Salut
informal
In Canadian French you can say Salut or Allô to greet someone casually. Bonjour is the safer choice if you are not sure.
Meaning: informal greeting (interjection)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| Salut | informal |
| bonjour | polite |
| allô | Quebec, informal |
Salut is used with friends and people of your age. Allô is a bit softer, and many Quebecers say it to children and friends alike.
Which one should you use?
Salut also means "bye", so listen to whether the person is arriving or leaving.
How do you pronounce it?
Salut sounds like "sah-LU" with the French u.
Did you know?
- In 2017 the National Assembly of Quebec passed a motion asking shopkeepers to greet customers with Bonjour alone instead of the bilingual Bonjour, hi.
Examples in context
- Salut, ça va?Hi, how are you?
- Allô, tout le monde!Hi, everybody!
- Salut, Marie!Hi, Marie!
Example conversation
Marc runs into his friend Julie on the street in Quebec City.
- MarcSalut, Julie!Hi, Julie!
- JulieAllô, Marc! Ça va?Hi, Marc! How are you?
- MarcÇa va bien, et toi?Fine, and you?
