Module 02: Greetings and Basic Communication¶

← Module 01 | Topic Home | Next → Module 03

Expand your first words into real conversations: introductions, numbers 1–100, days of the week, months of the year, telling time, formal vs. informal register, and the essential polite phrases for daily life.

Table of Contents¶

1. Overview
2. Prerequisites
3. Objectives
4. Theory
5. Key Concepts
6. Examples
7. Common Pitfalls
8. Cross-Links
9. Summary

Overview¶

Module 01 gave you the building blocks of French pronunciation and a handful of essential phrases. Module 02 expands those into functional communication: the ability to introduce yourself, ask basic questions, understand and give numbers up to 100, say the date, and tell time — all while navigating the formal/informal register distinction that governs French social interaction.

This module also introduces your first French question structures and your first glimpse of the verb être (to be) in context — not as a grammar topic (that is Module 04) but as a functional tool: Je suis de Paris. (I am from Paris.) Il est étudiant. (He is a student.) These constructions will be formalized in Module 04; here, they are learned as functional patterns.

By the end of Module 02, you will be able to hold a short, self-contained conversation with a French speaker covering introductions, origins, and basic information exchange. This is your first real communicative milestone in French.

Prerequisites¶

• [[french/modules/01_introduction]] — Pronunciation system, alphabet, liaison/elision rules, tu/vous distinction, numbers 1–20

[!TIP] Module 02 assumes you can pronounce all the Module 01 examples comfortably. If numbers 1–20 or the formal/informal greeting distinction still feels shaky, review Module 01 first.

Objectives¶

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

1. Introduce yourself and others in French, providing name, nationality, and profession
2. Ask and answer basic questions using Qui? Quoi? Où? Quand? Comment? Combien?
3. Count and use numbers from 1 to 100, including the irregular 70s and 90s
4. Say the days of the week and months of the year correctly
5. Tell the time in French using both formal (24-hour) and informal (12-hour) expressions
6. State and ask for dates: day, month, year
7. Use polite filler phrases, conversation openers, and responses (Vraiment ? C'est vrai. Je ne sais pas. D'accord.)
8. Distinguish formal and informal register in vocabulary and speech acts beyond tu/vous

Theory¶

Introducing Yourself in French¶

The core pattern for introducing yourself is:

Je m'appelle [name].          I am called [name]. / My name is [name].
Je suis [nationality/job].    I am [nationality/job].
J'habite à [city].            I live in [city].
Je suis de [city/country].    I am from [city/country].

Introducing others:

Voici [name]. C'est mon ami(e) [name].
Je vous présente [name].   (formal)
Je te présente [name].     (informal)

Asking for information:

Comment vous appelez-vous ?   What is your name? (formal)
Comment tu t'appelles ?       What is your name? (informal)
Vous êtes de quelle ville ?   What city are you from? (formal)
D'où tu viens ?               Where are you from? (informal)

Nationalities (note: they are lowercase in French, unlike English):

[!NOTE] In French, nationalities used as adjectives (after être) are lowercase: Je suis français. But when used as a noun (referring to a person), they are uppercase: Un Français (a Frenchman). This rule applies consistently and is one of the clearest differences from English capitalization.

Numbers 21–100¶

Building on numbers 1–20, French numbers follow predictable patterns — with notable exceptions in the 70s and 90s that require special attention.

21–69: Regular pattern

The pattern from 21–69 is: tens number + et (for 1s) or tens + unit number (for 2–9).

21 = vingt et un      (vingt + et + un)
22 = vingt-deux       (vingt + deux)
30 = trente
31 = trente et un
40 = quarante
50 = cinquante
60 = soixante
61 = soixante et un
69 = soixante-neuf

70–79: The infamous vigesimal system

French does NOT have a word for "seventy." Instead:

70 = soixante-dix         (sixty-ten)
71 = soixante et onze     (sixty-eleven)
72 = soixante-douze       (sixty-twelve)
73 = soixante-treize
...
79 = soixante-dix-neuf

This is a legacy of a vigesimal (base-20) counting system inherited from a Celtic substrate. Belgium and Switzerland use septante (70) instead — much simpler, but non-standard in France.

