bonsoir
/bɔ̃.swaʁ/
The English phrase "hello at night" is translated into French as bonsoir.
bonsoir is the most common way to say "good evening" in French. It is appropriate to use this greeting from the late afternoon until nightfall.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a combination of bon (good) and soir (evening).
Which one should you use?
You should use bonsoir instead of bonjour once the evening begins or the sun starts to set. It is important to distinguish bonsoir from bonne nuit. While bonsoir is a greeting used when arriving or meeting someone, bonne nuit is a parting phrase used when someone is going to sleep or leaving for the night.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɔ̃.swaʁ/
Did you know?
- The expression bonsoir ! can be used sarcastically to mean 'that is the end of that' or 'it is too late now' when a plan fails.
- While bonsoir is a polite greeting, simply saying bonsoir while entering a shop or a small café is considered a mandatory social ritual. Failing to say it to the shopkeeper can be perceived as a significant lack of manners.
- In some regions, saying bonsoir too early in the day can be seen as a subtle hint that you are ready for the conversation to end or for the guest to leave.
Examples in context
- Bonsoir, comment allez-vous ?Good evening, how are you?
- Bonsoir à tous !Good evening to everyone!
- Bonsoir, je cherche mon ami.Good evening, I am looking for my friend.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa meet at a party in the evening.
- GabrielBonsoir, Léa !Good evening, Léa!
- LéaBonsoir, Gabriel. Tu vas bien ?Good evening, Gabriel. Are you doing well?
- GabrielOui, merci. Et toi ?Yes, thanks. And you?
- LéaÇa va très bien.I am doing very well.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bonsoir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
