If you are planning to travel to France or any francophone country (where French is spoken), then you must familiarize yourself with a few basic French greetings before your trip. Here is a list of 15 useful French greetings for travelers, along with their pronunciations and meanings in English. This list would also be helpful for beginner French learners.
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| S.No | French | Pronunciation | English |
| 1. | Salut | Sah-loo | Hi |
| 2. | Bonjour | Bohn-zhoor | Hello, Good morning, Good afternoon |
| 3. | Bonsoir | Bohn-swahr | Good evening (Use bonsoir when you meet someone in the evening generally after 6 pm) |
| 4. | Bonne nuit | Bohn-nwee | Good night (Use bonne nuit when you are going to bed) |
| 5. | Ça va? (informal) | Sah vah? | How are you? |
| 6. | Comment vas-tu? (informal) | Koh-mon vah too? | How are you? |
| 7. | Comment allez-vous? (formal) | Koh-mon tah lay-voo? | How are you? |
| 8. | Bien, merci | Beean, mairsee | Fine, thank you |
| 9. | Pas mal | Pah mahl | Not bad |
| 10. | Pas bien | Pah beean | Not well |
| 11. | Comme ci, comme ça | Kohm see, kohm sah | Ok/so so |
Saying goodbye in French
When you are leaving or ending a conversation, use the following phrases.
| 12. | Au revoir | Oh ruh-vwahr | Goodbye |
| 13. | Salut | Sah-loo | Goodbye (Salut can be used for saying both hi and goodbye) |
| 14. | À la prochaine | Ah lah proh-shen | See you soon |
| 15. | À plus tard | Ah ploo tar | See you later |
If you’re interested in learning about some free apps for exploring France, check out this blog post 8 Useful Free Apps for Exploring France or if you need help in organizing your perfect trip, then you can check out this travel planner Diary of a Meanderer. It’s the perfect way to plan it all in one place.
By Anchal / Last updated: November 29, 2023