how to say hello in french

The most common way to say hello in French is bonjour , which literally means “good day” and works in almost any everyday situation.

Quick Scoop

• Use bonjour during the day with almost everyone (shopkeepers, coworkers, strangers).

• Use bonsoir in the evening, roughly after 5–6 pm, instead of bonjour.

• Use salut as a casual “hi” with friends, classmates, or people your age you already know.

• On the phone, start with allô , not bonjour or salut.

• For extra politeness, add a title: Bonjour Madame , Bonjour Monsieur.

Mini examples

• Walking into a bakery in the morning:
  → “Bonjour !” or “Bonjour Monsieur / Madame !”

• Texting a close friend:
  → “Salut !” or playful “Coucou !”

• Answering the phone:
  → “Allô ?”

At the end of the day, if you remember just one phrase, make it bonjour —you’ll sound polite and immediately understood in French-speaking places.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.