Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| salut | /sa.ly/ | informal |
| coucou | /ku.ku/ | informal |
The terms provided are used as interjections to greet people. salut is the equivalent of the English Hi or Hey, while coucou is similar to Hey there! In English.
Which one should you use?
salut can be used for both hello and bye in informal settings. coucou is more casual and affectionate than salut and is often used when greeting close friends, family or children.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
salut and coucou are both informal. For a formal setting, you might use Bonjour, Monsieur. to say hello to a man, or simply Bonjour which means good day. If you are meeting someone for the first time in a formal context, you can say Enchanté to mean Nice to meet you.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of salut is /sa.ly/ and it has two syllables.
When do people say it?
When greeting someone informally, you might follow your greeting with Ça va? to ask How's it going? Or How are you? In a formal context, you can use the phrase Bonjour, comment allez-vous? to make a polite inquiry about how a person is doing.
Did you know?
- The term coucou is actually an onomatopoeia that mimics the repetitive call of the cuckoo bird.
- The word salut was historically a wish for someone's 'salvation' or 'safety', making it much more profound than the modern English 'hi'.
- Using the formal 'Bonjour' when entering a small bakery or a shop is considered much more important in France than in many English-speaking countries, where a simple 'hello' might suffice.
Examples in context
- Salut à tous !Hello everyone!This example shows how to use salut to greet a group.Tatoeba #10625667 by felix63, translation #854117 by piksea
- Salut ma belle !Hello, beautiful!This example shows how to use salut when addressing a woman.Tatoeba #594147 by sacredceltic, translation #1265548 by Jefepeters
- Salut mon vieux !Hello, old friend!This example shows how to use salut when addressing an old friend.Tatoeba #1551225 by sacredceltic, translation #1549913 by miflhanc
- 66 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo run into each other at a cafe.
- ChloéSalut, Hugo !Hello, Hugo!
- HugoSalut Chloé, ça va ?Hi Chloé, how are you?
- ChloéÇa va très bien, merci.I am doing very well, thanks.
- HugoTant mieux !That's good!
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.
