The first words we learn in a new language are often the most powerful.

“My name is…”
“I am…”
“I love…”
“I live…”

These simple sentences are not just grammar exercises.

They are the beginning of a connection.

When you learn how to introduce yourself in French, you are not just learning vocabulary — you are learning how to share your identity, your passions, your work, and your dreams.

Your first French introduction

Imagine meeting someone in France.

What would you like them to know about you?

Your name?

Your country?

Your passions?

Your creative work?

In French, you can start with:

Je m’appelle Kate Rogovin.

My name is Kate Rogovin.

Literally:

Je m’appelle = I call myself

This expression is used every day by French speakers when introducing themselves.

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Saying who you are

The verb être (to be) is one of the most important verbs in French.

You can use it to describe yourself:

Je suis artiste.

I am an artist.

Je suis heureuse.

I am happy.

Pronunciation tip:

heureuse sounds a little like “fur” in English, with rounded lips.

Other examples:

Je suis créative.

I am creative.

Je suis indépendante.

I am independent.

French is a beautiful language for expressing your identity.

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Talking about where you live

To say where you live:

J’habite à New York.

I live in New York.

You can also talk about the past:

J’habitais à New York.

I used to live in New York.

Useful vocabulary:

aux États-Unis
in the United States

Pronunciation:

États-Unis → “é-ta-zuni”

The final s is silent:

États-Unis ❌ “étatsss”
États-Unis ✅ “éta-zuni”

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Talking about what you love

One of the easiest ways to create a personal conversation is to talk about your passions.

The verb:

Aimer = to like / to love

Examples:

J’aime mon chat noir Zadie.

I love my black cat Zadie.

J’aime l’art.

I love art.

J’aime voyager.

I love travelling.

When you say what you love, French immediately becomes more personal.

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Talking about your work

To describe your profession:

Je travaille comme hypnothérapeute.

I work as a hypnotherapist.

You can also say:

Je fais de l’hypnose.

I practise hypnosis.

The expression:

Je travaille comme…

is useful for many professions:

Je travaille comme professeur.

I work as a teacher.

Je travaille comme artiste.

I work as an artist.

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Expressing your dreams with “Je voudrais”

French is also about expressing what you would like to do.

Je voudrais parler français avec ma fille.

I would like to speak French with my daughter.

The verb:

Vouloir = to want

Je veux = I want

Je voudrais = I would like

“Je voudrais” sounds softer and more polite.

Examples:

Je voudrais apprendre le français.

I would like to learn French.

Je voudrais voyager en France.

I would like to travel to France.

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Talking about travel

Travel and languages naturally go together.

Je voyage en Espagne et au Portugal.

I travel to Spain and Portugal.

Useful words:

en Espagne = in/to Spain

au Portugal = in/to Portugal

French uses different words depending on the country:

• en + feminine countries
  → en France, en Espagne
• au + masculine countries
  → au Portugal, au Canada

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Pronunciation: The secret of French spelling

French pronunciation can seem difficult at first, but there are simple patterns.

É = “ay”

Examples:

français
États-Unis
créer

The accent tells you to pronounce the sound clearly.

E without an accent at the end = often silent

Examples:

français
artiste
voyage

The final “e” is usually not pronounced.

This is one of the keys to sounding more natural in French.

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Reading Practice: Meet Sarah

Read this short text:

Bonjour,

Je m’appelle Sarah.

Je suis artiste et j’habite à New York.

J’ai un atelier dans le centre-ville.

J’aime la peinture contemporaine et les musées.

Je voyage souvent pour découvrir de nouvelles cultures.

J’apprends le français parce que j’aime la France et l’art français.

Vocabulary:

J’apprends = I learn

Parce que = because

Découvrir = to discover

Une culture = a culture

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Reading Comprehension

Answer the questions:

1. Comment s’appelle l’artiste ?

She is called Sarah.

Elle s’appelle Sarah.

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2. Où habite-t-elle ?

Where does she live?

Elle habite à New York.

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3. Quel est son métier ?

What is her profession?

Elle est artiste.

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4. Pourquoi apprend-elle le français ?

Why does she learn French?

Elle apprend le français parce qu’elle aime la France et l’art français.

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Your French Identity Challenge

Create your own introduction:

Bonjour,

Je m’appelle ________.

Je suis ________.

J’habite à ________.

J’aime ________.

Je travaille comme ________.

Je voudrais ________.

Now you are not just learning French.

You are introducing yourself to a new world.

Because the first step in learning a language is not memorising words.

It is having something meaningful to say.