How much do you know about French greetings? Do you know how to say “good morning” in French, along with other basic French phrases? This is usually the first task that French learners take on.
Les salutations – Greetings
Greetings in France are very important in French culture. Below you will find a list of common French greetings that are used in a variety of social settings.
| French Expression | Translation |
| Bonjour ! | Good morning/Hello! |
| Bonsoir ! | Good evening! |
| Salut ! | Hi/Bye! |
| Allô ? | Hello? |
| Au revoir ! | Goodbye! |
| À bientôt ! | See you soon! |
| À la prochaine ! | See you next time! |
| À demain ! | See you tomorrow! |
| Bon après-midi ! | Have a good afternoon! |
| Bon week-end ! | Have a good weekend! |
| Bonne semaine ! | Have a good week! |
Contexts:
- Bonjour is used throughout the day; in the evening, French speakers switch to Bonsoir. It also takes the place of saying “Good morning.” Be sure to say Bonjour to the shop owner or front-of-house employee as soon as you walk into any store or restaurant in France!
- Salut is more informal than Bonjour and Au revoir.
La Bise
- In addition to a verbal greeting, people in France do something called la bise. La bise is typically done between friends and family where they give an air kiss on each cheek upon a verbal greeting.
- In more formal settings (i.e. between business partners or between strangers), handshakes supplement a formal greeting.
Below you will find a list of the most common introductory questions to use in various social contexts.
| French Expression | Translation | Context |
| Comment allez-vous ? | How are you? | More formal and polite expression and/or asking to a group of people |
| Comment ça va / Ça va ? | How are you? | Informal, casual |
| Ça va bien/mal | I’m doing well/unwell | Either context |
| Comment t’appelles-tu ? | What’s your name? | Informal, casual |
| Comment vous appelez-vous ? | What’s your name? | Formal and/or plural |
| Je m’appelle | My name is | Either context |
| Enchanté / Enchantée | It’s nice to meet you | Either context (Enchantée when a woman is speaking or writing) |
Other important French expressions for conversations:
| French Expression | Translation |
| Oui | Yes |
| Non | No |
| Merci | Thank you |
| De rien | You’re welcome |
French greetings vary widely, depending on the time of day, context, and your relationship with the person. From polite conversations with your boss, to answering the phone, to writing formal emails, to holiday greetings and saying a customary goodbye in French, there are a lot of options to choose from!