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French grammar lessons › Level A0 › Verbs, Tenses & Conjugation

Reflexive verb s'appeler – present tense

Je m'appelle… – saying your name

To say what your name is, French doesn't say "my name is". It says je m'appelle, literally I call myself, using the reflexive verb s'appeler.

Conjugation

s'appeler
jem'appelle
tut'appelles
il / elles'appelle
nousnous appelons
vousvous appelez
ils / elless'appellent
  • Je m'appelle Sophie.My name is Sophie.
  • Comment tu t'appelles ?What's your name? (informal)
  • Comment vous appelez-vous ?What's your name? (formal)
  • Il s'appelle comment, ton chien ?What's your dog called?
  • Mes parents s'appellent Anne et Paul.My parents are called Anne and Paul.

Spelling: one l or two?

The stem has two l's (appell-) when the ending is silent: je m'appelle, tu t'appelles, il s'appelle, ils s'appellent. With nous and vous, the ending is pronounced and the stem has one l: nous nous appelons, vous vous appelez. The same pattern appears in -eler and -eter verbs.

The reflexive pronoun

The small word before the verb (me, te, se, nous, vous) matches the subject. Me, te, se become m', t', s' before the vowel of appeler. This is how all reflexive verbs work. See Reflexive verbs.

Another common way to give your name: Je suis Sophie (I'm Sophie). It's fine in introductions, but je m'appelle is the standard answer to Comment tu t'appelles ?

Practice

  1. Je _____ Thomas.
    My name is Thomas.
    Show the answer

    m'appelle

  2. Comment tu _____ ?
    What's your name?
    Show the answer

    t'appelles

  3. Elle _____ Julie.
    Her name is Julie.
    Show the answer

    s'appelle

  4. Nous nous _____ Dupont.
    Our name is Dupont.
    Show the answer

    appelons

In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days until you've mastered it.
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