Most Commonly Used French Greetings and Phrases: French is one of the most popular foreign languages, being taught in Indian Schools. If you are preparing for the exams or planning to travel or exploring a new culture, then introducing yourself in French can be a great place to start.
Common French Greetings (Les salutations)
Learning greetings is the very first step in any language. Check below some of the most commonly used French greetings.
| French Phrase | Meaning in English | When to Use |
| Bonjour | Hello / Good morning | Formal/informal (daytime) |
| Salut | Hi / Hello | Informal with friends/peers |
| Bonsoir | Good evening | After 6 PM |
| Bonne nuit | Good night | Before going to bed |
| Au revoir | Goodbye | Formal/informal |
| À bientôt | See you soon | Informal |
| À demain | See you tomorrow | Informal |
| Ça va? | How are you? | Informal (trending & casual) |
| Comment ça va? | How’s it going? | Informal |
| Comment allez-vous? | How are you? | Formal |
Important Note: In French, the tone and context matter. Use "salut" with friends and "Bonjour" with teachers or elders.
Basic Self-Introduction in French (Se présenter)
Introducing yourself is important, and students can check here the introduction part in both formal and casual ways.
| French Phrase | English Meaning |
| Je m'appelle Akshita. | My name is Akshita. |
| J’ai 14 ans. | I am 14 years old. |
| Je suis étudiant(e). | I am a student. |
| J’habite en Inde. | I live in India. |
| Je parle un peu français. | I speak a little French. |
| Enchanté(e) de faire votre connaissance. | Nice to meet you. |
An example of a French Introduction
Students can check below an example of french introduction:
Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Riya. J’ai 13 ans. Je suis étudiante. J’habite à Delhi, en Inde. Je parle anglais, hindi et un peu français. Enchantée de faire votre connaissance!
Translation: Hello! My name is Riya. I am 13 years old. I am a student. I live in Delhi, India. I speak English, Hindi, and a little French. Nice to meet you!
Trending Phrases Among Students
Want to sound like those cool French native speakers? Don’t worry, as we have got you covered. Check the table below for trending phrases among the students.
| Phrase | Meaning |
| Coucou! | Hey! (Very informal) |
| Ça roule? | All good? |
| Trop bien! | That’s awesome! |
| Pas mal! | Not bad! |
| Grave! | Totally / For sure! |
Easy French Phrases With Meanings
| French Phrase | English Meaning |
|---|---|
| Salut ! | Hi! / Hello! |
| Ça va ? | How are you? |
| Ça va bien. | I’m fine. |
| Pas mal. | Not bad. |
| Comme ci, comme ça. | So-so. |
| Très bien, merci. | Very well, thank you. |
| Et toi ? | And you? |
| À plus tard ! | See you later! |
| À bientôt ! | See you soon! |
| À demain ! | See you tomorrow! |
| Je m'appelle... | My name is... |
| Enchanté(e) | Nice to meet you. |
| Je suis étudiant(e). | I am a student. |
| Je suis professeur. | I am a teacher. |
| Je viens de l’Inde. | I come from India. |
| J’habite à Delhi. | I live in Delhi. |
| Quel âge as-tu ? | How old are you? |
| J’ai 20 ans. | I am 20 years old. |
| Tu parles français ? | Do you speak French? |
| Un peu. | A little. |
Okay, here's a table format for French greetings and self-introduction phrases, suitable for a Class 10 student. It includes pronunciation guides and usage notes.
French Greetings and Self-Introduction Phrases
This table provides essential French phrases for greetings and introducing yourself, along with their English translations, pronunciation guides, and usage notes.
| Category | French Phrase | Pronunciation (Approx.) | English Translation | Usage Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. Greetings (Salutations) | ||||
| Common | Bonjour! | Bohn-zhoor | Hello! / Good day! | Most common greeting, used all day. |
| Bonsoir! | Bohn-swahr | Good evening! | Used from late afternoon/early evening. | |
| Salut! | Sah-loo | Hi! | Informal, used with friends, family, and peers. | |
| Bonne nuit! | Boon nwee | Good night! | Used when someone is going to bed or saying goodbye late at night. | |
| Formal | Bonjour Monsieur! | Bohn-zhoor Muh-syuh | Hello Sir! | Used when addressing an adult male formally. |
| Bonjour Madame! | Bohn-zhoor Mah-dahm | Hello Madam! | Used when addressing an adult female formally. | |
| Enchanté(e)! | Ahn-shahn-tay | Nice to meet you! | Very polite. Add 'e' for female speaker (pronounced same). | |
| Asking How Are You | Comment allez-vous? | Koh-mahn tah-lay voo? | How are you? (Formal) | Use with adults or people you don't know well. |
| Comment vas-tu? | Koh-mahn vah too? | How are you? (Informal) | Use with friends, family, or people your age. | |
| Ça va? | Sah vah? | How's it going? / Alright? | Very common informal way to ask "How are you?". (Response: "Ça va bien!") | |
| Saying Goodbye | Au revoir! | Oh ruh-vwahr | Goodbye! | Standard way to say goodbye. |
| À bientôt! | Ah byan-toh | See you soon! | Used if you expect to see the person again relatively soon. | |
| À tout à l'heure! | Ah toot ah luhr | See you later! | Used if you'll see the person again on the same day. | |
| À demain! | Ah duh-man | See you tomorrow! | Used if you'll see the person the next day. | |
| Bonne journée! | Boon zhoor-nay | Have a good day! | Used when saying goodbye during the day. | |
| Bonne soirée! | Boon swah-ray | Have a good evening! | Used when saying goodbye in the evening. | |
