These are the phrases you'll use every day in a French-speaking place. The one big choice to get right is tu or vous.
Tu or vous?
- Vous is polite. Use it with anyone you don't know, anyone older, and anyone in a shop, café or office. It's also the plural “you.”
- Tu is for friends, family, children and people your age in casual settings.
When in doubt, use vous. If the other person prefers tu, they'll often say On peut se tutoyer (“We can use tu”).
That's why many phrases come in two forms: s'il vous plaît / s'il te plaît, Comment allez-vous ? / Ça va ?
Greetings by time of day
| When | Arriving | Leaving |
|---|---|---|
| Morning and afternoon | Bonjour | Bonne journée |
| Evening | Bonsoir | Bonne soirée |
| Bedtime | Bonne nuit |
A polite habit
In France, say Bonjour when you walk into a shop, and Merci, au revoir when you leave. Skipping it can come across as rude, even if the rest of your French is perfect.
A tiny conversation
— Bonjour ! Comment allez-vous ? — Bien, merci. Et vous ? — Très bien. Je m'appelle Claire. — Enchanté !
(“Hello! How are you?” “Fine, thanks. And you?” “Very well. My name is Claire.” “Nice to meet you!”)
French puts a small space before ? and !, as you can see above.