French politeness starts with a greeting. Walk into a shop in France or Quebec without saying hello and you will notice the difference straight away. These five phrases will carry you a long way.
Bonjour and bonsoir
Bonjour works from the morning until the evening. After about six in the evening, switch to bonsoir. Both are polite and suitable for strangers.
Salut
Salut means hi (and sometimes bye). Use it with friends, family and people your age, not with a stranger you want to impress.
Comment allez-vous ? and Ça va ?
The first is formal, the second is relaxed. The easy answer to both is Ça va bien, merci: I am fine, thank you.
Enchanté(e)
Say enchanté when you meet someone, and add an e at the end if you are a woman. It sounds the same, but it is correct on paper.
Au revoir and à bientôt
Au revoir is the standard goodbye. À bientôt means see you soon and sounds warmer.
Try saying all five out loud today. In a live lesson, we practise them in real conversations until they feel natural.