Learning a new language can be exciting, especially when you begin with common greetings. In French, saying “hi” is one of the first things you’ll want to learn. It helps you start conversations, greet friends, and be polite. Understanding these greetings can make your conversations friendlier and more natural.
French has several ways to say “hi,” depending on who you are talking to and the situation. Whether you are greeting a friend, family member, or someone new, knowing the right words makes a good impression. In this article, you’ll learn how to say “hi” in French, explore different phrases, respond to greetings, and practice with fun exercises. Let’s get started!
Ways to Say “Hi” in French
There are many ways to say “hi” in French, depending on the person you are talking to and the situation. Some phrases are casual, while others are polite or formal. Here are 25 common ways to say “hi” in French, with pronunciation, meanings, and example sentences:
Bonjour (bohn-zhoor)
Meaning: Hello / Good morning (formal & polite)
In a Sentence:
- Bonjour, comment ça va ? (Hello, how are you?)
- Bonjour, Madame! (Good morning, Ma’am!)
Salut (sah-lew)
Meaning: Hi (casual)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, Pierre! (Hi, Pierre!)
- Salut, les amis! (Hi, friends!)
Coucou (koo-koo)
Meaning: Hey there! (very informal)
In a Sentence:
- Coucou, maman! (Hey there, Mom!)
- Coucou, c’est moi! (Hey, it’s me!)
Allô (ah-loh)
Meaning: Hello (used on the phone)
In a Sentence:
- Allô, qui est à l’appareil ? (Hello, who’s speaking?)
- Allô, maman, c’est moi! (Hello, Mom, it’s me!)
Salut, mon ami (sah-lew, mohn ah-mee)
Meaning: Hi, my friend (casual)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, mon ami, comment ça va? (Hi, my friend, how are you?)
- Salut, mon ami Paul! (Hi, my friend Paul!)
Bonjour tout le monde (bohn-zhoor too luh mohnd)
Meaning: Hello everyone
In a Sentence:
- Bonjour tout le monde! (Hello everyone!)
- Bonjour tout le monde, bienvenue! (Hello everyone, welcome!)
Salut, les gars (sah-lew, lay gah)
Meaning: Hi, guys
In a Sentence:
- Salut, les gars, qu’est-ce que vous faites? (Hi, guys, what are you doing?)
Yo! (yo)
Meaning: Yo! (very informal)
In a Sentence:
- Yo! Quoi de neuf? (Yo! What’s new?)
Salut à tous (sah-lew ah toos)
Meaning: Hi everyone
In a Sentence:
- Salut à tous! Comment allez-vous? (Hi everyone! How are you?)
Bonsoir (bohn-swahr)
Meaning: Good evening (formal)
In a Sentence:
- Bonsoir, Monsieur. (Good evening, Sir.)
- Bonsoir à tous! (Good evening, everyone!)
Salut, Papa (sah-lew, pah-pah)
Meaning: Hi, Dad
In a Sentence:
- Salut, Papa! Comment vas-tu? (Hi, Dad! How are you?)
Salut, Maman (sah-lew, mah-mahn)
Meaning: Hi, Mom
In a Sentence:
- Salut, Maman! Qu’est-ce qu’on mange? (Hi, Mom! What are we eating?)
Hey! (ay)
Meaning: Hey! (informal)
In a Sentence:
- Hey! Quoi de neuf? (Hey! What’s new?)
Salut, mon pote (sah-lew, mohn poht)
Meaning: Hi, buddy (informal)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, mon pote! Prêt pour le jeu? (Hi, buddy! Ready for the game?)
Salut, ma belle (sah-lew, mah bell)
Meaning: Hi, beautiful (casual, affectionate)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, ma belle! Tu es prête? (Hi, beautiful! Are you ready?)
Ça va ? (sah vah?)
Meaning: Hi, how’s it going? (casual)
In a Sentence:
- Ça va, Lucas? (How’s it going, Lucas?)
