Lesson 1.5: Introduction – Saying Your Name and the French Alphabet
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to introduce yourself in French, pronounce the French alphabet, and spell your name.
1. Saying Your Name:
Let’s start with introducing yourself. In French, you can say “Je m’appelle” (I am called) followed by your name. For example:
- Je m’appelle Vincent. My name is Vincent.
- Je m’appelle Julie. My name is Julie.
Practice saying your name in French.
2. The French Alphabet:
The French alphabet is comparable to the English alphabet, but there are some variations in pronunciation. Here’s how to pronounce the letters of the French alphabet:
| Letter | Simplified Pronunciation | API Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A | Ah | /a/ |
| B | Bay | /be/ |
| C | Say | /se/ |
| D | Day | /de/ |
| E | Uh | /ə/ |
| F | Eff | /ɛf/ |
| G | Zhay | /ʒe/ |
| H | Ahsh | /aʃ/ |
| I | Ee | /i/ |
| J | Zhay | /ʒi/ |
| K | Kah | /ka/ |
| L | Ell | /ɛl/ |
| M | Emm | /ɛm/ |
| N | Ahn | /ɛn/ |
| O | Oh | /o/ |
| P | Pay | /pe/ |
| Q | Koo | /ky/ |
| R | Air | /ɛʁ/ |
| S | Ess | /ɛs/ |
| T | Tay | /te/ |
| U | Oo | /y/ |
| V | Vay | /ve/ |
| W | Doo-bluh Vay | /dublə ve/ |
| X | Eeks | /iks/ |
| Y | Ee-grek | /i ɡʁɛk/ |
| Z | Zed | /zɛd/ |
Practice pronouncing the French alphabet after listening to the pronunciation.
3. Spelling Your Name:
Now, let’s learn how to spell your name in French. To do this, you’ll need to know the names of the letters in French.
For example, if your name is “Paul,” you would spell it like this:
- P: Pay
- A: Ah
- U: Oo
- L: Ell
So, “Paul” is spelled “P-A-U-L” in French.
Practice spelling your name in French using the French alphabet.
4. Practice:
Now, try introducing yourself in French and spelling your name. For example:
- “Je m’appelle Sarah. S-A-R-A-H.”
Practice as many times as you need to feel comfortable.
5. Conclusion:
Great job! You’ve learned how to introduce yourself in French and spell your name. This will be useful for future conversations in French.
In the next lesson, we’ll continue to build your French language skills. Bonne chance (Good luck)!