Bonjour – Hello in French Wishing someone “Good day” is somewhat formal for people in most of the English world, but in French, it's just the standard – bonjour really is the equivalent of saying “hello” or “good morning”. You can use it with anyone, from a close friend or family member, to someone you've just met.
The interesting thing about bonjour is that it's not just used in the morning for “good morning” in French. It's also used all throughout the day, roughly until evening. There's no common way of saying “good afternoon” in French.
Bonjour means “hello,” or “good morning,” or “good afternoon,” while bonne journée means “have a good day.” So if you ran into someone at the grocery store one morning you would say, “bonjour” when you saw them and then, “bonne journée” when you parted ways!
You'll come across as impolite if you don't say bonjour and that's not the first impression you'll want to make. It's even seen as insulting to not say bonjour in French and then French get the reputation for being rude or snobby… but that's a conversation for another day.
Most of you know the formal expression “bonjour”, and you should since it's the most common way to greet someone in French. We use it to greet people in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening. “Bonjour” is always polite, and works in any situation.
Hello/Hi/Hey
The general and most common greeting is “hello”, “hi”, “hey”, and these can be used in any occasion or situation with anybody. For example, if you run into someone you don't know, you can use these simple greetings.
The most important French greetings include bonjour (hello), enchanté(e) (nice to meet you), bonsoir (good evening/hello), salut (hi), coucou (hey), Ça fait longtemps, dis donc (long time no see), Âllo (hello), Ça va? (how are you?), tu vas bien? (have you been well?), quoi de neuf? (what's up?), au revoir!
Saying bonjour is the most common way to greet someone in French. It's a flexible, all-purpose term: You use it to greet people in the morning, afternoon, or evening. Bonjour is always polite, and it works in any situation.
good day; good morning; hello.
Copain, copine
Copain (male) and copine (female) both mean friend and are used interchangeably with “ami(e)”. To form the plural you add an “s” to both forms and it becomes “copains” and “copines”. “Copain” and “copine” describe a friendly relationship slightly less close than “ami(e)”.
In France, friendship is seen as something earned. Someone you meet and like does not automatically become a friend. You would typically see them several times before considering them a friend. To the American eyes, the French can seem cold upon first meeting.
The most common verbal greeting is a simple “Hey”, “Hello”, or “Hi”. Some people may use Australian slang and say “G'day” or “G'day mate”. However, this is less common in cities. Many Australians greet by saying “Hey, how are you?”.
Howdy / Hey mate / Hey man / G'day / and Gidday mate all indicate that we know a person quite well. How are you? / What's up? / How's it going? are casual ways to say hello in English and indicate that we've known that person for some time. How's you? is a casual and tender way to ask after someone's wellbeing.
Best friends are the people in your life who make you smile brighter, laugh louder and live better. Best friends make the good times better and the hard times easier. Friendship consists in forgetting what one gives and remembering what one receives. There is nothing I wouldn't do for those who are really my friends.
“I may have lots of friends but you are the only one who is closest to my heart and soul and I will always love you the most in this world….. Sending my love and warm wishes on Friendship Day to the most amazing friend I have.” Happy Friendship Day, my buddy! You are someone I can count on in every step of my life.
To Make Their Day Better
"You're my hero, and I'm so lucky to call you my BFF." "I know other people claim to have best friends, but you truly are the best." "Hope you're having the best day ever, and if not, let's get margs later and vent." "Hoping you have a truly kick*ss day today, because you deserve it.”
Just as in English, there are several ways to say hello in French. You can simply use the informal salut (hi) on its own. You can also use bonjour (good morning or good afternoon) or bonsoir (good evening). You would only use bonne nuit (good night) at bedtime.
What is the proper response to bonjour? It's more than sufficient to simply say bonjour back in response to those who greet you, but if you want to go a step beyond, you can respond with comment allez-vous, which is the French equivalent of asking how it's going.
The informal French greeting “Salut!” (pronounced sah-lu) has several meanings including hi, hello, bye, goodbye and cheers. The French strictly use salut with acquaintances and not strangers. In more formal situations the French use both bonjour and au revoir.