| II. Self-Introduction (Se Présenter) | ||||
| Stating Your Name | Je m'appelle [Your Name]. | Zjeh mah-pell [Your Name] | My name is [Your Name]. | Most common way to state your name. |
| Je suis [Your Name]. | Zjeh swee [Your Name] | I am [Your Name]. | More direct, often follows "Bonjour, je m'appelle...". | |
| Stating Origin/Nationality | Je viens de [City/Country]. | Zjeh vyan duh [City/Country] | I come from [City/Country]. | Example: "Je viens de Delhi." (I come from Delhi.) |
| Je suis indien/indienne. | Zjeh swee an-dyan/an-dyenn | I am Indian (m/f). | Important: Adjective form changes for male/female speaker. | |
| Je suis français/française. | Zjeh swee frahn-say/frahn-sez | I am French (m/f). | ||
| Je suis anglais/anglaise. | Zjeh swee ahn-glay/ahn-glez | I am English (m/f). | ||
| Stating Profession/Student | Je suis étudiant/étudiante. | Zjeh swee ay-too-dyahn/ay-too-dyahnt | I am a student (m/f). | Common for Class 10 students. |
| Je suis [Profession]. | Zjeh swee [Profession] | I am a [Profession]. | For future use, e.g., "Je suis professeur." (I am a teacher.) | |
| Stating Age | J'ai [Number] ans. | Zjay [Number] ahn | I am [Number] years old. | Example: "J'ai seize ans." (I am 16 years old.) |
| Languages Spoken | Je parle [Language]. | Zjeh parl [Language] | I speak [Language]. | Example: "Je parle hindi et anglais." (I speak Hindi and English.) |
| Je parle un peu de [Language]. | Zjeh parl uhn puh duh [Language] | I speak a little [Language]. | For languages you know just a bit of. |
Quick Revision: French Greet Sheet 2025
- Bonjour = Hello
- Salut = Hi
- Je m’appelle……… = My name is……….
- J’ai ___ ans = I am ___ years old
- Enchanté(e) = Nice to meet you
Common French Greetings & Conversational Enhancers
Students can check other phrases as well here:
| French Phrase | English Meaning | Usage/Context | Formality |
|
Less Common Greetings/Interjections | |||
| Tiens! | Oh! / Look! / Well, well! | Expresses surprise, recognition, or a mild interjection when something appears or someone arrives unexpectedly. | Informal |
| Tiens, tiens! | Well, well, well! | A stronger version of "Tiens!", indicating more surprise or contemplation. | Informal |
| Alors? | So? / What's up? | Often used to prompt someone to speak, or to ask "So, what's happening?" if a silence falls. | Informal |
| On se dit bonjour? | Shall we say hello? | A friendly, slightly playful way to initiate a greeting, especially if you're passing by someone. | Informal |
| Salut la compagnie! | Hello everyone! / Hello, folks! | A very informal, lively greeting when addressing a group of friends or acquaintances. | Informal |
|
Conversational Fillers & Connectors | |||
| Bah oui / Bah non | Well yes / Well no | Casual fillers that soften a "yes" or "no," often implying a slight shrug or obviousness. | Informal |
| Euh... | Um... / Uh... | The universal filler word when you're thinking or hesitating. | Neutral |
| Du coup... | So... / As a result... / Suddenly... | A very common, versatile filler to connect ideas, often implying a consequence or transition. Can be overused by native speakers! | Informal |
| En fait... | Actually... / In fact... | Used to clarify, correct, or add a detail, often slightly contradicting what was just said or thought. | Neutral |
| Bref... | In short... / Anyway... | Used to summarize, conclude, or cut a long story short. | Neutral |
| C'est-à-dire... | That is to say... / In other words... | Used to explain or rephrase something for clarity. | Neutral |
| Comment dire...? | How to say...? | Used when you're searching for the right words. | Neutral |
|
Polite & Expressive Phrases | |||
| Pas de souci! | No worries! / No problem! | A very common and friendly way to say "you're welcome" or "it's fine." | Informal |
| Avec plaisir! | With pleasure! | A more enthusiastic way to say "you're welcome" or "yes, I'd love to!" | Neutral |
| Je vous en prie. | You're welcome / Please. | More formal than "De rien." Also used to invite someone to sit down or go first. | Formal |
| Je t'en prie. | You're welcome / Please. | Informal version of "Je vous en prie." | Informal |
| C'est gentil de votre part. | That's kind of you. (Formal) | Expresses gratitude for someone's kindness. | Formal |
| C'est gentil de ta part. | That's kind of you. (Informal) | Expresses gratitude for someone's kindness. | Informal |
| Pas de problème! | No problem! | Similar to "Pas de souci!" but can be slightly more direct. | Neutral |
| Excusez-moi de vous déranger. | Excuse me for bothering you. (Formal) | A polite way to initiate a conversation with a stranger or interrupt someone. | Formal |
| Excuse-moi de te déranger. | Excuse me for bothering you. (Informal) | Informal version. | Informal |
| Je suis désolé(e). | I am sorry. | Standard apology. (Add 'e' for female speakers). | Neutral |
| Ah bon? | Oh really? / Is that so? | Expresses mild surprise or curiosity. | Neutral |
| Ben (oui/non/alors) | Well (yes/no/then) | A very common, informal way to start a sentence, similar to "well..." in English. | Informal |
Whether you are learning French as a subject in school or just for fun, it is important to know about the basic phrases and greetings, as this can be a fun way to start. Practice daily and make speaking French into your daily habit to converse confidently. Bon courage! (Good luck!)
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