Category Archives: Basic French Phrases

How to greet in French

Listen, repeat and learn how to greet in French with the basic French greeting phrases for goodday, hi, how are you and learn how to introduce yourself.

The easiest way to greet French people is pretending you are some kind of a parrot: try your best in simply repeating the greetings that people tell you.

A basic phrase to remember the most common French greetings and a little conversation in its own is the following:

Bonjour ! Comment ça va? Très bien, merci. Et vous? Très bien aussi, merci!

Click here to download the audio for these basic French greetings.

Meaning:

  • Goodday/ Hi!
  • How are you (how are things going)?
  • Very good, thank you. And you?
  • Very good also, thank you!

Cultural habits: shake hands or kiss

When you meet a French person for the first time it is common to shake hands, as you would in most English cultures. It is also commonplace to use more formal greetings and phrases that use the polite word for you: "vous".

If you are meeting a French friend (male or female), or someone that you have met several times before, then use "Salut!". Men and women or women and women follow up with a kiss on both cheeks.

If somebody wants to know your name, they will use the phrase: "Comment vous appelez-vous?" (literary: how do you call yourself?) The correct way to answer is "Je m’appelle …" followed with your name like e.g. "Je m’appelle Bond, James Bond."

Click here to download the audio: Comment vous appelez-vous? Je m’appelle Bond, James Bond. Notice the French pronunciation of "Bond": the French don’t pronounce the ‘d’ at the end and the ‘on’ sound is very nasal.

Learning these basics phrases by heart, you will know how to greet and be greeted in French.