Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bonjour | /bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/ | |
| bon matin | /bõ ma.tẽ/ (Quebec) | Canada, Louisiana, New England |
The most common and universal way to say 'good morning' when seeing someone for the first time in the morning is bonjour. While it is used to greet people in the morning, it is also the standard greeting for 'good afternoon'. For friends or close colleagues, you might also use the casual greeting salut to say hello or hi.
What does it mean word for word?
bonjour is a combination of bon (good) and jour (day), literally meaning 'good day'.
Which one should you use?
While bonjour literally means 'good day', it functions as the standard greeting for both 'good morning' and 'good afternoon' in France. In contrast, bon matin is a specific way to say 'good morning' used in certain regions.
Is it said differently in some regions?
bon matin is more commonly used in Canada, particularly in Quebec, as well as in Louisiana and New England.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/ (2 syllables)
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use bon matin in France to mean 'good morning'. However, bonjour is the natural and standard choice in that country.
Did you know?
- The greeting bonjour is so essential that failing to say it to a clerk or waiter is often perceived as a sign of arrogance or hostility.
- In some formal contexts, bonjour is accompanied by a handshake, but in many French families, it is paired with la bise, a light kiss on each cheek.
- While bonjour is used to start a conversation, saying bonne journée is used specifically when leaving to wish someone a good rest of their day.
Examples in context
- Bonjour tout le monde.Good morning, everybody.This example shows how to use bonjour to greet a group.Tatoeba #9495 by sysko, translation #22122 by CK
- Bonjour, je vous dérange ?Good morning, am I disturbing you?This example 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 example shows bonjour being used to ask how someone is doing.Tatoeba #5960 by TRANG, translation #3249363 by nava
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma meet in the office hallway.
- GabrielBonjour, Emma.Good morning, Emma.
- EmmaBonjour, Gabriel.Good morning, Gabriel.
- GabrielTu as bien dormi ?Did you sleep well?
- EmmaOui, merci.Yes, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations and entries bonjour, bon matin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
