How to say hello and goodbye in French
Bonjour, madame.
“Hello (to a woman).”
When: the first second you walk into any shop
The moment
You step into a small neighbourhood bakery in Paris and the owner looks up at you. You greet her, ask how she is doing, and leave politely a minute later.
A1 · Unit 1 · First words
The lines
Bonjour opens every door
In France nothing happens until you say hello, so start with "Bonjour, madame." Adding madame or monsieur is what turns a flat hello into a polite one.
Bonjour, madame.
“Hello (to a woman).”
When to use it: the first second you walk into any shop
What you’ll hear back: Bonjour, monsieur ! (Hello, sir!)
Asking how it is going
"Comment ça va ?" is the everyday how-are-you, used once you have already greeted someone. The expected answer is short, then they hand the question back to you.
Comment ça va ?
“How are you?”
When to use it: after hello, with someone you have met before
What you’ll hear back: Ça va bien, merci, et vous ? (I'm well, thanks, and you?)
Words for this scene
| French | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| Salut | sah-LOO | hi / bye (casual) |
Salut Marc, ça va ? Hi Marc, how's it going? Tip: Friends and colleagues only; never to a shopkeeper or stranger. | ||
| Au revoir | oh ruh-VWAHR | goodbye |
Au revoir, madame ! Goodbye, madam! Tip: Always say it on your way out, even if you bought nothing. | ||
| Bonne journée | bun zhoor-NEH | have a good day |
Merci, au revoir, bonne journée ! Thanks, goodbye, have a good day! Tip: After about six in the evening, switch to bonne soirée. | ||
Your objective
Say hello, ask how they are, and say goodbye properly as you leave.
- a greeting
- asking how they are
- a goodbye
Lines that get it done
- Bonjour, madame.
- Comment ça va ?
- Au revoir, madame ! · Goodbye, madam!
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. The baker looks up and says "Bonjour !" as you walk in. What do you say back?
- Bonjour !
- Au revoir !
- Bonne nuit !
- Merci !
Show the answer
Bonjour !
A greeting gets the same greeting back before anything else happens.
2. You are leaving a bakery at ten in the morning. What do you add after "Au revoir"?
- Bonne journée !
- Bonne nuit !
- Bonsoir !
- Comment ça va ?
Show the answer
Bonne journée !
Bonne journée is the standard daytime sign-off as you head out the door.
3. Someone asks you "Comment ça va ?". What is a natural short answer?
- Ça va, merci, et vous ?
- Je suis bien, merci.
- Oui, s'il vous plaît.
- Au revoir, ça va.
Show the answer
Ça va, merci, et vous ?
You answer with ça va and hand the question straight back with et vous.