Easy List of French Greetings: Hello, Bye & More.

Welcome (Bienvenue)

You’re getting a list of French greetings…

So you can properly say hello in French, as well as the casual hi, bye, and all that stuff. We’ll divvy up the French greetings into a few parts, cool? cool. Let’s move on.

1. Must-Know Greetings

Now, I know you WON’T remember all the words on this list of French greetings.

But, you can remember 3.

If you ONLY remember only 3 greetings from here… Let ’em be these ones.

Why these three?

Bonjour works for nearly every situation—formal or informal, meeting someone for the first time, or just saying hello.

Salut is for casual encounters, making you sound friendly.

Au revoir is an easy way to say bye in French in any situation, polite or casual.

If you only remember 3 words from this list of French greetings… let ’em be these ones.

Also, if you want to hear more French…

Check out this audio lesson by FrenchPod101 (click here for more lessons) – a popular French learning program. Just press play. You can get more lessons like this with them with a free lifetime account.

2. Formal French Greetings

First, formal greetings.

You know, so you don’t come across as an uncultured swine.

The greetings below are for professional or respectful settings. Like meeting elders, addressing strangers, or interacting in a business environment.

1. Bonjour – Good morning/Hello

Bonjour is the most common and versatile French greeting. Use it from morning until early evening to say hello, good morning, good day, and… good early evening.

• Bonjour, madame. Comment allez-vous ?
  • (Good morning, ma’am. How are you?)

2. Bonsoir – Good evening

Use this greeting after 5–6 PM, transitioning from bonjour as the day progresses.

• Bonsoir, monsieur. Bonne soirée !
  • (Good evening, sir. Have a good evening!)

3. Comment allez-vous ? – How are you?
This is a polite way to ask how are you in French.

• Comment allez-vous aujourd’hui ?
  • (How are you today?)

4. Enchanté(e) – Nice to meet you

Use this during formal introductions. If you’re a woman, add an e to the end. See the examples below.

• Enchanté, je m’appelle Jacques. (male)
  • (Nice to meet you, my name is Jacques.)
• Enchantée, je m’appelle Jacqueline. (female)
  • (Nice to meet you, my name is Jacqueline.)

5. Au revoir – Goodbye

This is the most standard way to say bye in French.

• Merci pour votre visite. Au revoir !
  • (Thank you for your visit. Goodbye!)

6. À bientôt – See you soon

A polite farewell when you expect to see the person again.

• Bonne journée et à bientôt.
  • (Have a good day and see you soon!)

2. Informal French Greetings

Next, let’s do casual French greetings.

Use these with friends, family, and others. Where things are relaxed and friendly.

1. Salut – Hi/Bye

Salut is an informal greeting (meaning, hi or bye) for friends or close acquaintances.

• Salut, ça va ?
  • (Hi, how’s it going?)
• Salut, à demain !
  • (Bye, see you tomorrow!)

2. Coucou – Hey there!

A playful and affectionate greeting often used with close friends or children.

• Coucou, comment tu vas ?
  • (Hey there, how are you?)

3. Quoi de neuf ? – What’s new?

An informal equivalent of “What’s up?”

• Salut ! Quoi de neuf ?
  • (Hi! What’s new?)

4. Ça va ? – How’s it going?

Short, simple, and very common in informal conversations.

• Ça va ?
  • (How’s it going?)
• Ça va bien, et toi ?
  • (I’m doing well, and you?)

5. Comment ça va ? – How are you?

A slightly longer version of ça va, but still informal.

• Comment ça va aujourd’hui ?
• (How are you today?)

6. À plus ! / À plus tard ! – See you later!

Casual and commonly used when parting.

What’s the difference between “À plus” vs “À plus tard”?

“À plus !” is a casual phrase for friends. “À plus tard !” in broader, slightly more formal situations.

• À plus, on se voit ce soir.
• (See you later, we’ll meet tonight.)

7. Ça roule ? – How’s it going?

A playful and informal alternative to “Ça va ?”.

