The basic greetings in French are bonjour (hello, good morning, good afternoon), bonsoir (good evening) and, informally, salut (hi, bye). To say goodbye: au revoir, à bientôt (see you soon) and à demain (see you tomorrow). Bonne nuit is only for bedtime. The usual follow-up is Ça va ?, answered with Ça va bien, merci. Et toi ?
Saying hello and goodbye
In the pronunciation notes, (n) marks a nasal vowel and “zh” is the s in “measure”.
| French | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| bonjour | hello, good morning, good afternoon | all day until the evening, with anyone: the default greeting |
| bonsoir | good evening | from the early evening; there is no fixed time |
| salut | hi, and also bye | informal: friends, classmates, family |
| coucou | hiya | very informal: family, close friends, children, messages |
| bonne nuit | good night | only when someone is going to bed |
Bonjour is bo(n)-ZHOOR, bonsoir bo(n)-SWAHR, salut sa-LÜ with a silent t. French has no word for “good afternoon”: bonjour covers the whole day.
Bonjour is not optional
In France, bonjour is expected when you walk into a shop, a waiting room or a bus, and when you speak to anyone, even to ask the time. Starting with a question and no bonjour sounds rude. The polite version adds madame or monsieur, without a surname: Bonjour, madame.
You say bonjour once a day to the same person. If you meet again, a smile or an informal re-bonjour does the job.
Saying goodbye
- au revoir: goodbye, in any situation (oh-ruh-VWAHR, often shortened to “oh-VWAHR” in quick speech)
- salut, ciao or tchao: bye (informal)
- à bientôt: see you soon
- à tout à l’heure: see you later (today)
- à plus tard, or informally à plus (the s is pronounced; written A+ in messages)
- à demain, à lundi: see you tomorrow, see you on Monday
- à la prochaine: until next time
- bonne journée, bonne soirée, bon week-end: have a good day, evening, weekend
Regional notes: in Belgium, à tantôt means “see you later today”. In Quebec, bonjour is also used to say goodbye. In France, adieu means goodbye for ever; in parts of Switzerland and southern France you may still hear it as an everyday greeting.
“How are you?” and the answers
- Ça va ?: How are you? How’s it going? (the most common, fine in most situations)
- Comment ça va ?: How are you?
- Tu vas bien ?, Comment vas-tu ?: to one friend
- Vous allez bien ?, Comment allez-vous ?: formal, or to several people
The answers go from best to worst: Très bien, merci., Ça va bien., Ça va., Pas mal., Bof., Pas trop., Ça ne va pas. Then bounce the question back: Et toi ? or Et vous ?
Ça va is both the question and the answer: only the intonation changes. Ça va ? rises, Ça va. falls. Textbooks often teach comme ci, comme ça for “so-so”; it exists, but bof and pas mal are far more natural for teenagers.
Meeting someone
- Je te présente mon ami Tom.: This is my friend Tom. (Je vous présente… in formal situations)
- Enchanté (said by a boy or man), Enchantée (said by a girl or woman): Pleased to meet you. The two forms sound the same.
- Moi de même. or Moi aussi.: Likewise.
Tu or vous?
- Tu for friends and family. Also for children, classmates and pets.
- Vous for polite distance. Adults you don’t know, shop staff, officials, and teachers. Vous is also the plural for everyone: Vous allez bien, les enfants ?
- Pupils say vous to their teachers. Most teachers say tu to an individual pupil, especially in collège. Pupils call teachers Madame or Monsieur, the French equivalents of Miss and Sir.
- Switching is a social moment. On se tutoie ? (shall we say tu?) is the usual invitation. The verbs are tutoyer and vouvoyer.
- Quebec uses tu more widely than France, including in many workplaces.
Mademoiselle was removed from official French forms in 2012. Madame is the safe choice for any adult woman.
La bise or a handshake?
Customs vary with the region, the family and the situation, so present them as tendencies.
- La bise, a light kiss on each cheek, is the usual greeting between friends and family, and among teenagers. The number of kisses varies: two is the most common in France, but three or even four are usual in some areas. In Belgium, one is common; in French-speaking Switzerland, often three.
