How to Greet People in French
Questions This Article Answers
How do you say hello in French?
How do you greet someone in French?
What does rebonjour mean?
How to Say Hello in French
There are different ways of saying hello in French. The hello you choose depends on the level of formality you need to use.
| Formality | Greeting | English |
|---|---|---|
| Formal | bonjour | hello |
| Formal | bonsoir | good evening |
| Informal | salut | hi |
| Very Informal | coucou | hey |
The greeting bonjour (hello) can be used throughout most of the day. The greeting bonsoir (good evening) is used roughly between 6 p.m. and midnight. In France, there aren't really any greetings that are equivalent to good morning or good afternoon. We just say: Bonjour !
Greetings in Quebec
Bon Matin and Bon Après-Midi
In Québec, Canada, people do say bon matin(good morning) and bon après-midi(good afternoon) to greet someone at specific times of the day. They also use the four greetings in the table above.
Allô
In Québec, Canada, people often say allô(hi) to greet someone. In France, allô is only used when picking up the phone.
Saying Hello... Again!
In English, if you see someone for the second time during the same day, it is perfectly acceptable to say Hi! In France, if you say Bonjour ! only hours after greeting someone, they will think that you forgot you already said hello to them, and things can get awkward fast! You can only use bonjour once per day for the same person.
So, what do you do when you see someone a second time during the same day? You say... Rebonjour !(Hi again!) Saying rebonjour is usually considered polite since it acknowledges that you've already seen the person today. However, despite its usefulness, rebonjour is somewhere between neutral and informal. It is OK to use rebonjour with strangers you interact with at the grocery store, at the bank, or at the gym. However, it may be a good idea to stay away from rebonjour when talking to your Parisian boss!
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