bonjour en retour
The English phrase 'hello back' is translated into French as bonjour en retour.
This phrase is used as a response to return a greeting to someone who has just said hello.
Did you know?
- In France, failing to say bonjour when entering a small shop or bakery is often viewed as a serious social transgression rather than a simple oversight.
- French speakers often use la bise (kissing on the cheeks) as a physical accompaniment to bonjour among friends, but the number of kisses varies by region and can cause awkwardness if you guess wrong.
- The word jour in bonjour comes from the Latin 'diurnum', which shares a distant ancestor with the English word 'journal'.
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel meet in a hallway.
- ChloéBonjour Gabriel !Hello Gabriel!
- GabrielBonjour Chloé !Hello Chloé!
- ChloéMerci de m'avoir dit bonjour en retour.Thanks for saying hello back to me.
- GabrielC'est tout naturel.It's only natural.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonjour, en, retour, CC BY-SA 4.0.
