How to say Hello in French? How do you greet someone in French? What are 3 greetings in French? What is a French Slang for Hello? How do you say Hello in French Canadian?
There are many ways to say hello and greet people in French. In this article, we’ll learn 5 very common ones.
1) Bonjour
Bonjour is the most common and polite way to say "hello" in French. It means both "hello" and "good morning". You can use it with everyone.
2) Bonsoir
Bonsoir also means hello but we usually use this one after 6 o’clock to say “good evening”.
3) Salut
Salut is an informal way to say "hello" and it's usually used between friends and family.
It can be translated as "hi". It's French slang for Hello.
How to say hello in Quebec French and Canadian French?
Although people say "Bonjour", "Bonsoir" or "Salut" in Montréal or Québec, they also have their expressions to say Hello.
4) Allô
Allô is largely used in Quebec and French Canada to say "hi" in a friendly way. In France, people use this word only when they answer the phone.
5) Bon matin
Bon matin is how we usually say “good morning” in Quebec and French Canada.
This is a literal translation of "good morning". Bon means "Good" and "matin" means "morning" in French.
In France, people don't use this word.
Here's a tutorial from my 101 Practical Course to learn how to pronounce French greetings.
Would you like to finally start learning French?
My new 101 Practical French Course covers all the essentials you need to start your French language learning journey.
In 6 weeks, you will learn to communicate in French, like you have always dreamed of.
In this self-paced course, I also cover the differences between France and Quebec. You also interact and practice with an experienced French teacher (me).
Preview the course for free and learn more!
About the author
Umut Incesu, PhD (he/him)
French Instructor