French Phrase
Comment tu t'appelles, s'il te plaît ?
Meaning
A courteous way to ask someone’s name in French. Adding ‘s’il te plaît’ softens the question, making it sound more polite and friendly.
When to use
Use this phrase in informal or semi‑formal situations when you want to be polite—meeting a new classmate, a fellow language‑exchange partner, or a child. In very formal contexts you would switch to the ‘vous’ form.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Commenttut'appelles,s'ilteplaît?
Comment
Interrogative adverb meaning 'how' or 'what', used to introduce a question.
tu
Informal second‑person singular subject pronoun.
t'appelles
Reflexive verb ‘s’appeler’ (to be called) conjugated in present tense, 2nd person singular; the ‘t’ is the elided form of the reflexive pronoun ‘te’ before a vowel.
s'il te plaît
Polite expression meaning ‘please’; literally ‘if it pleases you’, formed with the impersonal ‘il’ and the verb ‘plaire’.
🗨In Conversation
Comment tu t'appelles, s'il te plaît ?
What’s your name, please?
Je m'appelle Léa. Et toi ?
My name is Léa. And you?
✕Common Mistakes
Comment vous t'appelles, s'il te plaît ?
Mixing ‘vous’ with the informal verb form creates a pronoun mismatch.
Comment tu appeles, s'il te plaît ?
Missing the apostrophe and the reflexive pronoun; the verb must be reflexive.
Comment tu t'appelles, s'il vous plaît ?
When using ‘tu’, the polite particle must stay in the informal form ‘s’il te plaît’. Mixing ‘te’ and ‘vous’ is inconsistent.
↔Alternatives
Comment vous appelez‑vous, s'il vous plaît ?
What’s your name, please? (formal)
Tu t'appelles comment ?
What’s your name?
Quel est ton nom, s'il te plaît ?
What is your name, please?
Cultural Tip
In everyday French, people often drop ‘s’il te plaît’ when asking for a name, especially among peers. However, keeping it shows extra courtesy and is appreciated in mixed‑age or slightly formal settings. Remember to match the pronoun (tu vs. vous) with the level of familiarity you have with the person.