salut
/sa.ly/
salut is the French way to say hi.
salut is an informal greeting used to say hello. Interestingly, in informal settings, it can also be used as a way to say bye.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
salut is an informal greeting appropriate for use with friends, family or peers. For formal settings, you should use Bonjour (Good day) or Bonsoir (Good evening) if it is the evening. For an even more affectionate and playful informal greeting, you can use Coucou.
How do you pronounce it?
/sa.ly/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly pronounce the final 't' in salut, but the 't' should be silent.
Did you know?
- In French, salut is not just a greeting but also the word for 'salvation'. In a religious context, le salut refers to the saving of a soul from sin.
- The word salut shares the same ancient root as the English word 'whole'. It originates from the idea of being 'whole' or 'unharmed', essentially wishing someone a state of completeness or health.
- The word salut shares the same root as the English word 'salute'. While 'salute' became a formal military gesture, salut remained a casual greeting in French.
Examples in context
- Salut à tous !Hi everyone!This sentence is useful for seeing how to greet a group using salut.Tatoeba #10625667 by felix63, translation #13188716 by glossboss
- Salut, mon amie !Hi, my friend!This sentence is useful for seeing how to greet a friend using salut.Tatoeba #3270739 by Aiji, translation #3270741 by Ricardo14
- Salut, les mecs !Hi, guys.Tatoeba #5050011 by sacredceltic, translation #2561375 by Hybrid
- Bonjour, comment ça va aujourd'hui?Good day, how are you today?
- Bonsoir, comment ça va?Good evening, how are you?
- Salut! Comment t'appelles-tu?Hi! What's your name?
- Coucou! Ça fait longtemps qu'on ne s'est pas vus.Hey! It's been a while since we last saw each other.
- 63 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel meet in a park.
- ManonSalut, Gabriel !Hi, Gabriel!
- GabrielSalut, Manon. Ça va ?Hi, Manon. How are you?
- ManonÇa va bien, merci.I'm doing well, thanks.
- GabrielMoi aussi, je vais bien.Me too, I am doing well.
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.
