bonjour mes amis
bonjour mes amis is the French way to say hello my friends.
This phrase is a friendly greeting used to address a group of people the speaker knows well.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bonjour (good day), mes (my, plural) and amis (friends).
Which one should you use?
While bonjour mes amis is a standard friendly greeting, the more casual salut mes amis is used among close peers to mean hi my friends. For a very informal and playful greeting, you can use Coucou, les potes or use the slang version Salut, les potos.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the group of friends consists entirely of women, you use the feminine plural form mes amies. You may also use the inclusive gender-neutral greeting Bonjour, mes a-mi-e-s.
Did you know?
- In many parts of France, it is considered more polite to say Bonjour to every individual person in a small group rather than a single collective greeting to the whole crowd.
- In France, the word ami is often reserved for very deep, long-term bonds. For casual acquaintances or 'friends' in the looser English sense, French speakers prefer the word copain or pote.
- The word amis is a cognate of the English word 'amicable', both deriving from the Latin word for 'friend'.
Examples in context
- Bonjour mes amis, comment allez-vous ?Hello my friends, how are you?
- Bonjour mes amis, je suis très content de vous voir.Hello my friends, I am very happy to see you.
- Bonjour mes amis, on commence la fête ?Hello my friends, shall we start the party?
Example conversation
Emma arrives at a cafe to meet Lucas and their group of friends.
- EmmaBonjour mes amis !Hello my friends!
- LucasSalut Emma ! Ça va ?Hi Emma! How are you?
- EmmaÇa va très bien, merci.I am doing very well, thank you.
- LucasOn est contents que tu sois là.We are glad you are here.