Salut, ma chérie (sah-lew, mah sheh-ree)
Meaning: Hi, my darling (affectionate)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, ma chérie! Tu m’as manqué. (Hi, my darling! I missed you.)
Hello! (eh-loh)
Meaning: Hello! (borrowed from English, casual)
In a Sentence:
- Hello! Tu parles anglais? (Hello! Do you speak English?)
Salut, les filles (sah-lew, lay fee-yuh)
Meaning: Hi, girls
In a Sentence:
- Salut, les filles! Prêtes pour la fête? (Hi, girls! Ready for the party?)
Salut, mon amour (sah-lew, mohn ah-moor)
Meaning: Hi, my love (romantic)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, mon amour! Comment s’est passée ta journée? (Hi, my love! How was your day?)
Salut, mon cœur (sah-lew, mohn kuhr)
Meaning: Hi, my heart (affectionate)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, mon cœur! Tu vas bien? (Hi, my heart! Are you okay?)
Salut, toi (sah-lew, twah)
Meaning: Hi, you (affectionate)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, toi! Quoi de neuf? (Hi, you! What’s new?)
Comment ça va? (koh-mohn sah vah?)
Meaning: How are you?
In a Sentence:
- Bonjour, comment ça va? (Hello, how are you?)
Salut, cher ami (sah-lew, shehr ah-mee)
Meaning: Hi, dear friend (formal or warm)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, cher ami, comment vas-tu? (Hi, dear friend, how are you?)
Salut, mon frère (sah-lew, mohn frehr)
Meaning: Hi, brother
In a Sentence:
- Salut, mon frère! Quoi de neuf? (Hi, brother! What’s new?)
Salut, mon fils (sah-lew, mohn fees)
Meaning: Hi, my son
In a Sentence:
- Salut, mon fils! Comment s’est passée ta journée? (Hi, my son! How was your day?)
Salut, ma fille (sah-lew, mah fee-yuh)
Meaning: Hi, my daughter
In a Sentence:
- Salut, ma fille! Tu as fini tes devoirs? (Hi, my daughter! Did you finish your homework?)
Bienvenue! (byehn-veh-new)
Meaning: Welcome! (friendly greeting)
In a Sentence:
- Bienvenue chez nous! (Welcome to our home!)
- Bienvenue à la fête! (Welcome to the party!)
Salut, mon gars (sah-lew, mohn gah)
Meaning: Hi, buddy (casual, informal)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, mon gars! Prêt pour l’aventure? (Hi, buddy! Ready for the adventure?)
Salut, mon petit (sah-lew, mohn puh-tee)
Meaning: Hi, little one (affectionate, for kids)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, mon petit! Tu veux jouer? (Hi, little one! Do you want to play?)
Ça roule ? (sah rool?)
Meaning: How’s it going? (very casual)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, ça roule? (Hi, how’s it going?)
Salut, mon ange (sah-lew, mohn ahnzh)
Meaning: Hi, my angel (affectionate)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, mon ange! Tu m’as manqué. (Hi, my angel! I missed you.)
Salut, chef (sah-lew, shehf)
Meaning: Hi, boss (friendly, respectful)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, chef! Prêt pour la réunion? (Hi, boss! Ready for the meeting?)
Salut, mon trésor (sah-lew, mohn tray-zor)
Meaning: Hi, my treasure (affectionate)
In a Sentence:
- Salut, mon trésor! Tu as bien dormi? (Hi, my treasure! Did you sleep well?)
Hey, les amis! (ay, lay ah-mee)
Meaning: Hey, friends! (informal)
In a Sentence:
- Hey, les amis! Vous êtes prêts pour le match? (Hey, friends! Are you ready for the game?)
