Greeting Someone in French

Learning how to say hello in French is super important if you want to chat with people. Greetings help you make connections and set the mood for a good conversation.

Basic Greetings

1. Bonjour - Good morning / Hello

   • Use this from morning until evening.
   • Example: "Bonjour, comment ça va?" (Hello, how are you?)

2. Bonsoir - Good evening

   • Use this when it’s evening.
   • Example: "Bonsoir, vous avez passé une bonne journée?" (Good evening, did you have a good day?)

3. Salut - Hi

   • This is a casual way to say hello to friends.
   • Example: "Salut! Quoi de neuf?" (Hi! What’s new?)

4. Au revoir - Goodbye

   • Use this when you are leaving.
   • Example: "Au revoir, à demain!" (Goodbye, see you tomorrow!)

Asking About Someone's Well-being

After you greet someone, it’s nice to check on how they’re doing:

• Comment ça va? - How are you?
• Ça va bien, merci. - I’m doing well, thank you.
• Et toi? - And you?

Basic Conversational Phrases

Besides greetings, here are some other helpful phrases:

• Je m'appelle... - My name is...
  • Example: "Je m'appelle Marie." (My name is Marie.)
• J'aime... / Je n'aime pas... - I like... / I do not like...
  • Example: "J'aime le chocolat." (I like chocolate.)
  • Example: "Je n'aime pas les épinards." (I do not like spinach.)

Expressions of Time and Frequency

Knowing how to talk about time can make your conversations better:

• Toujours - always
• Souvent - often
• Jamais - never

Example Sentences:

• "Je vais au gymnase toujours." (I go to the gym always.)
• "Je regarde la télévision souvent." (I watch television often.)
• "Je ne fais jamais de sport." (I never do sports.)

By learning these simple greetings and phrases, you’ll be ready to have basic conversations in French!