French Greetings and Introductions

Romance language.

Welcome to the first unit of our Advanced French Course for Career Professionals. In this unit, we will be focusing on French greetings and introductions. These are the building blocks of any conversation in French and are essential for establishing rapport and making a good first impression.

Basic French Greetings

There are several ways to greet someone in French, depending on the time of day and the level of formality.

• Bonjour (Good day): This is the standard greeting in French, used from morning until evening. It's appropriate in both formal and informal situations.

• Bonsoir (Good evening): This greeting is used in the evening and in more formal situations.

• Salut (Hi): This is a casual greeting, used among friends and people of the same age.

Formal and Informal Introductions

When introducing yourself in French, the phrases you use will depend on the level of formality of the situation.

• Je m'appelle... (My name is...): This phrase can be used in both formal and informal situations. For example, "Je m'appelle Marie" means "My name is Marie."

• Enchanté(e) (Nice to meet you): This is a polite phrase used after introducing yourself or being introduced to someone. Note that the ending changes depending on your gender - men say "enchanté" and women say "enchantée."

Asking and Answering "How are you?"

In French, there are a few ways to ask "How are you?" and respond.

• Comment ça va? (How's it going?): This is a casual way to ask "How are you?" You can respond with "Ça va bien" (It's going well), "Ça va" (It's going), or "Ça va mal" (It's going badly), depending on how you're feeling.

• Comment allez-vous? (How are you?): This is a more formal way to ask "How are you?" The responses are the same as above, but remember to maintain the same level of formality in your response.

By mastering these basic greetings and introductions, you'll be able to start any conversation in French on the right foot. Practice these phrases until they become second nature, as we'll be building on them in the following units.