Greetings in French
Learning a new language requires a lot of studying, memorization, and practice, but the best way to solidify your understanding is by interacting with native speakers. To do that, you need to know how to properly greet someone. In the midst of learning the alphabet and mastering French vocabulary, you might pause and ask yourself… “How do you greet someone in French?”
Well, you probably already know the answer to that, even if you haven’t been studying the language! Bonjour is widely known and accepted as a typically French greeting, but it’s not the only way to spark a conversation. In reality, there are dozens of different options. Although you can continue using bonjour, we recommend adding some variety to your vocabulary if you want to create more opportunities to connect with French speakers. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide on how to greet people in French.
Tips for Etiquette on How to Greet People in French
How you greet someone in French depends on your relationship with them. Therefore, to avoid offending anyone, there are a few rules of etiquette (aside from general politeness) you should follow. For example, it’s normal for friends and family in France to pair their French greetings with cheek kisses. The number of kisses tends to depend on the region, but they usually begin on the right side of the face. If you’re unsure, just wait to see if the other person initiates it.
However, if you were to do that in a formal setting or during a business meeting, it might not go over as well. Formal greetings in French are usually paired with a handshake, much like the rest of the world.
An interesting fact is that hugs can actually be viewed as an invasion of privacy in France. Stick to the cheek kisses unless you’re greeting a significant other, close friend, or family member.
Informal and Formal Greetings in French
There are several ways to greet someone in French, each of which relies on the relationship with the person, the situation, and your goal in the conversation. Since the right greeting can open up a world of conversation and new connections, learning the various options can greatly impact your impression with native French speakers. To help you maximize your efforts, download Tandem and practice your greetings with a speaker today. Until then, review the following information on how to greet people in French.
Bonjour — Hello / Good morning
This is one of the most common greetings in French amongst people seeing each other for the first time that day. It can be used in both formal and informal settings.
Bon matin — Good morning
This is how you say good morning to someone if you are speaking French in Quebec, but it’s not used in France.
Bon après-midi — Good afternoon
This is a French greeting that is sometimes used to say good afternoon, but many native speakers use it to say goodbye instead!
Bonsoir — Hello / Good evening
You can replace bonjour with bonsoir once the evening twilight starts to come in. It can also be used in both formal and informal settings.
Salut — Hi
This is another very common way to greet people in French, but it’s a bit more informal than bonjour. You can use it to say hello, hi, or even bye, but avoid using it with your boss or other respected figure.
Âllo — Hello
Âllo is a French greeting that’s reserved for use over the phone and is almost never used in face-to-face interactions. The person answering a phone often says this, similar to how English speakers answer, saying “Hello?”
Coucou — Hey there
This is a great alternative to bonjour and is often considered a “cuter” way to say hello. It translates directly to “hey” and should only be used amongst friends as it’s extremely informal.
Salut toi — Hey you
When greeting someone that you see regularly or know well, you can use salut toi. This is how to greet people in French who have the same social standing as you and is considered fairly informal.
Enchanté(e) — Nice to meet you
While enchanté(e) can be used to informally tell someone that it’s nice to meet you, it can also be elongated and used in formal settings. To make this greeting more formal simply add “de faire votre connaissance to the end.
Ravi(e) de faire votre connaissance — Pleasure to meet you
This is another formal greeting in French that can be used in a business setting. It’s similar or replaceable with enchanté(e).
Ça roule? — How’s it going?
This is an informal greeting in French often used amongst friends. It can be said on its own or following an introductory hello.
Comment ça va? — How are you?
When you want to ask someone how they are in French, you can use comment ça va?. You can say it alone as its own greeting or paired with a friendly bonjour. If you want to shorten it to an even more informal French greeting, remove comment so that it’s simply ça va?, which translates to “what’s up?”
Quoi de neuf? — What’s up?
Another way to ask someone, “what’s up?” is to say quoi de neuf?. This option is often considered more informal.
Tu vas bien? — How are you doing?
Another way to ask someone how they’re doing is by saying tu vas bien?
Excusez-moi? — Excuse me?
When you need to get someone’s attention but don’t know them, you can politely say excusez-moi. This is often used if you need to get past someone or if you need help in a store or restaurant.
Some French greetings will be used more than others, but don’t be afraid to experiment with them all! Remember, some relationships warrant specific greetings, so try to understand when the best time to use each. Formal greetings in French are best used with people in authority and individuals you don’t know.
When learning how to greet people in French, the best way to practice is through real-life application. Luckily, with Tandem, you don’t have to be in France to achieve this. Tandem is a personalized language learning experience that allows you to match with native French speakers and continue perfecting your use of the French alphabet in real-life situations, regardless of where you are. Play games or exchange in useful conversations to help you build your vocabulary, practice French greetings, and more. Tandem works to help our members foster a deeper understanding of language while improving fluency and building long-lasting friendships. All you need to do is sign up, match with a native speaker of your target language, and start communicating. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for Tandem today and get started on the path to fluency.
