Mission: check in at a hotel
Filling in forms. The words on every French form, and how to write a date.
FrenchA1 · Forms and paperworkAbout 4 min: 2 reading, 2 practiceUpdated
- Understand the usual fields on a French form
- Write a date the French way
- Fill in a simple form about yourself
Being polite: lesson 3 of 4
- A1 · Being polite
- Mission: buy a baguette politely 4 min
- Mission: buy lunch at the market 5 min
- A1 · Forms and paperwork
- Mission: check in at a hotel 4 min
- A1 · Being polite
- Mission: send a postcard from the seaside 5 min
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Level Level A1 (around the DELF A1 exam). Real French: filling in a registration form at a hotel desk.
What it is
Your mission: you arrive at a small hotel in Nice. The receptionist, Élodie, hands you the registration form and asks for your details one at a time. Fill in each field and spell your surname aloud when she asks.
Signing up for a class, getting a library card or checking in at a hotel all start with a form. The same fields come up again and again:
| Field | Meaning (example) |
|---|---|
| Nom | family name (surname) (MARTIN) |
| Prénom | first name (Lucie) |
| Date de naissance | date of birth (05/03/1998) |
| Nationalité | nationality (française) |
| Adresse | address (12 rue des Lilas) |
| Code postal, Ville | postcode, town (69003 Lyon) |
| Téléphone | phone number (06 12 45 78 93) |
| Courriel | email address (l.martin@exemple.fr) |
| Profession | job (infirmière) |
The email field may also be called E-mail, Mél or Adresse électronique.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
On a French form, what goes in « Nom »?
- First name is Prénom
Show answer
Your family name. Nom is the surname; Prénom is the first name.
Why it matters
A form is quick if you know the field names, and slow and stressful if you guess. In real life it is often the first French you have to write.
Worked example
Élodie asks Lucie for her date of birth. Lucie was born on 5 March 1998. On a French form she writes: Date de naissance : 05/03/1998. French dates go day, then month, then year. In words: le 5 mars 1998.
Real French: when you give a name aloud, the receptionist will often ask Ça s'écrit comment ? (How do you spell it?). Be ready to say your surname letter by letter.
Common mistake
Reading 05/03/1998 as 3 May. French dates always start with the day, so 05/03 is the 5th of March.
Key terms
- nom
- family name, surname
- prénom
- first name
- date de naissance
- date of birth
- courriel
- email address (forms may also say e-mail, mél or adresse électronique)
- situation de famille
- marital status, e.g. célibataire (single), marié(e) (married)
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 5 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| nom | family name, surname |
| prénom | first name |
| date de naissance | date of birth |
| courriel | email address (forms may also say e-mail, mél or adresse électronique) |
| situation de famille | marital status, e.g. célibataire (single), marié(e) (married) |
Practice
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
Which date is 12/07/2001?
- Read month first; French dates start with the day
Show answer
12 July 2001. Day / month / year: the 12th of July.
Lucie Martin fills in a form. What does she write next to « Prénom »?
- That is a surname, for Nom
Show answer
Lucie. Prénom is the first name.
What goes in « Courriel »?
- That is Adresse
- That is Code postal
Show answer
Your email address. Courriel means email.
Build the sentence
Build the date « 5 March 2004 » the French way.
Show answer
le 5 mars 2004. le + day + month + year.
Practise speaking
Studyfern has no voice tools of its own. To practise out loud, copy this prompt into a voice-capable AI assistant and talk with it.
Mission role-play. You are Élodie, a friendly hotel receptionist in Nice, at level A1. Speak slowly and clearly. Use only these words and phrases, plus very simple everyday words: nom, prénom, date de naissance, adresse, courriel, nationalité, situation de famille, célibataire, marié(e). Fill in the registration form with me. Ask me for each item one at a time, with vous, and wait for my spoken answer. I will spell my made-up family name letter by letter when you ask me to spell it. After each answer, tell me what kind of mistake I made, if any, and let me try again, then tell me one thing to improve. When I have given all the details and spelled my name, say « Mission accomplie ! » and give me one tip. Keep every reply under 2 sentences. If I need a name or a town, I will make one up. Explain corrections in English.
Listen too. Listen to native speakers before and after: see the free listening and shadowing links.
Good to know. AI feedback on pronunciation is hit and miss, so check yourself against native recordings. Many assistants turn your speech into text first, so a vowel or liaison you got wrong may be silently “heard” as the right word. Don't share personal details: use a made-up name and town.
New to this? Read Practising speaking with an AI.
In short
- Nom = surname, Prénom = first name.
- Dates go day / month / year: 05/03 is 5 March.
- In words: le 5 mars 1998.
- Courriel = email; Code postal = postcode.
Mastery check
Answer without looking back. Score 80% or more and the lesson is marked done. Your result is kept only in this browser.
Check yourself
Answer in your head first, then open the answer. Nothing is saved.
What does « Date de naissance » mean?
Show answer
Date of birth.
How do you write 9 June 2010 in numbers, French style?
Show answer
09/06/2010.
Which field asks for your job?
Show answer
Profession.
Further reading
- DELF A1 official page, with sample papers.
- TV5MONDE, Apprendre le français, free A1 exercises to practise personal details.
Finished? Mark it done to fill in your leaf on the French map.