Bonjour, mon ami
The English phrase "hello, friend" is translated into French as Bonjour, mon ami.
Bonjour, mon ami is a friendly greeting used to say hello to a person you know well. In everyday spoken French, including the phrase mon ami in a greeting can sometimes sound slightly poetic or overly formal compared to simply saying Bonjour.
Which one should you use?
You might use Salut, mon ami for a more casual "Hi, my friend" because Salut is a more casual way to say 'hello' than Bonjour.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the phrase Salut, mon chum is used to greet a friend, utilizing the term chum to mean friend or buddy.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a female friend, the spelling of the word for friend changes from ami to amie, resulting in Bonjour, mon amie.
Did you know?
- In the phrase mon amie, the word mon is used even though amie is feminine to avoid a clash of vowel sounds.
- The word ami shares an ancient root with the English word 'amity', which describes a state of friendship or peaceful relations.
- The spelling of ami and amie results in the exact same pronunciation, making the gender distinction invisible when spoken.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, mon ami.Hello, my friend.
- Bonjour, mon ami, comment vas-tu ?Hello, my friend, how are you?
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé meet at a cafe.
- LucasBonjour, mon ami ! Ça fait longtemps.Hello, my friend! It has been a long time.
- ChloéSalut Lucas ! Oui, ça fait des mois.Hi Lucas! Yes, it has been months.
- LucasTu veux boire quelque chose ?Do you want to drink something?
- ChloéOui, je veux bien, merci.Yes, I would like that, thank you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Bonjour, ami, bonjour, mon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
