allô
/a.lo/
The French phrase for hello on the phone is allô.
allô is a greeting used specifically when answering the telephone. It is commonly used at the beginning of a call to check if the line is clear or to express surprise.
Which one should you use?
Unlike the English 'hello', you should not use allô to greet someone in person. Use bonjour or salut instead.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /a.lo/ and has two syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use allô as a general greeting in face-to-face social situations, which sounds unnatural in French.
Did you know?
- If a French speaker is very annoyed or surprised by something you said, they might exclaim allô ! to suggest you are being delusional or out of touch with reality.
- In Quebec, allô is frequently used as a general greeting in person between friends, whereas in France this is considered a mistake.
- The word allô is actually a French phonetic adaptation of the English word 'hallo'.
Examples in context
- Allô ? Qui est à l'appareil ?Hello? Who is calling?
- Allô, je cherche le service client.Hello, I am looking for customer service.
- Allô, est-ce que vous m'entendez ?Hello, can you hear me?
Example conversation
Hugo receives a phone call from his friend Léa.
- HugoAllô ?Hello?
- LéaCoucou Hugo, c'est Léa !Hey Hugo, it's Léa!
- HugoAh, salut Léa ! Ça va ?Ah, hi Léa! How are you?
- LéaÇa va très bien, merci.I'm doing very well, thanks.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry allô, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries allô, CC BY-SA 4.0.