Other Ways to Say “Hi” in French
Here’s a table with additional ways to say “hi” in French, including pronunciation, meanings, and example sentences. These expressions cover casual, formal, and affectionate greetings.
| Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Bien le bonjour | byehn luh bohn-zhoor | A very good day | Bien le bonjour, chers collègues! (A very good day, dear colleagues!) |
| Bonjour, tout le monde | bohn-zhoor too luh mohnd | Hello everyone | Bonjour, tout le monde! Comment allez-vous? (Hello everyone! How are you?) |
| Salut, mon chou | sah-lew, mohn shoo | Hi, my dear (affectionate) | Salut, mon chou! Tu es prêt? (Hi, my dear! Are you ready?) |
| Salut, les copains | sah-lew, lay koh-pahn | Hi, friends (casual) | Salut, les copains! On se voit ce soir? (Hi, friends! See you tonight?) |
| Coucou, mon cœur | koo-koo, mohn kuhr | Hey, my heart | Coucou, mon cœur! Comment vas-tu? (Hey, my heart! How are you?) |
| Salut, mon lapin | sah-lew, mohn lah-pahn | Hi, my bunny (affectionate) | Salut, mon lapin! Tu veux un câlin? (Hi, my bunny! Do you want a hug?) |
| Salut, l’ami(e) | sah-lew, lah-mee | Hi, buddy (friendly) | Salut, l’ami! Prêt pour l’aventure? (Hi, buddy! Ready for the adventure?) |
| Bonjour, mes amis | bohn-zhoor, meh-zah-mee | Hello, my friends | Bonjour, mes amis! Bienvenue! (Hello, my friends! Welcome!) |
| Salut, les gars et les filles | sah-lew, lay gah ay lay fee-yuh | Hi, guys and girls | Salut, les gars et les filles! Comment ça va? (Hi, guys and girls! How’s it going?) |
| Coucou tout le monde | koo-koo too luh mohnd | Hey, everyone! | Coucou tout le monde! On commence? (Hey, everyone! Shall we start?) |
| Salut, ma petite étoile | sah-lew, mah puh-teet ay-twahl | Hi, my little star (affectionate) | Salut, ma petite étoile! Tu as passé une bonne journée? (Hi, my little star! Did you have a good day?) |
| Bonjour à vous tous | bohn-zhoor ah voo toos | Hello to all of you | Bonjour à vous tous! Prêts pour la réunion? (Hello to all of you! Ready for the meeting?) |
Responses to “Hi” in French
When someone says “hi” in French, you can respond in many polite or casual ways. Here are common responses with meanings and example sentences:
Salut! (sah-lew)
Meaning: Hi! (casual, returning the greeting)
Example:
- Person 1: Salut! (Hi!)
- Person 2: Salut! Comment ça va? (Hi! How are you?)
Bonjour! (bohn-zhoor)
Meaning: Hello! (formal)
Example:
- Person 1: Bonjour! (Hello!)
- Person 2: Bonjour! Comment allez-vous? (Hello! How are you?)
Ça va, et toi? (sah vah, ay twah?)
Meaning: I’m good, and you?
Example:
- Person 1: Salut! Ça va? (Hi! How are you?)
- Person 2: Ça va, et toi? (I’m good, and you?)
Très bien, merci! (tray byehn, mehr-see)
Meaning: Very well, thank you!
Example:
- Person 1: Comment ça va? (How are you?)
- Person 2: Très bien, merci! (Very well, thank you!)
Enchanté(e)! (ahn-shahn-tay)
Meaning: Nice to meet you!
Example:
- Person 1: Bonjour, je m’appelle Pierre. (Hello, my name is Pierre.)
- Person 2: Enchanté! (Nice to meet you!)
Ravi(e) de te voir! (rah-vee duh tuh vwar)
Meaning: Happy to see you!
Example:
- Person 1: Salut! (Hi!)
- Person 2: Ravi de te voir! (Happy to see you!)
Ça roule! (sah rool)
Meaning: It’s going great! (informal)
Example:
- Person 1: Salut! Comment ça va? (Hi! How’s it going?)
- Person 2: Ça roule! (It’s going great!)
Bien, et vous? (byehn, ay voo)
Meaning: Good, and you? (formal)
Example:
- Person 1: Bonjour! Comment allez-vous? (Hello! How are you?)
- Person 2: Bien, et vous? (Good, and you?)
