bonjour maman
The English phrase "hello mama" is translated into French as bonjour maman.
bonjour maman is a greeting used when speaking to one's mother. It is primarily used during the morning or during the daytime. If you are greeting her in the evening, you should use bonsoir maman instead.
Which one should you use?
While bonjour maman is a standard greeting, you can use salut maman as a more casual way to say "hi mom" among family members.
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual written French, the phrase bonjour maman does not require a comma between the greeting and the person being addressed, although using a comma is grammatically correct.
Did you know?
- In some French-speaking regions, particularly in parts of Africa, you might hear a child use the word maman as a respectful way to address any older woman, not just their own mother.
- The word maman is often used by adult French women to refer to themselves in the third person when speaking to their children, such as saying maman arrive instead of 'I am coming'.
- Using salut instead of bonjour when saying hello to maman can also serve as a way to say 'bye' in certain contexts.
Examples in context
- Bonjour maman, comment vas-tu ?Hello mama, how are you?
- Bonjour maman, j'ai fini mon travail.Hello mama, I finished my work.
- Bonjour maman, tu me manques.Hello mama, I miss you.
Example conversation
Nathan enters the kitchen to see his mother.
- NathanBonjour maman !Hello mama!
- ManonBonjour Nathan, tu as bien dormi ?Hello Nathan, did you sleep well?
- NathanOui, très bien, merci.Yes, very well, thank you.
- ManonC'est super, viens manger.That's great, come eat.
