salut mon frère
The English phrase 'hello brother' is translated into French as salut mon frère.
salut mon frère is an informal greeting used to address a male friend or a sibling. In slang or very casual contexts, young people might drop the mon to say salut frère or use the term frérot instead.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of salut (hi/bye), mon (my) and frère (brother).
Which one should you use?
salut mon frère is informal, whereas bonjour mon frère is a more formal or standard way to say 'hello brother'. You may also encounter Salut, frérot, which is an endearing way to say 'hello brother' or Yo, mon frangin, a casual and youthful way to greet a brother.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
salut mon frère is an informal greeting suitable for friends or family. For more formal situations, you should use bonjour mon frère.
Did you know?
- If you use salut to greet someone, you are etymologically wishing them 'health' or 'salvation', as it derives from the Latin salūtem.
- In modern French street slang, you might hear someone say Wesh mon frère, where wesh is a very common, highly informal way to say 'hey' or 'what's up'.
- In many French-speaking African cultures, the way one addresses a 'brother' can involve specific titles of respect that go beyond the simple 'mon frère' used in France.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, mon frère, comment vas-tu aujourd'hui?Hello brother, how are you today?
- Salut, cher frère, j'espère que tu passes une bonne journée!Hello dear brother, I hope you're having a great day!
- Salut, frérot, ça va ou quoi?Hey bro, what's up?
- Yo, mon frangin, t'as prévu quelque chose de cool aujourd'hui?Yo bro, do you have anything cool planned for today?
- Salut mon frère, comment ça va ?Hello brother, how is it going?
- Salut mon frère, tu viens avec nous ?Hello brother, are you coming with us?
- Salut mon frère, ça fait longtemps !Hello brother, it has been a long time!
Example conversation
Léa meets her brother Lucas at a cafe.
- LéaSalut mon frère ! Content de te voir.Hello brother! Good to see you.
- LucasSalut Léa, ça fait longtemps !Hi Léa, it's been a long time!
- LéaOui, on a beaucoup de choses à se dire.Yes, we have a lot to talk about.
- LucasJe suis d'accord, installons-nous.I agree, let's sit down.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries frère, mon, salut, CC BY-SA 4.0.
