bonjour monsieur
bonjour monsieur is the French way to say "good morning mr.".
This phrase is a polite greeting used to address a man. While it is often translated as "good morning", it is used for both "good morning" and "good afternoon" until the evening begins.
What does it mean word for word?
The word bonjour is a combination of bon, meaning "good" and jour, meaning "day".
Which one should you use?
Use bonjour monsieur when addressing a man, but use bonjour madame when addressing a woman.
Did you know?
- The word monsieur hides a surprising history of ownership. It stems from the Old French 'mon sieur', which literally meant 'my lord'.
- If you use bonjour monsieur to a stranger in a shop, you are following a strict social code. In France, omitting this greeting or the title can be perceived as surprisingly rude or dismissive.
- While bonjour is used for greetings, the phrase bonne journée is used specifically when saying goodbye to wish someone a good day.
Examples in context
- Bonjour Monsieur Dupont, j'espère que vous passez une bonne journée.Good morning, Mr. Dupont, I hope you're having a good day.
- Bonjour Monsieur Tremblay, comment ça va aujourd'hui?Good morning, Mr. Tremblay, how are you today?
Example conversation
Lucas greets his teacher in the hallway.
- LucasBonjour monsieur, j'ai mon devoir.Good morning sir, I have my homework.
- ChloéBonjour Lucas, donnez-le moi.Good morning Lucas, give it to me.
- LucasLe voici, merci.Here it is, thank you.
- ChloéMerci, bonne journée.Thank you, have a nice day.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonjour, monsieur, CC BY-SA 4.0.
