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French, known as the language of love and romance, is spoken by millions of people around the world. Whether you are planning a trip to a French-speaking country or simply want to impress your friends with your language skills, learning how to say hello in French is a great place to start. The French language has its own unique set of greetings and formalities that can be quite different from English. In this guide, we will explore the different ways to say hello in French, from the formal “bonjour” to the more casual “salut.” So, whether you want to greet someone politely or initiate a friendly conversation, let’s dive into the world of French greetings and discover the various ways to say hello in this beautiful language.
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Whether you’re planning a trip to a French-speaking country or just want to learn French, knowing how to greet people properly is a must-have. In French this is especially important, as native speakers are usually very polite in greeting. The most common way to say “hello” in French is “bonjour” (bohn-zhuhr). In addition, there are many different ways to greet people in French, depending on the context and how familiar you are with the person. [1] X Research Source
Steps
Hello unknown person
- The word “bonjour” literally translates to “good day,” which can be used at any time of the day. French does not have the equivalent of “good morning” or “good afternoon” as in English.
- You probably already know that “au revoir” is the French way of saying goodbye. However, “bonne journée” (bohn zhur-nay), meaning “have a nice day” is probably the more common goodbye. Luckily it’s pretty much the same as “bonjour” (you just add a syllable), so it’s easy to remember.
Pronunciation tip: The “r” at the end of “bonjour” is pronounced very softly. Some native speakers even speak without the “r” sound. At that time, the word was pronounced like “bohn-zhoo.”
- Like the word “bonjour,” there is a matching phrase that you can use to say goodbye to the evening. “Bonne soirée” (bohn swah-ray) means “good evening.”
Tip: “Bonsoir” is a rather formal way of greeting in the evening. If you’re meeting friends and family, you can say “bonjour,” even in the evening.
- If you’re the one calling, when the other party answers “allo,” respond with a “bonjour” greeting. Usually you won’t respond with “allo”.
- If the person you are talking to is female, an “e” will be added to the end of the word, written as “enchantée,” but the pronunciation will not change. You just need to remember this rule when writing.
- Unlike greetings, “enchanté” is used only once – when you are introduced to someone for the first time. [6] X Research Sources
Use informal greetings
- “Salut” is also used when you have a slight acquaintance with someone, although not exactly friends. For example, if you visit a certain coffee shop every morning, the barista might greet you with the word “salut” as a way of signaling that they recognize you.
- You also often hear the greeting “salut” in French programs on TV or on YouTube channels, where people use this greeting to show familiarity between the speaker and the audience.
- When greeting a baby, you can say “salut, toi” (seh-loo twah). This sentence means “Hello brother/child/nephew”, but in a playful tone.
Tip: “Salut” can be used to greet each other when meeting and also when saying goodbye, similar to the Italian word “ciao”.
- Adults also greet each other “coucou” while having fun. However, this greeting is quite informal and should never be used to address someone you have to pay respect to, such as a teacher or superior, even if you have a relatively close relationship with them. .
- As with “salut, me,” you can say “coucou, me.”
- “Quoi de neuf?” (kwah d’nuhff): Anything new?
- “A roule?” (sah roohl): How are you these days?
- “Comment where?” (coh-moh sah vah): How are you?
- “Quoi de beau?” (kwah d’boh): Anything good? [10] X Research Source
Tip: Just like in English, the French usually answer “ça va” (meaning “good” or “well”) no matter how they are feeling.
- You can say “tiens” whenever you meet someone you know well. However, this sentence is most often used when you meet someone you haven’t seen in a long time or meet in an unexpected place.
- In this context, the word “tiens” is similar to the word “voilà” (vwah-lah), which you may have heard of.
Observe French etiquette
- If you walk into a shop or cafe in France, the staff who work there will often say “bonjour” to you. To be polite, simply reply “bonjour”.
- This rule also applies to restaurant waiters. When the waiter comes to take the order, you should say “bonjour” before you start ordering food and drink (unless you have said “bonjour” to them before).
- Young people often just say “re” (rray). This shorthand is more informal and is only used when talking to people you know.
- Customs vary from place to place depending on the region. Although the kiss usually starts from the right cheek to the left cheek, in some places people kiss as many as three or four times.
- Girlfriends are more likely to blow kisses together, but sometimes men are faire la bise .
- If you don’t know what their customs are like, observe the other person and try to follow them.
Tip: Although hugging is a common greeting in some cultures, the French consider hugging an invasion of privacy. You should only hug someone if you have romantic feelings for them or it is a family member.
- Men are more likely to shake hands than faire la bise , whatever the setting.
- In some professions, especially those who are active in the arts, people often wind kisses even when they first meet.
Warning
- The pronunciation guide in this article is just an approximation to give you a rough idea of the correct pronunciation of French words. To know the perfect pronunciation, you need to listen to native speakers and try to imitate them.
This article is co-authored by a team of editors and trained researchers who confirm the accuracy and completeness of the article.
The wikiHow Content Management team carefully monitors the work of editors to ensure that every article is up to a high standard of quality.
This article has been viewed 24,326 times.
Whether you’re planning a trip to a French-speaking country or just want to learn French, knowing how to greet people properly is a must-have. In French this is especially important, as native speakers are usually very polite in greeting. The most common way to say “hello” in French is “bonjour” (bohn-zhuhr). In addition, there are many different ways to greet people in French, depending on the context and how familiar you are with the person. [1] X Research Source
In conclusion, saying hello in French may seem intimidating at first, but with a little practice and confidence, anyone can master this common greeting. It is important to understand the cultural context of using formal or informal greetings, as well as incorporating proper pronunciations. By starting with basic phrases such as “bonjour” and “salut,” one can easily navigate social interactions in French-speaking environments. Furthermore, expanding one’s knowledge of regional variations and appropriate greetings for different times of the day can enhance communication efforts. Learning how to say hello in French not only demonstrates respect for the language and culture, but it also allows for meaningful connections and smoother interactions when engaging with French-speaking individuals. So, don’t hesitate to say “bonjour” and open the door to a whole new world of communication and cultural understanding.
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