Salut
/sa.ly/
The English phrase "hello informally" in French is Salut.
Salut is an informal greeting used among friends and acquaintances. Other informal options include Coucou, which is an affectionate and playful way to say hello, mostly used among friends and family and Yo, a casual and slang greeting borrowed from English used among young people.
Which one should you use?
Salut can be used both for 'hello' and 'goodbye' in informal settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
Salut is an invariable interjection and does not change its form based on gender or number.
Did you know?
- The word salut is also the French word for 'salvation' or 'safety'. This is why it appears in religious contexts referring to the saving of a soul.
- The word Salut shares the same Proto-Indo-European root as the English word 'whole', meaning it originally carried the sense of wishing someone 'wholeness' or 'health'.
- Using Salut can signal a specific level of intimacy, as it immediately establishes that you do not need to use the formal 'vous' with the listener.
Examples in context
- Salut Pierre, ça va ?Hi Pierre, how are you?
- Salut, ça va ?Hi, how are you?
- Salut tout le monde !Hi everyone!
- Salut, je suis là.Hi, I am here.
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan meet in a park.
- EmmaSalut Nathan !Hi Nathan!
- NathanSalut Emma, comment vas-tu ?Hi Emma, how are you?
- EmmaÇa va très bien, merci.I am doing very well, thanks.
- NathanSuper, content de te voir.Great, glad to see you.
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry salut.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries salut, CC BY-SA 4.0.
