Common ways to say “hi” in French:

• Salut — casual “hi/bye” with friends. Pronounced sa-LOO.
• Bonjour — polite “hello/good day,” used until evening. Pronounced bohn-ZHOOR.
• Bonsoir — “good evening.” Pronounced bohn-SWAHR.
• Coucou — very informal “hey/hi.” Pronounced KOO-koo.

Example: Salut, ça va ? = Hi, how are you?

To say "hi" in French, you can say "Salut". It's a casual and friendly way to greet someone, similar to "hi" or "hello" in English. If you want a more formal greeting, you can use "Bonjour", which means "hello" or "good day."

Of course! Here’s a detailed guide on how to say "hi" in French, from the most common and essential greetings to more specific and informal options.

The Quick and Easy Answer

The two most common and important greetings you need to know are:

1. Bonjour (bon-zhoor) - This literally means "good day." It's the most versatile and polite greeting. You can use it for anyone (friends, strangers, shopkeepers) at any time of day until the evening. It works for "hello," "good morning," and "good afternoon."

   • If you learn only one greeting, make it this one.

2. Salut (sah-loo) - This is the direct equivalent of "hi" or "hey." It's informal and should only be used with people you know well, like friends, family, and colleagues you're close to.

   • Interestingly, Salut also means "bye," just like "ciao" in Italian.

Detailed Breakdown by Situation

Here’s a more complete list, categorized by formality and context.

1. The All-Purpose Greetings (Use Anytime)

Cultural Tip: In France, it's considered polite to say Bonjour to the shopkeeper when you enter a store and Au revoir (goodbye) when you leave.

2. The Informal "Hi" (Friends, Family, Peers)

3. Using "How are you?" as a Greeting

Just like in English, it's very common to use a form of "how are you?" as a greeting itself.

4. Very Informal Slang (Use with Caution!)

These are used by young people in very casual situations. It's best to understand them but not use them yourself until you're very comfortable with the language and culture.

• Wesh? (wesh) - A common slang greeting in urban youth culture, derived from Arabic. It's similar to "Yo!" or "What's up?" and can be perceived as uneducated or rough in many contexts.

Summary Table

For a beginner, sticking with Bonjour is always a safe and respected choice. Use Salut once you get to know people better.

Of course! The most common and standard way to say "hi" in French is:

Bonjour (bohn-zhoor)

It literally means "good day" and is the safe, polite, and standard greeting to use in any situation.

However, like in English, there are many ways to say "hi" depending on the context and how well you know the person. Here’s a quick guide:

1. For Formal & Standard Use

• Bonjour (bohn-zhoor) - "Good day / Hello". Use this all day until the evening. It's appropriate for strangers, shops, restaurants, and work.

2. For Informal & Casual Use (with friends, family)

• Salut (sah-loo) - "Hi / Bye". This is the most common casual greeting among friends and people you know well. Do not use it with someone you don't know or in a formal setting (like a shop or business).
• Coucou (koo-koo) - A very cute, informal, and playful way to say "hiya!" or "hey there!" It's often used with close friends, children, or in text messages.

3. For the Evening/Night

• Bonsoir (bohn-swahr) - "Good evening". Use this instead of Bonjour once the evening begins (typically around 6 PM).

4. How to Ask "How are you?"

To make your greeting more complete, you can add: * Bonjour, comment ça va ? (bohn-zhoor, koh-mohn sah vah?) - "Hello, how's it going?" (Standard) * Salut, ça va ? (sah-loo, sah vah?) - "Hi, you good?" (Very casual)

Quick Summary Table:

"Hi" in French is "Salut".

To say "hi" in French, you can use the following common greetings:

1. "Bonjour" (pronounced bon-zhoor) – The most common and formal way to say "hi" or "hello" in French. It literally means "good day."

2. "Salut" (pronounced sa-leu) – A more casual and friendly way to say "hi" or "bye," similar to "hey" in English.

3. "Allô" (pronounced ah-lo) – Used when answering the phone ("hello?").

Example Usage:

• Formal: "Bonjour, comment ça va ?" (Hi, how are you?)
• Casual: "Salut, ça va ?" (Hey, how’s it going?)

Would you like help with other French phrases? 😊

In French, you can say "Bonjour" which is the standard greeting for "hello" or "good day." For a more casual greeting, you can say "Salut" which is similar to saying "hi" in English.

To say hi in French, you can use “salut” for informal situations, or “bonjour” for a more formal or universal greeting[1][2][4][5][10].

• Salut is used among friends, family, or peers and is equivalent to “hi” or “hey” in English[1][2][4][5][10].
• Bonjour literally means “good day” and is appropriate in almost any context, including with people you don’t know, elders, or in formal situations. It can be used from morning until early evening[1][2][3][4][5][6][10].

Additional very informal options: - Coucou is a cute, very casual greeting among close friends or with children, similar to saying “hey there” in English[1][2][4][5][10]. - For answering the phone, the French say “Allô?”, but this is not used face-to-face[2][4].

Summary Table:

For most everyday situations, "salut" is the French equivalent of "hi", and "bonjour" works if you want to be polite or are unsure[1][2][4][5][10].