Overview
This lecture introduces essential French greetings and polite phrases useful for basic conversation and travel.
Basic Greetings
- "Bonjour" means hello.
- "Bienvenue" means welcome.
- "Je m'appelle" means my name is (literally: I call myself).
- "Je suis" means I am.
- "Comment ça va?" means how are you?
- "Comme ci comme ça" means so-so.
- "Ça va" can also mean I’m okay.
- "Comment allez-vous?" (formal) and "Comment vas-tu?" (informal) also mean how are you?
Formality: Tu vs. Vous
- "Vous" is used formally or to address more than one person.
- "Tu" is informal and used with people you know well.
Polite Phrases
- "Merci" means thank you.
- "Merci beaucoup" means thank you very much.
- "De rien" means you’re welcome (literally: it’s nothing).
- "S’il vous plaît" means please (formal).
- "S’il te plaît" means please (informal).
- "Excusez-moi" means excuse me (formal).
- "Excuse-moi" means excuse me (informal).
- "Pardon" means sorry or forgive me.
Goodbyes and Well Wishes
- "Au revoir" means goodbye (literally: to see you again).
- "Salut" means hi or bye (informal).
- "Bonne nuit" means good night.
- "Bonne soirée" means have a nice evening.
- "Bonne journée" means have a nice day.
- "À bientôt" means see you soon.
- "À tout à l’heure" means see you later (the same day).
Key Terms & Definitions
- Bonjour — hello
- Bienvenue — welcome
- Je m'appelle — my name is
- Comment ça va? — how are you?
- Comme ci comme ça — so-so
- Merci — thank you
- De rien — you’re welcome
- S’il vous plaît — please (formal)
- Excusez-moi — excuse me (formal)
- Pardon — sorry/forgive me
- Au revoir — goodbye
- Salut — hi/bye (informal)
- Bonne nuit — good night
- Bonne soirée — have a nice evening
- Bonne journée — have a nice day
- À bientôt — see you soon
- À tout à l’heure — see you later (same day)
Action Items / Next Steps
- Practice repeating and memorizing all greetings and polite phrases.
- Watch or review the lesson video again to reinforce pronunciation and usage.