🥐
Bienvenue, Katey!
This course is made just for Katey Lovemore — a South African
who's about to charm the world in French!
We'll start with the most important skill of all:
How to introduce yourself 🌟
🌍 Cape Town → 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 / ohnNasal vowels — say the vowel and let air flow through your nose (don't fully pronounce the "n")
üThe French "u" (as in tu) — round your lips as if to say "oo", then say "ee"
CAPITALSThe stressed syllable — say it slightly louder and longer
rFrench "r" is guttural — made at the back of the throat, like a soft gargle
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" sound; stress on PELL
My name is Katey Lovemore.
J'ai trente ans.
[zhay TRAHNT ahn] — "trente" has a nasal a (like "ah"), NOT "o"; "ans" = nasal "ah"
I am thirty 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)
I was born on the 16th of March, 1996.
Je viens du Cap, en Afrique du Sud.
[zhuh VYAHN dü KAP, ahn ah-FREEK dü süd] — "viens" is ONE syllable; "du" uses French ü
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 form)
Enchantée !
[ahn-shahn-TAY] — both "an" 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 trente 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) and enchantée (not enchanté) and
sud-africaine (not sud-africain). The extra -e is for women!
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 trente ans. Je suis née le seize mars, mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-seize.
I am thirty 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! Use vous to be polite at
first, then relax into tu when someone is friendly.
Quiz Time, Katey!
Let's see what you've learned.