French Greetings
In France, greeting people is expected rather than optional. Each entry below notes when it is used and how formal it is.
Everyday greetings
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Bonjour
bon-ZHOOR
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Hello, good morning
Say it entering any shop, café or lift. Correct until early evening
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Bonsoir
bon-SWAR
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Good evening
Replaces bonjour from around 6pm
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Salut
sa-LUU
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Hi, bye
Friends only, and it works both arriving and leaving
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Coucou
koo-KOO
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Hi there
Affectionate, for close friends and children
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Bienvenue
byan-vuh-NUU
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Welcome
Asking how someone is
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Ça va ?
sa VA
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How's it going?
Also the answer. Ça va means both the question and I'm fine
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Comment ça va ?
kom-mon sa VA
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How are you?
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Comment allez-vous ?
kom-mon tah-lay VOO
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How are you?
Formal, for anyone you call vous
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Très bien, merci
treh byan mehr-SEE
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Very well, thank you
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Enchanté
on-shon-TAY
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Pleased to meet you
Write enchantée if you are female. It sounds the same
Leaving
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Au revoir
oh ruh-VWAR
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Goodbye
The standard goodbye anywhere
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À bientôt
ah byan-TOH
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See you soon
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À demain
ah duh-MAN
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See you tomorrow
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À plus tard
ah pluu TAR
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See you later
Shortened to à plus in speech, where the s is pronounced
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Bonne journée
bun zhoor-NAY
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Have a good day
Said as you leave, not as you arrive
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Bonne nuit
bun NWEE
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Good night
Only when someone is going to bed. Never a greeting
The tu and vous rule
Vous is for strangers, shopkeepers, officials, anyone older, and any group of people. Tu is for friends, family, children and colleagues you know well.
The greeting follows the pronoun: Comment allez-vous with vous, Ça va with tu.
French is stricter about this than Spanish or German. Using tu with a stranger reads as rude, while using vous with a friend just sounds slightly stiff, so vous is the safer error.
Bonjour once per person per day. If you greet the same person again in the afternoon, the joke version is rebonjour, but a nod is enough.
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