Everyone knows that “bonjour” is the most popular French greeting. I know it, you know it and your grandmother knows it. But what about all the other ways to say hello in French?
Going to another country and saying “hi” to people is just good etiquette, and learning the many ways to say hello is one of the first things language learners do when they’re tackling a new language.
Sometimes, we greet others because we’re being polite, and sometimes we greet others because we’re genuinely happy to see them! There are greetings for all occasions, and greetings are usually one of the first things children learn when they’re taking a foreign language class at school. After a day or two, they already know how to say “hi” in a variety of different ways.
And, of course, you will already know that “bonjour” is the most common way to say hi in French. But there’s many more ways to greet people. And isn’t it always more exciting to greet folk in different ways? After all, “bonjour” gets a bit boring after a while! These are just some of the great French language-learning resources available on this site.
Saying Hello In French
We’re going to start our little trip by learning how to say hi in French. Once the evening gets under way (say, around 6 onwards), French people tend to greet you with “bonsoir,” which literally means “good evening.”
If, however, you’re on friendlier terms with someone, you might want to say “salut” instead. It’s kinda like saying “hi,” in English.
If you want to keep the conversation going a little longer, you could say “salut. Ca va?” This translates to “hi, how are you?”
The person then might ask you how you are by replying with “Bien et toi?”
Before you know it, you’re shooting the breeze. You’ve gone way past just saying hello in French.
If you’re a bit closer to someone and even know them intimately, you might want to personalise your greeting a bit more by using “coucou.” This is actually an onomatopoeia which – allegedly – mimics the sound made by a cuckoo bird. French children use it a lot when playing their games, such as a peek-a-boo.
European French Dialects
In France, you’ll notice that different cultures and locales will say hello in different ways. This is down to their particular European French dialect. This means there are even more ways to say hello in French.
For example, in the suburbs of Paris, you’ll likely hear people say “Wesh?” a lot. This has roots in an Algerian-Arabic (wack rak) which just means “how are you?”
Closer to Germany, in the region of Alsace-Lorraine, you might hear people saying “Ca gets maul?” Or “Ca getz?” These are just other ways of asking how you’re doing.
And if you ever take a trip to Switzerland, there’s a high chance you’ll hear folk greeting each other with “adieu.” This translates to “to God,” and while that may seem like an odd way to greet someone, it’s used a lot in the rural areas. That said, people only tend to use it when they know someone really well.
French Greetings All Around The World
As we’ve learned before, French is popular all over the world. For example, you could travel to Quebec in Canada and be greeted with “allo! Ca va bien?” This means “hi, it goes well?” If you step into a cafe in the morning for breakfast, a waitress might greet you with “bon matin,” which means “good morning.”
Should you decide to pay a visit to Togo in Africa, there’s every chance you’ll be given the laidback greeting “Comment va?” which just means “how’s it going?” People here are usually so friendly that they’ll also ask you how the family is (“et la famille?”).
Wherever you travel next, hopefully you now know how to say hi in French! As you can see, it’s not that hard at all. Just make sure you mix up your greetings, and whether you want to be polite or genuinely friendly, make sure to ask people how they’re doing, too. If you’ve got some thoughts on how to say hello in French, why not leave us a comment?
