French Greetings: How to Say Hello, Thank You, and Goodbye
Updated July 2, 2026
The most common French greetings are bonjour for hello, merci for thank you, and au revoir for goodbye, with salut as the casual all-purpose hi and bye. Here are the essential greetings with their formal and casual forms.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| bonjour | hello, good morning |
| salut | hi or bye (casual) |
| bonsoir | good evening |
| merci | thank you |
| merci beaucoup | thank you very much |
| au revoir | goodbye |
| bonne nuit | good night (when going to bed) |
| s'il vous plaît | please (formal)casual: s'il te plaît |
| excusez-moi | excuse me (formal)casual: excuse-moi |
| de rien | you are welcome |
| enchanté | pleased to meet youenchantée if the speaker is female |
| à bientôt | see you soon |
Want these to stick? Hear them in real context: LingoBinge surfaces words like these while you watch French shows on Netflix, and saves them for spaced review.
Hear them in: The Hook Up Plan, Into the Night.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you say hello in French?
- The standard hello is bonjour, used through the day, and bonsoir in the evening. Among friends you can use salut, which also doubles as a casual goodbye.
- What is the difference between s'il vous plaît and s'il te plaît?
- Both mean please. Use s'il vous plaît with strangers, elders, or a group (the formal vous), and s'il te plaît with friends and family (the casual tu).
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