80–89: Also vigesimal

80 = quatre-vingts        (four-twenties)    Note: the s on vingts!
81 = quatre-vingt-un      (four-twenty-one)  No s when followed by a number
82 = quatre-vingt-deux
...
89 = quatre-vingt-neuf

Note: quatre-vingts (80) has a final s when standing alone, but loses it when followed by another number: quatre-vingt-deux.

90–99: Doubly unusual

90 = quatre-vingt-dix      (four-twenty-ten)
91 = quatre-vingt-onze
...
99 = quatre-vingt-dix-neuf

100:

100 = cent         /sɑ̃/
101 = cent un      (no et, unlike 21, 31, etc.)
200 = deux cents   (the s appears on cent when there is no following number)
201 = deux cent un (s disappears)

Days of the Week (les jours de la semaine)¶

Days in French are not capitalized (unless at the start of a sentence).

Note: The French week traditionally starts on Monday (lundi), not Sunday.

Useful day expressions:

aujourd'hui  /o.ʒuʁ.dɥi/    today
demain       /də.mɛ̃/         tomorrow
hier         /jɛʁ/           yesterday
lundi prochain                next Monday
lundi dernier                 last Monday
le lundi (with article)       on Mondays (recurring)

Months of the Year (les mois de l'année)¶

Also not capitalized:

Saying the date:

On est le [number] [month].      It is the [date].
Nous sommes le [number] [month].
C'est le [number] [month].

Examples:
C'est le 3 mars.           It is March 3rd.
On est le 25 décembre.     It is December 25th.
C'est le premier janvier.  It is January 1st. (premier for 1st, not un)

Telling Time (l'heure)¶

Asking:

Quelle heure est-il ?         What time is it? (formal)
Il est quelle heure ?         What time is it? (informal)
Tu as l'heure ?               Do you have the time? (informal)

Telling the time:

Il est [number] heure(s).

Il est une heure.             It is 1 o'clock.   (heure = singular when 1)
Il est deux heures.           It is 2 o'clock.   (heures = plural when > 1)
Il est midi.                  It is noon.
Il est minuit.                It is midnight.
Il est trois heures et demie. It is 3:30.        (et demie = and a half)
Il est quatre heures et quart. It is 4:15.       (et quart = and a quarter)
Il est cinq heures moins le quart. It is 4:45.   (moins le quart = minus a quarter)
Il est sept heures vingt.     It is 7:20.
Il est neuf heures moins cinq. It is 8:55.       (minus five)

24-hour time (official schedules, transport):

Il est quatorze heures trente.  It is 14:30 (2:30pm).
Le train part à dix-neuf heures. The train leaves at 19:00.

Essential Conversation Phrases¶

These phrases fill the gaps in conversation and make you sound more natural:

Vraiment ?              Really?
C'est vrai.             That's true. / Really.
Je ne sais pas.         I don't know.
D'accord.               OK / Agreed.
Bien sûr.               Of course.
Peut-être.              Maybe.
Pas du tout.            Not at all.
Un peu.                 A little.
Je comprends.           I understand.
Je ne comprends pas.    I don't understand.
Pouvez-vous répéter ?   Can you repeat? (formal)
Tu peux répéter ?       Can you repeat? (informal)
Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît.  More slowly, please.
Comment dit-on... en français ?   How do you say... in French?

Key Concepts¶

Nationalities are adjectives in French. They are not capitalized when used adjectivally after être (Je suis français), but are capitalized when used as nouns (un Français). They have masculine and feminine forms — learning both forms from the start avoids confusion later.

The vigesimal counting system (base 20) for 70–99 is a genuine historical curiosity. It comes from a Celtic substrate language (Gaulish) that used base 20. Belgium, Switzerland, and the Democratic Republic of Congo use simplified alternatives (septante, octante/huitante, nonante), but these are not used in France. Every learner must memorize the French system.

Days and months are lowercase in French — this is a direct difference from English and a frequent written error for anglophones.

Time expressions follow a logical pattern based on subtraction and addition relative to the hour. Fractions of the hour: et quart (+15 min), et demie (+30 min), moins le quart (−15 min). Specific minutes: just add the number: il est sept heures vingt (7h20). After 30, use moins (minus): il est huit heures moins dix (7h50 — eight minus ten).

Examples¶

Example 1: A Complete Introduction¶

Situation: First day of a French language class. The teacher asks students to introduce themselves.

