The phrase
The French phrase for ‘What is your last name?’ is “Quel est votre nom de famille?”. This phrase is commonly used in both formal and informal settings to ask someone about their family name.
Breaking it down
To understand this phrase better, let’s break it down:
- Quel: This translates to ‘What’. It is used when you’re asking for information.
- est: This word is the verb ‘to be’ in the third person singular form, meaning ‘is’.
- votre: This means ‘your’ and is a polite way to address someone in French.
- nom: This translates to ‘name’ and refers to a person’s first name or last name.
- de famille: This means ‘of family’ and is used to specify that you are asking for a last name in particular.
Using the phrase
Now that you know the phrase, it’s time to put it into practice. Here’s an example of using the phrase ‘Quel est votre nom de famille?’ in a conversation:
Person A: Bonjour! Comment vous appelez-vous?
(Person A: Hello! What is your name?)
Person B: Bonjour! Je m’appelle Sophie Dubois.
(Person B: Hello! My name is Sophie Dubois.)
Person A: Enchanté, Sophie! Quel est votre nom de famille?
(Person A: Nice to meet you, Sophie! What is your last name?)
Person B: Mon nom de famille est Dubois.
(Person B: My last name is Dubois.)
Person A: Merci, Dubois! Au plaisir de vous revoir.
(Person A: Thank you, Dubois! Nice to meet you.)
Now that you have learned how to ask someone for their last name in French, you can confidently engage in conversations and make new friends. Remember to use the phrase ‘Quel est votre nom de famille?’ when you want to know someone’s last name, and enjoy your journey of learning the French language!