Everyday French

Bonjour, salut, coucou: how French greetings really feel.

Bonjour ! When you step foot in a French-speaking country, the very first words you use set the tone for your entire interaction. As a teacher, I always emphasize that French greetings are not just simple vocabulary. They act as cultural social cues, telling people how close you are, how formal the situation is, and even what time of day it is.

Bonjour is the safe default

Bonjour translates to "hello" or "good morning," but it is much more than that. It is the polite, absolute default when entering a shop, writing a message, or speaking to someone you do not know well. In France, failing to say bonjour to a shopkeeper upon entering is actually considered quite rude!

Bonsoir is for the evening

Bonsoir means "good evening." It replaces bonjour later in the day. Students often ask me exactly what time to make the switch. While there is no universal, strict hour, a good rule of thumb is to start using bonsoir around 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM, or simply when the sun starts going down and the workday is ending.

Salut is casual

Salut is a fantastic, versatile word that can mean both "hi" and "bye." It is friendly and highly informal. You should exclusively use it with friends, classmates, close colleagues, or people your own age in relaxed situations. If you are ever unsure which greeting to use, default to bonjour. It is always better to sound a little formal than to accidentally be too casual with a stranger.

Coucou is warm and familiar

Coucou is light, playful, affectionate, and very familiar. You might use it with close friends, romantic partners, family members, or as the opening of a friendly text message. You will even hear adults say it to babies! Naturally, this is absolutely not the greeting you want to use for a professional email.

Try these in context

Here is how you might use these in real-life situations. Try reading them aloud:

Remember this simple rule for your next trip: bonjour for safety and respect, salut for friends and equals, and coucou for closeness and affection. À très bientôt !