- A handshake is the norm at work, in formal settings, and between men who don’t know each other well. Some colleagues shake hands every morning.
- Teachers and pupils don’t kiss or usually shake hands: a bonjour is enough.
In class, role-play the words, not the kisses: a wave or a handshake is enough.
Greetings in writing
- Informal: Salut Léa !, Cher Paul,, Chère Léa, (cher agrees). Sign off with Bises, Grosses bises, À bientôt or Amitiés.
- Formal: Madame,, Monsieur,, Madame, Monsieur, Sign off with Cordialement, Bien cordialement or, in a formal letter, Je vous prie d’agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.
— Bonjour, Madame. — Bonjour, Ethan. Ça va ?“Good morning, Miss.” “Good morning, Ethan. How are you?”
Bonsoir, monsieur. Vous allez bien ?Good evening, sir. Are you well?
Salut ! À demain !Bye! See you tomorrow!
Typical mistakes of English-speaking learners
- Bonne nuit as an evening hello: it only means “sleep well”. Say bonsoir.
- “Bon matin” for good morning: a calque from English. France uses bonjour; in Quebec, bon matin is heard informally.
- Salut to the teacher: too casual. Bonjour, Madame is right.
- Tu to an adult stranger, or to the teacher.
- Pronunciation: “bon-jaw”, a sounded t in salut, an English r in au revoir.
- Spelling: “aurevoir” in one word, “a bientot” without accents, “ca va” without the cédille, “cher Léa” without agreement.
In class: the Ça va ? routine
A greeting that opens every lesson is the first French of the day for your pupils, and it can do more than say hello.
- Greet the class at the door or at the board: Bonjour tout le monde ! The class answers Bonjour, Madame or Bonjour, Monsieur.
- Ask Ça va ? The class answers chorally: Ça va bien !
- Show a face on the board. The class says how the person feels: Il est fatigué or Elle est fatiguée. Reveal both forms: the written agreement is visible even when you can’t hear it.
- Turn it round: three or four pupils say how they feel, with a reason, and ask the next pupil Et toi ?
- At the end of the lesson, close with the right goodbye: À demain !, À jeudi !, Bon week-end !
That is exactly what a short daily routine offers: the same frame, a little variety, and every pupil speaking in the first minute.
A word of care: let pupils give a “classroom answer” rather than their real mood if they prefer. Now and then, change the register: Aujourd’hui, vous parlez à la directrice (today you’re talking to the head teacher), and the class switches to vous.
Adapting to your class
- A1Greet and answer: Bonjour. Ça va ? Ça va bien, merci.
- A2Add a reason: Bof, je suis fatiguée parce que j’ai eu sport.
- B1Register and introductions: tu or vous, Je vous présente…, Enchanté.
- B2Formal emails and letters, and cultural comparison: la bise across the French-speaking world
At KS2, songs and a greeting puppet do the job. At KS3, tu and vous deserve explicit teaching. At GCSE, greetings and sign-offs matter in role plays and written tasks.
The “Les émotions” module does it for you
A face on the board, the class says how it feels, the answer is revealed in the masculine and the feminine: agreement practice without even announcing it. No preparation needed: try everything free for 15 days of use.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say hello in French?
Bonjour during the day, bonsoir in the evening, and salut informally with friends.
When do you say bonsoir instead of bonjour?
From the early evening, roughly when the working day ends. There is no fixed time. Bonne nuit is only said when someone goes to bed.
How do you say goodbye in French?
Au revoir in any situation, salut informally, à bientôt (see you soon) and à demain (see you tomorrow).
Should I use tu or vous in French?
Tu with friends, family, children and classmates; vous with adults you don’t know, teachers and in formal situations, and always for several people.
How do you answer Ça va ?
Ça va bien, merci. Et toi ? Other answers: très bien, pas mal, bof, ça ne va pas.
How many kisses do the French give for la bise?
Usually two, but three or four in some regions of France. In Belgium one is common, and in French-speaking Switzerland often three.