The most common greeting in French is the very useful “bonjour”, and “bonsoir”. The first can be used throughout the day, and the second in the evening. “Salut” is also widely used in a more informal setting.
Bien le bonjour — Hello
This is a more traditional and slightly formal way of saying hello in French. It's a polite and respectful greeting used especially when meeting someone for the first time or in more conservative settings. Bien le bonjour is often accompanied by a handshake and a friendly smile.
Generally speaking, bonjour is the standard method of saying “good morning.” But depending on where in the world you are, you may also be able to say bon matin! Interestingly, you generally want to say bonjour to someone once per day. The next time you see them, you should use a more informal greeting!
Bonjour is the go-to greeting in French and means both “hello” and “good morning.” If it's evening or nighttime, you can say Bonsoir (literally, “Good evening”).
Salut is also versatile enough to be used as both a goodbye and a salutation (see what we did there?). It means “hi,” and it also means “bye.” The context will guide the way.
Ciao is an Italian word often used in French too. The Italians use it to mean either "hi" or "bye", but in French it generally means "bye". Now that you know how to translate 'Ciao' in English, why not go further and test our online French course for free?
You can either reply saying "Bonjour" back or you could say "salut" which also means hello but in an informal way. This is especially important in French because French-speakers tend to be much more formal about greetings.
What is the proper response to bonjour? It's more than sufficient to simply say bonjour back in response to those who greet you, but if you want to go a step beyond, you can respond with comment allez-vous, which is the French equivalent of asking how it's going.
Make sure you say Bonjour, or else you'll be considered very rude. And when you leave, you should say “goodbye”, as well. You'd typically say “Bonne journée” (“Have a nice day”). “Merci, au revoir” (“Thank you, goodbye”) could also work.
Always say hello before asking for directions, ordering food, and any interaction with a French person. Be polite back and just go with whatever the person says to you first. A simple thanks and bye is fine. No need to go over the top.
Au revoir.
(Oh reh-vwah) This is the most common ways of saying goodbye in French, and it's acceptable for the vast majority of situations, formal and informal.
Salut: “Hi” in French
Salut is not a way that you would greet strangers either, while it is used in informal settings, it is mainly said to people you know. This can include any acquaintances, though, not just friends and family.
La bise is a French greeting where two people kiss each other's cheeks two, three, and even four times.
The common one: De rien
On the other hand, this expression you might hear more frequently than je t'en prie or even je vous en prie. De rien is probably the most common way to say “you're welcome” in French, and it can generally be used in almost any situation (except for professional or extremely formal ones).
The usual response to merci is de rien (You're welcome – literally, It's nothing) or il n'y a pas de quoi. In a more formal context, you could say Je vous en prie or Je t'en prie.
Merci Beaucoup – Thank you very much
You can reply to this phrase by saying De rien (You are welcome), if it's an informal engagement, or Je vous en prie (You are welcome), in a formal setting.
La Vie Est Belle, a French expression meaning "life is beautiful," it's about choosing your own path to happiness and.
How to reply to au revoir. The best way to respond to “au revoir” is to simply reply “au revoir”. In formal situations you can reply with “au revoir madame” or “au revoir monsieur” (goodbye, ma'am or goodbye, sir).
Ciao bella is an informal Italian expression literally meaning “goodbye (or hello), beautiful.”
Etymology. French, literally "till seeing again"