salut
/sa.ly/
The English phrase 'hi' is translated into French as salut.
salut is the informal equivalent of 'hi' in French.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
In informal contexts, salut can be used to mean both 'hi' and 'bye'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /sa.ly/.
Did you know?
- In French, the word salut is also the noun for 'salvation' or 'safety'. This creates a linguistic link between greeting someone and wishing for their eternal soul's rescue.
- The word salut shares the same root as the English word 'salute'. While 'salute' is now a formal military gesture, salut remains one of the most casual ways to say 'hi' in France.
- The greeting salut shares its ancient roots with the English word 'whole', stemming from the idea of wishing someone 'good health' or 'wholeness'.
Examples in context
- Salut à tous !Hi everyone!Tatoeba #10625667 by felix63, translation #13188716 by glossboss
- Salut, mon amie !Hi, my friend!Tatoeba #3270739 by Aiji, translation #3270741 by Ricardo14
- Salut, les mecs !Hi, guys.Tatoeba #5050011 by sacredceltic, translation #2561375 by Hybrid
- Salut, comment ça va?Hi, how are you?
- Bonjour, comment allez-vous?Good morning, how are you?
- Salut, ça va? Bien dormi?Hi, how are you? Did you sleep well?
- 63 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé meet by chance on the street.
- NathanSalut, Chloé !Hi, Chloé!
- ChloéSalut, Nathan ! Ça va ?Hi, Nathan! How are you?
- NathanÇa va très bien, merci.I'm doing very well, thanks.
- ChloéTant mieux !That's great!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries salut, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries salut, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
