Bonjour & Enchanté : A1 French Greetings and Introductions
Want to start speaking French from your very first minute? Master greetings and introductions, and you’ll be able to say hello, ask someone’s name, and make a friendly first impression. In this A1 guide, you’ll learn the most useful phrases, when to use formal vs informal language, and small cultural tips that keep your French sounding natural.
Core greetings you’ll use every day
bonjour
hello; good day (used until evening)
interjection
Bonjour, Madame.
Hello, Madam.
salut
hi (informal) / bye (informal)
interjection
Salut, Léa !
Hi, Léa!
bonsoir
good evening (used in the evening/night as a greeting)
interjection
Bonsoir, Monsieur.
Good evening, sir.
au revoir
goodbye (neutral, polite)
phrase
Au revoir et à demain !
Goodbye and see you tomorrow!
bonne nuit
good night (when going to bed)
phrase
Bonne nuit, à demain.
Good night, see you tomorrow.
French
Bonjour ! Comment ça va ?
Hello! How are you?
French
Salut ! Ça va ?
Hi! Everything okay?
French
Bonsoir, Monsieur Dupont.
Good evening, Mr. Dupont.
Le soir, on dit: .
Pour un ami, on dit: !
Polite vs casual: tu, vous, and titles
Monsieur
sir; Mr.
noun/title
Bonjour, Monsieur.
Hello, sir.
Madame
ma’am; Mrs./Ms.
noun/title
Bonsoir, Madame.
Good evening, ma’am.
Mademoiselle
miss (rare today; often avoided)
noun/title
Bonjour, Mademoiselle.
Hello, miss.
Choose the best greeting/form
Introducing yourself and asking names
s’appeler
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| je | m’appelle |
| tu | t’appelles |
| il/elle/on | s’appelle |
| nous | nous appelons |
| vous | vous appelez |
| ils/elles | s’appellent |
French
Comment tu t’appelles ?
What’s your name? (informal)
French
Comment vous vous appelez ?
What’s your name? (formal/polite)
French
Je m’appelle Clara.
My name is Clara.
French
Moi, c’est David.
I’m David. (very casual/colloquial)
Je Paul.
Short dialogue practice
Put these lines in the right order to complete a polite first meeting.
A polite introduction
Put the words in order
Start with the greeting; capitalize it.
Talking about how you feel
Comment ça va ?
How are you? (neutral/informal)
phrase
Salut, Marc ! Comment ça va ?
Hi, Marc! How are you?
Ça va
I’m fine / it’s going okay
phrase
Ça va, merci.
I’m fine, thanks.
Ça va bien, merci.
I’m doing well, thanks.
phrase
Bonjour ! Ça va bien, merci.
Hello! I’m doing well, thanks.
Comme ci, comme ça
so-so
phrase
Bof… comme ci, comme ça.
Meh… so-so.
French
Bonjour ! Ça va ?
Hello! How’s it going?
French
Ça va bien, merci. Et vous ?
I’m well, thanks. And you?
Si tu es une femme, tu dis: .
Cultural notes that keep you natural
- In France, people use Bonjour until evening; Bonsoir becomes the evening greeting. "Bon après-midi" is mostly a farewell ("have a good afternoon"), not a greeting.
- Handshakes are common in formal or first meetings. Friends and family might do la bise (cheek kisses), but wait for the other person to initiate.
- Titles matter in formal settings: Monsieur, Madame. "Mademoiselle" is less common today.
- To be extra polite when meeting someone, you can say: Ravi(e) de faire votre connaissance. (Delighted to make your acquaintance.)
au
à + le (contraction: “to the”)
revoir
re- (again) + voir (to see) → "see again"
Je appelle Paul.
→
Je m’appelle Paul.
Remember the reflexive pronoun: je m’appelle.
Bon après-midi ! (as a greeting)
→
Bonjour !
Use Bonjour to start a conversation during the day.
Wrap-up and quick practice
- Greet three different people: a friend (Salut), a shop assistant (Bonjour), and someone in the evening (Bonsoir).
- Ask and answer names formally and informally: "Comment vous vous appelez ?" / "Je m’appelle…" and "Comment tu t’appelles ?" / "Moi, c’est…".
- Practice a mini-dialogue: Bonjour → Comment ça va ? → Ça va bien, merci → Je m’appelle… → Enchanté(e) → Au revoir.
You’ve got the essentials to start friendly conversations in French. Keep these phrases handy, use Bonjour liberally, and don’t worry — a smile plus Enchanté(e) goes a long way!