Essential Greetings and Polite Expressions

New Words and Phrases (in English)

Here are essential greetings and polite expressions in French. Focus on the sound of each phrase and the natural rhythm. Say them out loud, keeping your voice smooth and not too choppy, as you learned in earlier modules.

Language Pattern (in English)

1. Formal vs. Informal: “tu” and “vous”

French has two ways to say “you”:

• tu (informal, singular)
• Used with friends, family, children, and people your own age in casual situations.
• Example: "Salut, Marie, ça va ?" (Hi, Marie, how are you?) — Marie is probably a friend, so you use informal language.
• With tu, you also use informal phrases like « S’il te plaît » (Please).

• vous (formal or plural)
• Used to be polite with adults you do not know well, in shops, at work, or when you want to show respect.
• Also used for more than one person, even if they are your friends.
• Example: "Bonjour, madame. Comment allez-vous ?" (Hello, ma’am. How are you?) — you are being respectful.
• With vous, use « S’il vous plaît » (Please).

Compare:

• "Un café, s’il vous plaît." (A coffee, please.) — to a server, politely.
• "Passe-moi le sel, s’il te plaît." (Pass me the salt, please.) — to a friend or family member.

2. Greetings and Time of Day

• Bonjour is used from morning until early evening. It works both formally and informally.
• "Bonjour, madame." (formal)
• "Bonjour, Paul !" (informal but still polite)

• Bonsoir is used in the evening, when it is already dark or later in the day.
• "Bonsoir, monsieur." (Good evening, sir.)

• Salut is informal. Use it with people you tutoyer (people you call tu).
• "Salut, Marie !" (Hi, Marie!)
• You can also say « Salut ! » as a casual “Bye!” when leaving.

• Au revoir is a standard, neutral goodbye. You can use it almost everywhere.
• "Au revoir, à demain !" (Goodbye, see you tomorrow!)

3. Politeness and Intonation

In French, politeness is not only the words, but also how you say them.

• Keep a smooth, even rhythm (from your previous rhythm module).
• For polite requests with « s’il vous plaît » or « s’il te plaît », your voice usually rises slightly at the end:
• "Un café, s’il vous plaît ⤴︎" (A coffee, please?)

• For apologies or getting attention, « Excusez-moi » or « Pardon » are short and gentle, not shouted:
• "Excusez-moi, madame ⤴︎" (Excuse me, ma’am?)

4. “Merci” and Softening Your Tone

• Merci (Thank you) and Merci beaucoup (Thank you very much) are used all the time.
• Often combined with a goodbye:
• "Merci, au revoir !" (Thank you, goodbye!)

Remember: choose tu / s’il te plaît for informal, and vous / s’il vous plaît for formal or plural. Match your greeting and politeness level to the situation.

Practice Dialogue (in English)

You will see two short dialogues. The first is formal (using « vous ») at a café. The second is informal (using « tu ») between friends. Notice how the greetings, "please," and "thank you" change.

Check Your Understanding (in English)

Answer this question about choosing the correct polite expression in context.