I can say hello and goodbye in French, choose tu or vous for the situation, say thank you, apologize, and ask someone to repeat.
Bonjour ! Who gets tu, who gets vous
Bonjour ! Who gets tu, who gets vous
The first seconds of a conversation are about how you address someone; a mistake here stands out more than a wrong word.
When to say what: Bonjour in the morning and afternoon, Bonsoir in the evening, Salut only with friends (it's also a goodbye). Au revoir is the neutral goodbye; À bientôt means “see you soon”. See the table.
Tu or vous: an adult you don't know, an office, a store, work — vous; family, friends, classmates, children — tu. It doesn't change within a conversation. Vous is “you” to several people and the polite “you” to one.
To an adult you don't know, add Monsieur or Madame, without the name. English “sir” and “ma'am” are optional; in France this is the normal courtesy. With a last name, you stay polite too.
Ça va ? (“How are things?”) works with tu and vous. Answer Ça va bien, merci and ask back: Et toi ? or Et vous ?
Didn't catch it? Two set phrases, learned whole: Je ne comprends pas and Vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ?
Typography: French puts a space before ? and !; English doesn't.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Salut, Madame Lefèvre !” → Bonjour, Madame Lefèvre ! (with a last name, always polite).
• NOT “Bonjour, Léa ! S'il vous plaît.” → S'il te plaît (to a friend, tu).
• NOT “Bonjour !” at 9 p.m. → Bonsoir !
• NOT “Bonjour.” to a salesperson you don't know → Bonjour, Monsieur !
• NOT “Ça va?” without a space → Ça va ?
What to say when you meet and when you leave
Salut works both for hello and for goodbye — but only with people you know well.
| Line | When | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Bonjour ! | in the morning and afternoon, with anyone | Hello! |
| Bonsoir ! | in the evening, with anyone | Good evening! |
| Salut ! | with people you know well: friends, classmates | Hi! Bye! |
| Au revoir ! | any goodbye | Goodbye! |
| À bientôt ! | when you'll see each other soon | See you soon! |
Who gets tu, who gets vous
Within one conversation, the form of address doesn't change.
| Situation | Form of address |
|---|---|
| An adult stranger on the street | vous |
| A salesperson, a doctor, an office counter | vous |
| A teacher | vous |
| A coworker | vous |
| A friend | tu |
| A classmate | tu |
| A child | tu |
| A relative | tu |
Lesson notes
Bonjour ! Who gets tu, who gets vous
The first seconds of a conversation are about how you address someone; a mistake here stands out more than a wrong word.
When to say what: Bonjour in the morning and afternoon, Bonsoir in the evening, Salut only with friends (it's also a goodbye). Au revoir is the neutral goodbye; À bientôt means “see you soon”. See the table.
Tu or vous: an adult you don't know, an office, a store, work — vous; family, friends, classmates, children — tu. It doesn't change within a conversation. Vous is “you” to several people and the polite “you” to one.
To an adult you don't know, add Monsieur or Madame, without the name. English “sir” and “ma'am” are optional; in France this is the normal courtesy. With a last name, you stay polite too.
Ça va ? (“How are things?”) works with tu and vous. Answer Ça va bien, merci and ask back: Et toi ? or Et vous ?
Didn't catch it? Two set phrases, learned whole: Je ne comprends pas and Vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ?
Typography: French puts a space before ? and !; English doesn't.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Salut, Madame Lefèvre !” → Bonjour, Madame Lefèvre ! (with a last name, always polite).
• NOT “Bonjour, Léa ! S'il vous plaît.” → S'il te plaît (to a friend, tu).
• NOT “Bonjour !” at 9 p.m. → Bonsoir !
• NOT “Bonjour.” to a salesperson you don't know → Bonjour, Monsieur !
• NOT “Ça va?” without a space → Ça va ?