Module I·Article II·~3 min read
Greetings and Farewells: Bonjour, Bonsoir, Au revoir
Bonjour! Introductions and Presenting Yourself
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Greetings by Time of Day
| Situation | French | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning and afternoon | Bonjour | [bonzhur] | Universal, formal and informal |
| Evening | Bonsoir | [bonswar] | From ~18:00 until night |
| At night (farewell) | Bonne nuit | [bon nwee] | Only used when parting for the night |
| Informal | Salut | [saloo] | Friends, colleagues of the same age |
| Very informal | Coucou | [kookoo] | Closest people, children |
Cultural nuance: In the French business environment, always begin with "Bonjour". Entering an office or a shop without a "Bonjour" is considered rude. The French greet even in the elevator, even strangers.
Farewells
| French | Pronunciation | When |
|---|---|---|
| Au revoir | [oh revwar] | Standard "goodbye" |
| À bientôt | [ah byonto] | "See you soon" — will see each other soon |
| À demain | [ah demɛ̃] | "See you tomorrow" |
| À tout à l'heure | [ah toot ah lehr] | "See you soon" — same day |
| À plus tard | [ah plyu tar] | "Later" (colloquial: à plus) |
| Bonne journée | [bon zhoorneh] | "Have a good day" — when parting |
| Bonne soirée | [bon swarreh] | "Have a good evening" |
| Salut | [saloo] | "Bye" (informal) |
| Ciao | [chao] | Very informal (Italianism) |
How to Ask "How Are You?"
Comment allez-vous? [komã talay-voo] — Formal "How are you?" (vous) Comment vas-tu? [komã va-tyu] — Informal "How are you?" (tu) Ça va? [sa va] — Conversational "How's it going?" (literally: "is it going?")
Responses:
- Très bien, merci. [treh byan, mehrsee] — Very well, thank you.
- Bien, merci. [byɛ̃ mehrsee] — Well, thank you.
- Ça va bien. [sa va byɛ̃] — Everything is good.
- Pas mal. [pa mal] — Not bad.
- Comme ci, comme ça. [kom see kom sa] — So-so.
- Pas très bien. [pa treh byɛ̃] — Not very well.
Important: After "Comment allez-vous?" it is customary to return the question: — Comment allez-vous? — Très bien, merci. Et vous? [eh voo] — And you? — Bien, merci!
Business Context UAE
When meeting French-speaking partners from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Lebanon, or French-speaking Africa:
Start of the meeting:
- Bonjour, Monsieur/Madame [bonzhur mesyoe/madam] + surname
- Enchanté(e) de vous rencontrer [ãshãtay du voo rankontray] — Very pleased to meet you
- C'est un plaisir [seh-tan plezeer] — It is a pleasure (to be here/to meet)
Closing a business meeting:
- Merci pour votre temps [mehrsee poor votr tan] — Thank you for your time
- À bientôt / Au revoir, Monsieur...
- Bonne continuation [bon konteenuasyon] — "Success" (literally: "good continuation")
Exercise: Dialogue
Read and reproduce:
— Bonjour, Monsieur Dupont! — Bonjour, Madame Chen! Comment allez-vous? — Très bien, merci. Et vous? — Bien, merci. C'est un plaisir de vous voir. — Pour moi aussi. À bientôt! — Au revoir! Bonne journée!
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