux.