How To Say Hello In French (Bonjour, Salut And Other Real-Life Greetings)

The first week I moved to France, I thought I’d mastered French politeness because I knew bonjour /bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/ — hello and salut /sa.ly/ — hi. Then I walked into a bakery, said a big cheerful Salut ! to the woman behind the counter… and watched her eyebrows travel to another dimension. She still sold me the baguette, but the vibe was very much, “Who is this overexcited yak?”

Two days later, I tried again: this time I forgot to say anything, just pointed at the pastries. The baker smiled politely, then said, Bonjour with that special French tone that means, “We always start with hello, my friend.” That’s when it clicked: greetings in France are not optional seasoning. They’re the base of the whole dish.

By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly when to use bonjour, when salut is okay, how bonsoir fits in, and what to add if you want to sound friendly instead of blunt. Think of it as the “no-weird-eyebrows” guide to saying hello in French.

Quick Primer: Bonjour vs Salut In France

Let’s start with the two stars:

bonjour /bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/ — hello, good day
salut /sa.ly/ — hi, hey, bye (informal)

In France:

bonjour is your default safe greeting with adults, strangers, shop staff, teachers, neighbours, the person at the post office… basically anyone who is not clearly a close friend, child, or your dog.
salut is for friends, family, classmates, and people your own age when the vibe is casual.

If you aren’t sure which one to use, bonjour is almost always the right choice. You can always switch to salut later once the relationship feels more casual.

Core French Greetings You Actually Need

Here are the main “hello” options you’ll hear in daily life.

A few key ideas:

bonjour is used from morning until early evening. It’s hello, not just “good morning.”
bonsoir /bɔ̃.swaʁ/ — good evening becomes the default greeting later in the day (roughly after 6–7 p.m., but it’s more about “is it evening yet?” than the clock).
allô /a.lo/ is only for answering the phone. Do not use it when you walk into a shop.
coucou /ku.ku/ is playful and very informal. Great in texts with friends, not great with your landlord.

Usage notes & common mistakes:
English speakers often overuse salut with strangers because it feels like “hi,” and forget bonjour entirely. In France, starting with bonjour is basic good manners. Not saying it can feel rude, even if the rest of your French is perfect.

Bonjour: The Polite Default

If you only remember one word from this article, make it bonjour /bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/ — hello, good day.

You use bonjour:

When you enter a shop or café
When you greet coworkers or classmates at the start of the day
When you approach someone to ask for help or directions
With neighbours, teachers, doctors, and anyone older or in a professional setting

Usage notes & common mistakes:
Think of bonjour as a door you must open before anything else. In a shop, if you start directly with “Excuse me, do you have…?” in English or French, people may still help you, but it feels abrupt. A simple Bonjour first warms everything up.

Salut: Friendly, Casual “Hi”

salut /sa.ly/ — hi is more relaxed. It works well:

With friends and family
With classmates you know
At parties, informal meetups, or with people your own age once you’ve already met

It also works as an informal “bye” with friends:

French | IPA | English
Salut, à demain ! | /sa.ly a də.mɛ̃/ | Bye, see you tomorrow!

Usage notes & common mistakes:
Don’t walk into a bakery at 8 a.m. and shout Salut ! at the woman behind the counter unless you’re actually friends. With staff and strangers, bonjour is better. You can switch to salut later if the relationship becomes friendly and clearly informal.

Bonsoir And Time-Of-Day Greetings

Once it feels like evening, French switches from bonjour to bonsoir /bɔ̃.swaʁ/ — good evening.

You’ll also hear “have a good…” goodbye phrases:

Typical exchanges:

Usage notes & common mistakes:

bonne nuit /bɔn nɥi/ is usually for when someone is going to bed, not leaving a bar at 9 p.m. After an evening out, bonne soirée is your friend.
There’s no strict time when everyone switches to bonsoir, but once it’s clearly evening or dark, it feels more natural.

Saying “Hello, How Are You?” Naturally

After hello, you usually add a quick “how are you” type phrase. Here are the most common ones.

Combine them:

Usage notes:

Ça va ? is the absolute workhorse. It can mean “You okay?”, “All good?”, “How are you?” depending on tone.
With strangers or when you’re using vous /vu/, Vous allez bien ? sounds polite and friendly.

Formal vs Informal: Tu, Vous And Greetings

Part of greeting someone in French is choosing between:

tu /ty/ — informal “you” (friends, family, kids, some coworkers)
vous /vu/ — polite or plural “you” (strangers, older people, professional contexts, groups)

This affects your greeting a bit:

Usage notes:

Combine bonjour with vous for a safe, respectful greeting in most situations.
Combine salut with tu once you’re clearly on first-name, friendly terms.

If you’re not sure, start with bonjour + vous. No one will be offended by being treated too politely.

Phone And Online Greetings

The rules shift a little when you’re on the phone or chatting online.

On the phone:

In texts and online chats:

Usage notes:

allô is not used face-to-face; it’s really for the phone.
coucou is very friendly and often used with close friends, partners, or children. Don’t send it to your bank.

Mini Dialogues

Dialogue 1: In A Bakery (Using Bonjour)

Bonjour madame, je voudrais une baguette, s’il vous plaît.
/bɔ̃.ʒuʁ ma.dam ʒə vu.dʁɛ yn ba.ɡɛt sil vu plɛ/
Hello, ma’am, I’d like a baguette, please.

Bonjour monsieur, traditionnelle ou aux céréales ?
/bɔ̃.ʒuʁ mə.sjø tʁa.di.sjɔ.nɛl u o se.ʁe.al/
Hello sir, traditional or multigrain?

Traditionnelle, merci.
/tʁa.di.sjɔ.nɛl mɛʁ.si/
Traditional, thank you.

Avec plaisir, bonne journée.
/a.vɛk plɛ.ziʁ bɔn ʒuʁ.ne/
With pleasure, have a good day.

Dialogue 2: Meeting A Friend

Salut, ça va ?
/sa.ly sa va/
Hi, how’s it going?

Ça va, et toi ?
/sa va e twa/
Good, and you?

Ça va bien, merci.
/sa va bjɛ̃ mɛʁ.si/
I’m good, thanks.

On se voit ce soir ?
/ɔ̃ sə vwa sə swaʁ/
See you tonight?

Dialogue 3: Evening Greeting At A Restaurant

Bonsoir, vous avez une réservation ?
/bɔ̃.swaʁ vu za.ve yn ʁe.zɛʁ.va.sjɔ̃/
Good evening, do you have a reservation?

Bonsoir, oui, au nom de Smith.
/bɔ̃.swaʁ wi o nɔ̃ də smit/
Good evening, yes, under the name Smith.

Très bien, suivez-moi s’il vous plaît.
/tʁɛ bjɛ̃ sɥi.ve mwa sil vu plɛ/
Very well, follow me please.

Merci, bonne soirée.
/mɛʁ.si bɔn swa.ʁe/
Thanks, have a good evening.

Quick Reference: French Greeting Phrases

Five-Minute Practice Plan

Mirror greetings:
Stand in front of a mirror and alternate saying: Bonjour, Salut, Bonsoir. Focus on keeping bonjour and bonsoir smooth and nasal on bon-.
Roleplay two situations:
Write and read aloud:
- One “bakery” script using bonjour + vous.
- One “meeting a friend” script using salut + tu.
Recording check:
Record yourself saying five phrases in a row:
Bonjour madame… Bonjour monsieur… Salut, ça va ?… Bonsoir… Bonne journée.
Listen once just for rhythm, not perfection.
Greeting swap drill:
Take Bonjour, ça va ? and rewrite it three ways:
- Salut, ça va ?
- Bonsoir, vous allez bien ?
- Bonjour, tu vas bien ?
  Read all four versions out loud.
Real-world mission:
Next time you enter a shop, café, or office (even in your own country), say a clear Bonjour if it’s a French space, or quietly rehearse it in your head with the right rhythm as you walk in.

Yak-Style Closing Spark

Once you get bonjour and salut right, France gets a lot friendlier very quickly. People lean in a little more, smile a little faster, and your coffee tastes about 20% better. Master the hello, and the rest of your French has a much better chance of being heard.