bonjour jolie fille
The English phrase "hello pretty girl" is translated into French as bonjour jolie fille.
bonjour jolie fille is a friendly greeting directed toward a girl or a young woman who is considered attractive. While the phrase itself is a greeting, addressing a stranger as jolie fille can be perceived as flirtatious or even as catcalling, depending entirely on the specific context and the tone of voice used.
Did you know?
- While fille means 'girl', it is also used in French slang to mean 'prostitute'. This is a shorthand derived from older phrases like fille de joie, meaning 'girl of joy'.
- The word fille in French is used both for 'daughter' and 'girl', meaning a speaker cannot distinguish between the two based on the word alone.
- While bonjour is the standard greeting, French speakers rarely use it as a casual 'hello' among close friends, preferring salut instead.
Examples in context
- Coucou, jolie fille!Hey, pretty girl!
Example conversation
Gabriel meets Léa at a park.
- GabrielBonjour jolie fille, tu habites ici ?Hello pretty girl, do you live here?
- LéaOui, j'habite juste à côté.Yes, I live right next door.
- GabrielJe m'appelle Gabriel, ravi de te rencontrer.My name is Gabriel, nice to meet you.
- LéaMoi c'est Léa, enchantée !I'm Léa, delighted!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonjour, fille, CC BY-SA 4.0.
