salut
/sa.ly/
Salut is the French way to say "hi".
Salut is a casual way to say "hi" or "hey". Interestingly, it can also be used as an informal way to say "bye" when parting from someone.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, you may hear the phrase Salut ça va? used as a relaxed way of asking "hi, how are you?"
How do you pronounce it?
/sa.ly/
When do people say it?
When greeting someone informally, you might follow up with questions like Ça va? or the more colloquial Comment ça roule? to ask how they are doing.
Did you know?
- The word salut shares the same root as the English word 'salute'. While 'salute' became a formal military gesture, salut evolved into one of the most casual greetings in French.
- In some French dialects, salut is accompanied by a 'la bise', a social custom of kissing on both cheeks, which is common even between people who are not closely related.
- In a religious context, le salut does not mean a greeting but refers to 'salvation' or the saving of one's soul.
Examples in context
- Salut à tous !Hi everyone!This example shows how to use salut to greet a group.Tatoeba #10625667 by felix63, translation #13188716 by glossboss
- Salut, mon amie !Hi, my friend!This example shows how to use salut when greeting a friend.Tatoeba #3270739 by Aiji, translation #3270741 by Ricardo14
- Salut, les mecs !Hi, guys.This example shows how to use salut when greeting a group of guys.Tatoeba #5050011 by sacredceltic, translation #2561375 by Hybrid
- 63 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé see each other in a park.
- HugoSalut, Chloé !Hi, Chloé!
- ChloéSalut, Hugo. Ça va ?Hi, Hugo. How are you?
- HugoÇa va bien, merci.I'm doing well, thanks.
- ChloéSuper, moi aussi.Great, me too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries salut, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
