🇫🇷 French A1: Greetings & Introductions
Bonjour ! - Your First Steps in French - Trilingual (French/English/عربي)
👋 Bonjour ! Welcome to French Greetings & Introductions
In this lesson you will learn how to greet people, introduce yourself, ask someone's name, and say where you are from. You will also meet the verb être (to be) — the single most important verb in French.
📖 Grammar Focus: "Je viens de..." vs "Je viens des..."
To say where you're from, the small word before the country name changes depending on the country's gender and number. There are two clear rules — learn the pattern below and you'll never have to guess again.
| 1️⃣ Most countries — use "de", "du", or "d'" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Country type | Example | Meaning |
| Feminine country, starts with a consonant → use de | Je viens de France | I come from France |
| Masculine country, starts with a consonant → use du | Je viens du Maroc | I come from Morocco |
| Any country starting with a vowel sound → use d' | Je viens d'Arabie saoudite | I come from Saudi Arabia |
The overwhelming majority of country names in French follow this first rule. Which exact word you use (de, du, or d') depends only on the country's grammatical gender and its first letter — not on anything else about the country.
| 2️⃣ Plural countries — always use "des" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Country type | Example | Meaning |
| Countries whose French name is grammatically plural | Je viens des États-Unis | I come from the United States |
| Countries whose French name is grammatically plural | Je viens des Émirats arabes unis | I come from the UAE |
Only a small number of countries fall into this second group — specifically ones whose French name is already plural, such as les États-Unis (the United States) and les Émirats arabes unis (the UAE). For these, you always use "des," with no exceptions. Every other country in the vocabulary list below follows the first rule above, so once you know a country's gender, you'll always know which word to use.
📖 Grammar Focus: The verb être (to be)
Être is the most important verb in French. You use it to say who you are, your nationality, and your job. It is irregular, so it must be memorized.
| French | Pronunciation | English | العربية |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je suis | zhuh swee | I am | أنا |
| Tu es | too eh | You are (informal) | أنت (عامية) |
| Il / Elle est | eel / ell eh | He / She is | هو / هي |
| Nous sommes | noo sum | We are | نحن |
| Vous êtes | voo zett | You are (formal/plural) | أنتم (رسمي/جمع) |
| Ils / Elles sont | eel / ell sohn | They are | هم |
Example: Je suis étudiant. (I am a student. / أنا طالب.)
📖 Grammar Focus: Formal vs Informal "you" (tu vs vous)
Tu is used with friends, family, children, or people your own age. Vous is used with strangers, elders, teachers, or in professional settings — and is also the plural "you." Using tu with the wrong person can sound rude, so when in doubt, use vous.
💬 Sample Dialogue
🎯 Flashcards
Click each card to flip it and reveal the English and Arabic translation. Click again to flip back.
❓ Quick Quiz
Answer one question at a time. You'll see right away if you got it right, then move to the next.
📝 Practice Exams — 5 Exams, 50 Questions Total
Each exam has 10 questions, answered one at a time with instant feedback. Exam 5 is a comprehensive mixed review. Choose an exam below to begin.
💡 Tips & Cultural Notes
Expert teacher notes to help you sound more natural and avoid common beginner mistakes.
🇫🇷 Cheek kisses (la bise)
In France, friends and family often greet each other with light cheek kisses (one on each cheek, sometimes more depending on the region) instead of, or alongside, "Bonjour." With strangers or in business settings, a handshake is standard instead.
⚠️ Common Mistake: tu vs vous
Beginners often use tu with everyone because it feels simpler. But using tu with a teacher, a boss, or an older stranger can come across as disrespectful. When you're not sure, always start with vous — the other person will tell you if you can switch to tu.
⚠️ Common Mistake: "Bonjour" vs "Salut"
Salut is casual and used only with friends or people your own age — never with elders, teachers, or in formal settings. Bonjour is always safe and works in every situation.
🗣️ Liaison tip
In "Comment allez-vous ?", the "t" of "allez-vous" links smoothly — say it as one flowing phrase, not word by word. French speech connects words together far more than it looks on paper.
📌 Enchanté vs Enchantée
"Enchanté" is used by a male speaker, and "Enchantée" (with a silent extra -e) by a female speaker. They sound almost identical when spoken, but the spelling changes based on the speaker's gender — this pattern repeats throughout French grammar.