bonjour, bienvenue en France
The English phrase "hello welcome to france" is translated into French as bonjour, bienvenue en France.
The phrase is used to greet and welcome someone who has arrived in France. You can use Salut, bienvenue en France for a more casual version when speaking to friends or peers.
What does it mean word for word?
The word bienvenue is a combination of bien (well) and venue (come), which literally means "well-come".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a casual setting, such as among friends, you can replace bonjour with the informal Salut.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as an interjection to welcome someone, bienvenue is always used in its feminine singular form, regardless of the gender of the person being welcomed. Additionally, the preposition en is used in en France because France is a feminine country.
Did you know?
- In France, failing to say bonjour when entering a shop or starting a conversation is often considered a serious social offense or a sign of rudeness.
- In some parts of Canada, bienvenue is used to mean 'you are welcome' after someone says thank you. This is a recent linguistic loan from English and is not used in France.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, bienvenue en France !Hello, welcome to France!
- Bonjour, bienvenue en France, mes amis.Hello, welcome to France, my friends.
- Bonjour, bienvenue en France à tous.Hello, welcome to France, everyone.
Example conversation
Hugo greets Manon at the airport as she arrives.
- HugoBonjour, bienvenue en France, Manon !Hello, welcome to France, Manon!
- ManonMerci beaucoup, Hugo.Thank you very much, Hugo.
- HugoTu as fait un bon voyage ?Did you have a good trip?
- ManonOui, le vol était très agréable.Yes, the flight was very pleasant.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries France, bienvenue, bonjour, en, CC BY-SA 4.0.
