What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the informal greeting salut (hi/bye) and the stressed pronoun toi (you).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase salut toi is informal and should only be used with friends, family or people you know well. For more versatile or formal options, you might use Bonjour for a standard hello or Bonsoir to say good evening if it is late in the day (typically after 6 p.m.). Other informal alternatives include the friendly and playful Coucou, or the simple Salut which is equivalent to hi or hey.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, toi is a disjunctive (stressed) pronoun used for emphasis, rather than the subject pronoun tu.
When do people say it?
Kisses on the cheek are known as la bise. If you are addressing a group of friends, especially among younger people, you might hear Salut les potes or Bonjour tout le monde to say hello, everyone.
Did you know?
- While salut is used as a greeting today, it shares its root with the word salut meaning 'salvation' or 'safety'.
- French has a specific word coucou for a playful greeting, which is an onomatopoeia mimicking the sound of a cuckoo clock or a bird.
- In French, the distance and number of cheek kisses for la bise vary by region, with some areas doing two and others doing three or four.
Examples in context
- Salut toi, comment ça va ?Hello you, how is it going?
- Salut toi, ça fait longtemps !Hello you, it has been a long time!
- Oh, salut toi, je ne t'attendais pas.Oh, hello you, I wasn't expecting you.
Example conversation
Chloé sees Gabriel walking into a cafe.
- ChloéSalut toi, tu es en retard !Hello you, you are late!
- GabrielDésolé Chloé, il y avait beaucoup de trafic.Sorry Chloé, there was a lot of traffic.
- ChloéPas de problème, je viens d'arriver.No problem, I just arrived.
- GabrielSuper, on commande quelque chose ?Great, shall we order something?
