# pleased to meet you



## semiller

What are some other ways to say "nice to meet you" besides "enchanté."  I like this word, but it is overused.  Merci comme toujours!

Moderator's note: several threads have been merged to create this one.
You will find different translations of "pleased to meet you" here.
You can discuss the register of "enchanté(e) in this thread: *"Enchanté(e) ! (usage)"*


----------



## Addyblue

Ravi(e) de faire votre connaissance!


----------



## semiller

Can you also say "c'est un plaisir" rather than "enchanté."  

Merci de nouveau!


----------



## valerie

Je ne crois pas que ça se dise comme ça, peut-être plus explicitement:
C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer, on m'a tellement parlé de vous blablabla

Mais on sort de la formule rapide pour passer au menu complet


----------



## JennaP1984

Hello, what's the best way, after meeting someone, to say 'nice to meet you' or 'pleased to meet you' in French?
Can I have a formal version to use for meeting people in superiority and one for using when meeting people your own age please, a bit less formal? Would enchanté be suitable for either?

Thanks


----------



## la grive solitaire

Hi Jenna,

Here are some basic ones but I'm sure that native speakers will have some other informal suggestions, too.  http://frit.lss.wisc.edu/fr203/pdf documents/(1) se presenter.pdf#search="tres heureux enchante"


----------



## anangelaway

Bonjour JennaP1984,  

Few suggestions :

- C'était/Ce fut un plaisir de faire votre connaissance/de parler avec vous. (quite formal)
- Je suis enchanté(e) d'avoir fait votre connaissance. (formal)

- Heureux de vous avoir rencontré. (less formal)
- Bon, ben, sympa de t'avoir rencontré. (quite cool)


----------



## OlivierG

Hi, Jenna ! 
Even more formal (to be used only in front of, at least, a king or an emperor  )
"Ce fut un réel enchantement que d'avoir eu l'honneur d'échanger ces quelques mots avec vous".
And don't forget to bend the knee after that


----------



## JennaP1984

hmm, i'm not sure any of them are quite right. i'm coming to work in a french school and i need something to say when shaking hands when i meet my new colleagues. something not too long, not too over the top!

also i need something to say when shaking hands and meeting my new flat mates, again a bit less formal than the above.

any more ideas? thanks.


----------



## OlivierG

Maybe simply "Bonjour", or "Enchanté" then ?


----------



## Crescent

Yes, Enchante should do the trick, shouldn't it?  Then you don't have to memorise a whole speech of how delighted and thrilled you are to have exchanged a few precious words with each of the two thousand students you are going to faire connaissance avec!


----------



## ladrey

"je suis content(e) d'avoir fait ta/votre connaissance" semble plus approprié quand il s'agit de gens avec qui on est plus ou moins à l'aise

"je suis heureux/heureuse de vous avoir rencontré"
plus formel


----------



## viera

Ladrey's suggestions are fine for *taking leave* of someone you've been introduced to, usually after some conversation.

But during the actual introduction, you respond with "enchantée, bonjour or heureuse de faire votre connaissance."


----------



## Coppers

Qu'est-ce les mieux manieres à dit "pleased to meet you" en francais?

Il y a "enchanté" je sais, mais est-ce qu'il y a quelque chose un peu plus formel?

"Il me plait à vous faire reconnaitre" ou quelque-chose peut-etre?


----------



## Punky Zoé

Coppers said:


> Qu'est-ce les mieux manieres à dit "pleased to meet you" en francais? Quelles sont les meilleurs façons de dire
> 
> Il y a "enchanté" je sais, mais est-ce qu'il y a quelque chose d'un peu plus formel?
> 
> "Il me plait à vous faire reconnaitre" ou quelque-chose peut-etre?


Your suggestion doesn't work, but maybe: "enchanté de faire votre connaissance"


----------



## Laeti

"Enchanté(e) / Ravi(e) de faire votre connaissance / de vous rencontrer"


----------



## Isotta

I'd speculate even "enchanté" is pretty formal or old-fashioned. People my age seem tickled when I say it.


----------



## Punky Zoé

Isotta said:


> I'd speculate even "enchanté" is pretty formal or old-fashioned. People my age seem tickled when I say it.



Yes it's formal, it's something like "how do you do".


----------



## Coppers

Merci beaucoup Punky Zoe, Laetti & Isotta!

Je crois 'enchanté' est comme le mot anglais 'charmed', quelle est un peu vieilli aussi.


----------



## itka

"enchanté" is no more used... or only by old and formal people.

You can say :
"Très heureux de faire votre connaissance"
"Ravi de vous connaître"
"Ravi de vous rencontrer"
"J'ai beaucoup entendu parler de vous" (of course, if it's true... or possible)

Or, simply : "Bonjour" "Bonsoir"


----------



## kelseylizabeth

Salut, je rencontre les parents de mon copain français demain. Je pense à dire, dès que je les rencontre, "Bonjour. C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer." Is this something that French people say to each other? Would it seem odd to say this to them the first time I meet them? Would it be better to say, rather, "C'était un vrai plaisir" whenever I leave?


----------



## corkus

kelseylizabeth said:


> Salut, je rencontre les parents de mon copain français demain. Je pense à dire, dès que je les rencontre, "Bonjour. C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer." Is this something that French people say to each other? Would it seem odd to say this to them the first time I meet them? Would it be better to say, rather, "C'était un vrai plaisir" whenever I leave?


You're right but "je suis vraiment contente d'enfin vous rencontrer, X(name of your boyfriend) m'a tellement parlé de vous" is better :x


----------



## franc 91

I'd say - je suis très content(e) de vous rencontrer or je suis ravi(e) de....


----------



## maguinyc

I think that "c'est un plasir de vous rencontrer" is charming and correct. "c'était un vrai plaisir" is a little too much.  At the end: j'ai été ravie de vous rencontrer. In any case, one is not supposed to say "enchanté(e)" but I am not sure why not.


----------



## Songbird17

maguinyc said:


> I think that "c'est un plasir de vous rencontrer" is charming and correct. "c'était un vrai plaisir" is a little too much.  At the end: j'ai été ravie de vous rencontrer. In any case, one is not supposed to say "enchanté(e)" but I am not sure why not.



I agree with maguinyc on all counts. I too wonder why one isn't supposed to say "enchanté(e)". Is it too informal for just having met someone? (Sorry to everyone for briefly hijacking the thread-maguinyc threw up a good question there.)


----------



## franc 91

enchanté can be a bit banal and standardised if you see what I mean


----------



## Songbird17

franc 91 said:


> enchanté can be a bit banal and standardised if you see what I mean


 Ok, yes, I see. It's almost like saying something pleasant just to say it, not that the person really means it-superficial, not heartfelt, am I right? (And informal, too, I think.)


----------



## maguinyc

franc 91: i agree and think that 'enchanté' is considered "canned" and therefore not very genuine.


----------



## kelseylizabeth

Merci tout le monde! I ended up meeting them tonight, and said, "C'est un plaisir d'enfin vous rencontrer!" They looked pleased and told me I had a good accent


----------



## EtudianteEternelle

The other day I met a group of new people (they were old people but they were new to me) and they all seemed to be saying something that ended with "plaisir." Could it be that they were saying _*ça me fait plaisir*_? What else could they be saying while shaking my hand after I introduced myself or after someone else introduced me. (This happened in Quebec.)

Thank you


----------