Student: Bonjour, je m'appelle Sophie Chen. Je suis canadienne —
         je suis de Vancouver. J'habite maintenant à Paris.
         Je suis étudiante en architecture. J'apprends le français
         depuis six mois. Je suis ravie d'être ici !

Translation:
Hello, my name is Sophie Chen. I am Canadian — I am from Vancouver.
I now live in Paris. I am a student of architecture. I have been learning
French for six months. I am delighted to be here!

Notes:
- canadienne: feminine form of canadien (Sophie is female)
- étudiante: feminine form of étudiant (student)
- Preposition + city: je suis de [city], j'habite à [city]
- ravie: feminine form of ravi (delighted) — adjective agrees with subject

Example 2: Numbers in Context¶

Counting practice with real-world contexts:

Phone number: Mon numéro, c'est le 06 - 72 - 45 - 89 - 13.
              zéro-six, soixante-douze, quarante-cinq,
              quatre-vingt-neuf, treize

Note: French phone numbers are read in pairs of two digits.

Price: Ça coûte quatre-vingt-quinze euros et cinquante centimes.
       That costs 95 euros and 50 cents. (€95.50)

Age: J'ai vingt-trois ans.   I am 23 years old.
     Elle a soixante-dix-sept ans.  She is 77 years old.

Example 3: Making an Appointment¶

A: Pouvez-vous me voir mercredi ?
   Can you see me on Wednesday?

B: Mercredi, c'est difficile. Jeudi, ça va ?
   Wednesday is difficult. Thursday — does that work?

A: Oui, jeudi. Il est quelle heure, jeudi ?
   Yes, Thursday. What time on Thursday?

B: Dix heures et demie du matin. C'est bon pour vous ?
   10:30 in the morning. Is that OK for you?

A: Parfait. À jeudi, donc !
   Perfect. See you Thursday then!

Notes:
- du matin: in the morning (distinguishes am from pm for 12-hour clock)
- de l'après-midi: in the afternoon
- du soir: in the evening
- Donc /dɔ̃k/: therefore/then — a useful discourse connector

Common Pitfalls¶

Pitfall 1: Confusing 70s and 90s.

Soixante-dix (70) and quatre-vingt-dix (90) are consistently confused with each other and with 60 and 80. Drill these until automatic. The mnemonic: "After 69, French counting breaks."

Wrong: 70 = soixante-*quatorze*  ← treating it like a regular tens decade
       90 = *nonante*            ← this is Swiss/Belgian French, not French French

Correct: 70 = soixante-dix  (60 + 10)
         71 = soixante et onze  (60 + 11)
         90 = quatre-vingt-dix  (4×20 + 10)
         91 = quatre-vingt-onze (4×20 + 11)

Pitfall 2: Capitalizing nationalities and days/months.

English capitalizes all of these; French does not (in normal sentence use).

Wrong: Je suis Français. Je parle Français tous les Lundis.
Correct: Je suis français. Je parle français tous les lundis.

Pitfall 3: Using un instead of premier for the first of the month.

For ordinal numbers in dates, French uses the cardinal number (2^nd = deux, 15^th = quinze), with the single exception of the 1^st: le premier.

Wrong:  C'est le un mai.
Correct: C'est le premier mai.

Cross-Links¶

• [[french/modules/01_introduction]] — Pronunciation system introduced in Module 01 applies to all vocabulary here
• [[french/modules/03_nouns-and-articles]] — Nationalities are a preview of grammatical gender (Module 03 covers this systematically)
• [[french/modules/04_verbs-present-tense]] — Je suis, tu es, il est used functionally here; full conjugation of être is in Module 04

Summary¶

• Self-introductions in French use Je m'appelle, Je suis, J'habite à, Je suis de
• Nationalities: lowercase as adjectives after être; feminine forms usually add -e; some have irregular feminines
• Numbers 21–69 follow a regular pattern; 70–79 = soixante + 10-19; 80–89 = quatre-vingt + 1-9; 90–99 = quatre-vingt + 10-19
• Days and months are not capitalized in French
• The first day of the month uses premier, not un
• Time: Il est [number] heure(s) — singular for 1 o'clock, plural otherwise; et quart/demie, moins le quart for quarter-hours
• Essential filler phrases (D'accord, Je ne sais pas, Vraiment?) make conversation flow naturally