🥐
Bienvenue, Katey!
This course is made just for Katey Lovemore — born in
Cape Town, South Africa on 16 March 1996,
and about to charm the world in French!
We'll start with the most important skill of all:
How to introduce yourself 🌟
🌍 Le Cap → Paris
🗓 Lesson 1
⏱ ~10 minutes
By the end you'll know how to:
- Say hello and goodbye in French
- Give your name, age, and where you're from
- Have a real introductory conversation
- Ask someone else about themselves
Essential Words & Phrases
Tap any card to reveal the English meaning.
👆 Tap to flip
🔊 How to Read the Pronunciation Guide
zhLike the "s" in measure or treasure — this is the French "j" sound
ahn / ehnNasal vowels — say "ah" or "eh" while letting air flow through your nose; don't fully close on the "n"
üThe French "u" (as in tu) — round your lips for "oo", but say "ee". No direct English equivalent
CAPITALSThe stressed syllable — say it slightly louder and a touch longer than the others
rFrench "r" is guttural — produced at the back of the throat, like a very soft gargle
silent lettersMost final consonants in French are silent: "mars" = "mar", "ans" = "ahn", "Cap" = "KAP"
Katey's Introduction in French
Here's exactly how you would introduce yourself.
📖 Phrase by Phrase
Bonjour !
[bohn-ZHOOR] — "ohn" is nasal; "zh" like "s" in measure
Hello / Good morning!
Je m'appelle Katey Lovemore.
[zhuh mah-PELL] — "j" = "zh"; the 'e' in je is a soft schwa
My name is Katey Lovemore.
J'ai ans.
[zhay ahn] — the vowel in "" is a nasal a (like "ah"), NOT "o"
I am years old.
Je suis née le seize mars, mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-seize.
[zhuh swee NAY luh SEHZ mars, meel nuhf SAHN KAT-ruh-van-SEHZ]
"cent" = SAHN (nasal a, not o) · "seize" = SEHZ · "mars" final s is silent
"cent" = SAHN (nasal a, not o) · "seize" = SEHZ · "mars" final s is silent
I was born on 16 March 1996.
Je viens du Cap, en Afrique du Sud.
[zhuh VYAHN dü KAP, ahn ah-FREEK dü süd]
"viens" = one syllable VYAHN · "du" uses French ü · "en" before feminine country
"viens" = one syllable VYAHN · "du" uses French ü · "en" before feminine country
I come from Cape Town, in South Africa.
Je suis sud-africaine.
[zhuh swee süd-ah-free-KEN] — stress on KEN; "suis" = "swee"
I am South African. (feminine)
Enchantée !
[ahn-shahn-TAY] — both "ahn" syllables are nasal; stress on TAY
Delighted / Nice to meet you!
🌟 Katey's full introduction — read it aloud!
Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Katey Lovemore. J'ai ans. Je suis née le seize mars, mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-seize. Je viens du Cap, en Afrique du Sud. Je suis sud-africaine. Enchantée !
Grammar note: French has feminine & masculine forms. Because Katey is female,
she says née (not né), enchantée (not enchanté), and
sud-africaine (not sud-africain). The extra -e is the feminine marker!
Cape Town in French: Cape Town is called Le Cap in French.
"Je viens du Cap" uses du (= de + le) because "Le Cap" is a masculine noun.
South Africa — Afrique du Sud — is feminine, so we say en Afrique du Sud.
A Real Conversation
See how a first meeting goes in French.
🎭 Scene: Meeting someone in Paris
👨
Pierre
Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Pierre. Et vous ?
Hello! My name is Pierre. And you?
👩
Katey
Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Katey.
Hello! My name is Katey.
👨
Pierre
D'où viens-tu ?
Where are you from?
👩
Katey
Je viens du Cap, en Afrique du Sud. Je suis sud-africaine. Et toi ?
I come from Cape Town, in South Africa. I'm South African. And you?
👨
Pierre
Je suis français, de Paris ! Quel âge as-tu ?
I'm French, from Paris! How old are you?
👩
Katey
J'ai ans. Je suis née le seize mars, mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-seize.
I am years old. I was born on 16 March 1996.
👨
Pierre
Enchanté, Katey !
Nice to meet you, Katey!
👩
Katey
Enchantée, Pierre !
Nice to meet you too, Pierre!
Vous vs. Tu: Pierre first says Et vous? (formal "you") then switches to
Et toi? (informal "you") — that's natural in French! Start formal with strangers,
then relax into tu once they're friendly.
Quiz Time, Katey!
Let's see what you've learned.