How to Say "Hello and Goodbye" in French

bonjour et au revoir

The phrase bonjour et au revoir is the French way to say hello and goodbye.

This phrase combines a greeting for arriving with a parting phrase for leaving. While bonjour et au revoir is a direct way to express both, French speakers often use specific words depending on the time of day or the level of familiarity. For example, bonjour is a formal greeting meaning hello or good day used from morning until early evening, while bonsoir is a polite way to say good evening. When leaving during the day, you might say bonne journée (have a good day) or in the evening, you might use bonne soirée (have a good evening).

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

The phrase bonjour et au revoir is a more formal and explicit way to combine a greeting and a farewell. In contrast, the informal word salut is very common among friends as it can serve as both a hello and a goodbye.

How does it change in a sentence?

The word et acts as the conjunction used to link the greeting and the parting phrase together.

When do people say it?

When parting informally, speakers often use phrases that indicate when they will see the person again. If you expect to see someone later the same day, you can use À tout à l'heure. If you expect to see them again but the exact time is less certain, you might say À plus tard. For a planned meeting on the following day, the informal phrase On se voit demain is used.

Did you know?

In France, failing to say bonjour when entering a small shop or starting a conversation is often seen as a significant social rudeness rather than just a missed greeting.
The phrase au revoir literally translates to 'until seeing again', emphasizing the expectation of a future encounter rather than a final departure.
In Old French, the word for 'and' was often written simply as e before the Latin spelling et was restored in the 12th century.

Examples in context

C'est un simple bonjour et au revoir.
It is a simple hello and goodbye.
Il a dit bonjour et au revoir rapidement.
He said hello and goodbye quickly.

Example conversation

Manon and Nathan are talking about a brief encounter with a neighbor.

Manon

As-tu parlé avec le voisin ?
Did you speak with the neighbor?
Nathan

Oui, mais c'était juste bonjour et au revoir.
Yes, but it was just hello and goodbye.
Manon

Il n'avait pas le temps de discuter ?
He didn't have time to chat?
Nathan

Non, il était très pressé.
No, he was in a great hurry.

Sources

Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonjour, et, revoir, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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How to Say “Hello and Goodbye” in French