8. Yo ! – Yo!

Just like the English “yo.” No explanation is needed here.

3. Specific French Greetings

Next on the list of French greetings…

…there’s context-specific greetings.

French has context-specific greetings depending on the situation… or region. By region, I mean Canada, Switzerland, or elsewhere.

1. Allô – Hello

This is exclusively used when answering the phone.

• Allô ? Qui est à l’appareil ?
• (Hello? Who’s calling?)

2. Bienvenue – Welcome
A warm greeting when receiving guests.

• Bienvenue chez nous !
• (Welcome to our home!)

3. Bonne journée – Have a good day

A polite way to wish someone a pleasant day.

• Merci beaucoup et bonne journée !
• (Thank you very much and have a good day!)

4. Bonne soirée – Have a good evening

Similar to bonne journée, but for the evening.

• Bonne soirée, à bientôt.
  • (Have a good evening, see you soon!)

5. Bonne nuit – Good night
Use this before going to bed or leaving late at night.

• Bonne nuit, dors bien !
  • (Good night, sleep well!)

6. À tout à l’heure ! – See you later (same day).

If you’re going to see someone later in the day, you can just use this as a way of saying bye in French.

7. Passe une bonne journée. – Have a good one.

A casual variant of “Bonne journée.”

8. Faites de beaux rêves. – Sweet dreams!

A context-specific phrase suitable for bedtime farewells.

Here are some regional French greetings.

Québec French:

• Bon matin – Good morning (common in Québec, not in France).
• Salut, mon chum ! – Hi, buddy! (informal).

Belgium/Switzerland:

• Salut les copains ! – Hi, friends!

African French:

• Comment ça va, cher/chère ? – How are you, dear?

4. Expressions with Greetings

These phrases enhance greetings and make your French sound more natural.

1. Ça fait longtemps ! – Long time no see!

Perfect for reconnecting with someone you haven’t seen in a while.

• Ça fait longtemps, comment ça va ?
  • (Long time no see, how are you?)

2. Je suis ravi(e) de te/vous voir. – I’m delighted to see you.

A warm and enthusiastic greeting.

• Je suis ravi de vous voir après tout ce temps.
  • (I’m delighted to see you after all this time.)

3. Salut, quoi de neuf ? – Hi, what’s new?

A casual and friendly way to greet someone and ask about recent happenings.

• Salut, quoi de neuf depuis notre dernier rendez-vous ?
  • (Hi, what’s new since our last meeting?)

FAQ

What is a typical French greeting?

The most typical French greeting is “Bonjour” (Good morning/Hello). You can use it in both formal and informal situations during the day. In the evening, “Bonsoir” (Good evening) is more appropriate.

How do you respond to Bonjour in French?

If someone tells you, “Bonjour,” you just say the same “Bonjour” back at them. An eye for an eye. Fire with fire. If you want to add more, you can say:

• “Bonjour, ça va ?” (Hello, how are you?)
• “Bonjour, comment allez-vous ?” (Hello, how are you? – formal)

What do French people say in the morning?

In the morning, French people typically say “Bonjour” (Good morning). If you’re in Québec, you might also hear “Bon matin” (Good morning), though this is not commonly used in France.

For a more casual morning greeting, friends or family might say “Salut” (Hi).

Is salutations French?

Yes, “salutations” is a French word! It means “greetings” and is primarily used in formal or written contexts, like in letters or official correspondence. While it is French, it is not commonly used in spoken conversation. Instead, words like “bonjour” or “salut” are more practical for everyday greetings.

Read This Last

How you enjoyed this list of French greetings.

Of course, the most important ones for you to remember are…

• Bonjour
• Salut
• Au revoir

And if you want a program to learn French with… I recommend FrenchPod101. Mostly because you’re not just learning words and phrases… but via real conversations between real native speakers. With conversation-based lessons that you can listen to… and then get everything explained.

Check out this audio lesson by FrenchPod101. Just press play.

Anyway…

Au revoir

The Main Lingua Junkie