Bonjour
neutral, all day
In Canadian French Bonjour is the standard way to say "hello". Among friends, Quebecers also say Allô and Salut.
Meaning: greeting (interjection)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| Bonjour | neutral, all day |
| salut | informal |
| allô | Quebec, informal |
Use Bonjour when you walk into a shop, meet someone older or answer a business call. Allô and Salut are for people you know.
Which one should you use?
In Quebec allô is used as a casual hello in person as well as on the phone. In France it is mostly a phone word.
How do you pronounce it?
Allô sounds like "ah-LOH".
Did you know?
- In 2017 the National Assembly of Quebec passed a motion asking shopkeepers to greet customers with Bonjour alone instead of the bilingual Bonjour, hi.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, comment puis-je vous aider?Hello, how can I help you?
- Allô, Marie!Hello, Marie!
- Salut, ça va?Hi, how is it going?
Example conversation
Anne enters a bakery in Montreal and greets the baker Luc.
- AnneBonjour!Hello!
- LucBonjour, madame. Je vous écoute.Hello, madam. How can I help?
- AnneUne baguette, s'il vous plaît.A baguette, please.
