What is the song about?
Two people meet for the first time. Alex introduces himself, asks the other person where they come from and what language they speak, and then expresses his joy at meeting them. The song reviews everyday polite words (merci, pardon, s'il te plaît) and shows that you can greet someone in a formal or casual way. At the end, Alex says thank you and goodbye.
Useful words and expressions
- Bonjour / Bonsoir / Salut: bonjour during the day, bonsoir in the evening, salut between friends (informal).
- Comment vas-tu ?: to ask someone how they are doing.
- Je m'appelle…: to say your first name.
- D'où viens-tu ? / Je viens de la ville: to talk about where you are from.
- Enchanté(e) de faire ta connaissance: the classic phrase for a first meeting. A woman writes enchantée.
- C'est un grand plaisir: to say that you are happy about the meeting.
- Je suis ravi / content: in the feminine form, ravie / contente.
- Quoi de neuf ?: an informal question to ask for news.
- C'est comme tu veux / C'est à toi de voir: the decision is up to you.
- Pas de souci: no problem (fairly informal).
- Passe une bonne journée: said when leaving.
- Excuse-moi: used with someone you address informally as tu; with someone you address formally as vous, you say excusez-moi.
- Du matin au soir: all day long.
Grammar
- Questions with inversion: Comment vas-tu ?, D'où viens-tu ?, As-tu voyagé ?, Parles-tu français ? The verb comes before the subject. In spoken French, people also often say Tu viens d'où ? or Tu parles français ?
- The imperative: Dis-moi, Commençons, Gardons, Passe une bonne journée. With nous, the imperative is used to suggest something: Commençons à parler means « parlons ensemble » (