French Phrase
C'est ma première fois.
Meaning
Literally, "It is my first time." The speaker is indicating that they are experiencing something for the first time, whether it’s a place, activity, or situation.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to tell someone you’re trying something new – your first visit to a city, your first time speaking French, your first attempt at a sport, etc. It works in both casual and polite contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
C'estmapremièrefois.
C'est
Contraction of "ce est" meaning "it is/this is"; used before a noun or adjective.
ma
Possessive adjective for first‑person singular, feminine form, agreeing with the feminine noun "fois".
première
Ordinal adjective meaning "first"; must agree in gender (feminine) and number (singular) with the noun it modifies.
fois
Noun meaning "time" or "occasion"; always feminine, regardless of the context.
🗨In Conversation
C'est ma première fois ici.
It's my first time here.
Bienvenue! Laisse-moi te montrer les environs.
Welcome! Let me show you around.
✕Common Mistakes
C'est ma premier fois.
The ordinal must agree with the feminine noun "fois"; use "première".
C'est mon première fois.
Possessive adjective must match the gender of "fois" (feminine).
C'est ma première fois que je le fais.
When using "que", the correct structure is "C'est la première fois que je le fais".
↔Alternatives
C'est la première fois que je le fais.
This is the first time I do it.
Je le fais pour la première fois.
I'm doing it for the first time.
C'est ma première expérience.
It's my first experience.
Cultural Tip
In French, the word "fois" is always feminine, so the possessive adjective must be "ma" and the ordinal "première". Native speakers often add "la" before "première fois" for emphasis ("C'est la première fois que…"). In formal settings, you might prefer the longer construction "C'est la première fois que je..." to sound more polished.