How to say ‘hello’ in French? 

Saying ‘hello’ and greeting people in French is probably one of the first things you’d want to learn how to do when you’re just beginning to learn French. 

But there are many different ways to say ‘hello’ in French so it can be quite confusing! For example, some French greetings are more formal than others. There are, in fact, French greetings fit for every occasion. 

Don’t worry – we’re going to go through all of them together. Let’s look at what’s available to us when we need to say ‘hello’ in French. 

1. Bonjour

‘Bonjour’ is probably the most famous French greeting that many people know even if they can’t actually speak French. 

It’s a very universal way of saying ‘hello’ in French. It can be used in both formal and informal situations. If you’re unsure whether a situation is formal or informal, just use ‘bonjour’ and you’ll be fine. 

The French word ‘bonjour’ is technically made up of two words – ‘bon’ (meaning ‘good’) and ‘jour’ (meaning ‘day’). However, when put together, this French greeting doesn’t mean the same thing as the phrase ‘good day’, which is used by some English speakers to greet people. It simply means ‘good morning’. 

When you want to say ‘hello’ in French, you can use ‘bonjour’ during the day, and if it’s later in the evening, you can use the next phrase we’re going to look at, which is ‘bonsoir’. 

2. Bonsoir 

‘Bonsoir’ is the evening version of ‘bonjour’. It simply means ‘good evening’. Like ‘bonjour’, this French greeting is made up of two components – ‘bon’ (meaning ‘good’) and ‘soir’ (meaning ‘evening’). 

If you want to say ‘hello’ in French and it’s quite late in the day, ‘bonsoir’ is a good choice. Like ‘bonjour’, it can be used to greet people in French in different situations, including formal and less informal ones.  

3. Salut 

The third way to say ‘hello’ in French is to use the greeting ‘salut’, which is more informal than ‘bonjour’ and ‘bonsoir’. You can use it with people like friends or family, when the situation is less formal. 

‘Salut’ is a very versatile French greeting as it can be used to say both ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’. So when you’ve just seen someone, or when you’re parting with them, you can say ‘salut’. 

4. Coucou 

Another way to say ‘hello’ in French is to use the word ‘coucou’. Just like ‘salut’, it’s quite an informal way of saying ‘hello’ in French. More informal than ‘salut’ in fact. You can use it to greet people you’re rather close to, such as friends or family. 

It’s also a phrase that is often used when talking to children. 

‘Bonjour’, ‘bonsoir’, ‘salut’ and ‘coucou’ are the four main ways to say ‘hello’ and greet people in French. We’re now going to move on to some additional greetings that don’t necessarily replace ‘hello’ but are additions to it. 

5. Ça va? 

The French phrase ‘ça va?’ is the equivalent of the English phrase ‘how are you?’. It can be used when greeting people in French, directly after you say ‘hello’. So, for example, you can have the following exchange: 

Person A: Bonjour. 

Person B: Bonjour. Ça va? 

Person A: Oui, ça va bien. Et toi?

Person B: Ça va, merci. 

As you can see, when you ask somebody ‘ça va?’, you can expect them to answer with ‘ça va’ (‘I’m well’) or ‘ça va bien’ (also ‘I’m well’). 

‘Ça va’ is something French speakers use all the time so it’s useful to remember this one once you’ve said ‘hello’. You will hear people use it a lot as well, after they’ve said ‘hello’.  

6. Tu vas bien? 

‘Tu vas bien?’ is another greeting very similar to ‘ça va’. It simply means ‘are you well?’ or  ‘are you ok?’. 

Just like ‘ça va’, it can be used as a greeting in French, once you’ve said ‘hello’. The answer to this question can be, for example, ‘Oui, je vais bien’ (‘Yes, I’m well’ or ‘I’m ok’). 

When you’re talking to someone and you’d like to use the polite version of this phrase (because, for example, you don’t know the person very well or because they’re much older than you), you can say ‘vous allez bien?’. Both ‘vas’ and ‘allez’ are conjugated forms of the French verb ‘aller’ – ‘vas’ is conjugated in the second person singular, and ‘allez’ in the second person plural (which is what the polite form ‘vous’ requires, even if you’re just talking to one person). 

Note that this is quite different to English, which uses the verb ‘to be’ to ask people how they are. The French verb ‘aller’ means ‘to go’. 

7. Quoi de neuf?

‘Quoi de neuf’ is a rather informal way of asking somebody how they are in French. It literally means ‘what’s new?’, so you’re essentially asking someone what’s new with them or whether they’ve got any news. But technically, it just means ‘how are you?’ or ‘what’s up?’. 

Like I said, this is quite an informal French greeting so make sure you don’t use it in formal situations. 

8. Ça roule? 

‘Ça roule’ is another informal way of asking somebody how they are. It’s a bit like ‘ça va?’ in that it literally means ‘are things going well?’ or ‘are you well?’. 

Again, make sure the situation you’re using this French greeting is right, as it can be seen as slightly disrespectful if you use it in a situation that’s not informal enough. 

9. Enchanté(e)

This French phrase is a little bit different than the ones I mentioned above. It’s not about saying ‘hello’ or asking somebody how they are. This French phrase is used to say you’re pleased to meet the other person, and it’s used when you meet them for the first time. 

So, when you’re introduced to someone, you can say ‘hello’ and then say ‘enchante’, which basically means ‘nice to meet you’. 

There are two versions of this French phrase – one with an ‘e’ at the end and one without it. The first one is used by women (‘enchantée’) and the second one by men (‘enchanté’).

What else do you need to know about saying ‘hello’ in French? 

Apart from learning the phrases above, which will help you say ‘hello’ in French, greet people and ask them how they are, it’s useful to know a few things about the cultural aspects surrounding greeting people in French. 

Here are the two most important ones. Every country that uses French as one of its official languages is different so you need to treat this advice with a pinch of salt and make sure you understand the local customs of the country you’re visiting. But I thought I’d mention the following two because they tend to be true in France.

Kisses, handshakes and hugs  

It is standard practice to kiss people on the cheek when you greet them in France. It’s called ‘faire la bise’ in French – ’la bise’ means ‘a kiss’. 

When you say ‘hello’, you give a kiss on one cheek, or on both, or even three kisses – one on one cheek, one on the other one, and then back to the first one. This varies by region, so make sure you double-check! Or just wait for the other person to initiate it – if they’re from that region, they’ll know what to do! 

Handshakes in France are normally reserved for business meetings and more formal occasions. 

And hugs are normally reserved for family members and significant others. This can be confusing as in many cultures it’s common to hug friends even if they’re not particularly close to you. 

Formal vs informal French greetings 

The other cultural aspect of saying ‘hello’ in French is the difference between formal and informal situations. Make sure that you understand which ones to use when by following the advice I outlined above. 

I hope this post will help you understand how you can say ‘hello’ and greet people in French!