Greetings & Introductions
Use these phrases to naturally greet people, introduce yourself, and make small talk when meeting someone new or catching up in French.
Key Phrases
Salut, ça fait vraiment un bail qu'on ne s'est pas vus tous les deux !
casualHi, it's really been a long time since we both saw each other!
The idiomatic expression 'ça fait un bail' is very common for 'it's been a while'.
Bonjour, il me semble qu'on ne se connaît pas encore, je viens d'arriver.
neutralHello, I don't think we know each other yet, I just arrived.
A polite but natural way to break the ice with someone you haven't met.
Je m'appelle Thomas, je suis l'ami dont Sarah t'a parlé la semaine dernière.
neutralMy name is Thomas, I'm the friend Sarah told you about last week.
Uses the relative pronoun 'dont' which is essential for B1 fluency.
Permettez-moi de me présenter, je suis le nouveau collègue qui vient de rejoindre l'équipe.
politeAllow me to introduce myself, I am the new colleague who just joined the team.
Formal phrasing, ideal for a professional setting or speaking to superiors.
Tu viens d'où à l'origine, si ce n'est pas indiscret ?
casualWhere are you from originally, if you don't mind me asking?
'Si ce n'est pas indiscret' is the authentic French equivalent to 'if you don't mind me asking'.
D'où venez-vous exactement, si je peux me permettre de vous le demander aujourd'hui ?
politeWhere are you from exactly, if I may allow myself to ask you today?
A very deferential way to ask personal questions in formal contexts.
Qu'est-ce que tu fais de beau dans la vie en ce moment ?
casualWhat are you up to in life right now?
'Qu'est-ce que tu fais de beau' is a very common, friendly way to ask about someone's occupation.
Dans quel domaine est-ce que vous travaillez actuellement au sein de cette entreprise ?
politeIn what field are you currently working within this company?
Standard professional way to ask what someone does.
C'est super sympa de te rencontrer enfin en vrai après tous ces échanges.
casualIt's really nice to finally meet you in person after all these exchanges.
'En vrai' is the natural spoken way to say 'in person'.
Je suis vraiment ravi de faire votre connaissance aujourd'hui lors de cet événement.
politeI am truly delighted to make your acquaintance today at this event.
'Faire votre connaissance' is the standard polite alternative to 'vous rencontrer'.
Je pensais justement à toi, comment ça se passait ton grand projet le mois dernier ?
casualI was just thinking about you, how was your big project going last month?
Uses the imperfect tense to ask about an ongoing situation in the past.
Il me semble qu'on s'est croisés à la réunion qui a eu lieu hier matin.
neutralIt seems to me that we crossed paths at the meeting that took place yesterday morning.
'Se croiser' is a great pronominal verb for running into someone.
C'est bien toi qui organisais la grande fête dont tout le monde m'a parlé ?
casualAre you indeed the one who was organizing the big party everyone told me about?
Highlights the B1-level use of 'qui' and 'dont' with the imperfect tense.
Bon, il faut que j'y aille maintenant, je t'appellerai très vite pour prendre un verre !
casualWell, I have to go now, I will call you very soon to grab a drink!
Combines a common subjunctive trigger ('il faut que') with a casual sign-off.
Il faut que je vous laisse malheureusement, passez une excellente fin de journée.
politeI unfortunately have to leave you, have an excellent rest of the day.
Standard polite exit strategy in a professional or formal context.