Your first French word ! Youhou ✨

What  better word to learn than “Hello” when starting a new language, right ? In French we simply say “Bonjour” to mean “Hello”.

💡 Tip : You can use Bonjour during the daytime but in the evening or at night, you would use “Bonsoir“.

(insert bonsoir audio)

Bonjour literally means “Good day” it’s made up of “Bon” (which means “good”) and “Jour” (which means “day”).

As for its little brother “Bonsoir” it’s composed of “Bon” and “Soir” which means “evening”. So now you can easily greet any French person !

But what if I want to say “Hi” to my friend ?

Saying “Bonjour” to a friend or a family member can sound a bit too formal. Just like how in English you’d say “Hi” to your friends instead of “Hello”. So here you can simply replace “Bonjour” by “Salut“

Bonjour/Bonsoir

One thing that often happens even among French speakers is that when someone says “Bonjour” late in the day, another person might respond with “Bonsoir” if they feel it’s too late for “Bonjour“.
While it’s not a big deal, it can sometimes cause a bit of confusion. Personally, I find it a little awkward when people do that , but just be aware that it can happen! (Usually, people start using “Bonsoir” after around 6 PM, but it’s not a strict rule.)