Lecture Notes: Greetings in French

Introduction

• Instructor: Louisa, Little Language School, Saint-Junior
• Course: A New Life in France
• Topic: French Greetings
  • How to say hello and goodbye
  • Asking and responding to "How are you?"

Key Greetings

Saying Hello

• Bonjour
  • Standard greeting during the daytime.
  • Translates to "Good day."
• Bonsoir
  • Used after 5 PM or when it gets dark.
  • Translates to "Good evening."
• Salut
  • Informal greeting, akin to "hi."
  • Used with friends or neighbors.
• Coucou
  • Very informal, often used with children.
  • A playful or affectionate way to say hello.

Formal Greetings

• Bonjour Monsieur/Madame
  • Used to show respect or when greeting someone you don't know well.

Seeing Someone Again

• Re-bonjour/Re-bonsoir
  • Used when seeing someone for the second time in the day/evening.

Asking "How are you?"

• Ça va?
  • Literally "It's going?"
  • Can be both a question and an answer.
• Ça va bien?
  • Means "It's going well."
  • More positive response.
• Responding Back:
  • Et toi? (informal)
  • Et vous? (formal)

Usage of "Tu" and "Vous"

• Tu
  • Singular, informal "you."
  • Used for friends, family, children, and pets.
• Vous
  • Formal or plural "you."
  • Used for strangers, in formal settings, and when addressing multiple people.
  • Transition from "vous" to "tu" often marks a shift to informality.
  • Se tutoyer: Verb meaning "to call each other tu."

Saying Goodbye

• Au revoir
  • Standard goodbye.
  • "Until we see each other again."
• À plus tard
  • "See you later."
  • Often shortened to "À plus."
• À bientôt
  • "See you soon."

Parting Wishes

• Bonne journée
  • "Have a good day."
• Bonne soirée
  • "Have a good evening."
• Pareillement
  • Means "likewise," used in response to parting wishes.

Tips

• Always start interactions with a greeting in France.
• Use the correct form of address depending on the formality and who you are speaking to.
• Follow cues from native French speakers regarding formality.

Conclusion

• Weekly lectures will cover various topics.
• A link for a free downloadable cheat sheet is available.
• Closing: Au revoir, see you next time.