Pas mal! (pah mahl)
Meaning: Not bad!
Example:
- Person 1: Salut! Comment ça va? (Hi! How are you?)
- Person 2: Pas mal! Et toi? (Not bad! And you?)
Content(e) de te voir! (kon-tahnt duh tuh vwar)
Meaning: Glad to see you!
Example:
- Person 1: Salut, Paul! (Hi, Paul!)
- Person 2: Content de te voir! (Glad to see you!)
Ça fait plaisir de te voir! (sah feh pleh-zeer duh tuh vwar)
Meaning: It’s nice to see you!
Example:
- Person 1: Salut, Marie! (Hi, Marie!)
- Person 2: Ça fait plaisir de te voir! (It’s nice to see you!)
Moi aussi! (mwah oh-see)
Meaning: Me too!
Example:
- Person 1: Je suis content de te voir! (I’m glad to see you!)
- Person 2: Moi aussi! (Me too!)
Toujours bien! (too-zhoor byehn)
Meaning: Always good!
Example:
- Person 1: Salut! Comment ça va? (Hi! How are you?)
- Person 2: Toujours bien! (Always good!)
Comme d’habitude! (kohm dah-bee-tewd)
Meaning: As usual!
Example:
- Person 1: Salut! Quoi de neuf? (Hi! What’s new?)
- Person 2: Comme d’habitude! (As usual!)
Heureux(se) de te revoir! (uh-ruh/uh-reuhz duh tuh ruh-vwahr)
Meaning: Happy to see you again!
Example:
- Person 1: Salut, Paul! (Hi, Paul!)
- Person 2: Heureux de te revoir! (Happy to see you again!)
Exercise to Practice Saying “Hi” in French
Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks with the correct French greeting phrases. Use the words you learned earlier. Each sentence is in French, followed by its English meaning.
Fill-in-the-Blanks
- ________, comment ça va ? (Hi, how’s it going?)
- ________, maman ! Comment était ta journée ? (Hi, Mom! How was your day?)
- ________, mon ami ! Prêt pour l’aventure ? (Hi, my friend! Ready for the adventure?)
- ________, les amis ! On se voit ce soir ? (Hi, friends! See you tonight?)
- ________, papa ! As-tu fini ton travail ? (Hi, Dad! Did you finish your work?)
- ________, tout le monde ! Bienvenue à la fête ! (Hello, everyone! Welcome to the party!)
- ________, mon amour ! Tu m’as manqué. (Hi, my love! I missed you.)
- ________, chef ! Prêt pour la réunion ? (Hi, boss! Ready for the meeting?)
- ________, ma fille ! As-tu fait tes devoirs ? (Hi, my daughter! Did you do your homework?)
- ________, mon cœur ! Comment vas-tu aujourd’hui ? (Hi, my heart! How are you today?)
- ________, Paul ! Heureux de te revoir ! (Hi, Paul! Happy to see you again!)
- ________, ma petite étoile ! Tu as passé une bonne journée ? (Hi, my little star! Did you have a good day?)
Answers
- Salut (Hi)
- Salut (Hi)
- Salut, mon ami (Hi, my friend)
- Salut, les amis (Hi, friends)
- Salut, papa (Hi, Dad)
- Bonjour tout le monde (Hello, everyone)
- Salut, mon amour (Hi, my love)
- Salut, chef (Hi, boss)
- Salut, ma fille (Hi, my daughter)
- Salut, mon cœur (Hi, my heart)
- Salut, Paul (Hi, Paul)
- Salut, ma petite étoile (Hi, my little star)
Conclusion
Learning how to say “hi” in French is a simple and fun way to start speaking the language. Whether you’re greeting friends, family, or someone new, knowing the right phrase can make a great first impression. From the casual “Salut!” to the more formal “Bonjour!”, you now have many options to fit different situations.
Keep practicing these greetings and responses in real-life conversations. The more you use them, the easier they’ll become. With time, saying “hi” in French will feel as natural as saying it in English. Bonne chance (Good luck) and happy learning!