Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bonjour | /bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/ | |
| bon matin | /bõ ma.tẽ/ (Quebec) | Canada, Louisiana, New England |
Bonjour is used when seeing someone for the first time in the morning. It serves both as a greeting when arriving and as a polite way to acknowledge someone's presence.
Which one should you use?
While English speakers distinguish between 'good morning' and 'good afternoon', the French term bonjour is used for both 'good morning' and 'good afternoon' until sunset.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Bon matin is a regionalism used in North American French-speaking areas such as Canada, Louisiana and New-England. In France, however, bonjour is the standard greeting for the morning.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of bonjour is /bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use bon matin in France because it is a literal translation of 'good morning', but bonjour is the natural choice there.
Did you know?
- In France, failing to say bonjour when entering a shop or starting a conversation is often seen as a serious social slight rather than just a lack of politeness.
- The word matin is connected to Matuta, the Roman goddess of the dawn.
- While bonjour is the standard greeting, it is rarely used as a goodbye. For that, French speakers switch to bonne journée, which wishes the person a 'good day' ahead.
Examples in context
- Bonjour tout le monde.Good morning, everybody.This sentence shows how to use bonjour when addressing a group.Tatoeba #9495 by sysko, translation #22122 by CK
- Bonjour, je vous dérange ?Good morning, am I disturbing you?This sentence uses bonjour when checking if you are interrupting someone.Tatoeba #5638387 by Blabla, translation #5643832 by narnar
- Bonjour, comment allez-vous ?Good morning, how are you doing?This sentence demonstrates using bonjour followed by a question about someone's well-being.Tatoeba #5960 by TRANG, translation #3249363 by nava
- Bonjour, monsieur.Good morning, sir.
- Je vous souhaite une bonne matinée, monsieur.I wish you a good morning, sir.
- Bonjour, mec.Good morning, dude.
- Bonjour, monsieur. Comment allez-vous ce matin ?Good morning, sir. How are you this morning?
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan meet in the office hallway in the morning.
- ChloéBonjour, Nathan.Good morning, Nathan.
- NathanBonjour, Chloé. Tu vas bien ?Good morning, Chloé. Are you doing well?
- ChloéOui, ça va très bien, merci.Yes, I am doing very well, thank you.
- NathanBonne journée !Have a good day!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations and entries bonjour, bon matin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bon, bon matin, bonjour, matin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
