bonjour la famille
In French, bonjour la famille is used to say "hello family".
bonjour la famille is an informal greeting used to address a group of family members or close friends. In French, adding the definite article la makes the greeting sound more natural and affectionate when addressing a group than simply saying bonjour famille.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "hello the family" because French requires the definite article la before the noun famille.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using salut la famille makes the greeting even more casual and common among close friends or siblings. Salut! is a casual and widely-used greeting that can be used with any family member. Coucou! is an informal way of saying hello to family members that conveys friendliness and playfulness.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are sending a greeting to a family through a third party (e.g., 'Tell the family I said hello'), you use the preposition à to say bonjour à la famille.
When do people say it?
Bonjour, mon petit/ma petite is an expression used for greeting younger family members with affection.
Did you know?
- While coucou is a playful greeting for family, it is also the name of the cuckoo bird and the sound it makes, mirroring the repetitive 'coo-coo' sound.
- The word 'jour' in bonjour is a cognate of the English word 'journey', as both originate from the concept of a day's travel or progress.
- The word famille comes from the Latin familia, which originally referred to all the members of a household, including servants and enslaved people, rather than just biological relatives.
Examples in context
- Bonjour la famille, comment ça va ?Hello family, how is it going?
- Bonjour la famille, je suis enfin arrivé !Hello family, I have finally arrived!
- Bonjour la famille, vous me manquez beaucoup.Hello family, I miss you all a lot.
Example conversation
Chloé arrives at a family gathering at Nathan's house.
- ChloéBonjour la famille !Hello family!
- NathanSalut Chloé, on t'attendait !Hi Chloé, we were waiting for you!
- ChloéMerci, je suis contente d'être là.Thanks, I am happy to be here.
- NathanEntre donc, tout le monde est là.Come in then, everyone is here.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonjour, famille, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
