Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| salut | /sa.ly/ | informal |
| coucou | /ku.ku/ | informal |
The phrase is an informal greeting equivalent to saying hi or hey in English. Interestingly, salut is versatile and can be used both to say hello and to say goodbye in informal settings.
Which one should you use?
While salut is a standard informal greeting, coucou is a more colloquial option similar to saying hey there or hiya in English.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
salut is an informal greeting. coucou is even more informal and is considered a colloquial, cute or affectionate way to say hello, often used when speaking to children or close friends.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Québec region, salut is often used in informal settings instead of the more common Bonjour.
How do you pronounce it?
/sa.ly/. The word has 2 syllables.
When do people say it?
While these informal options are common, Bonjour remains the most common way to say hello in French and is used throughout the day until the evening. For a formal way to say good evening after the sun sets, use Bonsoir.
Did you know?
- The word salut is also the French word for 'salvation' in a religious context.
- French has a specific greeting called la bise where people touch cheeks and make a kissing sound instead of shaking hands.
- The phrase coucou is actually named after the sound made by a cuckoo bird, mimicking the 'coo-coo' call.
Examples in context
- Salut à tous !Hello everyone!This sentence shows how to use salut to greet a group.Tatoeba #10625667 by felix63, translation #854117 by piksea
- Salut ma belle !Hello, beautiful!This sentence uses salut as a greeting for a beautiful person.Tatoeba #594147 by sacredceltic, translation #1265548 by Jefepeters
- Salut mon vieux !Hello, old friend!This sentence uses salut to greet an old friend.Tatoeba #1551225 by sacredceltic, translation #1549913 by miflhanc
- Bonjour, comment ça va?Hello, how are you?
- Bonjour, ça va bien, et toi?Hello, I'm doing well, and you?
- Salut, ça roule?Hey, what's up?
- Coucou, tout va bien, merci!Hiya, everything's good, thanks!
- 66 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel meet at a cafe.
- LéaSalut Gabriel !Hello Gabriel!
- GabrielSalut Léa, ça va ?Hi Léa, how are you?
- LéaÇa va bien, merci.I'm doing well, thanks.
- GabrielSuper, on commande ?Great, shall we order?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries salut, coucou, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries coucou, salut, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
