salut mon amour
In French, "hey love" is translated as salut mon amour.
The phrase is an affectionate greeting used for a romantic partner.
What does it mean word for word?
salut mon amour is composed of salut (hi/bye), mon (my) and amour (love).
Which one should you use?
While salut mon amour is an informal greeting, bonjour mon amour is a more formal or standard way to say "hello my love".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The use of salut makes salut mon amour an informal and intimate greeting. Other informal variations include Coucou, mon amour and Salut, ma belle/mon beau.
How does it change in a sentence?
The possessive adjective mon is used because amour is a masculine noun, even if the person being addressed is female. In the informal variation ma belle, ma belle means "my beauty" and is used specifically for females.
Did you know?
- The variation Coucou, mon amour uses coucou, which is the French word for the 'cuckoo' bird. It mimics the repetitive sound of the bird to create a cute and playful greeting.
- The word mon was likely influenced by the Gaulish word mon, the language spoken in France before the Romans arrived. This shows a linguistic layer that predates the Latin influence.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, mon amour. Comment ça va aujourd'hui?Hello, my love. How are you today?
- Bonjour, ma chérie. J'ai pensé à toi toute la journée.Hello, my darling. I've been thinking about you all day.
- Coucou, mon amour ! Ça te dirait de dîner ensemble ce soir ?Hey, my love! Would you like to have dinner together tonight?
- Salut mon amour, tu vas bien ?Hey love, are you doing well?
- Salut mon amour, je suis rentré.Hey love, I'm home.
- Salut mon amour, tu as passé une bonne journée ?Hey love, did you have a good day?
Example conversation
Hugo arrives home to see Chloé in the living room.
- HugoSalut mon amour, je suis là !Hey love, I'm here!
- ChloéCoucou Hugo, ça va ?Hi Hugo, how are you?
- HugoOui, très bien, et toi ?Yes, very well, and you?
- ChloéMoi aussi, ça va super.Me too, I'm doing great.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amour, mon, salut, CC BY-SA 4.0.
