Studyfern
Aa
Text size
Line spacing
Reading font
Theme
Focus mode

Home › French

Mission: introduce yourself to your new neighbour

Name, age, nationality, where you live and what you do, in five short sentences.

FrenchA1 · About meAbout 5 min: 2 reading, 3 practiceUpdated

After this lesson you can
  • Say your name, age, nationality, city and job
  • Use j'ai, not je suis, for your age
  • Answer a new neighbour's first questions
About me: lesson 1 of 6
  1. A1 · About me
  2. Mission: introduce yourself to your new neighbour 5 min
  3. Mission: say who you are and what you have 5 min
  4. Mission: describe your family and your town 5 min
  5. Mission: tell a new colleague where you live and work 5 min
  6. Mission: say no politely to a street survey 5 min
  7. Mission: show a colleague photos of your family 6 min

Try first

You haven't learned this yet, so guess. Guessing before you read helps the explanation stick. Nothing here is scored.

Already know this? Take a 3-question check and skip ahead.

Get all three right and the lesson is marked done.

Level Level A1 (around the DELF A1 exam). Real French: meeting your new neighbour on the landing.

What it is

Your mission: you have just moved into a flat in Lyon. Your neighbour Margaux knocks to welcome you and asks, « Vous vous appelez comment ? ». Tell her your name, age, nationality, town and job.

Five sentences cover almost everything a new neighbour will ask:

FrenchMeaning
Je m'appelle Sam.My name is Sam.
J'ai vingt-quatre ans.I'm 24 (literally "I have 24 years").
Je suis canadienne.I'm Canadian (said by a woman).
J'habite à Lyon.I live in Lyon.
Je suis infirmier.I'm a nurse (said by a man).

Nationalities and many job names change with who is speaking: canadien for a man, canadienne for a woman.

Real French: among younger people, Moi, c'est Sam. is a very common, relaxed way to give your name. Je m'appelle Sam is always safe.

Quick check

Tap an answer to check it.

  1. How do you say "I live in Paris"?

    Show answer

    J'habite à Paris.. habiter à + city = to live in a city.

Why it matters

These are the questions you are most likely to hear first from any new acquaintance. Answering them smoothly gives you a calm start and shows you can talk about yourself in simple sentences.

Worked example

Margaux asks, and you answer (here, as Mia Torres would):

  • « Comment vous appelez-vous ? » → Je m'appelle Mia Torres.
  • « Quel âge avez-vous ? » → J'ai trente et un ans.
  • « Vous êtes de quelle nationalité ? » → Je suis mexicaine.
  • « Où habitez-vous ? » → J'habite à Montréal.
  • « Qu'est-ce que vous faites dans la vie ? » → Je suis étudiante.

Common mistake

Saying Je suis vingt-quatre ans. In French, you have years: J'ai vingt-quatre ans, with avoir, not être.

More detail: no "un" before a job

After je suis, a job comes without un or une: Je suis étudiant, not wrong: je suis un étudiant. (With c'est, the article comes back: C'est un étudiant.)

Quick check

Tap an answer to check it.

  1. How do you say "I'm 19"?

    Show answer

    J'ai dix-neuf ans.. Age uses avoir: j'ai … ans.

Key terms

je m'appelle
my name is
j'ai … ans
I am … years old
j'habite à
I live in (a city)
je suis
I am (nationality, job)
Qu'est-ce que vous faites dans la vie ?
What do you do (for a living)?

Practise the key terms

Tap a card to turn it over. 5 cards.

FrontBack
je m'appellemy name is
j'ai … ansI am … years old
j'habite àI live in (a city)
je suisI am (nationality, job)
Qu'est-ce que vous faites dans la vie ?What do you do (for a living)?

Practice

Build the sentence

Build "My name is Sam."

Show answer

Je m'appelle Sam.. Je m'appelle + name.

Build the sentence

Build "I live in Montreal."

Show answer

J'habite à Montréal.. J'habite à + city.

Quick quiz

Tap an answer to check it.

  1. Margaux asks « Quel âge avez-vous ? ». What is a good answer?

    Show answer

    J'ai vingt ans.. Quel âge avez-vous ? asks your age: J'ai … ans.

  2. A woman from Brazil says:

    Show answer

    Je suis brésilienne.. Many nationalities add -e for a woman; here the n doubles too: brésilien → brésilienne.

  3. How do you say "I'm a student" (a man speaking)?

    Show answer

    Je suis étudiant.. After je suis, no article before a job.

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 Margaux, my friendly new neighbour, welcoming me on the landing at level A1. Speak slowly and clearly. Use only these words and phrases, plus very simple everyday words: je m'appelle, j'ai … ans, j'habite à, je suis, Qu'est-ce que vous faites dans la vie ?. Ask me 5 short questions about myself, one at a time (name, age, town, nationality, job), using vous, and wait for my spoken answer. 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 my name, age, town, nationality and job, 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

  • Name: Je m'appelle … Age: J'ai … ans.
  • Nationality and job: Je suis … (no un/une before the job).
  • City: J'habite à …
  • Many nationalities and jobs add -e for a woman.

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.

  1. How do you say "I'm 30"?

    Show answer

    J'ai trente ans.

  2. Complete: « J'habite … Bordeaux. »

    Show answer

    à

  3. What does « Qu'est-ce que vous faites dans la vie ? » ask?

    Show answer

    What you do for a living, your job.

Further reading